3 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Feb 8, 2026 06:31 PM IST
Vikrant Massey has cleared the air around his involvement in Nitesh Tiwari’s much-talked-about Ramayana. Addressing reports that claimed he had been replaced by Raghav Juyal in the ambitious mythological epic, the actor clarified that he was never associated with the project in any capacity.
Vikrant Massey clears the air around Ramayana
Taking to Instagram Stories, Vikrant Massey wrote, “Ok. To put the rumours to rest. I never was a part of Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayan. The many media portals reporting about my supposed ‘replacement’ should’ve done the requisite background check. Disappointing. Nonetheless, wishing everyone a part of the movie all the very best. Love.”
(Vikrant Massey/Instagram)
The speculation started from a Variety report that stated Raghav Juyal’s casting as Meghanad, also known as Indrajit, the eldest son of Ravana, in Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana. According to the report, Raghav will appear in Ramayana: Part 2, which is slated for a Diwali 2027 release. It further claimed that Vikrant Massey was initially considered for the role, but the casting did not materialise. The makers subsequently approached Raghav, who agreed to come on board. He is expected to begin filming after he recovers from an injury.
Ramayana boasts an extensive ensemble cast with Ranbir Kapoor playing Lord Ram, while Yash essays the role of Ravana. Sai Pallavi plays Goddess Sita, Sunny Deol appears as Lord Hanuman, and Ravi Dubey portrays Lakshman. The supporting cast includes Lara Dutta as Kaikeyi, Vivek Oberoi as Vibishana, Arun Govil as King Dashrath, Indira Krishnan as Queen Kaushalya, Sheeba Chaddha as Manthara, Adinath Kothare as Bharat among others.
Ramayana to cost around Rs 4,000 crore
Currently in production, Ramayana is being touted as the most expensive Indian film ever mounted. Producer Namit Malhotra has previously revealed that the two-part saga will cost nearly Rs 4,000 crore by the time both films are completed.
Speaking to Prakhar Gupta, Malhotra explained, “When we set out to make it six or seven years ago, people thought I was a lunatic. No Indian film comes close to this scale. Put simply, it’ll be about $500 million for both films combined.”
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He added that despite the staggering budget, the team remains financially disciplined. “We’re making the largest film in the world for the greatest story, the greatest epic the world should see. And I still believe we’re doing it responsibly. We’re making a bigger film at a lower cost compared to some of the biggest Hollywood productions,” he said.
Directed by Nitesh Tiwari and produced by Namit Malhotra’s Prime Focus Studios in association with Yash’s Monster Mind Creations, the two-part live-action epic is slated to release its first instalment during the Diwali weekend this year. The second part is expected to arrive in cinemas in Diwali 2027.
3 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Feb 8, 2026 04:45 PM IST
Actor Aamir Khan brought his signature charm to a World Pickleball League 2026 exhibition match held on Saturday at Jio World Garden in Mumbai. The 60-year-old actor shared the court with three lucky enthusiasts during the semi-finals of the second season, where the actor slipped mid-play.
Aamir Khan slips while playing pickleball
In a viral video from the event, Aamir Khan can be seen moving forward to return a shot when he suddenly loses his footing and rolls on the court. Moments later, he was back on his feet, smiling, and resumed playing as if nothing had happened.
Fans were quick to admire his agility and composure, with one commenting, “At his age, many people don’t even step onto the ground,” while another added, “He is so steady.”
Some pointed out the minor mishap, noting, “That was a good return from the opposite side. He fell because of poor footwork.”
Aamir Khan’s visit to Arijit Singh’s hometown
Earlier this month, Aamir Khan made headlines when he visited singer Arijit Singh’s hometown of Jiaganj in Murshidabad, West Bengal. Videos of Aamir stepping out of his car, waving at photographers, and flying a kite at Arijit’s residence quickly went viral on social media.
Speculation is rife that the Laal Singh Chaddha star may have met Arijit to discuss the singer’s recent decision to step away from playback singing. There were also reports that Aamir’s trip to Jiaganj, was for collaborating with the singer, although neither party has confirmed the purpose of the visit.
On the work front, Aamir Khan reportedly set to portray legendary filmmaker Dadasaheb Phalke in an upcoming biopic directed by Rajkumar Hirani. In a recent interview with Variety India, Aamir shared his renewed focus on acting, “The moment I’m producing and acting, obviously, my acting time gets reduced. For the last few years, I had to focus on two things. Now I’m focusing only on myself as an actor.”
