VERSATILE London-based author Mona Dash has tackled diverse themes in her books A Roll of the Dice: a story of loss, love and genetics, Let Us Look Elsewhere, A Certain Way, Untamed Heartand Dawn-drops.
When Eastern Eye asked her to select 10 books she loves, she said: “It is both challenging and exciting to list my top 10 books. This being my list, I can make up the rules. So, to make it easier for a somewhat indecisive person like myself, I decided to narrow the focus to books I read within the last few years.”
A Roll of the Dice: a story of loss, love and genetics by Mona Dash: Since this is my list, I will start off with my book. Published by Linen Press, this won the Eyelands international award for memoirs and was reviewed very positively. The frailty of the human body that is overcome by the power of the mind has always been an inspirational read for me. I daresay even if I hadn’t written the book, I would have read it. At its heart, it is the journey of becoming a mother, but what makes it different is the exploration of grief, loss, complex genetics and the science in our genetic code. It is also a story of love, faith and spirituality, and aspiring towards a positive outcome in the face of insurmountable obstacles.
We That Are Young by Preti Taneja: Moving to a very different type of book, this winner of the DSC prize will go down as a modern classic. Based on King Lear, but set in India, it showcases a very different country. I enjoyed this non-stereotypical story. A rich tapestry of characters and lyrical, inventive prose.
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo: Another unputdownable book that proves literary fiction can be a page turner. Contemporary black British women negotiate their lives and multiple identities. While you wonder at the connections between these lives, everything comes together at the end – one can only marvel at the brilliantly built-up novel, and how it all stands together.
The Gathering by Anne Enright: The quiet, luminous prose appears to be simple but, in fact, the depth and complexity of this novel stands out. This is the story of a large Irish family that is somewhat dysfunctional. It starts with a young man dying by suicide after walking into the sea and then his sister Veronica trying to trace their lives back, including how her parents had met. Love and death are skilfully woven into the story. The effect of loss and grief, as anyone who has gone through it knows, is not in the immediate tears, but elsewhere. The novel is a careful exploration of the interiority of our lives, both the profane and exalted.
When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi: This memoir moved me tremendously. It is written by a neurosurgeon who ironically ignores warning signs and is eventually diagnosed when he is at stage IV of a rare form of lung cancer, but it is not all about illness and death.
The first section describes his formative years and growing up as an Asian man in America. He finds love, works long hours, and has day-to-day challenges, but then suddenly nothing is important anymore. The depth of the prose and poignant reflections about the transience of life makes this book essential reading.
Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart: I read this book recently and found it really easy to fall into the very detailed observation and depiction of life in 1980s Glasgow. Domestic violence interlaces with Agnes’ dreams of a love she will never really have. Shuggie, her youngest, is named after his dad Big Shug and couldn’t be more different from the foreboding man. Poverty, love, dreams and addiction all come together in this universal story. One’s heart goes out to Agnes and little Shuggie, so it is no wonder that this won the Booker Prize in 2020.
The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes: I first read this book when it was published some years ago, and then reread it more recently, and I enjoyed it as much as I had when I first read it. Set in London, this is the story of Tony Webster and his friends Adrian and Veronica. The book starts with various disjointed images, the news of a suicide and cryptic notes. While we wonder like Tony, just what the notes are referring to, the answer is both poignant and shocking.
Fragile Monsters by Catherine Menon: This is one of the few books I have read that is set in Malaysia. It deftly looks at two time periods and across generations. Durga, a mathematics professor in London, comes to visit her grandmother in Malaysia. Menon’s rich and beautiful language adds to the haunting atmosphere of the book. We know from the start that there is a secret just out of reach for Durga, as it is for us.
Nudibranch by Irenosen Okojie: This collection of short stories that are wild, surreal and highly unusual, feature the Caine Prize for African Writing winning story, Grace Jones. Irenosen’s Twitter profile says ‘genre-bender’ and this is absolutely true. It takes a brave author to be able to break away from the expectations and norms of a short story. All the stories are, at the same time, set in everyday life and objects, but can quickly morph into fantastical and phantasmagorical descriptions.
