BY SUNIT JANGIR

Mumbai, July 23 - Bollywood superstar Salman Khan has appealed to students protesting over the NEET paper leak to end their demonstrations and return home after Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured strict action against those responsible. The actor, who had earlier voiced support for the students' demand for justice, said he believes the government's assurance should ease their concerns. Sharing a note on social media, Salman wrote, "The students are at top priority, educationally and security-wise, so they need not worry and have their parents worried for them. The Honourable Prime Minister has tweeted, and I am sure that he will take strict action against all those people who are responsible for this leak. So students, plz go back to your parents and homes". (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Addressing activist Sonam Wangchuk, who has been supporting the student movement, Salman added, "Sonam, it's done, bro. Don't extend this. Keep the spirit for another day if there be a need, which I doubt, and eat something. If u want, will send u food from home." His message suggested that the students' concerns had reached the highest level and that there was now confidence the matter would be addressed. Salman's appeal has sparked widespread discussion on social media. While many users appreciated his concern for the students' safety and his call for a peaceful conclusion to the protests, others continued to stress the need for a thorough investigation and accountability in the paper leak case. The actor had previously backed the students' movement, calling the paper leak a serious issue and urging that education should remain above politics. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) The students are at top priority, educationally n security-wise, so they need not worry and have their parents worried for them. The Honorable Prime Minister has tweeted, and I am sure that he will take strict action against all those people who are responsible for this leak. So… pic.twitter.com/89Ykfs5r4k— Salman Khan (@BeingSalmanKhan) July 23, 2026

BY CHRISTA LINCY

The highly anticipated Sunny Deol-starrer Batwara 1947 has officially cleared the censorship process. In a move that has caught many by surprise, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has granted the film an Adults-only (A) rating. As reported by Bollywood Hungama, the makers secured the certification on July 23, well ahead of the usual timeline where films often get certified just a few days before their theatrical release. According to the official details on the CBFC website, Batwara 1947 has a total runtime of 145.34 minutes. This means the film will span 2 hours, 25 minutes, and 34 seconds. While Sunny Deol is known for high-octane action and intense dialogue, an A rating is quite a rare occurrence for the veteran actor. Traditionally, his films are designed for a broader family audience, even when they feature significant violence. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) To give some context to this trend, Sunny Deol has only had a handful of films rated A since the year 2000. These include Champion, Farz, Karz: The Burden Of Truth, Jaani Dushman: Ek Anokhi Kahani, Mohalla Assi, and Chup. Interestingly, there was a massive 16-year gap between 2002 and 2018 during which none of his releases were restricted to adult audiences. This suggests that the content in Batwara 1947 might be particularly raw or intense compared to his standard commercial fare. The film carries immense weight because it marks the reunion of Sunny Deol and director Rajkumar Santoshi, a duo responsible for some of the biggest cult classics in Indian cinema. Adding to the buzz is the fact that the project is produced by Aamir Khan, who is also rumored to be appearing in a supporting role. The cast features a strong ensemble including Shabana Azmi, Preity Zinta, Ali Fazal, and Karan Deol. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) The story itself is rooted in literature, being an adaptation of the acclaimed play Jis Lahore Nai Dekhya by Syed Asghar Wajahat. Set during the Partition era, the plot follows a Muslim family moving from Lucknow to a haveli in Lahore. They find an elderly Hindu matriarch who refuses to leave her ancestral home, leading to a complex and emotional bond between the immigrants and the original resident. Given the sensitive and volatile historical backdrop, the A rating likely points toward a gritty and uncompromising portrayal of that period.