Today, Canadian singer and rapper AP Dhillon boasts a reported net worth of Rs 83 crore and millions of views on YouTube, but his early days in Canada were far from easy. Appearing on the latest episode of The Great Indian Kapil Show Season 4, the 33-year-old recalled sleeping on the streets for two days after arriving in the country, as he did not have a credit card to book a hotel room.
When Kapil Sharma asked Dhillon about the toughest moment he faced while living in Canada, the singer recalled, “The toughest moment for me was when I first landed in Canada. I had no place to stay. My dad gave me some money, but I was never born with a silver spoon. So, I didn’t have a credit card at that time. I went to a hotel and said, ‘I’d like to stay here, and I had this much cash.’ They asked me for a credit card, and I asked ‘what’s that?’ They refused to give me a room. So, I stepped outside and slept in front of the hotel. I had severe jet lag. The agent who booked my flight had booked the one with 5 stopovers.”
The singer added, “The first night passed, the second night when I was on the streets, an Indian girl came to me and said I didn’t look homeless and asked, ‘Why are you sleeping outside?’ I told her I didn’t have a credit card, so they wouldn’t give me a room. She went to her boyfriend and asked him to give his credit card. He came to me and said, ‘Brother please don’t steal or break anything, or they’ll charge me.’ I said, ‘No chance, bro.’ That couple was from Calgary.”
‘I have worked at gas stations, convenience stores…’
Slowly, things improved for AP Dhillon. He landed a few jobs while he was in college. Sharing how his life changed, Dhillon said, “I always kept working hard. When college began, and I started working, I slowly managed to get a credit card. I have worked at gas stations, convenience stores, and my last job was at Best Buy. I used to work for 10-12 hours and then go to college. I had to manage my rent, food, and everything else.”
AP Dhillon also recalled how he set up a dedicated space in his rented apartment to practise music. He shared, “The house I lived in had a small garage, big enough to park one car. I rented a room there. I saved some money, went to Home Depot, and made a 10-by-6 room with plywood and added a door. Slowly, I started buying equipments and learned the craft. I never gave up.”
Today, AP Dhillon is a well-known singer, with popular tracks including “Brown Munde,” “Goat,” “Dil Nu,” “Afsos,” “Excuses,” “With You,” and “Insane.”
Amitabh Bachchan’s legacy in the Hindi film industry is unmatchable, which is why he is often called the Shehenshah of Bollywood. However, there was a time when the actor was called a “3rd rate actor” by a foreign senior journalist. While the remark about him personally did not insult Big B, it was the journalist calling India a “3rd world country” that truly enraged him. The actor recalled the insult as a defiant message to India’s critics after the country clinched the win in the U19 World Cup.
Recently, Amitabh shared this personal incident as he congratulated the young Indian cricket team for winning the U19 Cricket World Cup for the sixth time. The actor recalled an episode from the past when he was felicitated in a foreign country and followed by a sea of fans everywhere he went.
He wrote, “I was invited to a Country ( will not disclose name ) for a Film Festival they were having .. and I accepted to go .. in the plane i saw their news paper, which had a picture of one of my films .. not understanding the language i asked the air hostess, what is written .. she said it is a poster of an Indian film and the paper says that its actor is coming to the country.”
Amitabh shared that fans began gathering at the airport just to catch a glimpse of him, and the crowd swelled to such an extent that his immigration had to be done at the hotel. “Surprised how and why this foreign country could be so enamoured by our films, on landing I found out why .. people started gathering , had a problem getting from plane to immigration desk .. but the crowd kept gathering around , making it difficult for me to even walk .. the situation became so chaotic that the Police came, pulled me out from the crowd , took me out from the Airport, put me in a car and escorted me to my Hotel. In my entire life, for the first time, my Immigration was done inside a Hotel,” he said.
However, Amitabh’s fan following did not sit well with a senior journalist from that country, who went on to insult the actor in an article. While the comment about him did not bother Big B as much, the insult directed at India deeply hurt him. He shared, “Subsequently, each moment I stepped out to an event or a sightseeing trip, massive crowds would gather. Police, escorts and cop cars would follow in protection. This was apparently not very acceptable to a Senior elder Journalist of the Country, and he brought out a headline in the newspaper the next day .. which read : WHY IS SO MUCH ATTENTION BEING GIVEN TO THIS 3RD RATE ACTOR FROM A 3RD WORLD COUNTRY .. !”
He added, “the 3rd rate actor bit was correct and accepted by me .. but India being called 3rd World was hurtful ..which is why the above .. which i repeat here for convenience. U19 Cricket INDIA .. WORLD CHAMPIONS ! ठोक दिया दुश्मन को (Beat the enemy) !!”