Let Us Look Elsewhere by Mona Dash: I will end with my own collection of 14 short stories that was published in June 2021. Several of them were listed in various competitions, and are set in locations such as Prague, Reykjavik Las Vegas, London and India, including in the rural part of the eastern state of Odisha. The stories explore desire and disconnect in the characters. No one is perfect, and everyone is on a search to find love, intimacy or identity, yet the answers are often not where we look, hence ‘let us look elsewhere’.
You step into your local PVR today. The smell of popcorn hits you, but instead of previews for the latest Bollywood hit, the lobby is a sea of ARMY Bombs and CARAT Bong light sticks. Fans in TXT tees are swapping photocards. Someone’s already belting out a LE SSERAFIM chorus into a mic at the pop-up Noraebang station. Inside Screen 3? It isn’t a film, but a full-blown K-pop concert. Thousands of voices scream every word of BTS’s Dynamite, and tears well up during Jungkook’s solo. But this isn’t Seoul. It’s Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi, and Bengaluru, all this weekend. And HYBE? They’re taking notes, big ones!
What is Hybe Cine fest?
HYBE Cine Fest 2025 is a three-day cinema event (from 10 to 12 July) that brings some of the biggest K-pop concert experiences to the big screen across India. Organised by South Korean entertainment giant HYBE in partnership with PVR INOX and Trafalgar Releasing, the fest features full-length concert films from BTS, SEVENTEEN, TXT, ENHYPEN, ILLIT, and Katseye. Expect stadium-level production with cinematic visuals, surround sound, and collective fan chants, everything fans love about a K-pop concert, recreated inside a cinema.
HYBE didn’t pick India at random. It’s a calculated move. The company has confirmed it will open an Indian office in Mumbai or Delhi by September or October 2025. This festival is a soft launch, a proof-of-concept to test the waters. By partnering with PVR INOX and global distributor Trafalgar Releasing (which brought in over 260,000 fans during the Latin American edition), HYBE is laying the groundwork for bigger things. With India’s entertainment market projected to grow from £22.9 billion to £32.2 billion (₹2.45 trillion to ₹3.45 trillion) by 2028, the timing is no accident.
HYBE isn’t just here to screen films. This is step one in a long-term strategy:
Live concerts: The biggest fan demand. Data from this weekend supports the case for bringing TXT, ENHYPEN, or SEVENTEEN to Indian stages post-2025.
Local talent & collaborations: HYBE’s upcoming Indian office could scout homegrown talent or spark Indo-Korean music projects, similar to what HYBE America did with Katseye.
Lifestyle takeover: Pop-up merch counters are only the beginning. HYBE wants to control K-pop fashion, fan experiences, and digital platforms (like Weverse) in India.
Expect ticket prices between £7.50–£14 (₹800–₹1,500), depending on location and seat type. Morning and midday weekday shows are filling up fastest, so book early if you want the full fan-crowd vibe.
While Indian ARMYs, CARATs, MOAs, and ENGENEs lose their voices this weekend inside packed theatres, HYBE’s executives are wide awake, analysing ticket data, fan turnout, and social media buzz. Every chant, every Noraebang sing-along, every sold-out show is a datapoint fuelling their next big move.
HYBE Cine Fest 2025 is more than a weekend spectacle. It’s a strategic push to embed K-pop deep into India’s entertainment ecosystem. The concert films are just the beginning, the real goal is long-term cultural presence, local talent scouting, and eventually, massive live tours. The light sticks are lit. The playbook is open. And HYBE’s Indian takeover has officially begun.
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Cierra Ortega addresses her Love Island USA exit in a TikTok video
Cierra Ortega has exited Love Island USA after a past social media post using a slur resurfaced.
The 25-year-old content creator said she “had no idea” the word was a racial slur.