BY SUNIT JANGIR

Mumbai, July 23 - Ajay Devgn's Dhamaal 4 has emerged as one of the biggest Bollywood comedy successes of 2026. Despite facing stiff competition from Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey during its second week, the Indra Kumar directorial has continued to attract family audiences and maintain a steady run at the box office. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) After 13 days in theatres, the film has grossed approximately 182.50 crore worldwide, putting it firmly on course to cross the 200 crore worldwide milestone. At the Indian box office, the comedy entertainer has collected around 134.50 crore net (160 crore gross), while overseas, the film has contributed an estimated 22.50 crore, taking its worldwide total to 182.50 crore. Although weekday collections have slowed compared to its opening weekend, the film has remained remarkably stable for the genre and continues to benefit from positive word of mouth among family audiences. Interestingly, Dhamaal 4 is now set to achieve a milestone that another major Bollywood comedy of the year could not. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Akshay Kumar's Welcome To The Jungle, which released two weeks before Dhamaal 4, was widely expected to finish with over 200 crore worldwide gross after its strong opening. However, the film lost momentum during its theatrical run due to increasing competition and eventually fell short of the landmark. In contrast, Dhamaal 4 has shown stronger legs at the box office and is now expected to comfortably enter the 200 crore worldwide club. The success of Dhamaal 4 is another major commercial win for Ajay Devgn, whose recent theatrical releases have consistently performed well at the box office. While The Odyssey has taken away premium screens and urban audiences since its release, Dhamaal 4 has managed to hold its own by appealing to its core mass and family demographic.

BY CHRISTA LINCY

Kevin Feige just dropped a bombshell that has the entire entertainment industry talking. During a recent stop in Shanghai for the Marvel Studios press tour, the mastermind behind the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) revealed that the studio has officially mapped out a roadmap for content stretching all the way to 2042. That is a staggering 16-year planning horizon, suggesting that even as some fans worry about superhero fatigue, Marvel is doubling down on the next two decades of storytelling. Feige was remarkably candid during the interview with the Chinese outlet Watching Hollywood. He admitted that while the plans exist on paper, they are not set in stone. He noted that while they have ideas for movies nearly twenty years out, the real question is whether the studio and the audience can hold on that long. This level of forward planning is unprecedented in Hollywood, but it follows a recent internal retreat where Marvel leadership gathered to figure out the future of the franchise after a mixed reception to Phase 4 and Phase 5. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) The core of this new roadmap seems to center around a massive pivot following the release of Avengers: Secret Wars, currently slated for late 2027. Feige described this upcoming milestone as a new beginning for the MCU. The buzz suggests that Secret Wars will act as a soft reboot, allowing Marvel to streamline its timeline and bring disparate characters into a single, unified universe. This strategy is likely a response to the complex multiverse storylines that have confused some casual viewers in recent years. Perhaps the most exciting part of this long-term vision is the focus on the X-Men. Feige confirmed that the Mutant Saga will be the backbone of the MCU moving forward. While we do not have a confirmed cast for the standalone X-Men reboot yet, the success of Deadpool and Wolverine has proven that there is a massive appetite for these characters. Industry insiders expect the X-Men to lead the franchise for at least the next ten years, filling the void left by the original Avengers lineup. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Another major highlight of the roadmap is the official confirmation of a live-action Miles Morales. Feige mentioned that while the character is currently thriving in the animated Spider-Verse trilogy produced by Sony, Marvel Studios has plans to bring him into the live-action MCU once the animated story concludes. This news has already ignited the internet with casting rumors, though Marvel is keeping specific details under wraps for now. The goal is to integrate Miles into a universe where Peter Parker can serve as a mentor, creating a multi-generational Spider-Man dynamic that has never been seen before in live-action. Looking at the current performance and buzz, the MCU is in a state of recovery. Projects like The Marvels and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania struggled at the box office, leading to a shift in strategy. Marvel is now moving away from the quantity over quality approach that defined their early Disney+ era. They are reducing the number of annual theatrical releases to three and limited series to two. This is reflected in the viewership numbers for recent series like Echo and Agatha All Along, which, while successful, showed that audiences prefer tighter, more character-driven narratives over world-ending stakes every week. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) The business side of this 2042 plan is equally ambitious. With Avengers: Secret Wars expected to challenge the 2 billion dollar mark at the global box office, Marvel is banking on the return of legacy stars—including Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom—to reignite the massive theatrical hauls seen during the Infinity Saga. The digital viewership for MCU content on Disney+ remains a top priority, but the focus has clearly shifted back to making every release feel like a cultural event. Whether this 20-year plan is a cinematic masterpiece in the making or total madness remains to be seen. However, Feige's ability to plan this far ahead shows why Marvel remains the most powerful brand in Hollywood. By moving toward a streamlined universe, embracing the X-Men, and finally bringing Miles Morales to life, the studio is betting that the best days of the MCU are still decades away.

