From Ikkis to Balan: The Boy, these are the 10 Indian films that truly deserved the loudest applause in the first half of 2026.
Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janta Party, expresses concerns about potential arrest upon his return to India, but remains committed to protesting against the Union Education Minister over alleged shortcomings in the education system.
Comedian Kunal Kamra appeared before a Maharashtra legislature committee regarding his remarks against Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, refusing to apologise and stating he felt no remorse.
The CJP's rapid rise on social media reflects growing digital dissent and youth frustration with issues like unemployment and exam-paper leaks.
A wellspring fuelling the CJP tsunami is the high levels of youth unemployment. Millions of youngsters, including extremely over-qualified people, apply in desperation for any job that is advertised. No government has been able to deliver on this front and things may get worse as artificial intelligence enters the workforce, points out Devangshu Datta.
Recent stand-up comedy clips from Pranit More and Madhur Virli, featuring jokes about sexual coercion, rape, and necrophilia, have ignited a fierce debate in India over consent, normalising rape culture, and trivialising sexual assault, leading to FIRs and public apologies.
If you enjoy dark comedies, have even a passing understanding of the film industry, or simply recognise the absurdities of the world around you, then Mollywood Times emerges as one of the sharpest and most compelling love-hate letters written to Malayalam cinema, applauds Sreeju Sudhakaran.
Director M G Srinivas speaks about his debut film Topiwaala
Stepping up attack against Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke on Friday announced the launch of a nationwide campaign to demand his resignation and exhorted students, farmers and civil society groups to join him at Jantar Mantar on June 28.
The Delhi Police has confirmed that it has not yet received any official request for permission from the digital group Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) to hold a protest at Jantar Mantar. Authorities are closely monitoring the situation and are ready to deploy personnel to maintain law and order if necessary.
Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), has announced plans for nationwide protests if Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan does not resign by June 13 over alleged irregularities in examinations and recruitment tests, following a peaceful agitation at Jantar Mantar.
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a youth-led online campaign turned protest movement, has issued a seven-day ultimatum to the government, demanding the resignation or sacking of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged irregularities in examinations and recruitment tests. The CJP, which organised a protest at Jantar Mantar, warned of nationwide agitation if their demands are not met.
As Aamir Khan Productions celebrates 25 years, we rank the 10 best films produced by its star, from the iconic Lagaan to the recent critically-acclaimed Laapataa Ladies.
'He has never offended anyone in spite of his criticism on Communism or any 'isms'.'
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) alleges a crackdown, reporting hacking incidents and account takedowns across its social media platforms following a campaign against the Union Education Minister.
Activist Sonam Wangchuk has rejected Ladakh Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena's claim that he was 'unsure' of the online movement's origins, asserting he considers himself an 'honorary cockroach'.
Mallikarjun Kharge and Narendra Modi addressed the Rajya Sabha, acknowledging the contributions of retiring MPs and emphasising the enduring nature of public service.
'Shekhar Tonite will critique the government, but it will not hit out. The show will nudge and point out what can be done better to bring change.'
"This same person (Kamra) had commented on the Supreme Court of India, the Prime Minister, (journalist) Arnab Goswami and some industrialists. This is not freedom of speech; this is working for someone," Shinde said.
Ratheesh Balakrishna Poduval's latest film Oru Durooha Sahacharyathil (Under Mysterious Circumstances), showcases both his directorial strengths and inconsistencies, starting as a compelling tale of brotherhood before shifting awkwardly into a psychological study.
As Jana Nayagan and Avatar: Aang, The Last Airbender become victims of piracy even before they got an official release, Sreeju Sudhakaran looks back at some of the major Indian movies that were impacted by pre-release leaks.
'There will be no Malayali who does not recall, at least once a day, what Sreenivasan wrote, spoke or showed on screen.'
2025 had some interesting performances on OTT series and films. Deepa Gahlot picks the Top 10 Male OTT Performances.
A quick look at the 14 names the Neeraj Ghaywan movie is competing with for a spot in the top five nominations.
Sreenivasan could so willingly be 'our little man' because in his heart of hearts he never felt trivial or inconsequential. And to the very end he stayed that way, the shrimp who knew he was a giant. Sreehari Nair doffs his hat to the late legend.
Kathal has a fairly kooky premise, one that would fill up a half an hour sitcom in a bundle of studio laughs. But when stretched into a feature film, its whimsy slumps into awkward energy, observes Sukanya Verma.
Rose Monday parades, which will take place across the Rhine region on February 20, typically showcase political satire in a longstanding tradition.
Fiercely original filmmaking from a director whose even just good enough attempt fares much better than your average blockbusters, observes Mayur Sanap.
The Bombay high court on Monday refused to grant an interim stay on setting up a fact-checking unit (FCU) under the recently amended Information Technology (IT) Rules to identify fake and false content on social media against the government, noting that no grave and irreparable loss would be caused.
'Jai Ho! Democracy is a hasty uptake of news channels and papers drawn into a skit that's too short on subtext to be a realised satire and too silly to be taken seriously', writes Sukanya Verma.
As AI deepfakes threaten star personas and commercial interests, celebrities approach the courts with personality rights petitions.
Glimpses of political satire floats at the Rosenmontag carnival in Duesseldorf, Germany.
Tensions between Shelar and Raj Thackeray escalated after the latter, in a public speech, used the term khokebahaddar for some MLAs.
'Habitat was viewed as the proxy for him and got unjustly targeted.'
'In India, political parties want to portray their leaders as cinematic heroes critical of their opponents.' 'This is where memes come into play.'
The festival's People's Choice Award, voted by the audience, is a strong indication of films that can eventually be nominated and even win Oscars. Twelve of the last 15 People's Choice winners have received Best Picture Oscar nominations.
'If Uddhav bhau and Raj bhau come together, who can stop us?' Prasanna D Zore reports on the fervour and hope set off by the Thackeray cousins coming together.
'Elections and audience interest in specific movies are often independent factors.'
Three separate cases have been filed against Stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra at Khar police station over his alleged controversial remarks about Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
The Bombay High Court has reserved its order on comedian Kunal Kamra's petition seeking the quashing of an FIR registered against him for allegedly making defamatory remarks against Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. The court also granted Kamra interim protection from arrest.
