Pooja was born in Kochi and raised on a mix of newspapers, pop culture, and too many questions. She studied Communicative English and Journalism before earning her Master’s in Journalism from Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, and began her career interning at The Times of India and Channel I'M — where she later became a news anchor, scripting and presenting her own stories. Between deadlines, she’s worked across digital media platforms, covering politics, gender, pop culture, cinema, and everything in between. She has interviewed actors, creators, and changemakers, and occasionally edits her own video content — thanks to being certified in Photoshop and InDesign. In 2025, she joined the Asian Media Group in her first “official” newsroom gig, where she now covers entertainment, lifestyle, and the layered realities of South Asian identity. She believes storytelling should feel personal — even when it’s public — and likes to write not to please, but to provoke, question, and occasionally stir the pot.
Bieber posted over a dozen updates in a matter of hours, many of them laced with frustration. One post read, “Happy daddy day to me u lil ho,” while another simply stated, “quit f–ing with me. I’m really not the one.” Accompanying the messages were moody selfies and a video of him silently shaking his head with the caption “how I feel about you.”
The timing raised even more eyebrows. Just days earlier, Justin had an angry confrontation with paparazzi outside Soho House in Malibu. When one photographer wished him a happy Father’s Day, Bieber snapped: “You don’t go to people you don’t know and say sh–t out of nowhere with a camera in their face.” He went on to say, “I’m a father. I’m a dad. You guys are on private property.”
The next day, he followed up with unseen photos of his baby boy, Jack Blues, and captioned it with a middle finger emoji and the phrase “ay bay bay.” His wife Hailey, who gave birth to their son in August 2024, liked the post, but fans remained unsettled.
Fans express concern over Bieber’s emotional health
Longtime followers have noted a pattern in Bieber’s recent behaviour. Last week, he lamented on Instagram about feeling drained by “transactional relationships.” In his story, he wrote, “If I have to do something to be loved, that’s not love.” In another post, he added, “I don’t think any of us can handle hearing ‘try harder and you’ll be like me.’”
Though some fans supported his right to speak openly, many expressed worry. Comments ranged from “I love you but I’m worried, king,” to “I just hope you find peace.”
While his representative previously dismissed drug rumours as “pitiful and exhausting,” Bieber’s emotional vulnerability and anger continue to fuel speculation. As of now, he hasn’t addressed the backlash or clarified the meaning behind his Father’s Day posts.
Shahid Kapoor plays a friendly cricket match at London’s Lord’s Cricket Ground.
The actor is seen in cricket whites, showcasing his sporty side.
Wife Mira Kapoor and friends cheer him on from the stands.
Bollywood star Shahid Kapoor traded the film set for the cricket pitch this week, making a stylish appearance at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground in London. Dressed in crisp whites, the actor joined a friendly match at the historic venue, delighting fans with his sporty side.
Shahid, known for his versatility on screen, showed impressive form with the bat, hitting elegant shots and sharing light-hearted moments with teammates. His energy on the field and genuine enthusiasm for the game reflected a deep-rooted love for cricket, a passion many fans might not often see.
Shahid Kapoor enjoys match day at Lord’s Cricket Ground
Cheered on by his wife Mira Kapoor and close friends, the Kabir Singh star looked completely at home at Lord’s, soaking in the legacy of the stadium and the camaraderie of the sport. Photos and videos from the match have gone viral, with fans calling it a “perfect crossover” of cinema and cricket.
The actor’s appearance at the Mecca of cricket is a reminder of how cricket continues to unite Indians across the world, whether they’re fans or stars. For Shahid, the experience clearly meant more than just a game. It was about reliving a childhood dream, and it showed.
Shahid Kapoor swaps camera for cricket bat at Lord’s
From the pitch to the pavilion, Kapoor’s visit to Lord’s has struck a chord with both film buffs and cricket lovers. A rare, wholesome moment where Bollywood glamour met sporting legacy.