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India’s U19 World Cup win
India beat England by 100 runs to win the ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup final at the Harare Sports Club in Zimbabwe on Friday, claiming a record-extending sixth U19 World Cup crown. India’s win in the final came off a massive batting effort led by Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, under the stewardship of captain Ayush Mhatre. India made 411 for 9 wickets, with England’s bowlers struggling for answers.
3 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Feb 7, 2026 11:17 AM IST
For over three decades, actors have come and gone, but the Khans—Shah Rukh, Salman and Aamir—have remained a constant in Hindi cinema. There was a time when audiences watched their films almost unquestioningly, driven purely by star association. That equation, however, has changed. Today, viewers are far more blunt in their rejection if a film fails to resonate, regardless of the star power attached to it. Actor Imran Khan, nephew of Aamir Khan, believes it is high time actors of that generation acknowledge their age and transition into roles that align with where they are in life. “You cannot be playing the lead after a certain age,” he said.
Speaking to SHOWSHA, when he was asked about the Khans, Imran shared, “As a leading man, actors also start to age out. There are certain years where you can work as a leading man, and then there comes an age where you are not able to play those roles. All three Khans are well into their 60s now. They have had 30 years of stardom—the likes of which are hard to conceive or parallel. I think a part of it is simply organic, an inevitable part of any actor’s journey, that as you age, you start to transition the kind of roles you play.”
He further explained how stardom itself evolves over time. “Your stardom also starts to transition because there is an audience that knows you and grows with you, and then there is a whole new younger generation that begins to attach itself to people closer to them in age and experience. When we watch films or shows, first and foremost, we are trying to see ourselves in those stories and characters. That’s what resonates with you. Instinctively, you connect with someone who is closer to your age and life experience. The younger generation might not want to watch the story of a 70 year old man.”
The discussion gains context in light of recent box-office trends. After Zero, Shah Rukh Khan took a four-year break before returning with two massive blockbusters—Pathaan and Jawan. However, his third release of the same year, Dunki, failed to live up to expectations at the box office.
Similarly, Aamir Khan’s Laal Singh Chaddha was a commercial failure, while Sitaare Zameen Par found appreciation largely due to the focus on the supporting cast in the film rather than projecting Aamir as a conventional star-driven hero.
Meanwhile, Salman Khan’s post-2018 run has largely struggled, with most of his releases underperforming at the box office, Tiger 3 being a rare exception.
Paatal Lok actor Jaideep Ahlawat is nown to play many diverse characters on screen but the audience does not know much about his personal life as he often puts up a charming face when he is at events or talk shows. But, in a recent interview, Jaideep honestly admitted about his anger management problems. He revealed that even though he has made many attempts to fix it, his temper can sometimes be “destructive.”
The actor sat down to have a conversation on the YouTube channel of Rekhta, where he talked about his life, his career, and everything in between. While talking about his language, he shared that in the early days of trying to become an actor, he found it difficult to speak colloquial Hindi because his Haryanavi dialect would often show up in the middle of his speech. He also spoke of another bad habit, which sometimes creeps back into his life – his anger.
Jaideep admitted that he still has trouble controlling his anger and said, “My temper is still a bit of a problem. I snap very quickly, and at that point I don’t understand anything. Even though I try my best to keep it under control, once I snap, it becomes very difficult to bring it back on track. I usually have to leave that space, because if I continue to be in that space, my anger will just keep on increasing.”
The actor continued, “Agar main kisi space mai hoon, aur mai kisi cheez se irritate ho raha hoon (If I am at a place and I am getting irritated by something), I try my best to keep calm or not get affected. But agar woh hat gaya (once I snap), I have to leave that particular space, because if I don’t, I won’t be able to be in that space again. So temper is still a problem. Ab boht control mein hai (Now it is quite in control), but it is very destructive. A few times, I have reacted violently, and that is a problem.”
Jaideep was last seen in Sriram Raghavan’s war film Ikkis, which was led by debutante Agastya Nanda. He has several projects in the pipeline, including King, with Shah Rukh Khan.
Manoj Bajpayee’s upcoming film Ghooskhor Pandat has been making headlines even before its release—and for all the wrong reasons. The film has been facing backlash for allegedly disrespecting a particular community through its title. Following widespread criticism, the promotional material was taken down from the internet, with Netflix reportedly removing the teaser after receiving directions from central authorities. Now, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak has also weighed in, strongly criticising the film.
