After setting the box-office on fire with his latest Eid release Bharat (2019), megastar Salman Khan will return on Eid 2020 with his much-awaited film Inshallah. The movie, which was announced a couple of months ago, reunites Salman Khan with celebrated filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali after a massive gap of 20 years. They have previously worked together on Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999), which also starred Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Ajay Devgn in important roles.
Talking about the female lead of Inshallah, Ali Bhatt has been signed on to share the screen space with superstar Salman Khan in the film. Bhatt, who made her acting debut with the Karan Johar directorial Student of the Year in 2012, is teaming up with Salman and Sanjay Leela Bhansali both for the first time in her career.
For the uninitiated, Salman Khan also played a cameo in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s 2007 directorial Saawariya, which launched the careers of Sonam Kapoor and Ranbir Kapoor in Bollywood. But soon after the release of the film, the news hit the headlines that their relationship soured over some differences in opinions.
Opening up about their differences, Bhansali once told a tabloid, "We have had a few issues in the past but whenever we met, even sporadically, we took up from where we had left off without dwelling on the past and the difference of opinions we might have had.”
The filmmaker added, "My fondness for him is pure, and Salman, once he offers his friendship, even if you don't meet or talk in five years, he is there waiting for you. He has never told me that he has liked a shot, a song or a film I have made, but has expressed his appreciation for my work to others when he did not need to," the filmmaker added.
Inshallah is set to begin production in the second half of 2019.
HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter reboot is already under fire, this time for casting Italian actress Alessia Leoni as Parvati Patil, a character rooted in Indian culture. The announcement has triggered widespread backlash from fans who accuse the makers of side-lining authentic South Asian representation in favour of what many see as surface-level diversity.
Parvati, originally portrayed by Shefali Chowdhury in the films, is one of the few explicitly Indian characters in the Harry Potter universe. The decision to cast someone with no clear Indian heritage has led to heated discussions across platforms like Reddit and X, with fans calling out what they perceive as performative inclusivity.
Fans question why Indian talent was overlooked again
Many online comments have shared similar frustrations: that casting a brown-skinned actor is not the same as casting someone of Indian origin. “They just picked someone who looks brown and called it a day,” one Redditor commented. Another added, “Parvati is not just a name, it’s a direct reference to Hindu culture. It deserved more thought.”
This is not the first controversy to hit the reboot. Earlier announcements like casting Paapa Essiedu as Snape and Arabella Stanton as Hermione also drew criticism from those who felt the series was playing fast and loose with established character identities. Supporters of accurate representation argue that while the intent may be diversity, the execution often feels tokenistic.
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Adding fuel to the fire is the casting history of the original films, where British-Bangladeshi actors Shefali Chowdhury and Afshan Azad played the Patil twins after being discovered through grassroots-level auditions. That sense of grounded authenticity, fans argue, is missing in the current reboot.
HBO's broader casting choices also under scrutiny
Alongside Leoni, HBO announced several other cast members: Katherine Parkinson as Molly Weasley, Lox Pratt as Draco Malfoy, Johnny Flynn as Lucius Malfoy, Leo Earley as Seamus Finnigan, Sienna Moosah as Lavender Brown, Bel Powley and Daniel Rigby as the Dursleys, and Bertie Carvel as Cornelius Fudge.
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The series, hoped to be a faithful adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s books, is scheduled to premiere in 2026. But with these early casting calls, many longtime fans feel HBO is missing the mark on cultural nuance—and all this before a single spell has been cast on screen.
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The tense deliberations in Harvey Weinstein’s New York sex crimes retrial have descended into open conflict. Jurors are reportedly attacking each other, pressuring hold-outs, and improperly considering the disgraced movie mogul’s notorious past, information explicitly banned from their discussions. This internal strife forced the jury foreperson to urgently alert the judge on Monday morning about a “situation which isn’t very good”, casting serious doubt on their ability to reach a fair verdict.
