Film folk hoped to end their week with a laugh, and lined up for the special screening of Mastiii 4 in Mumbai.
As the year draws to a close, Rediff's Senior Contributor Roshmila Bhattacharya takes a look at the hits and misses, the highs and lows, the newsmakers and the dealbreakers in alphabetical order.
'At a time when there was little awareness of world music, playing western tunes on eastern instruments like the flute and the dholak, blending vocal polyphony with Indian folk and contemporary styles, Salilkaku created a new musical genre in Bengal called Gana Sangeet.'
'I won't do anything I don't believe in just for money.'
'Dilipsaab was an interesting mix of spontaneity and stylised acting.'
Singer-actress Sulakshana Pandit, 71, passed into the ages on November 6 after a prolonged illness. Besides her acting roles, she leaves behind some beautiful songs to remember her by.
'We have come to the point in civilisation where emotion seems to be something you hide or you have to be discreet about, or to be ashamed of.'
Taapsee has not had a single release in 2025, here is her line-up for 2026.
Music director duos are a unique Bollywood feature, and many have become iconic. In this special series, Dinesh Raheja explores prominent music duos, and their dynamics.
'It feels like the universe gently whispered, 'Pause, don't rush away yet, there's a story waiting for you here'.'
'The amount of respect we have for people who guard our borders and put the country first.' 'Why do they do this?' 'The chances of not coming back are so high. Still, they take that risk.' 'It's for the love of the country.'
Ranveer Singh and team unleashed the fierce and ferocious trailer of the action drama, which marks Director Aditya Dhar's return six years after his 2019 blockbuster Uri: The Surgical Strike.
'In almost every film, Shah Rukhbhai has done a lot of his own stunts.'
Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol unveiled a bronze statue of their iconic characters, Raj and Simran, from Aditya Chopra's blockbuster Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge in London on December 4.
The boy promotes his film at the Giffoni Film Festival in Salerno.
Bappi Lahiri realised disco was a winning ticket and escalated his game with several more dancefloor perennials. Soon, every film producer and music director in town was down with disco fever. On what would have been Bappi Lahiri's 73rd birthday this November 27, Dinesh Raheja rewinds to the late music composer's halcyon days.
Akhanda 2: Thandavam may appeal to Nandamuri Balakrishna's fans and will be a madcap awakening for those uninitiated in Boyapati Sreenu's no goofball ideas in constructing action, notes Arjun Menon.
'He was the Michael Jackson of the community.'
Sriram Raghavan's Ikkis tells the story of India's youngest Param Vir Chakra awardee, Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal, who was just 21 at the time of the 1971 War.
The broader theme of the performance will be -- 'Swatantra Ka Mantra - Vande Mataram' and 'Samriddhi Ka Mantra - Viksit Bharat', officials said.
'When I met him on the Bigg Boss set, he greeted me in the same way that he would during Dabangg, 'Aur Chedi Singh, kaise ho?''
'Files are getting awards', Prakash Raj said in an apparent reference to The Kashmir Files< receiving national honours.
'I know that it can be dangerous when people's expectations increase, but I don't think like that.' 'I just do my work honestly and let fate decide the rest.'
The year will close on a blockbuster note, if December's theatre line-up is any indication. Be it Bollywood, Hollywood or south, there are many biggies ready for release.
Gauff upset world number one Sabalenka 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4 on Saturday to win her second Grand Slam singles title.
We may not know Dr Ramani at first, but by the end, we get a clearer sense of his nobility. For a biopic, that's a job done well, notes Mayur Sanap.
'I felt I didn't understand the film industry at all.'
Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon 2 may be a comedy filled with chaos, but in its indirect way, it speaks about a time when the Constitution mattered more than one's religion and when the idea of India was larger than personal hate, observes Syed Firdaus Ashraf.
'Every film had its challenges, but Mr India, Sadak and Gandhi were the toughest.' 'Mr India needed imagination, Sadak needed sensitivity and Gandhi demanded historical authenticity.'
Anything is better than Mastiii 4, sighs Mayur Sanap.
The platform has seen a growth of 70% in watch time for South content, which is more than the national average.The South has outperformed the rest of India in subscription depth, retention and connected TV adoption.
Music director duos are a unique Bollywood feature, and many have become iconic. In this special series, Dinesh Raheja explores prominent music duos, and their dynamics.
I once asked him why he hadn't written scripts for his sons Vineeth and Dhyan. 'I made some suggestions about their scripts, and they haven't discussed their scripts with me after that,' he said with his trademark laugh.
'I have more time in Bengaluru to write, away from the film industry in Mumbai that always pulls me down and makes me frustrated.'
Indian films are set to cross A$39 million at the Australian box office in 2025, outperforming local cinema and becoming the third-largest after the US and UK.
'It's far-fetched to say that human thinking will become subservient.'
'It was Kishoreda who suggested to Sulakshanadidi that she should become an actress and sing her own songs in her films. This transformed her life and career.'
The starry ensemble of a whopping 18 cast members of Housefull 5 made for an epic frame as they gathered to launch the trailer of the upcoming goofy comedy.
'I am very fortunate that I am getting films where I am finally doing romance on screen, if not in my real life.'