Ortega apologised to the Asian community and said she accepts being removed from the show.
She revealed her family has been threatened and immigration authorities were called on them.
Cierra Ortega, a contestant on this season of Love Island USA, has publicly apologised after an old social media post containing a racial slur resurfaced, prompting her sudden exit from the popular reality series.
The 25-year-old Los Angeles-based content creator addressed the controversy in a video, expressing regret for using a derogatory term towards Asian people in a post made last year. Ortega, who is of Mexican and Puerto Rican descent, said she was unaware of the word’s offensive meaning at the time but took full responsibility.
Ortega says she deleted the offensive post after learning it was a racial slurInstagram/cierra.ortega
Ortega says she had “no idea” it was a racial slur
In her nearly five-minute video, Ortega clarified that the post was made in 2024 and deleted as soon as a follower informed her that the word was a racial slur. “I had no idea that the word carried such pain or history,” she said, adding, “If I had known, I would have never used it.”
Describing the video as an “accountability post, not an apology video,” Ortega said she was deeply sorry to the Asian community and anyone she had hurt. She emphasised that ignorance was not an excuse and admitted that her actions had consequences. “Intent doesn’t excuse impact,” she said.
Following her exit from the villa, Ortega revealed that the backlash extended to her family. She claimed they had faced harassment, including death threats and even calls to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). “My family doesn’t feel safe in their own home,” she said. “There’s no need to fight hate with hate. I don’t think that’s justice.”
Ortega’s relatives later issued a statement on her Instagram story, saying they understood the anger but condemned the level of harassment. “We’re not here to justify or ignore what’s surfaced. But the threats and attacks go far beyond accountability,” they wrote.
Ortega’s Instagram story Instagram Screengrab/cierra.ortega
Ortega accepts the show’s decision to remove her
Although the episode announcing her departure referred only to “personal reasons,” Ortega said she fully supported Love Island USA’s decision to remove her from the show. “This was a consequence I deserved,” she stated. Her former villa partner, Nic Vansteenberghe, remained on the show and has since recoupled with another contestant.
Ortega insisted she deleted the offensive post immediately after realising its meaning and has since made efforts to educate herself and others around her.
The Love Island USA contestant apologised to the Asian community onlineInstagram/cierra.ortega
Second contestant to leave over resurfaced racist remarks
Ortega is the second contestant to be removed from this season over past racist language. Earlier in the season, fellow islander Yulissa Escobar was taken off the show after an old podcast clip emerged in which she used another racial slur. Escobar also apologised on social media and echoed Ortega’s concerns about the extreme online abuse following her exit.
The backlash faced by both women has raised concerns about the mental health of reality TV participants. Peacock, the NBC-owned streaming platform airing Love Island USA, recently aired an on-screen message urging viewers to stop targeting contestants with threats and harassment.
Love Island USA aired a message urging viewers to stop harassing contestantsInstagram/cierra.ortega
As the show heads towards its finale, the debate continues over how far accountability should go, and at what cost to the people involved.
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Rashmika Mandanna teams up with Allu Arjun again in Atlee’s next
Rashmika Mandanna to star opposite Allu Arjun in Atlee’s big-budget sci-fi project AA22xA6.
The film already features Deepika Padukone, Janhvi Kapoor, and Mrunal Thakur.
Rashmika has completed a look test and body scan in Los Angeles.
Film to release in multiple languages by late 2026 or early 2027.
Rashmika Mandanna is officially part of director Atlee’s highly ambitious sci-fi feature, tentatively titled AA22xA6. With Allu Arjun headlining the project, the casting of Rashmika not only reunites the Pushpa duo but also strengthens what is being called one of the biggest star ensembles in Indian cinema today. The Sun Pictures production already boasts names like Deepika Padukone, Janhvi Kapoor, and Mrunal Thakur, and now Rashmika’s addition has significantly heightened the buzz.
