The Maharashtra government's decision to allow outside food inside multiplexes across the state has evoked a mixed reaction from the moviegoers. When we asked popular TV actors their opinion on the issue, this is what they had to say:
Ssharad Malhotra: I don't think anti-social elements can take soft drinks laced with liquor inside the cinema hall. It is not that easy as it is a public place and if one is caught public, they will not be spared. Outside food should be a strict no-no as a certain decorum should be maintained in public space especially in multiplexes. Instead, they can have a variety of cuisines to offer to the customers that add to the joy of movie viewing. Excessive uncomfortable food odour from an adjacent patron is surely an issue. It will affect business and so some guidelines need to be set. Getting food from external sources might just dampen the spirits and also pose a problem to the adjacent patron watching the film. The garbage issue will also be there, maybe once implemented changes can be made according to the response.
Mohammad Nazim: It's a good idea to allow eatables in the cinema hall. I am a fitness freak, so I can carry healthy food items and a protein shake. Different people may carry different food items which may smell bad and can create an issue when the boxes are opened. Security will have to tighten and ensure no alcohol is carried inside.
Abhinav Shukla: It can be an unpleasant experience. Imagine someone eating parathas and belching! I don't understand for a 2-hour movie, how much food is required to be eaten. Of course, people might carry snacks and their own water bottles since there have been a lot of complaints about the bad quality of food at multiplexes and the prices are exorbitant. The monopoly is broken, so now the prices will become reasonable and quality will improve.
Akashdeep Sabir: A lot of problems will start now, not just related to alcohol but also with hygiene, rats, cockroaches and what not. The cinema experience is about to be over. That is one of the problems I have mentioned. It will have a picnic atmosphere. There will be too much chatter throughout the movie and that will disturb patrons. It could have been handled differently. Let’s see how it goes. People may be embarrassed to open their home boxes on their seats. I guess a compulsory low-cost food stall would have made life easier. The government has not thought this through. I guess this will be reversed soon.
Sheeba: Yes, I feel it will be a nuisance. People will bring in all sorts of things to the cinema halls. Alcohol is definitely on the top of the list. Garbage all over would be the next concern. But, I guess like on planes, they will have to have extra security measures to check everything. The overall experience hopefully shouldn’t change.
Pranitaa Pandit: I am worried since now the audience is allowed food and drinks in the multiplex, there is a chance that people will be sneaking stuff which they are not supposed to. At the same time, there are so many shows running parallelly in every multiplex. The pressure on the checking counter will increase and then eventually something wrong will happen. Everyone likes to eat different food. We have many different cultures, so not everyone would be comfortable with the food brought by other people. The smell of the theatre would change over a period of time. I just think there was the better way to handle things. They could have cut the price of food items available at the theatre.
Ayyaz Ahmed: It's a good decision as the consumers feel cheated or taken advantage of when they have to pay extra. Thankfully, we are getting a pro-consumer decision. It sounds beneficial as now they can actually charge less for the food sold inside. There might be no problem with people carrying their own snacks as I definitely don't want to smell butter chicken or some karela ki sabzi inside. But let’s see how it goes.
Sneha Wagh: The idea of taking food inside seems good as long as hygiene is maintained. It may create execution issues as different people carrying different food items will lead to bad odour all around. Some mishaps may lead to food spilling on the seats itself creating damage to the property.
Neha Kaul: It may be a serious issue as the overall experience of cinema watching will be affected. Right now, only a few people buy something in the interval due to price issues. But since now, one can take our own food items inside, the percentage of people eating food inside will increase many folds. I mean we have all been irritated with people munching on popcorn noisily in the hall. So, imagine 80% of the public, eating one thing or the other not just in interval but throughout the film. In my opinion, only the prices of the food items should have been reduced and made reasonable. Anyways once it is implemented then only we will come to know the exact complications and consequences.
After a smash-hit UK debut, India’s most-watched crowd-work comedy duo is back – and this time, they’re armed with an even wilder new show. Abishek and Nirmal: The Great Indian Positivity House invites audiences into a bizarre world where you can anonymously confess your darkest deeds and most questionable opinions.
Staged at Soho Theatre in London from July 21–25, the show will then head to the Edinburgh Fringe in August. It promises their signature fast-paced crowd work and razor-sharp improvisation. With no two shows ever the same, they aim to make every night unrepeatable and unforgettable. Eastern Eye caught up with the dynamic duo to talk about comedy chemistry, on-stage secrets and their biggest influences.
What made you two want to team up?
