Actor Prabhasis set to collaborate with Telugu director Maruthi for an upcoming feature film, the makers said on Friday.
The movie, which will be the 24th film of Prabhas' career, was announced by the production banner People Media Factory on microblogging site X.
The studio said the movie's title and first look will be released on the festival of Pongal in January 2024.
"People Media Factory proudly unveils the Dinosaur transformed into an absolute DARLING. First Look and Title will be unveiled on Pongal. #Prabhas #PrabhasPongalFeast," it posted.
— (@)
Maruthi, known for directing films such as Ee Rojullo, Bus Stop, Shailaja Reddy Alludu, Manchi Rojulochaie, and Pakka Commercial, said he is excited to collaborate with Prabhas for the upcoming project.
"Excited and have been waiting for this moment for a long time! Happy to present Rebel Star #Prabhas in a brand-new avatar. See you all for Pongal #PrabhasPongalFeast," the filmmaker posted on X.
Prabhas currently stars in filmmaker Prashanth Neel's Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire, which grossed over £50 million in worldwide collection.
He will next star in Kalki 2898 AD, directed by Nag Ashwin and also starring Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan, Deepika Padukone, and Disha Patani.
Qawwali remains popular with cross-cultural audiences, but very few get the chance to experience one of the world’s oldest music genres in its purest form. Whether it is the diluted style seen in Bollywood adaptations or fusion with contemporary sounds, the tradition is often watered down.
Najmuddin Saifuddin & Brothers Qawwali Group stand apart from that commercialised crowd, presenting the Sufi genre in its most authentic style. The five talented brothers – sons of the late qawwali icon Ustad Bahauddin Khan Qawwal – belong to a remarkable lineage that traces directly back to the first group formed by the genre’s founding father in the 13th century.
Currently on a UK tour, the group delivered a stunning stage performance that confirmed their brilliance. Unlike most qawwali ensembles that rely on one or two lead singers, all five brothers took turns leading, gracefully exchanging vocal passages to produce a timeless, mesmerising sound. The power, passion and grace of their high-energy performance shone through as they delivered beloved classics such as QaulQalbana, Rang and Naat Shareef. The concert opened in high gear and gained momentum with each composition, before culminating in a thunderous rendition of Mast Qalandar.
They also performed khayal and tarana-style qawwalis, alongside pieces deeply rooted in mysticism. Accompanied by a superb percussionist, their sound remained untouched by modern influences, yet felt completely relevant and accessible to audiences of all ages and backgrounds. Their tour continues across the UK until mid-July, and they are certain to keep transporting audiences back in time through a forward-looking, spiritually rich performance – the kind few qawwali acts worldwide can deliver. The only downside? The show had to end. It felt as though the group were just getting started – they could have easily played for several more hours.
By clicking the 'Subscribe’, you agree to receive our newsletter, marketing communications and industry
partners/sponsors sharing promotional product information via email and print communication from Garavi Gujarat
Publications Ltd and subsidiaries. You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time by clicking the
unsubscribe link in our emails. We will use your email address to personalize our communications and send you
relevant offers. Your data will be stored up to 30 days after unsubscribing.
Contact us at data@amg.biz to see how we manage and store your data.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Virat Kohli (C), along with his teammates, celebrates with the trophy after winning the Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 final cricket match against Punjab Kings at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on June 4, 2025. (Photo by ARUN SANKAR/AFP via Getty Images)
BRITISH giant Diageo is exploring the sale of its controlling stake in India's Royal Challengers Bengaluru cricket team, potentially valuing the newly-crowned champions at up to £1.6 billion ($2bn).
The maker of Guinness and Johnnie Walker whisky is weighing its options for the Indian Premier League franchise, including selling part or all of its ownership through United Spirits, its Indian subsidiary where it holds a 55.9 per cent controlling interest, reported the Bloomberg.
Reports said that the London-based company has been in talks with potential advisers about various possibilities for the team, though no final decision has been made and Diageo may choose to keep the franchise.
United Spirits quickly dismissed the speculation in a stock exchange filing, calling reports of a potential sale "speculative in nature" and adding it was "not pursuing any such discussions". Diageo declined to comment when approached.
The timing of these discussions coincides with mounting pressure from India's health ministry, which is pushing to ban all tobacco and alcohol advertising from the IPL. Current Indian law already prohibits direct promotion of these products, forcing companies like Diageo to advertise alternative products using cricket stars instead.
However, the triumph was overshadowed by tragedy when a deadly stampede during the team's victory celebrations in Bengaluru killed at least 11 people, creating reputational challenges for the franchise owners.
Diageo's connection to the team traces back to troubled aviation entrepreneur Vijay Mallya, once known as "India's Richard Branson" and "the king of good times".
Mallya was forced to sell his spirits empire to Diageo for £60 million thirteen years ago to raise funds for his failing Kingfisher Airlines, which eventually collapsed in 2012 owing roughly £1bn to banks.