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The 10 must see performances at Edinburgh Fringe 2025
Joe Kent-Walters returns with a devilish cabaret hosted by his undead alter ego, Frankie Monroe
Desiree Burch tackles menopause, rage and rebirth in a fierce solo comeback
Rosie O’Donnell brings raw political fire and personal truths to her Fringe debut
Chat Sht, Get Hit* unleashes feminist fury through football chants and punk poetry
Musicals like Club NVRLND and Hot Mess mix nostalgia with emotional gut punches
Right. Edinburgh in August. It hits you like a wall of damp flyers, cheap lager, and pure, unhinged possibility. Some people come to the Fringe looking to laugh. Others want to cry, escape, question everything, or maybe just get weird for 60 minutes. But this year? This year feels different.
Edinburgh Fringe 2025 is not playing it safe. It’s messier. Angrier. Sharper. Funnier. Queerer. Louder. Softer. All of it, all at once. It's a festival that seems to be screaming: "Pay attention. Feel something. And for god's sake, stop scrolling."
Cutting through the 3,900-show chaos? Brutal. So forget the algorithm, ditch the polite curator voice. This is your raw, slightly sweaty, absolutely essential hit list.
Joe Kent-Walters: Is Frankie Monroe DEAD!!!
Monkey Barrel at Cabaret Voltaire, 28 July–24 Aug (not 11, 12), 13:10
Frankie Monroe is back from the underworld, still in a sequin jacket, still chain-smoking, and still dragging you into his haunted little nightclub of broken dreams. Joe Kent-Walters, last year's Best Newcomer winner, is pure chaos incarnate. Expect Frankie Monroe to grab you, embarrass you, and leave you shrieking. This show is loud, grubby, slightly cursed, and completely brilliant.
Football chants, poetry, and fists full of female rage. Why are angry women so scary? This isn’t a polite show, it’s a riot in verse. It’s what happens when women stop apologising and start screaming. This debut play tears into misogyny with the energy of a punk protest and the heart of something like Fleabag. If you’ve ever felt silenced or sidelined, this one will set something on fire inside you. Absolutely necessary viewing. Go feel the rage.
Rosie O’Donnell at the Fringe! Let that sink in. The Emmy-winner makes her debut, scorching earth on her 20-year Trump feud, parenthood, and fleeing the US. A comedy legend, live, unfiltered, and ready to roast power structures. Rosie isn’t here to be liked. She’s here to say the things she’s been biting her tongue on for years. This is history happening. Get a ticket!
This is what stand-up looks like when a woman walks through fire and comes out spitting glitter and truth. Perimenopause, midlife fury, and raw, funny-as-hell honesty. Sharp as a razor, relatable as hell, and explosively funny. Raw, political stand-up that feels like therapy with a punchline. Desiree doesn’t care if you’re comfortable, she cares if you’re listening.
Millennials! Remember Neverland? Now imagine Peter Pan met Britney Spears in a nightclub, and they talked about millennial burnout and housing crises until 3AM. That’s this show. It’s pop nostalgia, glitter, heartbreak, and economic despair, all set to a beat you can dance to. This one hurts in the best way.
Yes, the title grabs you. But this isn’t trauma porn. It’s dark, yes, and absurd, and funny in the way only horror-comedy can be. It’s daring, uncomfortable, and probably brilliant. Doherty manages to poke at fear, fatigue, and queer rage with real tenderness. Not for the faint-hearted, but essential for those craving something truly different. Expect gasps and guffaws.
Brian Cox. Post-Succession. Playing the ghost of economist Adam Smith. Haunting the ghost of the disgraced RBS CEO Fred Goodwin. About the 2008 financial crash. James Graham wrote it. Cox’s first Scottish stage role in ages? Yeah, this is going to be intense. It’s capitalism’s A Christmas Carol. Creepy, sharp and peak Fringe energy.
Jordan Gray: Is That a C*ck in Your Pocket, or Are You Just Here to Kill Me?
Assembly George Square Gardens, 30 July–24 Aug (not 6, 12, 19), 15:10
Channel 4’s trans powerhouse Jordan Gray is back, swinging hard at the backlash. This is a cowboy-musical-comedy-satire-anthem-slinging revenge gig, and it’s glorious. She’s taking every pearl-clutching headline from last year and turning it into a mic drop moment. You’ll laugh, you’ll cheer, you might cry, but mostly, you’ll witness what it looks like when someone turns hate into glitter-fuelled defiance. Expect big laughs, bigger tunes, and a whole lot of heart.
