Soon after it was confirmed that Indian television heartthrob Shaheer Sheikh, who was most recently seen in Colors’ magnum opus Dastaan-E-Mohabbat: Salim Anarkali, has been signed on to headline the cast of Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai spin-off, it has now been revealed that yet another popular television actor has also joined the cast.
Yes, we are talking about the very handsome Ritvik Arora, who has come onboard to play one of the male leads. Ritvik became a household name after playing the male lead in Colors’ superhit show Tu Aashiqui.
“The spin-off will see the kids from the Maheshwari family growing up. The spin-off will only address the younger generation of the Maheshwari clan that is Akshara’s family,” a source close to the development reveals.
Talking about the female lead on the show, no name has been revealed as yet. However, buzz has it that Rhea Sharma, who was previously seen in Star Plus’ Tu Sooraj Mein Saanjh Piyaji, is expected to come onboard for the part.
The untitled spin-off series will hit the airwaves on Star Plus.
A poignant evening unfolded at The Chambers, Taj 51 Buckingham Gate, where storytelling met soul-searching in an unforgettable conversation between Bollywood icon Manisha Koirala and creative visionary Manish Tiwari. Hosted by Here & Now 365, the event wasn't just a rendezvous of film lovers and cultural figures; it was a moment of collective pause, reflection, and renewed strength.
Actress, activist, and cancer survivor Manisha Koirala’s presence radiated both dignity and depth. Her journey, marked by painful valleys and soaring recoveries, became a guiding light for everyone in the room.
“Resilience isn’t a heroic burst,” Manisha said softly, “it’s a series of small choices, made moment by moment.”
These words captured the essence of a woman who had once faced death and emerged with more life than ever before. Her candid recounting of her diagnosis, treatment, and emotional tumult was far from a scripted memoir; it was raw, real, and quietly transformative. “When the doctor told me I had ovarian cancer, I thought, ‘This is it. I’m going to die.” The room fell into an uneasy silence, broken only by her own calm voice. “But by the grace of God, I didn’t. I learned to live again.”
Now cancer-free for over a decade, Manisha wears her scars not as symbols of suffering, but of survival. “Cancer taught me how fragile life is, and how full of grace it can still be.” Her message to the community was loud and clear: take nothing for granted, guard your health, value your people, and embrace life… not with fear, but with fullness.
A life shaped by legacy and loss
Manish Tiwari opened the conversation by tracing her journey from Nepal, born into the influential Koirala family, known for producing four Prime Ministers, to the dazzling heights of Indian cinema. Raised partly in Banaras, partly in Kathmandu, Manisha’s early life was woven with politics, activism, and cultural richness. But the cinematic leap came unexpectedly. “I hadn’t even finished Class 12,” she laughed, “and suddenly I was standing next to Dilip Kumar and Raj Kumar on a film set!”
She described her debut with wide-eyed wonder, calling it “Alice in Wonderland… but scarier.” Though she had no background in acting, her performances quickly earned critical and commercial success. Yet fame, she said, was only one layer of the journey. “I burned out. I was working 18 to 19 hours a day… no holidays, no boundaries. Slowly, I started making bad films. I lost direction.”
When stardom faded, the soul spoke louder
And then came her diagnosis. “It shattered my world,” she admitted. From being the darling of millions to lying in a New York hospital, confronting her mortality, the fall was brutal. But the rise was even more beautiful. Her account of choosing life again of surrendering, healing, and seeking purpose, brought moist eyes and standing applause.
Throughout the talk, she emphasised how the real journey began after her illness. “I’m a Koirala woman — strong, stubborn, a little rebellious. Our women worked the fields and shaped history. That fire is in my blood.” She spoke about feminism, finding meaning in the roles she played, and how her heart sought characters that carried purpose.
“Even if the film didn’t do well, it didn’t matter. If the script opened my eyes, if it moved something in me, that’s what I lived for.”
For the soul, not the spotlight
She admitted to hitting rock bottom, professionally and personally, and spoke of rebuilding her identity from “minus and zero”. But never once did she sound bitter. Instead, there was acceptance. Grace.
Manisha also touched on Nepal’s political instability with cautious honesty. “I love my country deeply. But I worry- there’s a longing for dignity, for stability. We need to rebuild institutions, not just governments.”
A masterclass in living
The audience, a mix of diaspora professionals, art lovers, and well-wishers, sat rapt. They didn’t just meet a film star that evening. They met a truth-teller, a woman who had faced darkness and brought back light.
