SHREYA GHOSHAL returns to the UK this month with huge concerts at Utilita
Arena in Birmingham on March 25 and OVO Arena Wembley in London on March 27.
The undisputed queen of Indian film music will also turn a year older on March 12. Eastern Eye decided to look ahead to the shows and celebrate the sensational singer’s 38th birthday by getting some of her most dedicated fans on Twitter to tell Eastern Eye why they love her.
@AFanOfShreya: She is the one who taught me to believe in myself, to be the real me and work harder.
@Ajay_SGian: I have faced severe health issues but listening to her music faded away all the pain when medicine was not able to. After my mum, she is the only person who created such an impact.
@anila_4: Among a hundred reasons, what entices me most is her hunger for novelty, experimentation and self-introspection for bettering her previous outing while remaining rooted, sincere and unadulterated to her art.
@ashes_and_flame: I love her humility, simplicity, and sense of purity. She has a connection with the universe and that’s why she sings the tune of the heart.
@Dreamyboyy_: I love Shreya because of her heavenly beautiful voice, and her dedication and devotion for music. For being so down to earth, humble, and a kind human being.
@janani_111: There had been days when I wanted to quit, but Shreya literally held me from afar and pulled me out of chaos. Her music healed me and made me a better person. Forever grateful to her for helping me sail through the storm.
@kanikaS__SG: I love her for always being honest, standing by what she believes in, being kind and being so beautiful inside and out. For never giving up and being an absolute queen. She is so inspiring and makes me want to be a better person.
@MaramAlYaseen1: I have many reasons to love her. She is like medicine to me. Really, not a day goes by without hearing her voice. Her songs are just the best. It’s like life to me. It’s a whole world.
@PranavPd2: I have never seen an artist like her. She has ruled Indian music since 2002, but never behaved like a celebrity. She treats fans like family members and cares about us. We all love her as a person more than a singer.
@PritiMenon85: She can sing effortlessly in every single language and that’s what makes her special.
@Rithika_SG: I love her humble, down-to-earth personality, irreplaceable nature and surreal voice. She is pure, kind, beautiful from the inside and out but also is the sweetest singer. Shreya Ghoshal is an emotion and inspiration. She means the world
to me.
@RubyLama6: Shreya Ghoshal literally saved me last year. Her songs were kind of an escape from reality for me, which I needed most. She is a saviour, and I am indebted to her.
@SGxflicker: Shreya Ghoshal’s personality as a singer and kind-hearted human is inspiring. She has stuck to her own ethics and principles and never let anyone or anything compromise her quality of work, from such a young age.
@ShreyaComa: Loving her feels like taking care of my heart; it is important and inevitable. Not only me, but each of us who loves her is fond of the way she is, other than her music. She’s an angel. Her aura, words, thoughts and presence are like sunlight.
@shristi_SG: She heals me every time and unites the world with her presence.
@shriyadg: Love how she continues to be the girl-next-door, rooted in humility despite her success. She is the most genuine and hardworking person I have come across. Her innocence and craziness also makes her super relatable to fans.
@SonaSsg: I always adore her thinking, honesty, loyalty, humbleness, and dedication towards work. A musical nightingale, who gifted us each diverse flavours of music. She is an inspiration.
@srinivas786: Not only Hindi, she sings in any language, whether it’s Telugu, Tamil and Kannada. She sings with perfect pronunciation and with full dedication. She gives her 100 per cent to every song she sings.
@Surma_SG: Becoming a Shreya Ghoshal fan is an achievement in itself I believe! I love her for her voice, charming personality, and honesty in the music field. Her never compromising nature is so inspiring! She’s so down to earth, which makes her more loved among all.
@TanuLuvShreya: There must be 100 reasons to love Shreya Ghoshal the singer? But I love Shreya Ghoshal the person so much. The connection I have with her is on a cosmic level and is beyond this material world. It’s impossible to describe my feelings for her in words. Shreya is everything.
@Vanshijain20: Shreya Ghoshal isn’t just a name to me, it’s an emotion. She is my love, heart! I love her for her humbleness and purity. She is outside what she is inside. Her vocal swipes away all my worries.
Rapper Badshah found himself in hot water after a social media post about global pop sensation Dua Lipa. What started as a simple tweet, her name with a heart emoji, quickly spiralled into chaos when a fan asked if they were collaborating. Badshah's response? "I'd rather make babies with her bro."