You’re not ready for Mr. Chonkers. No one is. John Norris’s floppy clown alter ego is the kind of show you stumble into hungover and walk out changed. It's physical comedy on acid, complete with Gregorian chants, inflatable nonsense, and audience participation that feels like a fever dream. If absurdity had a mascot, it’d be this guy. It’s weird. It’s wild. It’s absolute Fringe magic.
A closeted Victorian aristocrat sets fire to his inheritance to stage terrible musicals in a self-made theatre, and we love him for it. This Fringe legend is camp as tits, hilarious, and somehow genuinely touching. The songs slap. The wigs are tragic. The message? History belongs to the weirdos. If you miss this, you’re doing Fringe wrong.
The Fringe isn’t just about theatre. Or comedy. Or cabaret. It’s about connection. In a world built on distraction and performance, these shows ask you to actually feel something. But isn’t that kind of the point? That’s why you go. That’s what this list is about.
If you’re heading to Edinburgh this August, don’t just scroll the star ratings. Listen to your gut, see something that scares you a little, talk to strangers in queues, and soak it all in. And maybe, just maybe, let yourself get a little lost.
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Son of Sardaar 2 faces dialogue cuts ahead of release
• Indian film board has asked the makers to remove the name of China’s President Xi Jinping from the film
• Three additional dialogue changes were recommended, including replacing "item" with "madam"
• The film has received a U/A 13+ certificate with no visual cuts
• Son of Sardaar 2, starring Ajay Devgn and Mrunal Thakur, will release on 1 August 2025
Ajay Devgn’s upcoming film Son of Sardaar 2 has landed in the news just days ahead of its theatrical release, not for its content or storyline, but due to interventions by the Indian film board. While the film has been cleared with a U/A 13+ rating, the board has asked the makers to modify four specific dialogues, including the removal of a direct reference to Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Indian film board censors Xi Jinping reference in Ajay Devgn’s 'Son of Sardaar 2', suggests three more dialogue changes www.easterneye.biz
Why was Xi Jinping's name removed from Son of Sardaar 2 ?
According to reports, the Indian film board objected to a scene that mentioned Xi Jinping by name. Given the diplomatic sensitivities and past tensions between India and China, the board recommended that the line either be muted or the name be replaced.
The move is similar to earlier instances where real political references, especially involving foreign leaders, are often avoided to prevent controversy or backlash.
This is not the first time a film has faced censorship over political content. In recent years, filmmakers have had to navigate a fine line between satire, social commentary and censorship, especially when it comes to international relations.
What other changes did the Indian film board recommend?
Besides the removal of the Xi Jinping reference, the Indian film board suggested three more dialogue changes to make the film more family-friendly. The word "item" used in a particular context was replaced with "madam", as the former is often deemed derogatory or objectifying in mainstream cinema.
Another phrase, "Kutte ki tarah" (like a dog), was also changed to a softer expression, "Bahut buri tarah" (very badly), likely to tone down aggressive language. Additionally, a line beginning with "Bhagwan..." was flagged and replaced with a more neutral alternative to avoid any religious insensitivity.
These changes were made without altering the visuals. The action sequences and comic set pieces have been retained as is, and the final runtime of the film clocks in at 147 minutes and 32 seconds.
When is Son of Sardaar 2 releasing and what’s the screen count issue?
Son of Sardaar 2 is set to hit cinemas on 1 August 2025, after being postponed from its original 25 July release date. The delay was a strategic move to avoid clashing with Saiyaara, an Ahaan Panday–Aneet Padda starrer that has emerged as a box office hit.
However, the Ajay Devgn film is now facing challenges in securing enough show slots in theatres. Distributors are pushing for 60 per cent of total screens, but several exhibitors are reportedly offering only 35 per cent, prioritising ongoing hits like Saiyaara and upcoming releases like Dhadak 2.
