Superstars Nagarjuna and Vijay Sethupathi felicitated Mohanlal at JioHotstar’s ‘South Unbound’ event following his Dadasaheb Phalke Award win, recognizing his iconic contribution to Indian cinema. The trio was present to promote their respective Bigg Boss shows in Malayalam, Telugu, and Tamil.

On stage, Nagarjuna praised Mohanlal as a “deserving actor” and called the award “pure and prestigious.” Both Nagarjuna and Vijay Sethupathi honored Mohanlal by draping a shawl over his shoulders. Mohanlal, who received the award from President Droupadi Murmu at the 71st National Film Awards, said, “This moment is not mine alone; it belongs to the whole Malayalam industry.” At 65, he is the youngest recipient of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award and only the second from Malayalam cinema to win it, after Adoor Gopalakrishnan.

Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin also unveiled JioHotstar’s upcoming slate of 25 South titles, including originals, blockbuster films, and series across Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada. The event marked the launch of a collaboration to nurture young creators in Tamil Nadu, offering training in content creation, filmmaking, and digital storytelling.

Returning franchises like Kerala Crime Files S3, Save The Tigers S3, Heartbeat S3, and Good Wife S2 will be joined by new originals including Cousins And Kalyanams, LBW – Love Beyond Wicket, Resort, Lingam, and Vikram On Duty. Regional adaptations and new films such as Vishakha, Kaattaan, Pharma, Lucky The Superstar, and Kenatha Kaanom were also announced. The Bigg Boss franchise continues to dominate the OTT platform, alongside new reality shows like Comedy Cooks, Mad for Each Other, Second Love, and the Telugu debut of Roadies. The event saw the presence of cinema icons including Kamal Haasan, Mohanlal, Nagarjuna, and Vijay
Disclaimer: This image is taken from ANI.

Television actor Gaurav Khanna was declared the winner of Bigg Boss 19 after defeating Farrhana Bhatt in a tense finale on Sunday. While many fans celebrated his win, some felt that Farrhana was more deserving. In a recent interview, Farrhana described Gaurav as an “undeserving winner.” According to an unofficial Bigg Boss 19 Contestants Popularity Ranking, Farrhana Bhatt was the season’s most popular participant, based on poll likes.

Reflecting on her journey, Farrhana said, “I am truly satisfied. I may not have the trophy, but I am the star of this season. People have shown me immense love, which meant more to me than the trophy itself.” When asked if she believed Gaurav deserved the win, Farrhana remarked, “I don’t think so, because he didn’t really do anything notable in Bigg Boss. Perhaps his TV background and existing audience helped him win. I respect their choice.” During the show, Gaurav kept a low profile, while Farrhana was involved in conflicts, drama, and attention-grabbing moments from day one. Though Salman Khan appreciated Gaurav’s calm demeanor, Farrhana often faced criticism for her confrontational behavior.

Gaurav clinched the victory, taking home ₹50 lakh and the Bigg Boss 19 trophy. His friends, including Ashnoor Kaur, Mridul Tiwari, Pranit More, and Abhishek Bajaj, celebrated with him and congratulated him warmly. Despite the finale being over, social media continues to buzz about the season’s winner.

As the first runner-up of Bigg Boss 19, Farrhana Bhatt, an actress, model, and peace activist, has garnered significant national attention. She is also recognized for her roles in web series and Bollywood films. Her journey—from a conservative Kashmiri background to a prominent figure in Indian entertainment and a global activist—has inspired many. Fans can follow her on Instagram or view her IMDb profile to learn more about her work and upcoming projects.
Disclaimer: This image is taken from Business Standard.

On Friday in McLeod Ganj, Dharamshala, the Dalai Lama released the National Book Trust’s new publication, Forest Resources in India: Integrative Governance and Community Participation for Sustainable Future. The book, written by Sushil Kumar Singla, Rakesh B. Sinha, and Krishan Kumar Raina, was also personally signed by the Dalai Lama during the event. Author Sushil Kumar Singla briefed him on the book’s themes, structure, and research findings.

The publication offers an in-depth look at sustainable forest management in India. It highlights India’s long-standing cultural traditions of nature protection, the crucial roles of women and local communities, and the governance systems that guide forest policy. It also stresses the links between agriculture, the environment, tribal development, and climate change, and calls for States and Union Territories to jointly balance development with conservation.