Her final takeaway? “Life is here today and gone tomorrow. So live it — fully, bravely, kindly.”
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Stuntman SM Raju dies during car stunt for Pa Ranjith’s film Vettuvan
Veteran stuntman SM Raju died while filming a car-toppling stunt for Vettuvan, directed by Pa Ranjith.
The car flipped uncontrollably during a high-speed sequence in Tamil Nadu on 13 July.
Actor Vishal, a close friend, confirmed the incident and promised to support Raju’s family.
Viral video of the crash has triggered online outrage and debate over stunt safety practices in Indian cinema.
Renowned stunt artist SM Raju lost his life on the set of Vettuvan, a Tamil film directed by Pa Ranjith and starring Arya, after a car stunt went horribly wrong. The fatal incident took place on Sunday morning, 13 July, during a high-speed sequence in Tamil Nadu’s Nagapattinam district.
A shocking video of the crash has surfaced online, showing Raju behind the wheel as the car speeds up a ramp, flips mid-air, and lands violently. He was pulled out of the wreckage by crew members but was declared dead shortly after.
SM Raju Times Now
Crew warned SM Raju not to perform the risky car stunt
According to actor K Vishal, Raju was advised against performing the dangerous stunt by the stunt choreographer Dhilip Subbarayan. Despite being offered a safer alternative using a cannon blast for the flip, Raju insisted on executing the full sequence himself.
“The choreographer told him to let someone else do the toppling, but Raju wouldn’t listen,” Vishal revealed. “There were no visible injuries, no bleeding, but he went numb after the topple.”
An autopsy is currently underway to determine the cause of death, as the lack of external trauma has puzzled the crew.
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Fans demand accountability after video of fatal crash surfaces
The video of the accident has gone viral, prompting widespread outrage over safety conditions on film sets. Social media users questioned why real-life stunt performers were still being used for such high-risk sequences when VFX or remote-controlled vehicles could have been employed.
One user wrote, “Why is a man still put in a car for such scenes? Isn’t it time to automate or use dummies?” Others demanded accountability from the director, producers, and union heads, urging financial support for Raju’s family.
Comments regarding the safety Twitter/
Industry mourns loss, calls for better safety norms for stunt performers
Raju, whose full name was Mohan Raj, was a 52-year-old veteran from Tamil Nadu’s Kanchipuram district. Known for his fearlessness and expertise in car stunts, he had worked on numerous action films over his decades-long career.
Actor Vishal, who served as general secretary of the South Indian Artistes Association, offered emotional tributes and pledged financial support to Raju’s wife and two children. He also highlighted systemic issues within the stunt community, stating that many performers avoid reporting injuries out of fear they won’t be hired again.
“There’s always an ambulance, doctor, and safety gear on sets,” Vishal said. “But the pressure to prove themselves leads many to take risks they shouldn’t.” Stunt choreographer Stunt Silva echoed the sentiments in an Instagram post: “We lost one of the best car stunt performers in the industry. He’ll be missed.”
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Pa Ranjith and Arya yet to issue official statement
As of now, neither Vettuvan director Pa Ranjith nor lead actor Arya has made a public comment about the accident. The film is in its final stages of production and features an ensemble cast, including Sobhita Dhulipala, Attakathi Dinesh, Kalaiyarasan, and Lingesh. The crew reportedly remains in shock following the tragedy, and industry insiders say an internal review of the incident is likely.
SM Raju’s death sparks urgent conversation around on-set safety
This incident has once again spotlighted the hidden dangers that stunt professionals face to deliver dramatic sequences on screen. While technological alternatives and safety guidelines exist, the culture of pushing personal limits continues to put lives at risk.
SM Raju’s death is not just a personal loss for those who knew him; it is a wake-up call for the film industry to re-examine its safety frameworks and prioritise the well-being of those behind the camera.
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Deepika Padukone as Veronica in Cocktail (2012) — a performance that redefined the Bollywood 'bad girl'
When Cocktail hit screens in 2012, it was supposed to be a Saif Ali Khan rom-com. Instead, it became Deepika Padukone’s breakthrough moment, largely thanks to her turn as Veronica, a character that was anything but the typical Bollywood heroine.
Now, 13 years on, it’s clear Cocktail wasn’t just a hit, it was a gamechanger. Here’s why Veronica remains one of the boldest characters of Deepika’s career, and arguably, a milestone in the way mainstream Hindi cinema wrote women.
