Sharad Kelkar collaborates with Prateek Sharma for multi-language films and OTT projects

Actor Sharad Kelkar marks a significant milestone in his career as he joins forces with producer Prateek Sharma to collectively collaborate for engaging and impactful films and series.

Backed by their respective banners, SKK Entertainment and Studio LSD, the duo is currently enjoying the success of Tumm Se Tumm Tak, which continues to soar on the TRP charts. Now, both will come together to create compelling films and web series, aiming to deliver diverse and high-quality content across languages.

This collaboration blends Kelkar’s strong storytelling sensibilities with Sharma’s proven expertise in creating successful shows like Tumm Se Tumm Tak, Beyhadh, Radha Mohan, Suman Indori and many more.

Over the years, Kelkar has established himself as a versatile actor and voice artist across films and OTT platforms. From lending his powerful voice to the Hindi version of Baahubali to portraying layered and impactful roles, Kelkar has strengthened his standing as an impactful performer. Even as a producer, he has backed films including the action-drama 'Raanti', adventure drama 'Idak: The Goat' and the Marathi epic 'Har Har Mahadev'.

While the synergy is new, the makers are gearing up to bring fresh, engaging and high-impact content to audiences. With a focus on unique narratives and compelling characters, this collaboration aims to push the boundaries of Indian storytelling.

Also Read: Sharad Kelkar says his Taskaree character draws from Amitabh Bachchan’s Angry Young Man era

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Ektaa Kapoor hands over Wheel of Fortune prize money to support Rajpal Yadav

The team of Bhooth Bangla recently appeared on the television game show Wheel of Fortune, hosted by Akshay Kumar, where a moment involving Ektaa Kapoor and Rajpal Yadav drew attention during the promotional visit.

During the episode, Ektaa Kapoor chose to hand over the winning amount from the game to Rajpal Yadav as a gesture of support. The appearance also featured Wamiqa Gabbi alongside the team, making it a notable promotional stop ahead of the film’s release.

Bhooth Bangla marks the reunion of Akshay Kumar with director Priyadarshan. The actor-filmmaker duo has previously collaborated on several comedy titles that remain popular with audiences, and their coming together again has generated interest around the upcoming project.

The film is presented by Balaji Motion Pictures, a division of Balaji Telefilms Ltd, in association with Cape of Good Films. Apart from Akshay Kumar, Wamiqa Gabbi and Rajpal Yadav, the cast also includes Paresh Rawal, Tabu, Jisshu Sengupta and Mithila Palkar in key roles.

Directed by Priyadarshan and produced by Akshay Kumar, Shobha Kapoor and Ektaa Kapoor, Bhooth Bangla is scheduled to release in theatres on April 10, 2026.

Also Read: SCOOP: Ekta Kapoor-Tanuj Garg join hands for big political thriller; touches upon tragic Pahalgam attack

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Ridhi Dogra fronts National Geographic India’s new travel series Postcards from Hong Kong

National Geographic India has announced a new two-episode travel series titled Postcards from Hong Kong, featuring Ridhi Dogra exploring a different perspective of Hong Kong beyond its familiar skyline and urban image. The series premieres on March 28 at 8 PM on National Geographic Channel and will also stream on JioHotstar.

Produced by National Geographic Creative Works, the show follows Ridhi as she travels through both well-known landmarks and lesser-seen locations across the city. The series highlights coastal landscapes, hiking trails and cultural experiences while also presenting everyday local life through interactions with guides and influencers.

In the first episode, Ridhi explores quieter and nature-focused destinations such as Sai Kung, Big Wave Bay, Dragon’s Back, Tai O, Ngong Ping, Po Lin Monastery and the Tian Tan Buddha. The journey reflects a slower and more reflective side of the city while also documenting her personal experience of travel and discovery.

The second episode shifts focus to the energetic side of Hong Kong. With 72 hours remaining in the city, Ridhi visits Causeway Bay, Happy Valley Racecourse and Michelin-recognised dining destinations, along with luxury shopping at Landmark. The episode captures the fast-paced character often associated with Hong Kong’s global identity.