Director Atlee and Allu Arjun brainstorm futuristic concepts with top Hollywood VFX studios in LA Youtube Screengrab
Rashmika Mandanna signs on for her boldest role yet
According to insiders from the production team, Rashmika was approached by Atlee earlier this year and has since completed her look test and digital body scan in Los Angeles. Her role is described as one of the most challenging and distinctive of her career. The film's makers are reportedly working on extensive pre-production tailored to her character, hinting at an unconventional arc that moves far away from her previous on-screen avatars.
This marks Rashmika’s second collaboration with Allu Arjun after the massive success of the Pushpa franchise. However, sources close to the film insist that their dynamic in AA22xA6 will offer audiences something completely new.
Allu Arjun and Rashmika Mandanna attend a promotional event of their upcoming Indian film 'Pushpa 2: The Rule' Getty Images
AA22xA6 to explore dual universes and advanced VFX
The project is being mounted on a scale rarely seen in Indian filmmaking. Atlee, who last directed Jawan with Shah Rukh Khan, is said to be drawing inspiration from global visual spectacles like Avatar, crafting a narrative that unfolds across two distinct universes.
Backed by Sun Pictures, the film leans heavily on visual storytelling, with AI-driven VFX and futuristic world-building at its core. The director has reportedly insisted on running post-production in parallel with the shooting schedule to give actors real-time feedback on scenes involving heavy CGI.
Atlee\u2019s and Allu Arjun's\u00a0next promises a grand visual universe with cutting-edge VFX Instagram/filmybaapofficial
Star-studded cast, global ambitions
What sets AA22xA6 apart is its ensemble. Deepika Padukone was the first female lead to be confirmed, followed by industry buzz around Janhvi Kapoor and Mrunal Thakur. Rashmika’s entry adds further star power, and there’s talk of a fifth female lead also being finalised soon.
Sun Pictures plans to release the film globally in multiple languages, with a theatrical launch expected either by late 2026 or early 2027. The film is currently in production, and the makers are expected to drop a visually striking teaser later this year to kick off their promotional campaign.
Director Atlee guides Deepika through motion capture choreography Youtube Screengrab/Sun TV
What this means for Rashmika and Allu Arjun
Both Rashmika and Allu Arjun are riding high after the record-breaking success of Pushpa 2: The Rule. While Allu is already a pan-India name, Rashmika’s popularity has been steadily rising across Hindi and South Indian markets. This film gives them a fresh canvas to explore a new on-screen equation and further expand their reach among global audiences.
As anticipation builds for AA22xA6, all eyes will be on how Atlee brings together this megastar cast for what could potentially be a landmark moment in Indian science fiction cinema.
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Kajol says star kids face harsher pressure as Ibrahim Ali Khan gears up for Sarzameen
Kajol says today’s star kids face intense pressure to succeed immediately.
She compares their experience to her own, where she had time and space to evolve.
The actor is starring as Ibrahim Ali Khan’s mother in the upcoming film Sarzameen.
Kajol stresses the importance of reinvention and praises new actors for adapting beyond films.
Kajol believes the new generation of star kids in Bollywood are under far more pressure than actors from her era. The actress, who will soon be seen in Sarzameen alongside debutant Ibrahim Ali Khan, said young actors today are expected to prove themselves instantly, and harsh judgement follows if they don’t.
Kajol discusses star kids and the changing rules of BollywoodGetty Images
Star kids today face harsher scrutiny online
According to Kajol, it’s no longer enough to simply enter the industry with a known surname. The expectations are sky-high, and the backlash is immediate. “Whether or not your parents are famous, trolls will criticise you. But people tend to pay more attention when a star kid is involved,” she said in an interview.
She acknowledged that while she had the privilege of time and multiple films to grow into her career, younger actors now operate in what she calls a “do-or-die” environment. “They’re well prepared for it, I’ll give them that. But we could be a little kinder,” she added.
