Tiruvarur Bakthavathsalam | Photo Credit: R. Ravindran For mridangam exponent Thiruvaarur Bakthavathsalam, 2026 began with good tidings — he has been chosen for the Padma Shri, his Laya Madhuraa School of Music in Chennai rings in its 26th anniversary this week, and he completes 60 years as a professional artiste. “I have worked hard to…
Poet Jayanth Kaikini addressing attendees at the Bengaluru International Film Festival in Bengaluru on Wednesday. | Photo Credit: SUDHAKARA JAIN Whistles and claps filled the auditorium at Lulu Mall in Bengaluru as Kannada writer and lyricist Jayant Kaikini reflected on cinema. Kaikini is no less than a superstar of Kannada cinema, and the rapturous response…
VInay Ratnam, a still from ‘Sri Chidambaram Garu’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement At 27, Vinay Ratnam is counting down to the release of his first feature film, Sri Chidambaram Garu. The Telugu film, which hits theatres on February 6, marks the culmination of years of persistence. “We held a preview in Visakhapatnam over the…
Taapsee Pannu in ‘Assi’ | Photo Credit: Benaras Media Works The trailer of Taapsee Pannu’s upcoming film, Assi was unveiled by the makers on Wednesday, February 4, 2026. Written by Anubhav Sinha and Gaurav Solanki and directed by Anubhav, the film also stars Kani Kusruti, Revathy, Manoj Pahwa, Kumud Mishra, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, Naseeruddin Shah,…
A musical event will be held in Bengaluru on February 7, 2026, in honour of Madikeri Nagendra’s musical legacy. | Photo Credit: Special arrangement Madikeri Nagendra’s sonorous voice and unique compositions have a special place in Kannada’s Sugama Sangeetha or journey of musical expression. An event titled, Sangeetha Sambhrama, will be a reminder of a…
Soundarya Rajinikanth, Tamil producer and director | Photo Credit: Shivaraj S Soundarya Rajinikanth’s office room is filled with all things cinema. Among posters of ThePursuit of Happyness, Iruvar and 101 Dalmations is a poster of Kochadaiyaan, her 2014 animation film starring her father and Tamil superstar, Rajinikanth. A poster of With Love will soon be…
Priyanka Nath | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement When indie musician Priyanka Nath quit her desk job at a startup to pursue music, she did so without expectations. “I just had a deep conviction that the career I stepped away from was a big no for me. I also trusted that I would make it —…
Mammootty with Rajkumar Periasamy | Photo Credit: @wunderbarfilms/X The casting coup of D55 is defying all expectations! Malayalam superstar Mammootty has joined the cast of Tamil star Dhanush’s upcoming film with Amaran-maker Rajkumar Periasamy, the makers announced on Wednesday (February 4). Wunderbar Films, Dhanush’s production banner, announced the news on X by sharing pictures of…
A still from ‘The Drama’ | Photo Credit: A24 A24 has released the first full trailer for The Drama, an upcoming romantic comedy-drama written and directed by Kristoffer Borgli that stars Zendaya and Robert Pattinson as an engaged couple whose wedding plans begin to fracture after a shocking personal revelation. The film is scheduled to…
Filmmakers Jacqueline Roussety and Nidhi Saxena at Bengaluru International Film Festival in Bengaluru on Tuesday. | Photo Credit: SUDHAKARA JAIN How often do we see close-ups of male lips in films across the globe? Very rarely, according to a study. However, close-ups of women’s body parts are a norm. It is this double-standard approach to…