Speaking to the press on Friday, the UP Deputy CM said, “The way people from the film industry are targeting Indian culture, and especially the Brahmin community, is highly reprehensible. Such films should not be released to the public, and I strongly condemn them.”
FWICE issues warning to makers of Ghooskhor Pandat
Meanwhile, the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) has also raised serious objections to the film’s title, warning that it could hurt community sentiments and disturb social harmony. FWICE addressed a letter to several industry bodies, including the Indian Motion Picture Producers’ Association (IMPPA), Producers Guild of India (PGI), Indian Film and Television Producers Council (IFTPC), Western India Film and TV Producers’ Association (WIFPA), as well as OTT platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Zee5 and Sony Liv.
In its letter, FWICE stated: “The Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE), representing 36 affiliated associations and scores of members comprising workers, technicians, and artists of the media and entertainment industry, writes to you with serious concern regarding a controversial film being produced under the title Ghuskhor Pandat by Mr Neeraj Pandey under his banner Friday Filmworks.”
It further read, “FWICE and all its affiliated associations strongly object to the use of this title, as it appears to single out and target a particular community and its traditional means of livelihood in a derogatory and offensive manner. Such a title has the potential to hurt sentiments, provoke misunderstanding, and disturb social harmony.”
Emphasising its stance, the body added, “FWICE firmly believes that there should be no division in society on the grounds of caste, creed, religion, or profession. All professions are equally dignified and deserving of respect. The film industry, being a powerful medium of expression, carries a moral and social responsibility to ensure that its content and titles do not promote hatred, disrespect, or unrest among citizens.”
FWICE also appealed to producers to refrain from registering or continuing with film titles that are provocative in nature and capable of creating unrest among Indians, while condemning the title of Neeraj Pandey’s film.
The letter concluded with a warning: “Please note that if the needful is not done forthwith, FWICE shall be compelled to advise all its affiliated associations and its scores of members to distance themselves from any project of the said producer.”
Protestors burn effigies of Neeraj Pandey-Manoj Bajpayee
Adding to the unrest, members of the Brahmin community staged protests across several cities, demanding a change in the film’s title. In Bhopal, Akhil Bhartiya Brahmin Samaj protesters were seen holding placards that read: “Iss film ka nirmata Neeraj Pandey murdabad,” “Digital platform Netflix ko bandh karo, FIR karo,” and “Iss film ka kalakaar Manoj Bajpayee murdabad,” among others.
Similarly, in Prayagraj, members of the Rashtriya Parshuram Sena protested by burning effigies of Neeraj Pandey and Manoj Bajpayee at Subhash Chowk in Civil Lines. The protesters were seen beating the effigies with slippers, kicking them, and eventually setting them on fire, with hundreds in attendance.
Separately, Mahender Chaturvedi filed a writ petition before the Delhi High Court seeking a stay on the release of the Netflix film, alleging that the title is communally offensive.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) also issued a notice to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting after receiving a complaint claiming that the title “promotes negative stereotypes” and “vilifies a recognised social group.”
The makers have also been accused of not obtaining mandatory permission for the film’s title. Film Makers Combine (FMC), a Mumbai-based organisation, raised objections and issued a notice to the production house.
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Makers of Ghooskhor Pandat react to the controversy
Responding to the backlash, Neeraj Pandey released a statement saying, “We understand that the title has caused hurt to some viewers, and we genuinely acknowledge those feelings.”
Manoj Bajpayee, meanwhile, took to his official X handle and wrote, “I respect the emotions and concerns people have shared, and I take them seriously. When something you are part of causes hurt to some people, it makes you pause and listen.”
Defending the filmmaker, the actor added, “In my experience of working with Neeraj Pandey, there has been a consistent seriousness and care in how he approaches his films.”
Border 2 Box Office Day 15: Sunny Deol-starrer witnesses its lowest collections so far.
Border 2 Box Office Collection Worldwide Day 15 Update: After a strong opening weekend and the Republic Day holiday, the Anurag Singh-directed Border 2 has witnessed a steady decline in collections. As it enters its third week, the film has recorded its lowest single-day total so far, earning Rs 2.85 crore on Day 15, according to industry tracker Sacnilk.
Border 2 has now earned Rs 297.25 crore net at the domestic box office, a strong total by any measure. However, the trajectory of its collections raises concern. Of the overall earnings, Rs 224 crore came in the first week, while the remaining Rs 70 crore was added amid significant turbulence at theatres. Overall, the film’s collections have dropped by nearly 69% compared to its opening week.