BY SUNIT JANGIR

Mumbai, July 23 - The release schedule for the much-awaited Ramayana: Part 1 trailer has become clearer after a series of updates surfaced online. While the trailer is still set to debut at San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) 2026 on July 24, the timing of its public online release has now been clarified following confusion caused by multiple reported schedules. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) According to the latest developments, the Ramayana trailer will first be showcased during the film's SDCC panel, which is expected to take place between 3:15 AM and 4:15 AM IST on July 24. The presentation will feature producer Namit Malhotra, director Nitesh Tiwari, and stars Ranbir Kapoor and Yash, making it the film's first major international unveiling. Confusion arose after PVR Cinemas listed the trailer's premiere time as 10:00 AM IST on its official page. However, the film's team has since clarified that the official online release time is 8:00 AM IST, confirming that fans worldwide will be able to watch the trailer on the film's official digital platforms at that time. The 10:00 AM listing by PVR now appears to have been an outdated or incorrect schedule. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Ramayana: Part 1 is one of the most anticipated Indian films in recent years, starring Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram, Sai Pallavi as Sita, and Yash as Ravana. The makers have positioned the project as a global cinematic event, with its Comic-Con debut marking the beginning of an ambitious worldwide promotional campaign ahead of its theatrical release during Diwali 2026.

BY CHRISTA LINCY

Jana Nayagan is gearing up for a massive opening day at the box office, fueled by an incredible surge in momentum over the final week of bookings. While pre-sales on BookMyShow started steadily with 11,770 tickets on July 16, the demand exploded into a peak of approximately 4.51 lakh tickets on July 22 alone. This late-stage rush has pushed the final pre-sales count on the platform to 11,82,370 tickets, with the Tamil version leading at 4.32 lakh bookings, followed by 13,520 for Telugu and 5,980 for Hindi. When we combine the Indian advance booking with the overseas, the worldwide opening day pre-sales have reached 41.56 crore gross (47.55 crore when including block seats). This total includes 19.3 crore from international markets . In the domestic market, the Tamil version is doing the heavy lifting. Out of the 22.26 crore total India gross excluding block seats, the Tamil 2D format alone has contributed 21.71 crore. This comes from 9,76,134 tickets sold across 8,309 shows. The Telugu version has added about 33.92 lakh, while the Hindi version is currently at 21.17 lakh. If we look at the numbers with block seats included, the India total stands at 28.25 crore, reflecting very high demand for prime seating. State-wise performance shows a clear dominance in Tamil Nadu, where the film has recorded a 65 percent occupancy. It has grossed 12.27 crore in the state, with the number rising to 13.88 crore when considering block seats. Karnataka is also showing solid numbers with a 5.96 crore gross and 25 percent occupancy. Kerala follows with a 2.02 crore gross. Interestingly, while the show count in Kerala is quite high at 1,848, the real occupancy is steady at 22 percent. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) The city-specific data highlights just how much momentum the film has in major Tamil hubs. Chennai is leading with a staggering 92 percent occupancy, grossing 4 crore across 908 shows. Coimbatore is not far behind with 82 percent occupancy. In contrast, Bengaluru shows a more balanced trend with 30 percent occupancy, though it has a high gross of 5.69 crore due to its premium ticket pricing. The Hindi market remains quiet for now, with major regions like NCR, Mumbai, and Pune all recording occupancy between 1 and 3 percent. On the popular ticketing platform BookMyShow, Jana Nayagan has recorded 1.18 million pre-sales tickets. This puts it in an elite league of recent Tamil blockbusters. It currently sits just behind Jailer and The GOAT, which both had 1.19 million tickets. It is only slightly further behind the massive records set by Leo at 2.29 million and Coolie at 2.53 million. Reaching the fifth spot on this all-time list before release is a clear indicator of the film's star power. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) The overseas market, reports from Venky Box Office show strong interest in North America. The USA premiere final advance sales settled at 2,80,693 dollars (approximately 2.7 crore INR) from 356 locations. Texas, New Jersey, and California emerged as the top-performing states for these premieres. When looking at the full opening day including both premieres and Day 1, North America is at 6,50,000 dollars (roughly 6.27 crore INR). The final overseas opening day advance sales are currently pegged at 2 million dollars, which converts to approximately 19.3 crore INR. This international strength, combined with the 22.26 crore from the Indian market, brings the final global pre-sales total to 41.56 crore gross (and 47.55 crore when including block seats). With 11,978 shows scheduled across India for Day 1, the film is well-positioned to turn this massive advance momentum into a record-breaking opening day at the box office.