Abishek: We come from similar backgrounds, consume similar content, and laugh at each other’s jokes. A middle-class upbringing, a love for theatre, and a shared passion for the same kind of humour brought us together.
Did you both expect to become such a successful double act?
Nirmal: It struck me early on during touring. Initially, we’d do 20 minutes each and then come together for the final 20, which audiences really enjoyed. We soon realised our on-stage chemistry worked. We’re also both very physical with our humour and play off each other well. (No innuendo intended.)
What’s been your most memorable moment as a duo?
Nirmal: After every show, we’d go out with some audience members and ask them to show us around their city. I think our last day at Edinburgh Fringe was epic – we were up till 4 am dancing, drinking pints, with a flight back to India at 8 am. Total chaos. Abishek: Touring internationally will always be a core memory. I’ll never forget our first show in Dubai – it felt so surreal. We genuinely felt taller than the Burj Khalifa that day!
How would you describe your brand of comedy?
Abishek: We do a lot of crowd work and improv. Our biggest strength is our physical comedy, combined with (self-proclaimed) impeccable chemistry on stage.
What drew you to interactive comedy?
Nirmal: I love stand-up, but it takes a year or two to build a solid hour. Audience-interactive shows let us flex our improv muscles and keep it fresh every night. We never ran out of shows this way. And repeat audience could enjoy our shows too. It’s liberating – we get to respond to the exact moment we’re in. And we love being surprised by the crowd.
What’s the biggest challenge of interactive comedy?
Abishek: You never know how a joke will land. You have to read the room well and only prolong an interaction if the person is clearly enjoying it.
With no two shows ever the sameInstagram/ theabishekkumar
How much of your routine is planned in advance?
Nirmal: The beginning, middle, end, and format are always set. But that’s it. We’ve built our shows on the road, so we keep adding and experimenting with new bits.
What’s the secret to great improvisation?
Abishek: Ride the scene’s energy – no matter how dumb the premise sounds. Go with the flow. BS with full conviction!
How do you stay in sync on stage?
Nirmal: It’s muscle memory at this point. I know when he’ll take a punchline or jump in, and he knows when I’ll interrupt. It’s built over time by doing this again and again.
What has performing in the UK been like?
Abishek: Amazing. We’ve toured the UK multiple times now, and every visit feels like coming home, thanks to the huge Indian diaspora.
How do UK audiences compare to those in India?
Nirmal: I love our international audiences – they come for a sense of familiarity. They’re away from home, and our references, language, and vibe create that comfort. For at least an hour and a half, it feels like home.
The beginning, middle, end, and format are always setInstagram/ theabishekkumar
Do you have creative differences – and how do you manage them?
Abishek: We do, but we don’t shy away from tough conversations. We’re brutally honest with our feedback and open to change. That’s the healthy part of this duo.
Tell us an embarrassing secret about each other.
Nirmal: When Abishek is sleep-deprived, he goes full chaos mode – like an elephant about to mate. He starts doing sixth-grade-level pranks on everyone around. This is a 30-year-old man. Abishek: Nirmal has to poop before every show. The moment the announcement plays, he’s off to the loo.
Who are your comedy heroes?
Abishek: Robin Williams, Russell Peters, Jim Carrey, Adam Sandler, Ricky Gervais... and Indian legends like Nagesh and Crazy Mohan, who’ve had a huge influence on me. Nirmal: Kanan Gill, Rahul Subramanian, Kenny Sebastian, Hasan Minhaj, Aziz Ansari and Dave Chappelle.
Why should people come to your London shows?
Nirmal: To feel like you’re in South India for a whole hour. It’s better than the North. (I say this in jest.) I could have said I’m joking, but I had to say jest, didn’t I? It is a nice word though.
Abishek & Nirmal: The Great Indian Positivity House at Soho Theatre in central London from July 21-25. www.sohotheatre.com
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Priyanka Chopra opens up about an on-set injury while filming Heads of State
Priyanka Chopra Jonas has opened up about a minor but shocking accident that occurred while filming her new action-comedy Heads of State, which premieres on Prime Video on 2 July. Appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the actor recalled how she injured her face during a high-intensity scene, losing a piece of her eyebrow in the process.
The incident took place during a rainy stunt scene that required her to fall and roll on the ground as the camera closed in. “The camera operator came in a little closer, I came in a little closer, and boom! The matte box hit me right here,” she said, pointing to her eyebrow. “It took out a chunk. I was lucky it didn’t take my eye.”
Despite the bleeding cut, Priyanka didn’t halt filming. Instead, she reached for surgical glue, patched herself up on set, and wrapped up the day’s shoot. “I didn’t want to come back and shoot in the rain again,” she joked.