Border 2 faced limited competition upon release, with the Dhurandhar wave having largely subsided by then. In fact, Border 2 drew away much of the remaining audience interest from Aditya Dhar’s film, which was already in its eighth week in theatres. However, an eight-week theatrical run now appears unlikely for Border 2, as it has been posting single-digit daily collections for five consecutive days.
The occupancy figures support the aforementioned assessment, with overall occupancy averaging 8.60%. Morning and afternoon shows recorded low occupancies of 4.16% and 7.85%, respectively, placing increased pressure on the evening and night shows. The latter fared relatively better, registering occupancies of 9.41% and 12.97%.
Directed by Anurag Singh, the cast of Border 2 includes Sunny Deol, Varun Dhawan, Ahan Shetty, Diljit Dosanjh, Sonam Bajwa, Mona Singh, Medha Rana and Anya Singh.
Amazon is now offering original AirTag down to $17 with free shipping for Prime members or on orders over $35. That’s 41% off both the original list price of $29 and the cost of a single AirTag 2. This is also the lowest price we’ve ever tracked for a single AirTag on Amazon.
of 4-pack of original AirTags are now marked on $64 shipped. Regularly $99, the same as the new model 4-pack, that’s 35% off sticker price and the lowest price we could find. At 35% off, you’re looking at the lowest price we’ve tracked on Amazon outside of the Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2025 deals that had it down to $62.99.
While the new AirTag 2 may not come with an exciting new feature that everyone is talking about, it does come with more than a few significant improvements over the original, as detailed in our comparison piece right here.
Here are some of the main differences:
Second generation ultra-wide chip
Tracking 1.5 times farther from the father than the original
Apple Watch support
50% louder speaker
That’s a good thing for sure, but there are also a number of aspects of the experience that are exactly the same, including the same battery life, nearly identical design (aside from the literal fine print) and, of course, the MSRP. The new one is clearly better, but if you’re a casual user and maybe need to get some of these, the prices are much lower on the original now.
Apple sells refurbished iPhone 16 now, but Amazon’s refurbished units are much less – 16 Pro Max 1TB now $611 off
As you can have recently seen in 9 to 5 MacApple has just started offering refurbished iPhone 16 series devices on its online storefront. Thing is, you can score Amazon Premium Refurbished units with a 1-year warranty for much less. it 1TB Titanium Black iPhone 16 Pro Max is now $611 off original price on Amazon. Details below.
Amazon is now offering Refurbished Premium iPhone 16 Pro Max units with a storage capacity of 1 TB down to $987.47 shipped. This is an unlocked unit that carried a list price of $1,599 in brand new condition – it’s within $2 or so of the lowest we’ve ever tracked on Amazon.
While the refurbished iPhone 16 Pro Max units newly offered by Apple are availableyou can’t even get 512GB for such a low price there. The 256GB model costs $929 from Apple while the 512GB is $1,099 – no 1TB models are offered at the time of writing.
Yes, they come directly from Apple, and it doesn’t get any more reliable than that, but Amazon’s revamped Premium listings delivered by and from Amazon are easily the best we’ve come across. And they are also much less expensive than Apple.
This 13-inch M5 iPad Pro 1TB mobile model is nearly $400 off today (‘Great’ – update)
We’ve spotted a few opportunities to score some notable discounts on the latest M5 iPad Pro this week – you’ll find them below, but this morning we also spotted a chance to save nearly $400 on refurbished units in “excellent” condition through Best Buy – that is 1TB 13 inch cell model.
At Best Buy you’ll find the well-known Networkstore that sells silver 13-inch M5 iPad Pro with 1 TB of storage and cell improves down to $1,699.97 shipped. This refurbished unit carries a new price of $2,099 and is now just $400 off.
Yes, this is a refurbished unit, but considering how expensive these M5 iPad Pro machines can be, we wanted to at least make sure this option was on the table for people looking to keep an extra $399 in their pocket.
This model, while currently at full price Amazon at the moment, has seen a few offers in new condition, but nothing like we have here today. The Space Black or Silver variants have never dropped below $1,943 on Amazon.
These refurbished units are covered under Best Buy Return and Exchange Policy should have a problem and, according to said listing, ship with an “Apple One (1) Year Limited Warranty.”
Today’s accessories and charging offers:
The latest iPad mini now $100 off, all colors on the most affordable model drop to $399
Regularly $499, that’s a $100 price drop and, outside of the $390 short offer for the blue model, on par with the lowest price of the year.