Badshah's viral response to the comment under his tweet Twitter Screengrab
The backlash was instant. Critics called the remark objectifying and disrespectful, forcing Badshah to clarify. Trying to douse the fire, he later posted, "I think one of the most beautiful compliments you can give a woman you really admire is to wish for her to mother your children. Meri soch nahi, tumhari soch saamne aayi hai." But the clarification didn't sit well with many, who criticised him for doubling down rather than acknowledging the issue. "Since when did that qualify as a compliment?" one user wrote, while others called it tone-deaf and entitled.
— (@)
Honey Singh joins the fray with a sarcastic jab
As the debate raged on, Badshah's longtime rival, Honey Singh, couldn't resist chiming in. Reacting to the rapper's explanation on Instagram, Singh dropped a sarcastic "Genius 😂👏👏," clearly mocking the justification. Fans caught the dig immediately, with some laughing at the not-so-subtle jab between the two, who've had a rocky relationship for years.
Badshah had previously expressed a desire to end their feud, but Singh's latest comment suggests the tension isn't fading anytime soon. Meanwhile, the rapper continues to make headlines, whether for his dramatic weight loss, rumoured romance with Tara Sutaria, or this latest controversy. One thing's clear: Badshah knows how to stay in the spotlight, but not always for the right reasons.
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Anurag Kashyap reacts sharply to Ted Sarandos’ remarks on Sacred Games
Anurag Kashyap is known for being outspoken, and this weekend he made headlines again, this time taking aim at Netflix’s top boss Ted Sarandos. The filmmaker lashed out after Sarandos questioned the streaming platform’s early approach in India, particularly their decision to kick things off with Kashyap’s gritty crime drama Sacred Games in 2018.
During an interview on Nikhil Kamath’s podcast People by WTF, Sarandos said he may have chosen a more “populist” route if he could go back, admitting the series was perhaps too novel for the Indian market at the time. The comments didn’t sit well with Kashyap, who fired back on social media, calling Sarandos “the definition of dumb” and sarcastically suggesting the platform should’ve launched with traditional “saas-bahu” content instead.
Kashyap takes aim at Netflix’s shift to mass-market content
Kashyap’s reference wasn’t just casual; it came at a time when Netflix India has partnered with Balaji Telefilms, led by Ektaa Kapoor, best known for her highly successful daily soaps like Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. The filmmaker’s post read: “He should have started with Saas Bahu… he would have done well. Which he is doing now. I always knew tech guys are dumb when it comes to storytelling, but @tedsarandos is the definition of dumb is what I didn’t know.”
The post sparked debate online, with even singer-actor Lisa Mishra chiming in to support Kashyap, saying that everything on OTT today is “derivative… specifically of Sacred Games.”
Kapoor, without naming Kashyap, responded via Instagram by accusing unnamed artists of being classist. She defended soap operas, claiming they gave a voice to Indian women and were even studied by international researchers. Her post ended with a call for inclusivity and “graciousness.”
Ekta Kapoor's story Instagram screengrab/ektakapoor
A clash of content ideologies in India’s OTT landscape
Sacred Games, co-directed by Kashyap and Vikramaditya Motwane and starring Saif Ali Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui, was a landmark moment for Indian streaming content. Though it didn’t continue past two seasons, it opened doors for darker, more experimental storytelling in Indian OTT.
Sarandos’ comments appear to suggest that while Sacred Games earned critical acclaim, it may not have been the right commercial launchpad for Netflix in India. Kashyap, however, sees the platform’s current pivot toward formula-driven programming as a step backward.
Ted Sarandos talks about Sacred Games for Netflix IndiaGetty Images
This very public disagreement brings to light a bigger conversation in the entertainment industry, between art that challenges and content that simply sells.
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Fans react as Billie and Nat’s long-rumoured romance takes centre stage
Billie Eilish appears to have confirmed her latest romance in the most cinematic way possible, with a champagne-fuelled kiss on a sunny balcony in Venice. The singer was spotted with actor and musician Nat Wolff, and the intimate moment has fans convinced that the long-rumoured pair are now officially a couple.
In photos circulating online, the Chihiro singer and Wolff are seen locking lips while casually dressed in matching grey T-shirts, enjoying champagne and sunshine in one of the world’s most romantic cities.
— (@)
A long-rumoured connection comes into focus
While this is the first clear public display from the duo, Eilish and Wolff’s bond goes back a while. They worked together on her music video Chihiro, which she directed. Around the same time, Nat and his brother Alex opened for her during the North American leg of her Hit Me Hard and Soft tour in 2024.
Fans first started speculating about their closeness earlier this year when the two were seen leaving the iHeart Music Awards together and later on a night out in New York City. Although both had previously described their friendship as platonic, there seemed to be more under the surface.