Kajol will play the mother of Ibrahim Ali Khan, son of Saif Ali Khan and Amrita Singh, in the patriotic drama Sarzameen, which will release on JioCinema on 25 July. Ibrahim’s first appearance in Naadaniyan was widely panned, sparking brutal comments online. Kajol’s remarks come at a time when the debate around nepotism and online trolling of celebrity kids is louder than ever.
The Maa actor also spoke about the importance of reinvention in a fast-changing industry. “You have to unlearn what you’ve learned before. Try new things. Keep moving,” she said, emphasising that staying relevant today means doing more than just films.
She pointed out that unlike earlier times, actors now pursue diverse paths to build their brand, from digital content and entrepreneurship to fashion and endorsements. “My kind of longevity might not apply to this generation. But they’re finding their own ways to last,” she said.
Kajol opens up about the pressure today’s actors face in the industryGetty Images
The bigger picture: Criticism, reinvention, and resilience
Kajol’s comments reflect a growing awareness among senior actors about the evolving pressures in Bollywood. With online trolling, increased media scrutiny, and instant judgment shaping careers, young actors, especially those from film families, are constantly navigating a high-stakes space.
Still, Kajol remains optimistic. “They’ll keep doing different films and other things. It won’t just be about the movies anymore,” she said, noting how the meaning of longevity in Bollywood is being redefined.
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Cardi B continues her bold fashion streak with floral runway glamour
Cardi B wore a ruby-red custom Rahul Mishra gown with sculptural 3D flowers at Paris Couture Week.
The outfit followed her earlier dramatic appearance at Schiaparelli in a fringe dress with a live crow.
She’s currently working on her debut album Am I the Drama? and a beauty venture with Revolve.
The look featured diamond accessories, a sculpted bun, and smoky makeup to match the theatrical dress.
Cardi B took her fashion game to new heights in Paris, stepping out in a dramatic Rahul Mishra creation that fused red carpet glamour with runway sculpture. The rapper’s custom-made gown, featuring 3D blooming flowers and a shimmering ruby base, was a highlight at Paris Haute Couture Week, making it one of her most talked-about looks this season.
Cardi B's red gown features 3D sculpted flowers and intricate embroideryInstagram/rahulmishra_7
The Rahul Mishra dress with blooming details
Cardi’s gown, from Rahul Mishra’s autumn 2025 collection, brought together intricate hand-embroidery with sculptural design. The dress, in a deep red shade covered in tiny rhinestones, caught the light with every movement. Beaded detailing mimicked vines climbing up her silhouette, and from behind, eight large flowers unfolded in a wire structure, making her look like a walking floral sculpture.
This bold look came just hours after her appearance at Schiaparelli, where she wore a structured black dress complete with a live crow perched on her arm. But it was Mishra’s floral fantasy that stole attention, and not just for its complexity, but for how effortlessly Cardi carried it.
Rahul Mishra’s couture creation turns heads on the Paris streetsInstagram/rahulmishra_7
A beauty look to match the drama
To complement the outfit, Cardi B kept her beauty choices both elegant and powerful. Her hair was pulled back into a low bun with styled baby hairs, a signature she’s owned over the years. She wore a diamond choker, drop earrings, and a bracelet that added more sparkle without competing with the dress. Her makeup leaned into drama too: smoky eyes, winged liner, and sharp black nails.
Known for pushing boundaries on red carpets, Cardi often prioritises fashion over beauty. “Great outfit. Every time,” she once said, emphasising how first impressions are made by what you wear.
Cardi B steps out in a custom Rahul Mishra dress at Paris Couture WeekInstagram/rahulmishra_7
Album on the way, beauty line next
Beyond couture, Cardi B is focused on finishing her long-anticipated debut album Am I the Drama?, while also preparing to enter the beauty industry with Revolve. Speaking to WWD, she hinted that both ventures are deeply personal, aimed at building a brand that reflects both her roots and spirit.
Whether she’s teasing a new single or stepping out in sculptural fashion, Cardi B continues to command attention, not by playing it safe, but by transforming every appearance into a performance of its own.