The potential disposal fits with Diageo's broader strategy to streamline its global portfolio. Finance chief Nik Jhangiani recently outlined plans for "substantial" disposals beyond the "usual smaller brand disposals" as part of a £400m cost-cutting programme.
"It's clearly going to be above and beyond the usual smaller brand disposals you've seen over the last three years," Jhangiani said during the company's third-quarter update.
The company has already begun reducing its exposure in various markets, selling its Nigerian and Ghanaian Guinness operations last year and swapping Cîroc vodka rights for basketball star LeBron James-backed tequila brand Lobos 1707 in April.
Any sale would come at a time when IPL team valuations are soaring, making franchises among the most coveted assets in global sport. The league has grown into a commercial powerhouse rivalling the NFL and Premier League, with its short three-hour matches attracting hundreds of millions of viewers worldwide.
Diageo aims to generate around £2.4bn in free cash flow from 2026, supported by its cost-saving programme, to fund further investments and improve its financial position amid challenging market conditions in key regions like the US.
Keep ReadingShow less
In the Fearless documentary, Windrush generation women reflect on their lives in post-war Britain
They were the nurses, cleaners, activists, and everyday heroes who arrived in Britain with little more than courage and determination. Now in their 80s and 90s, six women who helped rebuild the UK after the Second World War are finally getting their due in Fearless, a powerful new documentary that brings their remarkable stories to the big screen.
Launching on Windrush Day (22 June), the film will tour select cinemas across London through July, with post-screening Q&As featuring the directors and cast. It celebrates the lives of Sheila Daniel, Aileen Edwards, Maggie Kelly, Anne Gaché, Nashattar Kang, and Nages Amirthananthar, women of Caribbean, Irish, and South Asian descent who came to Britain as part of the Windrush generation and beyond.
These women, once young migrants navigating hostility, isolation, and discrimination, found strength through solidarity and built lives that left a lasting impact. From taking part in historic strikes like Grunwick to surviving the aftermath of the Notting Hill riots, their personal journeys are woven into the wider political and social fabric of the country.
Drawing on rare archival footage and emotional interviews, Fearless preserves their legacy. But beyond that, it challenges the invisibility that has long plagued immigrant women in British history books. This is more than nostalgia, it is a necessary act of recognition.
A still from Fearless showing archive footage interwoven with first-person storiesMcasso/ Screengrab
Bold stories told by those who lived them
The documentary comes from husband-and-wife filmmaking duo Damian Paul Daniel, a BAFTA-nominated cinematographer, and Noella Mingo, a director of Guyanese-British heritage passionate about amplifying overlooked voices. Their production company, They’re Watching Us, focuses on stories that defy expectation, and Fearless is no exception.
Screenings are scheduled at The Rio in Dalston (22 June), Bertha Dochouse (29 June), Genesis in Whitechapel (1 July), and The Lexi in Kensal Rise (16 July). Each screening includes a post-film conversation with the team.
At its heart, Fearless is a tribute to courage, resilience, and the quiet force of women who shaped a nation, even when history tried to forget them.
Keep ReadingShow less
Debris of Air India flight 171 is pictured after it crashed in a residential area near the airport in Ahmedabad on June 13, 2025. (Photo: Getty Images)
INVESTIGATORS have recovered the black box from the site of Thursday’s Air India crash in Ahmedabad, where a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner bound for London’s Gatwick airport went down shortly after takeoff, killing at least 265 people, including those on the ground.
The aircraft issued a mayday call shortly before crashing into a residential area around lunchtime. The plane had barely lifted 100 metres from the ground before it came down, with its tailpiece left protruding from the second floor of a hostel for medical staff from a nearby hospital.
Air India said the flight carried 242 people, including 169 Indian nationals, 53 British citizens, seven Portuguese nationals, one Canadian and 12 crew members. According to police, 265 bodies have been counted so far, including at least 24 on the ground. Authorities warned that the death toll could rise as more remains are recovered.
Deputy commissioner of police Kanan Desai confirmed the body count on Friday. Home Minister Amit Shah said in a statement that the official death toll would be announced after DNA testing is completed. Samples will also be collected from family members living abroad, he added.
A formal investigation has been launched by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said. The probe will follow International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) protocols. He said a high-level committee comprising experts from multiple disciplines was also being set up to examine the incident and improve aviation safety.
Visited the crash site in Ahmedabad today. The scene of devastation is saddening. Met officials and teams working tirelessly in the aftermath. Our thoughts remain with those who lost their loved ones in this unimaginable tragedy. pic.twitter.com/R7PPGGo6Lj — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 13, 2025
Prime minister Narendra Modi visited the crash site on Friday and met survivor Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a British national, at the hospital. Ramesh, who was injured in the crash, said, “Initially, I too thought that I was about to die, but then I opened my eyes and realised that I was still alive.”
“Everything happened in front of me, and even I couldn’t believe how I managed to come out alive from that,” he added. “Within a minute after takeoff, suddenly... it felt like something got stuck... I realised something had happened, and then suddenly the plane’s green and white lights turned on.”