Infighting and forbidden arguments taint deliberations
According to a court transcript, the foreperson painted a grim picture for Judge Curtis Farber. Jurors are “not on the same page”, with some actively “attacking” others in a bid to change minds. Crucially, they are “pushing people” by bringing up Weinstein’s public history, details not presented as evidence during this specific trial.
As per reports, Jurors are in a heated debate during Weinstein retrial deliberationsGetty Images
This is similar to the earlier “playground stuff” reported last week, where one young juror felt unfairly “shunned” and questioned the fairness of the process, though the judge kept him on the panel. The jury itself signalled deep divisions, requesting a reread of “reasonable doubt” rules and guidance on “avoiding a hung jury”.
Mistrial denied, but jury reminded “Stick to the evidence”
Weinstein’s lawyers, citing a “tainted” and “runaway jury”, immediately seized on the turmoil to demand a mistrial. Defence attorney Arthur Aidala argued jurors were “ganging up” and considering “things that were not brought into this trial”. Prosecutors countered that some past context was legally permissible. Judge Farber denied the mistrial but took swift action. He hauled the entire jury back in, sternly instructing them that deliberations must focus only on evidence presented during the retrial concerning the three specific charges, including rape and criminal sex acts involving three women. He reiterated they must disregard anything else they knew about Weinstein.
Weinstein jury divided by heated disputes over forbidden pastGetty Images
The jury ended Monday claiming they were “making progress”, even asking for coffee to fuel further talks and requesting to revisit some testimony. However, the damage from the infighting and forbidden discussions lingers.
Weinstein, 73, already serving a long sentence for a separate California rape conviction, awaits this jury’s verdict on charges stemming from allegations by a former production assistant, an aspiring actress, and a model. This retrial, ordered after his landmark 2020 New York conviction was overturned, remains a critical, though now deeply troubled, chapter in the #MeToo saga he set to fire.
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Charli XCX celebrates a year of Brat’s cultural takeover
It’s been a full year since Charli XCX dropped Brat, and the album’s neon-green grip on pop culture has not loosened. Forget fading summer anthems; Brat feels permanently wired into the now. How did an artist long celebrated for being ahead of the curve finally make the whole world tune in? Well, she did it entirely her own way.
Charli was no newcomer. She smashed charts a decade ago with “Fancy” and penned hits for others. Yet mainstream stardom on her own terms felt elusive until Brat. The rollout was masterful, starting with the divisive “Von Dutch”, then the It Girl-packed “360” video featuring faces like Julia Fox and Chloë Sevigny, who soon became unavoidable.
Charli XCX arrives for the 2025 Met GalaGetty Images
Crucially, she nurtured her core fans (“Angels”) with intimate pop-up shows, birthing the iconic Brat Wall, where teasers about collaborations and the deluxe album kept excitement boiling. When Brat landed, hitting No. 3 in the US and No. 2 in the UK, it was a moment of absolute cultural takeover.
Beyond the music: building a movement
Brat’s fire spread far beyond the songs. A simple tweet : “Kamala IS brat”, saw the US Vice President’s campaign adopt the album’s aesthetic overnight, sparking global chatter. Charli directly addressed fan speculation, confirming “Girl, So Confusing” was about Lorde, then brilliantly working it out with her on a remix weeks later. She refused to let the moment die, dropping a full remix album (Brat and It’s the Same but There’s Three More Songs so It’s Not), featuring everyone from Billie Eilish to underground stars, which pushed Brat to UK No. 1.
Charli XCX performing on stage Getty Images
The Sweat and Brat tours became must-see events, packed with surprise guests. Grammy wins followed, plus SNL, Coachella and film cameos. Even her older song “Party 4 U” surged up the charts years later. Charli questioned at Coachella: “Does this mean brat summer is finally over?” The answer seems clear. Brat wasn’t just a seasonal hit. It was almost like Charli XCX meticulously crafting a phenomenon, proving that staying fiercely true to her vision was the ultimate key to connect with a wide audience.
