Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Eye Spy: Top stories from the world of entertainment

Eye Spy: Top stories from the world of entertainment

THE USELESS KHAN BROTHER 

AFTER failing as an actor, filmmaker and some would argue a husband, Arbaaz Khan has been relegated to hosting a talk show on YouTube. Salman Khan’s talentless brother has interviewed legends like Shabana Azmi, Waheeda Rehman and Shatrughan Sinha for the sporadically filmed series.  Not surprisingly, his abilities as a talk show host are also not up to the mark, despite having some interesting guests. The only positive for him is that he seems to have more work than Salman’s other useless brother Sohail Khan.


Picbox I Ulajh 93044 Janhvi Kapoor

JANHVI FLOPS 

SHE may be getting a lot of opportunities in Bollywood due to her family connections, but Janhvi Kapoor needs to pick much better movies if she wants to have a successful acting career. The young actress has made consistently poor choices like her new release Ulajh, which generated very little buzz and turned out to be a huge box office failure. Like her previous releases, this awful film will be quickly forgotten.

Picbox D Zeeshan Rokhri 623 1 Zeeshan-Rokhri

FOLK FATHER TRIBUTE 

LATE singer Shafaullah Rokhri was one of the finest exponents of Saraiki and Punjabi songs, before he passed away in 2020. The Pakistan music legend’s son Zeeshan Rokhri has followed in his footsteps and will deliver a culturally rich concert at the Beck Theatre in Hayes on August 25. The talented folk singer will pay tribute to his father at the show, with a full live band and promises to offer audiences a unique experience.

Picbox J Come Fall in Love USA production Photo by Jim Cox.int  1 Come Fall in Love

DDLJ FLOP HEADS TO UK 

COME FALL IN LOVE, the stage musical version of record-breaking Bollywood movie Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge will be staged in the UK during summer 2025. Although it may seem like something worth getting excited about, the theatre production looks like an absolute stinker. It was billed as a Broadway musical in 2022, but premiered at a theatre in San Diego and didn’t make it to New York. One reviewer described it as under -whelming and another as aggravating. By turning the Shah Rukh Khan character into a white man named Roger, it took away authenticity from the original and turned off Bollywood fans. Unless they have completely revamped the show, which it doesn’t seem they have, Come Fall In Love will follow up a failure in America with being a huge UK disappointment next summer .

Picbox F Fateh gz. V1 Fateh

FATEH FILM DISASTER 

IT IS so obvious that forth coming Bollywood film Fateh will be a huge box office disaster. But the film’s lead star and director Sonu Sood seems convinced that his action entertainer will be a huge success, instead of seeing it as the colossal waste money it is. The deluded actor somehow believes the awful looking movie headlined by him and fellow flop star Jacqueline Fernandez will generate interest when it releases in cinemas on January 10, 2025. The stinker will undoubtedly play to empty cinemas before being flushed down a streaming site toilet.

Picbox E Sangeeta 202 Sangeeta

REMEMBER THE PIONEERS 

WELL-DESERVED tributes poured in for Sangeeta when she passed away last month, after a long battle with cancer. But sadly, most from the modern generation had forgotten the pioneering singer or didn’t know who she was. This despite her being at the forefront of British Asian pop music in the 1990s and delivering unforgettable hit songs, including iconic anthem Pyar Ka Hai Bairi, which inspired a generation to follow in her giant footsteps. The talented singing star was planning a comeback after a long hiatus away from music, but that won’t happen now. With South Asian Heritage month coming to an end, a big part of the event in future should be educating the new generation about pioneers like Sangeeta, who opened doors for so many and deserve to be remembered.

Picbox C Jason Patel credit Nicky J Sims Getty Images Jason Patel

JASON’S MOVIE HIT 

JASON PATEL is the breakout star of newly released British film Unicorns. The story of a single father (Ben Hardy) and mechanic, who unexpectedly falls in love with a drag queen, played by Patel, has drawn in audiences. The 27-year-old British actor’s portrayal of a dazzling drag queen living two lives has received great reviews and will likely get nominated for multiple awards. Patel adds to the tidal wave of wonderful British Asian acting stars, who have been shining in recent years and subsequently inspiring others with their talent.

Picbox A Aliya Ali Afzal Priya Mulji 11 44 Aliya Ali-Afzal and Priya Mulji

ALIYA’S SECOND BIG BOOK WIN 

ALIYA ALI-AFZAL recently followed up her delightful debut novel Would I Lie To You with newly published book The Big Day. Resident Eastern Eye columnist Priya Mulji recently caught up with the talented British author in London. Aliya revealed that having a second book published is even more exciting than her debut and told Priya: “I’ve had messages from readers who had been waiting for The Big Day, after reading Would I Lie To You. Then there are new readers who have just discovered me via my second book and now want to read my debut. It feels surreal that I seem to now have ‘a readership’. “It’s also exciting to go into a bookshop and see two books written by me. It has given me a new sort of confidence and I’m excited to do it all again, and again.”