Speaking about the experience, Ridhi Dogra said, “Being part of Postcards from Hong Kong with Nat Geo was a deeply enriching experience. What I love about this journey is that it goes beyond the obvious; it’s not just about the skyline or the speed of the city but about the stories that live in its quieter corners. From hiking through misty trails to understanding local traditions, I found myself connecting with Hong Kong in a way that felt real, immersive and meaningful.”

A spokesperson from National Geographic India said, “With Postcards from Hong Kong, we set out to go beyond the familiar and explore the city through a more intimate, human lens. At National Geographic, storytelling is rooted in depth and discovery, and our collaboration with Hong Kong Tourism Board reflects that ethos—bringing together local insights and global storytelling to showcase this exciting city in a whole new light. The series presents Hong Kong as a layered, living narrative, rich in culture, tradition, and unexpected experiences.”

 

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Hong Kong Tourism Board Director for South Asia Puneet Kumar added, “Postcards from Hong Kong is a reflection of meaningful storytelling that brings the city to life in an immersive way. We are delighted to see Hong Kong portrayed through such a fresh and nuanced lens. Through this collaboration with National Geographic, the series showcases a side of the city that many travellers are yet to discover—from scenic trails and coastal escapes to rich cultural traditions and vibrant local communities. It beautifully captures the diversity and spirit that define Hong Kong.”

The series also features experiences such as watching the Symphony of Lights aboard Aqua Luna, alongside explorations of local cuisine and neighbourhood spaces, presenting Hong Kong through a mix of travel, culture and personal storytelling

Also Read: Ridhi Dogra reflects on a tough decision in The 50 : “The guilt of not voting for your friends is too much”

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Double dhamaka for Jio Studios: Ram Charan's Peddi set for April 30 release; Raja Shivaji arrives a day later on May 1

On the occasion of Ram Charan’s birthday, the makers of his upcoming film, Peddi, unveiled a fascinating ‘Peddi Pehelwan’ teaser. An earlier asset, which was released in 2025, showed Ram Charan as a village cricketer. Meanwhile, the newly released content focuses on wrestling and presents Ram Charan in a physically demanding role. What also stood out in the teaser was the mention of Jio Studios in the end slate.

According to reports and trade sources, Jio Studios has come on board to distribute Peddi in North India. This marks a significant move for the studio, as it will be the first time Jio releases a Pan-India film in the Hindi-speaking markets.

Besides Ram Charan, Peddi also stars Janhvi Kapoor, Shiva Rajkumar, Jagapathi Babu and Divyenndu. It is presented by Mythri Movie Makers and Sukumar Writings of Pushpa fame, produced by Venkata Satish Kilaru's Vriddhi Cinemas and directed by Buchi Babu Sana. The music is composed by A R Rahman.

Peddi releases on April 30. Interestingly, Raja Shivaji, produced by Jio Studios, releases a day later, on May 1. It is based on the life of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, with Riteish Deshmukh playing the titular role. Riteish is also the film’s director and it also stars Abhishek Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt, Bhagyashree, Fardeen Khan, Vidya Balan, Genelia Deshmukh, Mahesh Manjrekar, Sachin Khedekar, Amole Gupte and others. Salman Khan also features in the film in a cameo. Besides Jyoti Deshpande of Jio Studios, the historical is also produced by Riteish and Genelia Deshmukh’s Mumbai Film Company.

A trade source told Bollywood Hungama, “Two big films are releasing in the same week. But since Jio has backed both films, it will ensure that screen-sharing happens meticulously and that justice is done to both. It gives a déjà vu of the Oppenheimer-Barbie clash in July 2023. Warner Bros produced Barbie and also distributed Oppenheimer, which was backed by Universal Pictures. The way the showcasing was allocated was praiseworthy, and a similar scenario is expected to unfold in May.”