While some single-screen theatres have agreed to two shows per day, major multiplex chains remain hesitant, which could impact the film’s opening numbers unless a mid-week momentum builds.
Who stars in Son of Sardaar 2 and who is behind it?
Directed by Vijay Kumar Arora and produced by Devgn Films in association with Jio Studios, Son of Sardaar 2 features a large ensemble cast. Apart from Devgn and Mrunal Thakur, the film includes performances by Neeru Bajwa, Deepak Dobriyal, Chunky Panday, Kubbra Sait, Ravi Kishan, Sharat Saxena, Vindu Dara Singh, Sanjay Mishra and Ashwini Kalsekar. It also marks the posthumous appearance of actor Mukul Dev.
A spiritual sequel to Devgn’s 2012 hit Son of Sardaar, this film is being promoted as an action comedy drama with a modern twist. The original clashed with Shah Rukh Khan’s Jab Tak Hai Jaan back in the day, and interestingly, SOS 2 will now release alongside another romantic drama, Dhadak 2.
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Sharon Osbourne in tears as Ozzy gets the ultimate hometown tribute
Thousands gathered in Birmingham for Ozzy Osbourne’s funeral procession.
Sharon Osbourne broke down while paying tribute at the Black Sabbath bench.
The hearse passed key landmarks from Ozzy’s life, including his childhood home.
Fans and family laid floral tributes while a brass band played Sabbath classics.
Birmingham paid its final respects to Ozzy Osbourne, as fans flooded the streets to honour the legendary Black Sabbath frontman. His wife, Sharon Osbourne, was visibly emotional during the public procession, which passed by landmarks from Ozzy’s early years and ended at the Black Sabbath bench, now covered in tributes.
Thousands turned up to witness the rock icon’s final journey through the city that shaped his music and legacy. The crowd erupted in chants of "Ozzy! Ozzy! Ozzy!" as the hearse passed by, carrying purple flowers spelling out his name.
Sharon Osbourne overwhelmed by love as Birmingham pays tribute to OzzyGetty Images
Where did Ozzy Osbourne’s funeral procession take place?
Ozzy Osbourne’s coffin travelled through Birmingham on Wednesday, beginning at his childhood home on Lodge Road in Aston. The procession moved past Villa Park stadium and continued into the city centre, before stopping at Broad Street’s Black Sabbath bench, a memorial spot already filled with flowers, bat-shaped balloons, and heartfelt messages from fans.
Outside his childhood home, residents placed a framed picture of the singer in their window, while fans gathered quietly to observe the moment. The Jaguar hearse, escorted by six black Mercedes funeral cars and a police motorcade, slowed down to allow time for the crowds to pay their respects.
Birmingham stops still for Ozzy Osbourne’s historic funeral processionGetty Images
How did Sharon Osbourne and the family honour Ozzy?
Sharon Osbourne arrived at the memorial site flanked by her children Jack, Aimee, and Kelly. Each family member carried a pink rose wrapped in black paper tied with a purple ribbon, which they gently laid among thousands of other tributes. Sharon kissed her flower before placing it near a poster that read, “Birmingham will always love you.”
The family wiped away tears as they stood silently at the bench. Sharon hugged Birmingham’s Lord Mayor, Zafar Iqbal, who later described the moment as “incredibly emotional.” Fans shouted messages of love and support as the Osbournes took one final look before leaving the site.
Many fans spoke of how Ozzy’s music helped them through difficult times and made them feel seen. One fan, Goose, described Ozzy as “a family member,” recalling how discovering heavy metal in his youth gave him a sense of belonging.
Another fan, Evie Mayo from Wolverhampton, said: “He inspired me so much, I’m learning guitar just so I can play his songs. You can feel the hole he’s left behind.”
People of all ages gathered at the tribute, including 19-year-old Eddie Hayes, who travelled from Newcastle: “Ozzy was one of a kind. No one will ever come close to what he gave to music and to fans like us.”
From Villa Park to Broad Street, Ozzy Osbourne’s final ride shakes BirminghamGetty Images
What is Ozzy Osbourne’s legacy in Birmingham and beyond?