Messy, magnetic, and miles ahead of her time — Deepika’s Veronica still hits different 13 years laterYoutube Screengrab
1. Veronica wasn’t made to be likeable—and that worked
She drank, she partied, she refused to apologise for being a mess. Bollywood had shown wild girls before, but usually only as cautionary tales. Veronica wasn’t punished for her flaws, she was allowed to feel, grow, and still not fit the box. For 2012, that was rare.
2. The emotional messiness felt honest
Deepika brought an unexpected vulnerability to Veronica. The crying in the bathroom, the reckless dancing, the craving for love under all the bravado, it wasn’t subtle, but it was real. That performance helped audiences take Veronica seriously, not just as a manic pixie contrast to the "good girl" Meera played by Diana Penty.
3. It wasn’t just a role—it was a career pivot
Even Deepika has said Veronica changed everything. After years of being seen as just a pretty face in glossy roles, Cocktail gave her the edge. It showed she could carry emotional weight, and wasn’t afraid to look messy while doing it. From here, her career took a sharper, more ambitious turn.
4. The music gave Veronica her own universe
It wasn’t just the acting, the soundtrack helped shape the film’s tone. Songs like Jugni, Tumhi Ho Bandhu, and Daaru Desi gave Veronica a carefree, chaotic rhythm that stuck. These tracks still pop up on nostalgia playlists, a decade later.
5. In hindsight, she was the real protagonist
While the film tried to balance the love triangle, it was Veronica’s arc that people remembered. Not because she got the guy, she didn’t, but because she evolved. She wasn’t a footnote in someone else’s story. She was the story.
Veronica wasn’t the ‘good girl’, but she made audiences feel everything — and Deepika nailed itYoutube Screengrab
She shifted how leading women were written
After Cocktail, Bollywood slowly started embracing female characters who didn’t always make the 'right' choices. Veronica made it okay to be complicated on screen. That legacy may not always be acknowledged, but it shows up in every “imperfect” female lead we see today.
Thirteen years since Cocktail released, Veronica remains one of Deepika Padukone’s most unforgettable charactersZEE5
Deepika Padukone may have played many iconic characters since, but Veronica remains a turning point for her and for Bollywood. Thirteen years on, she’s still the cool, chaotic outlier who made room for women to be more than just nice.
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South Park fans call out Paramount Plus for pulling the show worldwide
• South Park pulled from Paramount+ globally after licence expiry • Fans in UK, Canada, Australia, and Europe react with outrage • Dispute linked to £6.3 billion (₹673 billion) Paramount-Skydance merger and ongoing contract standoff • Season 27 premieres 23 July on Comedy Central in the US, leaving global fans stranded
Fans around the world are up in arms after South Park disappeared from Paramount+ outside the US. With just days to go until the season 27 premiere, international viewers are calling out Paramount Global for yanking the show due to a lapsed streaming deal and are threatening to cancel subscriptions over what they see as corporate mishandling.
Streaming blackout angers fans just days before new South Park seasonPrime Video
Paramount+ drops South Park amid licensing fallout
Viewers from the UK, Canada, Australia, Germany, and Latin America were left stunned last week when South Park vanished from Paramount+ in their regions. The move follows the expiration of an international streaming licence and ongoing tension between the show’s creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, and Paramount Global, which owns Comedy Central.
The timing couldn’t be worse: after a two-year wait, season 27 is set to debut on Comedy Central in the US on 23 July. But thanks to the unresolved deal, international fans are now scrambling to figure out how they’ll be able to watch the new episodes.
The backlash has been swift and loud. On Reddit and X, long-time viewers expressed frustration, many vowing to quit Paramount+ altogether.
"The only reason I had Paramount+ was to watch South Park. I just cancelled,” wrote one user. Another fumed, “How does one go about setting Paramount on fire?”, a comment met with dark humour by others who blamed the platform for “setting itself on fire.”
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Some users began sharing ways to legally access older episodes via platforms like Apple TV and Amazon Prime, while others admitted they were considering alternative, less official methods.
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Parker and Stone threaten legal action
Behind the scenes, the show’s creators are fighting their own battle. Trey Parker and Matt Stone, through their company Park County, have accused Skydance’s incoming president Jeff Shell of meddling in licensing talks. Their allegations claim Shell tried to skew negotiations with Warner Bros. Discovery and Netflix to favour Paramount’s streaming ambitions.
They argue this interference ultimately led to the shortened contract term and the fallout with HBO Max, leaving the show without a cohesive global distribution strategy just as a new season approaches.