The epilogue states that India is progressing toward the goal of bringing one-third of its land under forest and tree cover by following the principles of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, and Sabka Prayas. It emphasises that forestry must support livelihoods, promote self-reliance, and strengthen its contribution to the GDP and agriculture sector.

It notes that while constitutional provisions and central/state regulations have aided sustainable forest management, current pressures on natural resources require reforms that encourage simplification, deregulation, and faster decision-making to enhance both “Ease of Doing Business” and “Ease of Living.” The book also advocates stronger cooperation between public and private sectors and integration with related areas such as agriculture, horticulture, livestock, fisheries, tribal affairs, environment, rural development, Panchayati Raj institutions, and tourism. Local community participation in governance and monitoring remains a central theme of the publication.
Disclaimer: This image is taken from X/@nbt_india.

James Cameron has described the idea of generative AI replacing actors as “horrifying.” While the Avatar: The Way of Water director—who also sits on the board of Stability AI—has spoken positively about AI’s role in filmmaking, he draws a clear line when it comes to substituting human performers.

Cameron, an Oscar-winning filmmaker, praised motion capture as the “purest form” of performance and admitted he regretted not fully revealing the CGI-assisted techniques in 2009’s Avatar to preserve the “magic” for audiences. Speaking on CBS Sunday Morning, he emphasized the difference between motion capture and AI, describing traditional techniques as a celebration of actors’ performances and interactions.

“In contrast, generative AI can fabricate characters, actors, and performances entirely from text prompts,” he said. “That’s horrifying to me. That’s the opposite of what we’re doing.” He stressed that he never wants technology to replace actors, saying, “I love working with actors.” However, Cameron believes AI can still benefit filmmaking, particularly in reducing VFX costs. He noted that imaginative, high-budget science-fiction films are increasingly rare because studios favor safe, established IP, making projects like Avatar unlikely today.

He also argued that AI might challenge filmmakers to push their creativity further, as generative models can only remix existing works and cannot produce truly original ideas. “You won’t find the idiosyncrasies of a particular actor or a screenwriter’s unique lived experience,” he said. “The act of performance—the real-time creation by an artist—will become even more sacred.”
Disclaimer: This image is taken from Insta/James Cameron.

In the episode of ‘Culture Club,’ Melanie Oliveiro chats with Claire Javier, an emerging indie-pop singer-songwriter, about her music, focusing on her latest single, “Easy.” Javier shares the story behind the dreamy and playful track, which captures the surreal feeling of a past romance. The Filipino-Singaporean artist also discusses her other single, “Misbehave,” her experiences performing live, and her evolution from introspective songwriting to a more narrative and confessional style. To explore more Singaporean artists like Claire Javier, visit Hear65.com, an initiative by the National Arts Council, produced by independent music media company Bandwagon.
Disclaimer: This Podcast is taken from CNA.

The 2025 Emmy Award nominations are out, with Severance leading the pack with 27 nominations. The Penguin follows closely with 24, while The Studio and The White Lotus each earned 23 nods, highlighting the top contenders in television over the past year. Hairianto Diman and Susan Ng discuss the most unexpected omissions and surprise nominations with Dr. Nasya Bahfen, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Politics, Media, and Philosophy at La Trobe University.
Disclaimer: This Podcast is taken from CNA.

He’s spent a full day submerged in slime, stayed underground for 48 hours, and given away huge sums of money to fortunate contestants. But are MrBeast’s videos just clever clickbait – or bold experiments in creative innovation?
Disclaimer: This Podcast is taken from The Guardian

New Zealand artist Marlon Williams dedicated five years to creating his latest album, Te Whare Tīwekaweka, which is sung entirely in the Māori language. Its release comes at a politically charged time, as the current coalition government in New Zealand restricts the use of Māori in public services and recently suspended three MPs for performing a haka in protest of a bill seen as undermining Indigenous rights. Williams discusses with Reged Ahmad the experience of performing in his first language on a global stage and also shares a live performance of a song from the album at the Guardian Australia studio.
Disclaimer: This image is taken from The Guardian.