Media is often called the Fourth Pillar of Democracy. Yet, it is a double-edged sword; if not wielded with care, it can harm the user, or in this case, the victims. Let me share a secret few will divulge.

Ajay Devgn and Kajol married and had two children. Kajol proved her mettle as an actress, and her pairing with Shah Rukh Khan was hugely popular, making them an iconic lead pair. Their on-screen romance was so electrifying and real that fans began to believe something was truly “brewing” between them off-screen.

Ajay was helpless. Being an industry insider, he understood the dynamics, but he grew increasingly uneasy about the intensity of the chemistry between Shah Rukh and Kajol. Ajay is a tough man on the outside, but he began to decay internally.

Kajol sensed his distress but knew she couldn’t risk her career by completely abandoning Shah Rukh. Now, she is aging gracefully and hardly acts. Shah Rukh Khan still wanted to work with her, but…

Shah Rukh once met Ajay and showed him some marked fan mail where some crazy fans urged Ajay to “let Kajol go” to Shah Rukh. Shah Rukh Khan was deeply embarrassed and left red-faced. He had no alternative but to work with junior actresses like Deepika and Anushka et al.

Both Shah Rukh and Kajol became victims of social media and crazy fans—all through no fault of their own.

2. Abhishek Bachchan: Trapped Between Comparisons and Gossip

Amitabh Bachchan is a colossal figure in the Hindi film industry. Everyone knows it. Being his son, Abhishek Bachchan, is not easy; it comes with both positive and negative baggage. Abhishek is all too aware of this truth throughout his acting career.

He is a good actor—he comes from the lineage of both Jaya and Amitabh Bachchan, two formidable performers. That’s the tragedy of “Ab Junior”: he is constantly compared to his father, which has contributed to his career’s slow trajectory. Adding to his trouble is his more successful wife, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. He feels crumbled between his struggling career and being unfairly labeled his wife’s “secretary.” Both facts are a real and constant pain for him.

Now, an old case is haunting him like a bad nightmare: the old stories about Salman Khan and Aishwarya’s past romance. Social media is full of stories, most of which are trash. Aishwarya pays no attention to it, but Abhishek took it seriously. He went to court, trying to resolve it and silence the rumors.

Aishwarya didn’t like this approach. Her daughter is growing up, and Aishwarya felt: what is the point of washing dirty laundry in public? She is right in her own way—why attach importance to gossip mongers?

Now, readers, who do you think is being more mature in resolving this?

3. Long Live the King!

The King trailer has launched, and as expected, it has set the screen on fire. If the trailer alone can create such a hype, then the main feature is certain to storm the big screens and multiplexes.

Shah Rukh is in a new look this time, looking dapper with his salt-and-pepper beard and silver hair. The inaugural shot shows King Khan appearing out of nowhere with fireballs in the background, complemented by a perfect background score. It’s clear that Shah Rukh is now opting for action movies.

In an interview, he candidly stated that he wanted to do action films earlier in his career, but Karan Johar and Aditya Chopra steered him toward the ‘lover boy’ image.

Now, after the success of Aryan Khan’s Bads of Bollywood, Shah Rukh Khan is relaxed and is doing movies according to his own choice. It is evident that King is going to follow the blockbuster path of Pathaan and Jawan.

King is coming. Long live the King!

Bobby Deol has now completed 30 years in the tinsel town. Despite being the younger son of our beloved “He-Man,” Dharmendra, he hasn’t quite managed to replicate the stellar success of his legendary father. Neither Bobby nor his elder brother, Sunny Deol, have reached those towering heights.
Sunny kicked off his career with their home production, Betaab (under Vijeta Films), and Bobby got his chance with the family banner’s film, Barsaat. However, the much-hyped Barsaat started with a bang but ended with a whimper. It wasn’t a blockbuster, only a semi-hit that just about managed to make a table profit. Bobby’s career kept going, but he was never quite considered an A-lister.
His career took a nosedive in the middle years. But after a period of self-imposed exile, he has returned in a new avatar. He smartly chose the OTT platform and embraced roles with grey shades. Though well-wishers like Salman Khan tried to salvage his career by offering him a role in the hit franchise Race 3, it didn’t achieve the success of its previous versions.
Bobby’s latest gamble has truly clicked. He has tasted blood with OTT, and recently, Aryan Khan’s series, Bads of Bollywood, brought him a long-overdue success. He is finally hogging the limelight and seems relaxed. He now has just one desire left: to follow in his father Dharmendra’s footsteps and complete 50 years in Bollywood.

