After much speculation, it has been confirmed that Bollywood star Sidharth Malhotra has been roped in to topline RSVP Movies’ next film. Titled Mission Majnu, the espionage thriller also stars popular South Indian actress Rashmika Mandanna who will make her Bollywood debut with the upcoming project.
Known for bankrolling such notable films as Kedarnath (2018) and Uri: The Surgical Strike, producer Ronnie Screwvala has collaborated with Amar Butala and Garima Mehta to produce Mission Majnu. Written by Parveez Shaikh, Aseem Arrora, and Sumit Batheja, the thriller will mark the directorial debut of award-winning ad filmmaker, Shantanu Bagchi.
Talking about the film, Sidharth Malhotra says, “Mission Majnu is a patriotic tale inspired by true events that celebrate the hard work of RAW agents who go out of their way to protect the citizens of our country. It is a privilege to tell the story of our brave agents, and I am eager to revisit a mission that forever changed the relationship between India and Pakistan. I am looking forward to sharing this special film with everyone.”
Rashmika Mandanna, who is thrilled to have bagged such a plum project to make her Bollywood debut, shares, “I have been fortunate to receive so much love from audiences across languages. As an actor, it is always the story of the film that I connect with, and the language of the film is never a barrier for me. I am grateful to the makers for offering me Mission Majnu which is written beautifully, and I am super excited to be part of a team that has so much passion. We are all working together to make it even more amazing. I am super excited to start my journey in Hindi cinema and to reach out to newer audiences.”
Director Shantanu Bagchi adds, “It was primarily the script of Mission Majnu that appealed immensely to me. It is a rare and fresh story set in a genre that audiences are very excited to watch. The more I read about that era – whether it be about the ordinary citizens, the politics, or the military – the more I was drawn into this world of espionage, and this mission. I am excited to bring this story to audiences across India and internationally.”
Producer Ronnie Screwvala says, “There are thousands of heroes who work behind the scenes to safeguard the interest of our country from other terror units and rogue nations. Their work often goes unnoticed and Mission Majnu is an attempt to bring their sacrifices and efforts to the forefront. Mission Majnu is a thrilling tale about one of the most daring and audacious operations in the history of RAW.”
Produced by RSVP and Guilty By Association, Mission Majnu is set to roll in February 2021.
So, Kajol and Twinkle Khanna’s show, Two Much, is already near its fourth episode. And people keep asking: why do we love watching stars sit on sofas so much? It’s not the gossip. Not really. We’re not paying for the gossip. We’re paying for the glimpse. For the little wobble in a voice, a tiny apology, a family story you recognise. It’s why Simi’s white sofa mattered once, why Karan’s sofa rattled the tabloids, and why Kapil’s stage made everyone feel at home. The chat show isn’t dead. It just keeps changing clothes.
Why Indian audiences can’t stop watching chat shows from Simi Garewal to Karan Johar Instagram/karanjohar/primevideoin/ Youtube Screengrab
Remember the woman in white?
Simi Garewal brought quiet and intimacy. Her Rendezvous with Simi Garewal was all white sets and soft lights, and it felt almost like a church for confessions. She never went full interrogation mode with her guests. Instead, she’d just slowly unravel them, almost like magic. Amitabh Bachchan and Rekha, they all sat on that legendary white sofa, dropping their guard and letting something real slip out, something you’d never stumble across anywhere else. The whole thing was gentle, personal, and almost revolutionary.
Simi Garewal and her iconic white sofa changed the face of Indian talk showsYoutube Screengrab/SimiGarewalOfficial
Then along came Karan Johar
Let’s be honest, Karan Johar changed the game completely. Koffee with Karan was the polar opposite. Where Simi was a whisper, Karan was a roar. His rapid-fire round was a headline machine. Suddenly, it stopped being about struggles or emotions but opinions, little rivalries, and that full-on, shiny Bollywood chaos. He almost spun the film industry into a full-blown high school drama, and honestly? We loved it up.
Kapil Sharma rewired the format again and took the chat show, threw it in a blender with a comedy sketch, and created a monster hit. His genius was in creating a world or what we call his crazy “Shantivan Society” and making the celebrities enter his universe. Suddenly, Shah Rukh Khan was being teased by a fictional, grumpy neighbour and Ranbir Kapoor was taunted by a fictional disappointed ex-girlfriend. Stars were suddenly part of the spectacle, all halos tossed aside. It was chaotic, yes, but delightfully so. The sort of chaos that still passed the family-TV test. For once, these impossibly glamorous faces felt like old friends lounging in your living room.
Kajol and Twinkle’s Amazon show Two Much feels like friends talking to people in their circle, and that matters. What’s wild is, these folks aren’t the stiff, traditional hosts, they’re insiders. The fun ones. The ones who know every secret because, let’s be honest, they were there when the drama started. On a platform like Amazon, they don’t have to play for TRPs or stick to a strict clock. They can just… talk.
People want to peep behind the curtain. Even with Instagram and Reels, there’s value in a longer, live-feeling exchange. It’s maybe the nuance, like an awkward pause, a memory that makes a star human, or a silly joke that lands. OTT gives space for that. Celebs turned hosts, like Twinkle and Kajol in Two Much or peers like Rana Daggubati in Telugu with The Rana Daggubati Show, can ask differently; they make room for stories that feel earned, not engineered.
How have streaming and regional shows changed the game?
Streaming freed chat shows from TRP pressure and ad breaks. You get episodes that breathe. Even regional versions likeThe Rana Daggubati Show, or long-running local weekend programmes, prove this isn’t a Mumbai-only appetite. Viewers want local language and local memories, the same star-curiosity in Kannada, Telugu, or Tamil. That widens the talent pool and the tone.
From White Sofas to OTT Screens How Indian Talk Shows Keep Capturing HeartsiStock
Are shock moments over?
Not really. But people are getting sick of obvious bait. Recent launches lean into warmth and inside jokes rather than feeding headlines. White set, gold couch, or a stage full of noise, it doesn’t matter. You just want to sit there, listen, get pulled into their stories, like a campfire you can’t leave. We watch, just curious, hoping maybe these stars are a little like us. Or maybe we’re hoping we can borrow a bit of their sparkle.
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