Picbox K Sana Makbul 6424 Sana Makbul

BIGG WIN’S SMALL IMPACT 

AFTER a largely forgettable acting journey, Sana Makbul had her greatest highlight by winning Bigg Boss OTT 3 earlier this month. Although she won the popular reality TV show, this new found fame is unlikely to make much difference to her career. Like previous contestants on the various versions of India’s answer to Celebrity Big Brother, she will likely find herself in music videos and other reality shows, before quickly fading away. It illustrates that this trash TV show may get those participating a short burst of attention and a pay day, but ultimately ends up having a detrimental long term effect. Even popular celebrities, who have participated have found their respective careers take a dramatic nosedive.

Picbox G Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha 2934 Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha

DIRECTOR DELIVERS DUD 

NEERAJ PANDEY had announced himself as a fine director with his first four films A Wednesday (2008), Special 26 (2013), Baby (2015) and M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story (2016) being huge commercial successes. He then went on an inexplicable cinematic downward spiral by directing dud Bollywood thriller Aiyaary (2018) and producing a series of forgettable films. Pandey was hoping to stop that decline with new film release Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha, which he wrote and directed, but as expected, the disastrous drama failed spectacularly at the box office. The flop about a convict falling for a married woman, starring Ajay Devgn and Tabu, demonstrated that Pandey has lost the magic he showed early in his career. 

More For You

Menopause mindfulness

Menopause is not an end – it is a transformative phase, a powerful invitation to rediscover yourself

Instagram/ itsmitamistry

Menopause mindfulness: Using MBCT to ease emotional and  mental challenges

Mita Mistry

The heat flares up, then fades, leaving behind a chill of uncertainty. Menopause is not just a physical challenge; it is a profound emotional shift, a re-evaluation of identity, roles and the future. What begins with whispers – missed periods, sleepless nights, brain fog – can escalate into a roar, drowning out the quiet undercurrents of emotional upheaval.

We may find ourselves lost, questioning who we are, grappling with a sense of loss, and battling the unwelcome guests of anxiety and irritability.

Keep ReadingShow less
Eye Spy: Top stories from the world of entertainment
Sonakshi Sinha on the set of Nikita Roy
Sonakshi Sinha on the set of Nikita Roy

Eye Spy: Top stories from the world of entertainment

A definite flop

The forthcoming Bollywood release Nikita Roy falls into the category of films that should never have been greenlit. The psychological thriller, headlined by flop actress Sonakshi Sinha, marks the directorial debut of her failed actor brother Kussh S Sinha. The terrible-looking turkey also stars Arjun Rampal – an actor who hasn’t been anywhere near a good film in years. It will likely play to empty cinemas when it releases on 30 May.

Sonakshi Sinha and Arjun Rampal in the doomed thriller 'Nikita Roy.'

Keep ReadingShow less
‘Pakistan army is the problem’

An Indian paramilitary serviceman keeps watch in Pahalgam last Wednesday (23)

‘Pakistan army is the problem’

THE year is 2025, 78 years after the creation of Pakistan as a homeland for Muslims, as imagined by Muhammad Ali Jinnah for those who did not wish to remain behind in India. Given its rich resources and the fertile fields of the Punjab, Pakistan should today be one of Asia’s richest economies, possibly even ahead of India.

Take the example of Sir Anwar Pervez, founder of the Bestway group, who is probably the most respected Pakistani-origin entrepreneur in the UK. There should be many people like him in Pakistan.

Keep ReadingShow less
Eye Spy: Top stories from the world of entertainment
Armaan Malik
Armaan Malik

Eye Spy: Top stories from the world of entertainment

AWESOME ARMAAN

Popular singer Armaan Malik comprehensively showed that he represents the future of commercial Indian music with a stunning set of UK shows in London and Leicester. Apart from delivering his biggest Hindi hits, the 29-year-old also received a great response for his English-language songs from an audience spanning all age groups. His spirited performances further proved that he is one of India’s finest live talents.

Keep ReadingShow less
Comment: ‘Time to move English pride beyond the football pitch’

A St George’s Day parade in Gravesend

Comment: ‘Time to move English pride beyond the football pitch’

ST GEORGE’S DAY – England’s national day on Wednesday (23) – raises the question of whether we could celebrate England more.

Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer will mark the occasion with a reception in Downing Street. He told his candidates not to “flinch” from flying the St George’s flag last year, though Labour tends to place more emphasis on the Union Jack in England.

Keep ReadingShow less