Also Read: Ram Charan drops new ‘Peddi Pehelwan’ look unveiled; makers unveil this wrestler transformation

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Deepak Tijori criticises CBFC over inconsistent censorship in Dhurandhar 2

Actor-director Deepak Tijori has raised concerns over censorship practices in the theatrical release of Dhurandhar 2: The Revenge, questioning what he describes as inconsistencies in how abusive language is handled across platforms.

In a recent statement, Tijori criticised the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) for “half-muting” cuss words in the film’s theatrical version. He said he was unable to understand the rationale behind partially censoring expletives instead of either muting them completely or leaving them intact. “I genuinely don’t understand this, why mute half the abuses and let the other half stay?” he remarked, adding that the approach appears arbitrary.

The filmmaker also pointed out that the film has already been granted an adults-only certification, questioning the purpose of such partial censorship. “Who exactly are we protecting here? And from what, half a word?” he said, highlighting what he views as a lack of clarity in the guidelines.

Tijori further flagged what he termed a “double standard” in censorship between theatrical and digital releases. He noted that while the cinema version features muted language, the same film is later released on OTT platforms without such alterations. “The same film releases on OTT completely unmuted, exactly as it was meant to be,” he said, suggesting that this undermines the logic of theatrical cuts.

According to him, this discrepancy may inadvertently expose younger audiences to unfiltered content at home, despite stricter controls in cinemas. He argued that the current system raises broader questions about the effectiveness and consistency of content regulation across viewing platforms.

Also Read: Deepak Tijori alleges he was cheated of Rs 2.5 lakhs in false funding promise, case registered: Reports

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Kaithi vs Bholaa Row: Dream Warrior Pictures moves Bombay High Court over alleged copyright violation

A legal dispute has been brewing between the makers of the Hindi remake Bholaa starring Ajay Devgn and Tabu and the Tamil production house Dream Warrior Pictures who produced Karthi starrer Kaithi. The latter has approached the Bombay High Court, alleging infringement of copyright and remake rights linked to its original film Kaithi.

The matter was heard by a single-judge bench led by Justice Sharmila Deshmukh, who has currently reserved her decision on a preliminary issue—whether the Bombay High Court has the authority to hear the case. The producers of Bholaa have challenged the court’s jurisdiction, arguing that the dispute should be addressed elsewhere.

According to Dream Warrior Pictures, it produced and released Kaithi in October 2019 and retains complete ownership over the film’s intellectual property, including remake rights. The company stated that it later entered into multiple agreements regarding the Hindi adaptation, beginning with a collaboration involving a Reliance Group entity in early 2020.

A key agreement was signed on March 29, 2023, between Dream Warrior and Reliance Entertainment Studios, granting rights for the Hindi remake titled Bholaa. Under this deal, Dream Warrior claims it was to receive a fixed fee in instalments, along with additional earnings tied to the film’s performance. However, it alleges that only an initial payment of Rs.1 crore plus GST was made in April 2022.

The Hindi remake, starring Ajay Devgn, was released globally on March 30, 2023. Shortly after, on April 1, 2023, a second agreement was executed between Dream Warrior, Reliance, and Ajay Devgn Ffilms LLP. This arrangement reportedly granted all three parties joint ownership of remake rights, while leaving exploitation rights with Reliance.

Dream Warrior has claimed that subsequent payments due in April and May 2023 were never cleared. After repeated follow-ups over the next two years allegedly went unanswered, the company issued a legal notice in October 2024 demanding Rs. 4 crore along with interest. It also warned that failure to pay within 30 days would lead to termination of the agreement and restoration of all rights.

Following the lapse of this deadline in November 2024, Dream Warrior maintains that the agreement stood cancelled and that all rights related to Bholaa reverted to it.

In parallel, the production house had earlier approached the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) in Mumbai, seeking insolvency proceedings against Reliance Entertainment over unpaid dues. However, the tribunal dismissed the plea in August 2025, stating that the dispute did not qualify as an operational debt matter and should instead be resolved through civil proceedings.