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Glastonbury 2025 welcomes smaller crowds for improved safety
Glastonbury has taken the unprecedented step of selling thousands fewer tickets for its 2025 event following dangerous overcrowding last year. Festival chief Emily Eavis confirmed the capacity reduction just weeks before Olivia Rodrigo, The 1975 and Neil Young headline the iconic event. The move addresses 2024’s critical incidents, where crowd crushes forced performances to halt and areas to close. “We’ve sold a few thousand fewer tickets to see how that affects site dynamics,” Eavis stated on the Sidetracked podcast.
In its most dramatic transformation, the festival’s legendary nightlife zone Shangri-La will become a tree filled sanctuary, abandoning its industrial aesthetic entirely. “It’s completely the opposite of anything we’ve done,” Eavis revealed. Simultaneously, newly acquired land has created Dragon’s Tail, a public hilltop area overlooking the southeast corner. The dual strategy is to disperse crowds after last year’s chaos, when fans missed sets like Sugababes and Charli XCX due to unsafe congestion.
A secret Pyramid Stage booking named “Patchwork”, which required a year of complex logistics, fuels intense speculation alongside major acts. The line-up also features Rod Stewart’s coveted legends slot, Irish rap trio Kneecap and breakout star Raye. Demand remains high despite reduced capacity: November’s first ticket batch sold out in 30 minutes, with coach packages disappearing even faster. “There were years we couldn’t give tickets away,” Eavis reflected, contrasting the current frenzy with past struggles.
Organisers now leverage crowd data from the festival app’s schedule planner, which accurately predicted 2024 pinch points. Post-pandemic movement patterns show attendees move more in a herd, prompting new traffic management including 10 alternative routes across the sprawling site.
The festival runs from 25 to 30 June with additional measures like expanded space at the Other Stage, where Charli XCX’s Saturday headline set is expected to test the new systems. While operating below its capacity of 210,000, Glastonbury maintains its non-corporate ethos despite £10 million (₹1,025,000,000) pandemic losses. “The whole thing is based on goodwill,” Eavis emphasised, rejecting commercial takeovers. Final preparations include £1 million (₹102,500,000) wet weather contingencies, ensuring the show proceeds rain or shine.
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Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan’s Tiger vs Pathaan is on hold as YRF rethinks its spy universe strategy
Fans hoping to see Bollywood's biggest stars, Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan, face off in Tiger vs Pathaan will need to wait a little longer. Despite rumours of the project being shelved, sources confirm the film is still happening, just not anytime soon. Yash Raj Films (YRF) has decided to take a step back and rethink its approach to the spy universe before moving forward with this blockbuster clash.
A creative refresh for the spy universe
Aditya Chopra, YRF's chief architect, isn’t satisfied with sticking to the same old formula. Insiders reveal that the studio wants to avoid predictability and is working on a fresh narrative direction for Tiger vs Pathaan. "The team wants this film to be a game-changer, not just another spy flick," a source said. "They’re reworking the script to make sure it delivers something truly special."
YRF delays Tiger vs Pathaan to focus on War 2 and Alpha before revisiting the Khan vs Khan showdownPinterest
Earlier this year, Salman Khan hinted at the delay, stating that the film "isn’t happening right now." However, this doesn’t mean the project is dead, just that YRF is taking its time to perfect the vision. The studio is currently prioritising other big releases, including War 2 starring Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR and Alpha featuring Alia Bhatt and Sharvari Wagh, before revisiting the Khan vs Khan spectacle.
What’s next for fans?
While Tiger vs Pathaan remains on hold, YRF’s spy universe is far from dormant. War 2 is set to hit cinemas in 2025, followed by Alpha later that year. Meanwhile, Dhoom 4, starring Ranbir Kapoor, is also in development, signalling that YRF is expanding its action-packed universe beyond just spy thrillers.
After Pathaan shattered box office records and Tiger 3 underperformed, the stakes for this crossover are higher than ever. The studio wants to ensure that when the two superstars finally collide on screen, it’s nothing short of legendary.
For now, the dream remains alive; just postponed. And if YRF’s track record is any indication, the wait will likely be worth it.