Eyewitnesses said the nose and front wheel of the aircraft landed on a canteen where students were having lunch. Search and rescue teams worked through the night to locate the black box flight recorders, which are expected to provide vital information about the plane’s final moments.
The UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch has offered assistance to India, and the US National Transportation Safety Board will also help with the investigation. Boeing said it was supporting Air India and was “working to gather more information” on the crash.
(With inputs from agencies)
Keep ReadingShow less
The year 1975 was significant in Indian cinema for newly crowned superstar Amitabh Bachchan
The year 1975 was significant in Indian cinema for newly crowned superstar Amitabh Bachchan, as he starred in the two biggest films of that year, and also his career, Deewaar and Sholay.
These blockbusters cemented his position at the top. In between their releases came Mili, Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s decidedly different tearjerker.
Known for his non-starry social dramas, the acclaimed producer-director delivered a message-driven story about Mili (Jaya Bhaduri), a terminally ill but bubbly young woman, and the profound impact she has on those around her – including depressed alcoholic Shekhar, played by Bachchan. The real-life couple headlined a multi-layered film anchored by subtle, deeply emotive performances.
Eastern Eye marks 50 years of the underrated classic on June 20 by presenting the 10 best scenes from this story of hope, anguish and learning how to live.
Enter the grouch: Known for her pranks and cheerful attitude, Mili is taken aback by new neighbour Shekhar’s aloofness. His introduction, during the haunting Badi Sooni Sooni Hai song, shows him as a tormented alcoholic. It establishes the contrast between the two main characters – she smiles through life’s challenges, while he seeks refuge in alcohol.
Visual highlights from MiliRotten Tomatoes
Confrontation: Unable to understand Shekhar’s solitude and unfriendliness, Mili ropes in the children from their building to disturb his peace in protest. What begins as an immature territorial clash soon reveals Mili’s intuitive response to the darkness surrounding him. Her inner child recognises and challenges the negativity threatening their otherwise pleasant environment.
Their innocence and kindness melt his hardened exteriorIMDb
Compassion: After provoking Shekhar, the children apologise sincerely. Their innocence and kindness melt his hardened exterior, and he invites them, along with Mili, to play on his terrace. In the song Maine Kaha Phoolon Se, Shekhar, glass still in hand, watches them dance and smiles for the first time. The warmth of this moment even leads him to request tea instead of whisky in the next scene, to his servant’s delight.
Visual highlights from Mili
In the song Maine Kaha Phoolon SeIMDb
Crossroads: In a drunken breakdown, Shekhar slashes his wrist and is saved by Mili. For the first time, she shows visible anger and tears. Her outburst marks a new level of closeness in their friendship and signals the beginning of something deeper. In his vulnerable state, Shekhar is moved by Mili’s scolding – a sign of care he desperately craves.
The raw emotions of every characterInstagram/ hindifilimography
Romance: Shekhar’s growing vulnerability draws him closer to Mili. He begins confiding in her about childhood trauma, his mother, and the root of his pain. He is receptive of her solace and outlook on life. Their bond strengthens as they exchange notes when Mili falls ill. He experiences joy for the first time, unaware of the seriousness of her condition.
The heart-rending scene between father and daughterInstagram/ hindifilimography
Tragedy: The film reaches its most emotional point when Mili’s father (Ashok Kumar) learns that she has only days to live. The harrowing scenes that follow reveal the raw emotions of every character, from shock to grief to quiet acceptance. The heart-rending scene between father and daughter, with Kumar and Bhaduri in each other’s arms, delivers an emotional poignancy audiences can relate to.
The woman who taught him how to liveRotten Tomatoes
Role reversal: Initially unable to process the truth about Mili’s illness, Shekhar has a change of heart about leaving after confronting some hard realities. The woman who taught him how to live is dying, and he feels betrayed by fate. Determined not to give up, he sets out to explore every possible option that might offer her a chance of recovery.
He sets out to explore every possible option Rotten Tomatoes
Selfless love: Unaware that Shekhar already knows the truth, Mili urges her father not to tell him about her illness. Having changed him for the better, she fears that the news will undo his progress and send him back into despair. In that moment, she puts his well-being above her own.
Having changed him for the betterInstagram/ hindifilimography
Proposal: In the film’s penultimate scene, its message becomes clear – the purpose of life is happiness. Shekhar realises he can fulfil one of Mili’s dreams by marrying her. He proposes not out of pity or obligation, but love. Their decision to embrace a short but meaningful life together speaks volumes.
Fifty years later, those sentiments still ring trueInstagram/ hindifilimography
Farewell: The story, told in flashback, returns to its starting point as the newlyweds leave for Switzerland in search of a cure. Mili’s father waves to their aircraft, perhaps knowing she may never return. As the plane takes off, the audience is left with a lasting message – that hope should never die. Fifty years later, those sentiments still ring true.