In the film, Chopra plays Noel Bisset, a sharp MI6 agent pulled into chaos after a diplomatic mission unravels. She stars opposite John Cena and Idris Elba, who play the heads of state she’s tasked with protecting. The actor shared that her character does a fair amount of the heavy lifting when it comes to action, including hand-to-hand combat and stunts.
While discussing the film, Chopra also spoke about the off-screen dynamics with her co-stars. She revealed that Cena and Elba hadn’t met before the shoot, so she stepped in to ease the introductions. “I was like the buffer. I had to make sure we didn’t just start punching each other,” she laughed.
She also mentioned how the set was filled with laughter, banter, and plenty of pranks, most of them aimed at her. “I guess I was the easy target,” she admitted.
Directed by Ilya Naishuller, Heads of State features an ensemble cast including Paddy Considine, Carla Gugino, Jack Quaid, Stephen Root, and Sarah Niles. The film will be available in English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada.
Up next, Chopra is set to appear in SSMB 29 with Mahesh Babu and The Bluff, where she plays a reformed pirate.
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Priyanka Chopra enjoys traditional Indian feast at Vikas Khanna’s NYC hotspot
Priyanka Chopra Jonas found a taste of home far from home this week. The global star, alongside her manager Anjula Acharia and friends, enjoyed a memorable meal at Michelin-starred chef Vikas Khanna's New York City restaurant, Bungalow.
Honouring heritage and handicrafts over dinner
Khanna shared a touching glimpse into the evening on Instagram. He focused on the restaurant's beautifully adorned glass ceiling, explaining its deeper meaning. "Everyone asks why we decorate it daily when some might not notice," Khanna wrote. His reason was personal: "It’s not just for guests below, but for loved ones watching over us from above. Today, I adorned it especially for Malti Marie Chopra Jonas."
The gathering doubled as a tribute to the upcoming Rath Yatra festival and specifically honoured the skilled artisans of Sambalpur and Western Odisha. Videos showed Khanna tying traditional Sambalpuri handkerchiefs around Priyanka and Anjula's wrists as a meaningful cultural gesture. The rainy NYC backdrop added to the intimate atmosphere.
A satisfied star and return visits
The Indian feast clearly hit the spot. Priyanka reshared a video from Anjula showing Chef Khanna expertly serving dishes, captioning it simply: “Still in a food coma. You’re the best host, Vikas.” Pictures revealed a relaxed Priyanka dressed smartly in a black dress and matching blazer, posing happily with Khanna and her group. This was her second return trip to Bungalow; she previously dined there last year with her husband Nick Jonas, thanking Khanna then for "a taste of home."
While young daughter Malti Marie was mentioned in Khanna's heartfelt caption about the ceiling dedication, she wasn't visible in the shared photos or videos. Fans can next catch Priyanka on screen in the action film Heads of State, streaming on Prime Video 2nd July, where she stars alongside John Cena and Idris Elba.
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Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom clash over space flight as breakup rumours grow
Things seem rocky between long-time couple Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom, with new reports suggesting an argument about Perry’s recent space flight may have added fuel to an already burning fire.
The pop star, who joined an all-female crew for a Blue Origin flight in April, reportedly didn’t get the reaction she hoped for from Bloom. A source claims the actor called the trip “embarrassing” and “ridiculous” during a heated exchange, leaving Perry hurt and confused by the lack of support. Despite publicly backing her before the launch and even being photographed at the site, Bloom allegedly changed his tune behind closed doors.
This tension comes as Bloom prepares to attend Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez’s wedding in Italy this month, but without Perry. The irony? Bezos’ company made Perry’s space journey possible. According to insiders, Perry is upset that Bloom is “insisting” on going to the wedding, especially since she considers the couple her friends, not his. Meanwhile, she’ll be away on her Lifetimes tour and unable to attend herself.
Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom’s space row highlights deeper riftGetty Images
Career struggles and solo appearances spark breakup rumours
While Perry’s upcoming absence from the Bezos wedding has been chalked up to work obligations, sources say there’s more beneath the surface. Reports claim that the singer’s recent career disappointments, particularly the underwhelming reception of her album *143*, have added pressure on the couple’s relationship. Though Bloom was said to be supportive during the aftermath, the stress allegedly caused a noticeable strain between them.
The pair, who got engaged in 2019 and share a four-year-old daughter named Daisy, have weathered storms before, including a brief split in 2017 and a postponed wedding due to the pandemic. But insiders now suggest the relationship may be nearing its end, with one source bluntly stating, “It’s over. They’re just waiting for her tour to wrap before making it official.”
