LIVE PERFORMANCE
NAVRATRI RANGOTSAV
When: Friday, August 30 and Saturday, August 31
Where: Harrow Leisure Centre, Christchurch Avenue, Harrow HA3 5BD; and Ramgarhia Community Centre, Ulverscroft Road, Leicester LE4 6BY
What: Musical event celebrating the colours of Navratri with garba, dandiya and live performance by Jaysinh Gadhvi. There is also food stalls and prizes for the best dressed attendees.
www.eventbrite.co.uk
SHYAM NAYAN PRESENTS DHARA
When: Saturday, August 31
Where: The Bhavan, 4A Castletown Road, London W14 9HE
What: The London based dancer will share timeless, hereditary pieces from both the Jaipur and Banaras gharanas of Kathak. The evening will showcase the rich heritage of classical Indian music, dance, and literature.
www.bhavan.net
ATIF ASLAM
When: Friday, September 6, Saturday, September 7 and Sunday September 8
Where: SEC Armadillo, Exhibition Way, Glasgow G3 8YW; and Mattioli Arena, 12 Memory Lane, Leicester LE1 3UL; and OVO Arena, Arena Square, Engineers Way, London HA9 0AA
What: The Pakistani pop superstar returns for another UK tour with a full live band, where he will perform his greatest hits and all-time classics.
www.rockonmusicuk.com
ADITYA GADHVI
When: Friday, September 6 and Sunday September 8
Where: OVO Arena, Arena Square, Engineers Way, London HA9 0AA; and Maher Centre, 15 Ravensbridge Drive, Leicester LE4 0BZ
What: Indian singer Aditya Gadhvi brings his infectious garba vibes with popular Gujarati songs and pulsating rhythms.
www.rockonmusicuk.com
BHOOLI BISRI YAADEIN
When: Saturday, September 7
Where: Elliot Hall, Harrow Arts Centre, 171 Uxbridge Road, Pinner HA5 4EA
What: Top singing talents present a musical evening filled with the mesmerising melodies of Bollywood music legends Mohammed Rafi, Mukesh, Kishore Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar.
www.harrowarts.com
JASDEEP SINGH DEGUN
When: Friday, September 13
Where: Curve Theatre, 60 Rutland Street, Leicester LE1 1SB
What: The award-winning British sitar maestro delivers a concert celebrating India’s rich musical heritage. He will be accompanied by Shahbaz Hussain in tabla.
www.curveonline.co.uk
ARIJIT SINGH
When: Sunday, September 15 and Monday, September 16
Where: The O2 Arena, 205 Peninsula Square, London SE10 0ES; and Utilita Arena, King Edwards Road, Birmingham B1 2AA
What: The popular Indian singer embarks on another UK tour with a full live band, where he will perform his greatest hits, along with much loved film classics.
www.rockonmusicuk.com
ROOPA PANESAR
When: Wednesday, September 18
Where: LSO St Luke's, 161 Old Street, London EC1V 9NG
What: One of the UK’s finest sitar players returns for a concert of Indian classical music, collaborating with trailblazing Indian classical and contemporary musicians.
www.barbican.org.uk
Falguni PathakFALGUNI PATHAK
When: Friday, September 20
Where: OVO Arena, Arena Square, Engineers Way, London HA9 0AA
What: The undisputed queen of dandiya music returns with a live show filled with much-loved songs, mesmerising melodies and infectious energy.
www.ovoarena.co.uk
REWIND QUEENS
When: Saturday, September 21 - Sunday, September 22
Where: Resorts World Arena, Perimeter Road, Birmingham B40 1NT; and OVO Arena, Arena Square, Engineers Way, London HA9 0AA
What: Concert headlined by popular singers Alka Yagnik, Kavita Krishnamurthy, Anuradha Paudwal and Alisha Chinai, performing their greatest hits with a full live band.
www.graceentertainment.co.uk
DILJIT DOSANJH
When: Sunday, September 22
Where: Utilita Arena, King Edwards Road, Birmingham B1 2AA
What: The Punjabi superstar kick-starts the UK leg of his record-breaking Dil-Luminati world tour with an explosive performance powered by his biggest hits.
www.utilitaarenabham.co.uk
THEATRE
VITAMIN D
When: Tuesday, September 3 – Saturday, September 22
Where: Soho Theatre, 21 Dean Street, London W1D 3NE
What: Award-winning play looking at the changing relationships between women, complexities of emotional crises, British South Asian culture and the stigma of divorce.
www.sohotheatre.com
RUN REBEL
When: Thursday, September 26 – Saturday, October 5
Where: Theatre Peckham, 221 Havil Street, London SE5 7SB
What: Stage adaptation of Manjeet Mann’s powerful award-winning winning novel of a young girl, who finds strength to finally break free from her claustrophobic and abusive home life, embarks on another UK tour.
www.theatrepeckham.co.uk
COMEDY
NISH, DON’T KILL MY VIBE
When: Friday, September 6
Where: Oxford Playhouse, 11-12 Beaumont Street, Oxford OX1 2LW
What: Popular stand-up comedian Nish Kumar’s new show dissects politics, climate collapse and income inequality. Check website for further tour dates.
www.nishkumar.co.uk
DESI CENTRAL COMEDY SHOW
When: Saturday, September 7
Where: The Beck Theatre, Grange Road, Hayes UB3 2UE
What: Stand-up comedy show featuring terrific talents Farhan Solo, Prince Abdi, Tommy Sandhu, Janine Harouni and Eshaan Akbar.