2. The Duel: Shah Rukh vs. Aryan

Shah Rukh Khan is currently on cloud nine after his son Aryan Khan’s OTT series, Bads of Bollywood, created an unprecedented sensation both in India and abroad, making history. An elated Netflix is desperate to renew the contract with Aryan, but smelling blood, other OTT platforms are also approaching him with lucrative offers that are hard to resist.
Shah Rukh has faced many challenges in his long career, but now his own son is challenging him. And Shah Rukh loves challenges! He is back in the race with his latest film, King. Let’s wait and watch the duel between the Father and the Son unfold.

3. Missing the Maestro: Kamal Haasan

Veteran pan-Indian actor Kamal Haasan has just turned 70. Although I primarily cover Bollywood, I have never managed to meet him.
Once, I came agonizingly close but missed him by a whisker. It was Dilip Kumar’s birthday, and I had heard that Kamal, a great admirer of the Bollywood icon, had come to pay his respects and wish him. Your truly, along with his friend from Screen, Peter Mar, was waiting outside Dilip Saab’s Pali Hill bungalow. Just as we were losing patience, a black car sped out, and our dream was shattered. We were told Kamal had to catch a flight, which is why no interview would take place. We were so shocked we ended up leaving without even having dinner there.
Though I haven’t met him, I did receive a handwritten note from him for his film, Hey Ram. I have seen his mind-boggling act alongside Sridevi in Sadma, though his film Ek Duuje Ke Liye remains my all-time favorite. This maverick actor constantly surprises us with his innovative acting skills and mastery of make-up. I hope the star, Kamal Haasan, continues to thrill us with his performances in the years to come.

1. Jaya Bachchan’s Current Complex: Jaya Bachchan seems to be suffering from a complex lately, constantly losing her temper. Her own party, the Samajwadi Party, is embarrassed by the MP, finding themselves in a tough, “swallowing a snake” sort of situation.The main target of Jaya’s anger is her daughter-in-law, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.

The relationship between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law has hit rock bottom. Apparently, Abhishek was forced to move to a different bungalow.And yet, this is the same Jaya who introduced Arshad Warsi to Bollywood. Otherwise, Arshad Warsi would still be selling lipsticks door-to-door!Jaya loses her cool every time she sees the press. I don’t know the cure for this disease—do you?

2. The Energizer Khans and Singh: There was a time when Mahesh Bhatt was the man—full of energy, and incredibly quick-witted in interviews. I remember interviewing him and seeing him effortlessly drop quotable quotes and clever remarks. That’s why Mahesh was, and is, the darling of the press.Then, a young man from Delhi entered the arena. He caused a sensation by signing five films in a single day. That newcomer was Shah Rukh Khan. Shah Rukh, too, was bubbling with energy, much like Mahesh Bhatt. Interviewing him was tough, but according to journalists, Shah Rukh was also a master of the quotable quote. He’s incredibly well-read and can speak on any subject for hours.The newest member of this club is Ranveer Singh.

This bundle of energy can give Shah Rukh or Mahesh Bhatt a run for their money. He’s a motor-mouth. While he might not be as articulate as Mahesh or Shah Rukh, he’s always clowning around in colorful outfits.Ranveer is completely honest; he says whatever is on his mind. If someone makes fun of him, he laughs it off and accepts it with a smile. In this regard, Ranveer Singh has surpassed both Shah Rukh Khan and Mahesh Bhatt. He married the famous actress Deepika Padukone and is now a father to a daughter, but our dear Ranveer is still the same.

3. The Singer Who Shot Himself in the Foot: This singer was once quite good, but his career was ruined after getting involved with the wrong people. This artist, who always craved the spotlight, tried to become a hero like Himesh Reshammiya. But he’s a better singer than he is a hero—just like Himesh.Our leading man, or rather, our singer, left his home and is now in self-imposed exile abroad because of an affair with a divorced woman from the family of a former ruling party in Maharashtra.

Dubai is only three hours from Mumbai, but everyone is afraid to offer him songs because of the potential trouble. This singer, who so desperately wanted publicity, destroyed his own career by making controversial and thoughtless remarks. He’s as good a singer as he is a controversial person.As physics dictates, nature abhors a vacuum.

Therefore, our Bengali boy, Arijit Singh, took advantage of the opportunity and is now the number one playback singer. And now, the pencil is in that singer’s hand (meaning Arijit is now ruling the roost).Can you guess the name of the exiled singer?

Let me know if you can—there’s an exciting prize for the correct answer!