Orlando Bloom slammed Katy Perry’s space flight during argument as insiders say split is imminentGetty Images
Adding to the speculation, Perry was recently spotted without her engagement ring in Melbourne, just days after performing the breakup anthem I’m Still Breathing onstage in Sydney. Her tour ends on 7 December, and many believe the couple might make an announcement soon after.
Neither Perry nor Bloom has commented publicly on the reported fallout. But if the talks are true, a love story that began in 2016 may quietly come to a close before the year does.
Vijay can make a theatre erupt with just his presence. He is often boxed into labels like ‘mass hero’, ‘box-office king’ and ‘Thalapathy’. While those titles fit (no arguments there), they also distract from the core truth – Vijay’s immense acting ability.
As he turns 51 on June 22, it is the perfect time to look beyond the superstardom and revisit seven standout performances that reveal the powerhouse actor beneath the mass-hero persona.
Kaththi: This was the film that silenced critics who believed Vijay could only do ‘mass’ roles. Kaththi was not just a blockbuster – it was a benchmark in his career. And not because of the double role. Vijay pulled off something rare: he made you feel the difference between two men who looked the same but led entirely different lives. His restrained, nuanced portrayal of Jeevanandham, the social activist, stood in sharp contrast to the brash but evolving Kathiresan. The press meet sequence remains a highlight – powerful, emotional, and unforgettable.
Actor Vijay
Thuppakki: This was not just another action film – it redefined the template for commercial Tamil cinema. As army officer Jagadish, Vijay owned every frame with style, confidence and charisma. The tight screenplay fused slick action with smart plot, proving that mainstream cinema could be both intelligent and crowd-pleasing. The iconic interval line, “I’m waiting”, became a cultural moment in itself – short, sharp, and entirely unforgettable.
Mersal: Every superstar has a defining moment, and for Vijay, Mersal was it. Directed by Atlee, who balances emotion with spectacle, the film gave Vijay a platform to showcase his range and command. Playing three characters – Vetri, Maaran and Vetrimaaran – he did not just switch roles; he shifted energy, tone and rhythm. A particularly moving hospital scene peeled away the mass-hero veneer to reveal raw grief and moral outrage. It was a reminder that Vijay’s emotional depth is just as compelling as his screen presence.
Simran and Vijay
Thullatha Manamum Thullum: Long before the Thalapathy era, Vijay charmed audiences with his performance as Kutty, an innocent singer entangled in a tragic love story. There was no grand hero entry here – just a man who had spent years in prison for a crime he did not commit, unsure of whether his lover was still alive. Director Ezhil opened the film on a sombre note, setting the tone for a romantic drama that won hearts, making Vijay and Simran a beloved pair in Tamil cinema. Vijay’s breakdown after learning of his mother’s death – alone, in a toilet – was a quietly devastating scene that showcased his early acting strength.
Master: In Master, Vijay stepped away from his typical invincible roles to play JD, an alcoholic professor haunted by personal failures. This was a flawed, deeply human character – one who made mistakes and sought redemption. Critics noted the vulnerability in his performance as a refreshing shift. Under Lokesh Kanagaraj’s direction, Vijay brought restraint and reflection to the role. And what is rare in Tamil cinema? A superstar letting a co-star (Vijay Sethupathi, in top form as Bhavani) steal scenes – and still holding his ground. Vijay did just that.
Shalini and Vijay
Ghilli: A masterclass in commercial cinema, Ghilli turned Vijay into an unstoppable box-office force. A remake of the Telugu film Okkadu, Dharani’s version arguably outdid the original. Vijay’s energy as Saravanavelu electrified the screen, and Vidyasagar’s soundtrack only amplified the impact. The cat-and-mouse tension with Prakash Raj’s now-iconic antagonist Muthupandi kept viewers hooked. Ghilli redefined action-entertainers and became a cult classic – so much so that its 2024 re-release drew crowds back to cinemas, proving its enduring appeal.
Kadhalukku Mariyadhai: This film was a turning point in Vijay’s career. Under Fazil’s sensitive direction and backed by Ilaiyaraaja’s soulful score, Vijay delivered a measured and mature performance as a young man in love. It was a far cry from the louder roles he would later take on – instead, his portrayal here was rooted in simplicity and sincerity. The film’s success firmly established him as a romantic hero and showed his ability to carry emotional material with conviction. It also redefined what a love story could look like in Tamil cinema at the time, making Vijay a household name.