Global outrage grows as South Park vanishes from Paramount PlusWikipedia
What’s available—and what’s not
While South Park episodes remain available on Comedy Central’s traditional TV networks in several international markets, streaming access is now patchy. Some specials are still on Paramount+, and ad-supported options exist via Pluto TV in select regions like Canada and Europe.
Back episodes can be purchased on services like Amazon Prime and Apple TV, and in countries like Germany and across Latin America, some content is accessible through a standalone South Park website. But for many fans, none of this replaces the convenience of a centralised platform like Paramount+.
Fans slam Paramount and Skydance for blocking South Park accessRotten Tomatoes
Season 27 still coming—but not for everyone
Despite the chaos, South Park season 27 will premiere in the US as planned on 23 July on Comedy Central. But for fans outside the country, there’s still no confirmed way to watch the new season legally on demand.
Some fans are already hoping this real-life drama makes its way into a future episode. As one Reddit user joked, “The silver lining of all this merger crap is that it’s gonna make for an excellent South Park takedown.”
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Lauren Pisciotta has accused Kanye West of repeated sexual misconduct
Kanye West has dismissed ex-assistant Lauren Pisciotta’s latest lawsuit as a “delusional” and “contradictory” narrative.
Pisciotta accuses West of multiple acts of sexual assault and misconduct, including forced oral sex and workplace harassment.
West’s team argues the claims are inconsistent and defamatory, pledging to fight them in court.
Pisciotta’s attorney Lisa Bloom insists West has already admitted to key parts of the allegations and will face justice.
Kanye West has hit back at explosive sexual assault and sex trafficking allegations from former Yeezy employee Lauren Pisciotta, branding her newly amended lawsuit as a fabricated and conflicting tale. The rapper’s legal team released a fiery statement slamming the accusations, which include claims of rape, forced sexual exposure, and workplace abuse.
Kanye West’s spokesperson says the claims are inconsistent and defamatoryBBC/Getty Images
West’s team rejects allegations as “outlandish” and “contradictory”
On 13 July, West’s spokesperson issued a strongly worded denial of Pisciotta’s lawsuit, the fourth version she has filed since 2024. Calling her claims “fantasy fiction,” the representative argued that each amended complaint undermines the previous ones. “Each new revision contradicts the others; each is more absurd and outlandish than all previous claims combined,” the statement read.
The rep further claimed Pisciotta’s testimony “discredits all past, present and future” versions, vowing to “annihilate” her narrative in front of a jury. Milo Yiannopoulos, also speaking on behalf of West, claimed Pisciotta “chose the wrong target,” describing West as a non-violent man with no criminal record or firearm ownership.
Photo of Kanye West from a past public appearance Getty Images
Pisciotta accuses West of repeated sexual violence and harassment
In her newly revised legal complaint, Pisciotta details multiple disturbing incidents that allegedly occurred while she worked for West from 2021 to 2022. She accuses the rapper of groping her, masturbating in her presence, forcibly kissing her, and later sexually assaulting her in a hotel room during a business trip to San Francisco.
She alleges he raped her orally while she was frozen in shock and later offered her to other men as a “sexual gift.” Pisciotta claims the rapper subjected her to constant verbal harassment, sent her unsolicited explicit images, demanded sexual content from her in return, and attempted to involve her in his sexual encounters, all of which she says she refused. The complaint also alleges that after firing her, West moved into her apartment building and physically assaulted her by grabbing her throat and licking her ear.
Attorney Lisa Bloom says Kanye West has already admitted to key allegations Expresso
Lisa Bloom says Kanye’s own words will “destroy him in court”
Pisciotta’s attorney Lisa Bloom fired back at West’s response, stating that much of what Pisciotta alleges has already been acknowledged publicly by the rapper himself.
“While Kanye West’s publicist has come up with a slickly worded and outrageously false and defamatory attack on Ms. Pisciotta, Kanye himself has publicly admitted much of what she’s claiming,” Bloom told Daily Mail. “His spin team cannot protect him in court.”
She added that Pisciotta’s case would be built on these admissions and challenged West to face the allegations directly under legal scrutiny.
Kanye West’s spokesperson says the claims are inconsistent and defamatoryGetty Images
West’s team maintains lawsuit is a “cash grab”
West’s lawyers have consistently dismissed Pisciotta’s claims since she filed her original wrongful termination and sexual harassment suit in June 2024. They insist the lawsuit is “baseless,” “frivolous,” and part of a larger effort to extort money from a high-profile figure.
Despite the strong public denials, the legal battle is expected to escalate as both sides prepare for a potential trial.