Fans react as Billie and Nat’s long-rumoured romance takes centre stageGetty Images
In past interviews, Wolff described their connection as one of shared understanding, particularly around living with Tourette syndrome, a condition both have spoken about. “It’s rare to find people you don’t have to explain yourself to,” Wolff once shared, adding that he and Eilish could just “be” around each other.
Keeping it private until now
Eilish has openly said she regrets how much she’s shared about her personal life in the past. In an interview, she stated she wanted to keep her dating life and sexuality out of the spotlight going forward.
A kiss in Italy sparks fresh buzz around Billie Eilish’s love lifeGetty Images
“I wish no one knew anything about my dating life,” she said. “And I’m never talking about who I’m dating ever again.”
Still, their recent public outing in Venice may signal a quiet shift in that. Whether or not they’ll speak out, the photos seem to say plenty.
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The cast of Maybe Happy Ending celebrates their big night at the Tony Awards
South Korea just scored a historic milestone at the Tony Awards, with the musical Maybe Happy Ending bagging six trophies, including Best Musical and Best Lead Actor. The show, centred on two ageing helper robots living on the edge of Seoul, left the awards night buzzing. Korean entertainment, long a force in film, television, and music, is now making serious inroads into Western theatre too.
From Seoul to Broadway: A story born in two languages
Maybe Happy Ending wasn’t always destined for the bright lights of Broadway. It first opened in a small Seoul theatre in 2016, a result of a local arts foundation’s programme. Co-created by South Korean lyricist Hue Park and American composer Will Aronson, the story explores loneliness, connection, and memory through the eyes of obsolete robots. Written in both Korean and English, the piece has been reimagined several times since its debut.
Darren Criss, known to many as a Glee star, played Oliver and took home his first Tony for the role. His co-star Helen J Shen portrayed Claire, the other robot. Together, they brought the emotional weight to a futuristic love story that’s more human than it sounds.
While the robots explore feelings in a near-future Seoul, the show managed to preserve distinct Korean elements like Jeju Island and the traditional plant pot hwabun on the Broadway stage, something fans celebrated online.
A cultural shift, decades in the making
With this win, South Korea joins the rare club of nations with major victories across all four major American entertainment awards, including the Oscars, Emmys, Grammys, and now Tonys. From Parasite to Squid Game, and now Maybe Happy Ending, Korean creators are no longer breaking into the global scene, they’re leading it.
The success also validates years of quiet work in South Korea’s theatre scene. Original musicals like Marie Curie and The Great Gatsby have made appearances in the West End and on Broadway, but Maybe Happy Ending marks the first time a Korean musical has truly swept the Tonys.
As one critic noted, more than awards, it’s about shifting global perspectives. Korean musicals are no longer export hopefuls. They’re now centre stage.
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BBC Three documentary uncovers new details in Kim Kardashian Paris robbery case
Nearly ten years after Kim Kardashian was robbed at gunpoint in a Paris hotel, the story is being revisited in a new documentary coming to BBC Three and iPlayer. Titled The Kim Kardashian Diamond Heist, the film digs into one of the most talked-about celebrity crimes of the last decade, offering fresh access and unheard accounts from those closely involved in the case.
Kim Kardashian Paris robbery case revisited in new BBC Three documentaryGetty Images
New voices and untold moments from the night that shocked the world
The 45-minute documentary features first-hand interviews with close family friends, French police officers, and journalists who followed the robbery from day one. It takes viewers back to that October 2016 night, when Kardashian was tied up and robbed of jewellery worth millions of pounds inside her private apartment at a luxury hotel during Paris Fashion Week.
The film doesn’t stop at the crime itself. It moves forward to recent developments, including the court case in which Kim finally came face-to-face with her assailants last month. Eight people were found guilty, nearly a decade after the robbery made global headlines.
Kim Kardashian 2016 diamond heist case brought eight people to justice nearly a decade after the robberyGetty Images
Beyond gossip: A look at the cost of digital fame
This BBC Three documentary goes beyond the headlines and Instagram timelines. It examines the role of social media in the robbery, where public posts may have tipped off the thieves, and the emotional fallout Kim faced in the aftermath.
Nasfim Haque, Head of Content at BBC Three, says the film “cuts through the noise and looks at the real-life consequences of being so visible in the digital age.” Firecracker Films, the production company behind the documentary, also hopes the film helps viewers understand how the case was solved and the emotional cost behind the glamour.
Kim Kardashian arrives at the Assize Court for the trial Getty Images
Directed by Ben Bryant and produced by Jessica Sartenaer, The Kim Kardashian Diamond Heist will be available on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer later this month. Executive producers include Jes Wilkins and Sam Emmery, and the documentary will be distributed globally by Passion Distribution.