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Around Tinsel Town

>> Legendary actor Manoj Kumar passes away

Veteran Hindi film actor Manoj Kumar passed away in Mumbai after battling a prolonged illness. He was 87. Prominent Indian personalities, including actors Aamir Khan, Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn, Manoj Bajpayee and filmmaker Karan Johar, on Friday paid tributes to the icon.

While his passing marks the end of an era, Manoj Kumar leaves behind a towering legacy that continues to resonate across generations. His films were statements of identity, nationhood, and human struggle. As a tribute to the icon, here’s a look back at 10 of his most defining works. Manoj Kumar was also known for patriotic films that helped define ideas of Indian nationhood. Here are some of the greatest songs of Manoj Kumar to mourn him with.

>> ‘L2: Empuraan’ faces backlash despite a dream run at the box office

The Mohanlal-starrer L2: Empuraan, directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran, which has been receiving an overwhelming response in theatres, has become a topic of hot debate over its critique of right-wing politics and the covert mention of the Gujarat riots. The Sangh Parivar came out with vehement criticism against the film on social media, while the Congress and a section of the Left platforms celebrated the film for portraying the right-wing politics as “villainous”. Scriptwriter Murali Gopy said people have expressed their views against it, and others have accepted it. The makers later opted for 24 “voluntary cuts,” totalling 2.08 minutes, with Mohanlal expressing “regret” for “the distress caused to my loved ones.”

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Leader of the Opposition (LoP) V.D. Satheesan came out strongly in solidarity with the makers. While Prithviraj’s mother, Mallika Sukumaran, publicly defended her son, Antony Perumbavoor, the producer of the movie, rejected reports that Mohanlal lacked knowledge about the film’s content. Meanwhile, the Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA) condemned the personal attacks that Mohanlal and Prithviraj have been facing, while the makers removed Union Minister and actor Suresh Gopi’s name from the film’s “Special Thanks” section. Despite the cuts, the makers of the film continue to face verbal attacks from right-wing organisations and leaders.

Bollywood

Sanjay Dutt confirms film with Salman Khan

Prime Video’s ‘Panchayat’ Season 4 to premiere on this date

‘Kesari Chapter 2’ makers unveil first-looks of Ananya Panday and R. Madhavan

Karan Johar, Kartik Aaryan to reportedly team up for ‘Fukrey’ director’s next

First look of Kapil Sharma’s ‘Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon 2’ out

Hollywood

Val Kilmer, star of ‘Top Gun’ and ‘Batman Forever’, dies at 65

David Fincher to revive ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ sequel for Netflix

‘John Wick 5’ is officially in the works with Keanu Reeves, director Chad Stahelski

‘House of the Dragon’ starts filming for third season

Sony unveils ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ title and first look at ‘Beyond the Spider-Verse’

Sydney Sweeney in talks to star in Legendary’s live-action movie ‘Gundam’

Regional Cinema

‘Mega 157’: Chiranjeevi’s next with Anil Ravipudi launched

Puri Jagannadh to direct Vijay Sethupathi in a pan-Indian movie

‘Coolie’: Rajinikanth-Lokesh Kanagaraj film’s release date out

Darshan’s ‘Devil’: Out on bail, Sandalwood star shoots in Rajasthan for action drama

Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles to open with Varsha Bharath’s ‘Bad Girl’

‘Demonte Colony 3’: Ajay Gnanamuthu’s sequel with Arulnithi and Priya Bhavani Shankar commences

Trailers

Akshay Kumar, Ananya Panday challenge the British crown in ‘Kesari Chapter 2’ trailer

Sneak peek of ‘Superman’ teases Krypto, Fortress of Solitude, Hawkgirl, Mister Terrific, and more

In ‘Sardar 2’ prologue teaser, Karthi takes on ‘Black Dagger’ SJ Suryah

Sanjay Dutt is a badass ghosthunter in ‘The Bhootnii’ trailer

A funky Basil Joseph promises loads of fun in ‘Maranamass’ trailer

A taller, stronger, faster Megan returns to take on an evil android in ‘M3GAN 2.0’ trailer

Siddhu Jonnalagadda plays a quirky spy in ‘Jack’ trailer

The iconic pair of Sundar C and Vadivelu reunite in ‘Gangers’ trailer

In ‘Chhorii 2’ trailer, Nushrratt Bharuccha gives her all to protect her daughter

Sally Hawkins stars in disturbing new A24 horror, ‘Bring Her Back’

Fawad Khan and Vaani Kapoor play two broken people who heal each other in ‘Abir Gulaal’

Essential reading

1) Virat Kohli’s life-changing incident inspired ‘Test’: S Sashikanth

>> The producer, who is making his directorial debut with the film, speaks about how being an architect helped in filmmaking

2) Vasundhara on turning author and disappointments with the Tamil film industry

>> The actor, known for starring in many Tamil films, talks about turning author with ‘The Accused’, a murder mystery

3) Manoj Kumar (1937-2025) | The actor who made ‘Bharat’ a brand

>> The actor-filmmaker will be remembered for making patriotism aspirational and raising bread-and-butter issues in popular idiom

4) Director Goutam Bhattacharya on his short film ‘Sarbojanin’

>> The editor-turned-filmmaker talks about his short film on missing home and embracing a new city with the right spirit

5) Freedom of expression and the Kerala controversy over ‘Empuraan’

>> A look at how the outrage over the film stems from a Hindu nationalist assumption that the Gujarat riots were a justified reaction

6) Digital platforms and Telugu cinema: Has the bubble burst?

>> Telugu filmmakers are realising that they cannot bank on digital rights to recover a chunk of production costs

7) Celebrating Raghuvaran: A hero, villain, character artiste, all rolled into one

>> March 19 marked the actor’s 17th death anniversary, and the author writes about the departure that left Kollywood poorer

8) How the ‘Minecraft’ movie undermined nostalgia and ruined a perfect game

>> A dive into how Hollywood bulldozed nostalgia, slapped a price tag on the debris, and called it a movie

9) Why the outrage against ‘Empuraan’ is a warning to the Malayalam film industry

>> A look at how the hounding of the makers of ‘Empuraan’ sends a chilling message

What to watch

1) Great character writing turns the match around for ‘Test’, a predictable drama

>> Read the full review here

2) Jason Momoa and Jack Black shine in ‘A Minecraft Movie’, a silly, fun yet forgettable adventure

>> Read the full review here

3) ‘Devil May Cry’ is heavy metal mythmaking for the age of Netflix

>> Read the full review here

4) Salman Khan’s socio-political statement ‘Sikandar’ lacks sting

>> Read the full review here

5) Nicole Kidman holds ‘Holland’, an uneven thriller together

>> Read the full review here

6) Michael Fassbender drives the stylish spy story ‘The Agency’

>> Read the full review here

7) ‘Blue Box’ is a sensitive love triangle that’s too good to hurt

>> Read the full review here

8) Aura farming never looked as good as it does in ‘Solo Leveling’ Season 2

>> Read the full review here

9) Alan Ritchson delivers a gigantic pay off with ‘Reacher’ Season 3

>> Read the full review here

10) Steven Soderbergh’s ‘Presence’ is an ingenious yet inconsistent horror-drama

>> Read the review here