The Black Sabbath frontman, who died aged 76 last week, helped define the sound of heavy metal alongside bandmates Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi, and Bill Ward. Formed in 1968, the band laid the foundation for generations of metal artists worldwide.
Beyond music, Ozzy reached a new audience through reality TV with The Osbournes, alongside Sharon, Kelly, and Jack. His final performance was earlier this month at Villa Park, during a farewell gig featuring Metallica and Guns N’ Roses.
Tears, roses and rock as Birmingham says goodbye to its greatest icon Ozzy OsbourneGetty Images
Just weeks before his passing, Ozzy and his bandmates were awarded the Freedom of the City of Birmingham, a fitting honour for a man whose influence shaped not only a genre, but a city and its people.
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Vijay Deverakonda fans call Kingdom a redemption while critics say story fails to deliver
Vijay Deverakonda’s Kingdom released on 31 July to mixed reactions on X.
Fans praised Anirudh Ravichander’s background score and Deverakonda’s performance.
Critics called the plot underwhelming and the second half a letdown.
The film ends with a hint at a sequel, but for now, it’s a one-time watch for many.
Vijay Deverakonda’s much-awaited action-drama Kingdom, directed by Jersey filmmaker Gowtam Tinnanuri, finally hit theatres on 31 July. Touted as a patriotic spy thriller, the film stars Bhagyashri Borse opposite Deverakonda and features music by Anirudh Ravichander. As expected, the buzz around the release was huge, but early reactions on social media reveal a mixed verdict. While some fans have lauded the film’s technical finesse and performances, others caution viewers not to go in with high expectations.
6 years after Dear Comrade, Vijay Deverakonda brings back the fire in Kingdom Instagram/sitharaentertainments
What are fans saying about Vijay Deverakonda’s performance in Kingdom?
Searches around Vijay Deverakonda Kingdom review show that the actor’s fans are relieved to see him in form again. Several X users described the film as a “redemption” after a string of less successful projects. One user commented, “VD is back with a bang. His intensity and control throughout the film is commendable.” Another called it his “career-best performance.”
While his action scenes and emotional moments have been appreciated, some pointed out that the film didn’t offer much novelty. “The script is predictable, but Vijay carries it on his shoulders,” a post read. Actor Satyadev also received praise for his supporting role, while Bhagyashri’s character was considered limited in scope.
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How does Anirudh Ravichander’s music elevate the film?
If there’s one aspect of Kingdom that received unanimous praise, it’s the background score by Anirudh Ravichander. Social media users repeatedly mentioned his BGM as a major highlight of the viewing experience. “Mass scenes work only because of Anirudh,” one fan wrote, while another said, “The BGM in the interval and climax is beast mode. Goosebumps!”
Vijay Deverakonda himself acknowledged Anirudh’s contribution at a recent Hyderabad event, saying he had long dreamt of collaborating with the composer. Interestingly, delays in Anirudh’s score were reportedly among the reasons the film’s release was postponed three times.
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Is Kingdom worth watching? Here's what viewers are saying
While the first half of the film was called “gripping” and “well-paced,” the second half didn’t land for many. Some viewers felt the climax was rushed and lacked emotional depth. Others were disappointed by the screenplay, calling it a “routine action drama” and a “soulless template.”
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One user wrote, “Kingdom is a decent one-time watch, but don’t expect too much. Technically strong but weak on writing.” Another said, “Started off well, but the last 20 minutes lost me. Disconnect in the pre-climax was real.”
There were also tweets calling it a “blockbuster” and a “solid mass entertainer,” showing that the response has been far from unanimous.
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What’s next for Kingdom? Sequel hints and production details
The film ends on a cliffhanger, hinting at a possible second instalment. Producers Naga Vamsi and Sai Soujanya, under Sithara Entertainments and Fortune Four Cinemas, are reportedly planning a duology.
The technical crew also includes cinematographer Girish Gangadharan and editor Navin Nooli (known for Jersey), both of whom have received praise for their contributions to Kingdom’s visual storytelling.