www.luventertainment.co.uk
TEZ ILYAS: AFTER EIGHT
When: Saturday, September 7
Where: G Live, London Road, Guildford GU1 2AA
What: The popular stand-up comedian embarks on another UK tour with his new show about the changing world and trying to make sense of his new life as a married man. Check website for further tour dates and availability.
www.TezIlyas.com
Aditi MitalADITI MITTAL: BAD ALTITUDE
When: Monday, September 9 - Saturday, September 14
Where: Soho Theatre, 21 Dean Street, London W1D 3NE
What: The popular Indian stand-up comedian returns with a live show about her trek to Mount Everest.
www.sohotheatre.com
ANUBHAV SINGH BASSI: KISI KO BATANA MAT
When: Sunday, September 15
Where: Indigo at The O2, 205 Peninsula Square, London SE10 0ES
What: Popular Indian stand-up comedian presents his laughter filled show, with two performances, at 2pm and 6pm.
www.theo2.co.uk
AHIR SHAH: ENDS
When: Monday, September 23 – Saturday, September 28
Where: Soho Theatre, 21 Dean Street, London W1D 3NE
What: The British stand-up comedian presents his award-winning show about family, immigration, marriage, history, politics, and beans.
www.sohotheatre.com
EVENTS
PUNJABI SUMMER SPEED DATING, MINGLING & AFTER PARTY
When: Saturday, September 7
Where: Sway Bar, 61-65 Great Queen Street, London WC2B 5BZ
What: Event is specifically tailored for UK-born Hindu and Sikh professionals who are on the lookout for meaningful connections and possibly romance.
www.eventbrite.com
MAHISHASURA MARDINI - THE COLOSSAL MAHALAYA
When: Wednesday, October 8
Where: Swiss Cottage Library, 88 Avenue Road, London NW3 3HA
What: The London Durgotsav Committee will stage a dance drama that will include recitation of hymns from scriptural verses, Bengali devotional songs and dances.
www.eventbrite.com
CLASSES
BOLLYWOOD DANCE CLASS
When: Saturday, August 31
Where: CRATE, 35 Saint James Street, London E17 7FY
What: Fun Bollywood dance class focusing on movement and mindfulness.
www.eventbrite.com
FULL DAY SIMPLE INDIAN COOKERY COURSE
When: Saturday, September 14
Where: Hounslow, London
What: A practical hands-on homestyle cooking course learning how to prepare a variety of Indian dishes using spices for depth of flavour. Check website for further cooking courses.
www.cookingwithmonisha.com
AFGHAN COOKERY CLASS
When: Sunday, September 15
Where: Migrateful Cookery School, Corporation Row, London EC1R 0HU
What: Chef Najee will teach you some of his favourite Afghan dishes followed by a sit down meal in a family friendly class.
www.eventbrite.com
Stills from Andaz Apna Apna
Stills from Andaz Apna Apna
Vinay Kumar Sinha
Rahul’s casual dismissal of that controversy has added fuel to the fire
Rahul Bhatt sparks controversy over 'insensitive' remarks about sisters Alia and Pooja Bhatt
Rahul Bhatt, fitness trainer and son of veteran filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, has found himself at the centre of a social media storm following controversial remarks about his half-sister, Alia Bhatt. In a recent interview, Rahul drew comparisons between Alia and their older sister Pooja Bhatt, calling the latter more talented, attractive, and principled.
The comments, which many have labelled inappropriate and insensitive, have sparked widespread criticism online. During the interview, Rahul stated, “In my opinion, she (Alia) is not even half of what my real sister Pooja is. Not in talent, not in looks, not in terms of being sexy. In front of my sister, she is ‘paani kam chai’ (watery tea). Amongst the siblings, the most talented and the most moralistic is Pooja.”
Social media users reacted strongly, questioning why Rahul would compare his sisters in such personal terms. Several users were particularly disturbed by his reference to their appearance and sex appeal, pointing out that such comparisons within a family cross boundaries of propriety. One comment read, “This is disturbing. Why talk about your sisters like that? It’s not just weird, it’s wrong.” Another post said, “There’s nothing respectful about comparing your siblings’ attractiveness in public.”
The backlash also reignited conversation around a decades-old controversy involving Mahesh Bhatt and Pooja Bhatt. Rahul was asked about the infamous 1990s magazine cover where the father-daughter duo shared a kiss, which had stirred public outrage at the time. Dismissing the criticism, Rahul said, “It doesn’t make any difference. It’s like water off a duck’s back. We know the truth, and we’ve seen everything since childhood.”
Rahul’s casual dismissal of that controversy has added fuel to the fire, with critics saying it reflects a broader issue of the Bhatt family being insensitive to public perception and boundaries. Many users questioned the need for bringing up old incidents in a bid to defend new and equally questionable statements.
As of now, neither Alia Bhatt nor Pooja Bhatt has issued any public response to Rahul’s remarks. Both actors, known for their significant contributions to Indian cinema, have typically kept family matters private despite living in the public eye.
This episode has also sparked debate over the role of public figures in maintaining respect when discussing family matters in the media. Observers say such comments, especially when involving women’s appearance and personal qualities, reinforce problematic attitudes and fuel unnecessary controversies.
While Rahul Bhatt is not as prominent in the entertainment industry as his father or sisters, his comments have made headlines and placed the Bhatt family in the spotlight for reasons beyond their creative work. For many, this serves as a reminder that public platforms come with responsibility, and that family ties should not be trivialised or dissected for attention or comparison.
The backlash is unlikely to subside soon, especially as fans and followers of Alia and Pooja continue to express disappointment over the way the situation has unfolded. Whether or not Rahul chooses to clarify or apologise remains to be seen.