Subsequently, Dream Warrior filed the present commercial intellectual property suit on March 22, 2026. It has sought a court order to restrain Reliance and Ajay Devgn Ffilms from distributing, streaming, or monetising Bholaa. The plea also seeks a formal declaration that the agreements stand terminated, along with compensation based on revenues earned from the film and its associated content.

The case also names several downstream platforms, including Amazon Prime Video, Zee Entertainment Enterprises, and T-Series, alleging that any streaming of the film after November 27, 2024 is unauthorised and amounts to wrongful gain.

During the hearing, the defendants argued that the primary agreement between the parties clearly specifies that courts in Chennai alone would have jurisdiction. They contended that the case cannot be brought before the Bombay High Court based on a secondary agreement.

After considering submissions from both sides, the court has reserved its order on the question of jurisdiction.

Also Read: Ajay Devgn starrer Bholaa gets its world television premiere on Zee Cinema

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Bollywood Hungama report and fan power IMPACT: Project Hail Mary secures shows in ALL 34 IMAX screens in India; Mumbai’s Eros Cinema to play 3:45 am show over the weekend

Yesterday morning, Bollywood Hungama informed readers that, despite tough negotiations by the Sony Pictures team, Project Hail Mary was able to secure shows in only 6 out of 34 IMAX screens in India on its release day. The shocking news was widely circulated in the industry and among exhibitors as well as fans, as it highlighted the struggles faced by the Hollywood studio in securing adequate showcasing for its IMAX film in IMAX properties. Thanks to the impact of the Bollywood Hungama story, relentless efforts by Sony Pictures team and sustained pressure from the fans, the exhibitors finally relented. From Friday, March 27, Project Hail Mary is being screened in all 34 IMAX properties of the country.

A source told Bollywood Hungama, “Project Hail Mary is not the only film that would be screened in IMAX. It’ll have to share shows with Dhurandhar The Revenge, which has been remastered in IMAX. Sony never asked for all shows and was okay with show-sharing. Hence, they finally got what they asked for from the very start.”

On the morning of Thursday, March 26, that is, the day of Project Hail Mary’s release, the film managed to get one show each in the 6 IMAX theatres. As the day progressed, the number of shows increased to 13. On Friday, Project Hail Mary has got as many as 65 shows, nearly five times more than the previous day. All theatres are playing two shows of Project Hail Mary today. PVR Logix Noida and Inox Phoenix Pallasio Mall are the only two IMAX properties that have scheduled only one show of the acclaimed Hollywood film, in the evening slot.

Meanwhile, encouraged by Thursday’s occupancy and the insane demand for Project Hail Mary, Eros has decided to schedule a show at 3:45 am on Saturday, March 28 and Sunday, March 29. It now remains to be seen whether more IMAX cinemas join the bandwagon. From Friday, several cinemas such as Mumbai’s Cinepolis Thane, Maison Inox BKC, Inox Malad and Eros, Delhi’s PVR Vegas Dwarka, Inox Rajouri Garden, PVR Priya and Inox Paras, and Kolkata’s Inox South City will play the film at 7:00 am or 7:30 am. Bengaluru has gone a step further, with PVR Vega City and PVR VR Whitefield Road scheduling shows at 6:30 am. Coimbatore’s Broadway has two shows of Project Hail Mary on Friday, at 2:00 pm and 10:50 pm; from Saturday, it will also screen the film at 7:00 am. Including this and Eros’ 3:45 am show, the number of IMAX shows on Saturday and Sunday rises to 67.

The demand is expected to increase in the non-IMAX theatres as well. PVR Icon Versova took the initiative by having a show at 7:15 am on Friday. Many more regular cinemas will also start playing the film from today.

Despite limited showcasing and delayed opening of advance in IMAX, Project Hail Mary managed to collect approx. Rs. 2 crores on Thursday, as per trade sources. The figure is expected to jump significantly in the Fri-Sun period.

Also Read: SHOCKING: Despite tough negotiations, Project Hail Mary secures shows in ONLY 6 out of 34 IMAX screens in India; efforts underway to increase showcasing

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