Today’s deal is on par with the pricing we spotted for Black Friday 2025. There have been a few chances to get these cars down $120, mostly during Prime Day events, as well as an all-time extremely short sale of $150 off, but that was a very short Cyber Monday deal that barely lasted the full 24 hours.
As mentioned above, some colors with the 256GB storage capacity have now gone up in price, but there are $100 price cuts elsewhere in the lineup that are still live at the time of writing:
Big $300 price cut hits Apple’s latest M5 MacBook Pro: 24GB and 32GB models
This week is bringing the best prices we’ve tracked to date on Apple’s latest M5 MacBook Pro lineup. Led by a variety of 300 dollars price drops in B&H on select configurations, we’re looking at prices that are below nearly all the deals we spotted during the Black Friday deal season, Amazon included.
In addition to the 24GB model with 512GB SSD you see listed below that we featured yesterday, there are also a pair of upgraded models with 32GB RAM configurations that are now $300 below list price at Apple and elsewhere:
It’s worth noting that while Amazon is offering as much as $200 off the configurations it carriesdoesn’t offer any of these particular configurations – there are no 32GB models available on Amazon, and the 24GB only configuration is much more expensive with a 1TB SSD.
This is where B&H really shines when it comes to the MacBook. It offers seriously great deals on setups that you would normally have to go directly to Apple for in many cases. While retailers like Amazon tend to remain thoroughly competitive and often have lower prices on the configurations they carry, these are deals you just won’t get.
That said, Amazon’s deals on the M5 MacBook so far have reached $250 off — that’s the deal we’ve got coming up through the holidays at the end of 2025. And that leaves B&H’s deals up for grabs for now as some of, if not, the best we’ve tracked down if you’re into these RAM/storage bundles.
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4 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Feb 7, 2026 09:08 PM IST
Anyone who has watched Mardaani 3 knows that this time, the makers have centred the film around the sensitive issue of child trafficking. Coinciding with the film’s release and promotions, reports claiming that over 800 people had gone missing in just 15 days in Delhi were circulated, leading to panic. The figures were widely circulated on social media, amplified by several influencers, and soon snowballed into a full-blown panic among the public.
The situation escalated to a point where the Delhi Police had to step in. While the police did not deny the authenticity of the data itself, they raised concerns about the manner in which the issue was being projected online. In a strongly worded statement, the authorities claimed that the narrative was being pushed through ‘paid promotions’ for monetary gains, sparking speculation that the comment was an indirect reference to the promotional campaign of Mardaani 3. Amid the growing chatter, Yash Raj Films (YRF) has now broken its silence and released a statement.
Responding to the allegations, a YRF spokesperson told SCREEN,“Yash Raj Films is a 50-year-old company founded on the core principles of being highly ethical and transparent. We strongly deny the accusations floating on social media that Mardaani 3’s promotional campaign has deliberately sensationalised a sensitive issue like this. We have immense trust in our authorities that they will share all facts and truths in due course of time.”
How the ‘800 missing people’ claims began
A few days ago, a PTI report stated that over 800 people went missing in Delhi during the first 15 days of 2026. The report triggered widespread alarm and intense online discussion. Prior to this, social media had already been flooded with posts claiming that around 60 girls had gone missing in Mumbai within 36 days—a claim that was later dismissed by Mumbai Police as fake.
Soon after, the Delhi data—based on official records—was picked up by multiple media houses and shared extensively across platforms, reigniting fears around women’s safety.
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Delhi Police flags ‘paid promotions’
Taking to its official X (formerly Twitter) handle, Delhi Police issued a clarification, stating: “After following a few leads, we discovered that the hype around the surge in missing girls in Delhi is being pushed through paid promotion. Creating panic for monetary gains won’t be tolerated, and we’ll take strict action against such individuals.”
The police further clarified that while the data is accurate, the numbers are consistent with historical averages and do not indicate any sudden or abnormal spike.
Why Mardaani 3 was dragged into the controversy
Following the police statement, several content creators and influencers suggested that the alleged paid promotions were linked to Mardaani 3, given the film’s theme involving the kidnapping of young girls for scientific experimentation.
One influencer commented, “Look at the coincidence—Mardaani 3 is based on mass disappearances of girls, and at the same time, news of 800 girls going missing surfaces.” Calling it out as “cheap publicity,” such claims further fuelled online speculation.
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However, with YRF categorically denying any involvement, the matter continues to remain under scrutiny as authorities investigate the source behind the paid amplification of the issue.
(Vikrant Massey/Instagram)
