
Abhishek Banerjee begins filming for Tamil debut in Chennai
Born in Kharagpur but raised in Kalpakkam — a coastal township just an hour from Chennai — Abhishek has long shared a deep connection with Tamil Nadu. From school days spent near the sea to soaking in the region's rich culture and cuisine, the actor has often spoken fondly of his formative years in the South.
Now, with his popularity soaring post
Paatal Lok
and the critically acclaimed
Stolen
making waves in Tamil Nadu, his Tamil debut couldn't come at a better time.
A source close to the project revealed, 'For Abhishek, filming in Chennai isn't just another assignment — it's emotionally significant. The sea breeze, the food, the monsoon skies — it's all very nostalgic. He's reconnecting with the landscape that shaped him.'
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Free P2,000 GCash eGift
UnionBank Credit Card
Apply Now
Undo
Though the production remains under tight wraps, the shoot has begun in full swing, with the team reportedly filming across locations in and around the city. As fans eagerly await more updates, this marks a promising new chapter for one of India's most versatile and compelling actors — and a return to the state that quietly helped shape his story.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Mint
14 minutes ago
- Mint
Amazon Music strikes a new chord with podcasts, Prime and Alexa to stand apart
Audio streaming business continues to struggle in India, as most platforms offer similar music catalogues, lacking in novelty or innovation and failing to drive subscriptions. Amid a sea of soundalike tracks, Amazon Music is striking a new chord to soar above the noise. It is following a three-pronged approach to stay more relevant than the others. It is offering a completely ad-free experience that doesn't charge customers separately and is part of the Amazon Prime bundle along with video and shopping, a top company official said. It is also producing a range of exclusive podcasts and video content with artistes in addition to songs. And finally, it aims to benefit from the Amazon consumer tech ecosystem, including Fire TVs and Alexa devices that can help improve the listening experience. 'For us, the differentiation (from other players) comes from the fact that we are an ad-free, on-demand product. We're not charging customers separately because it's all within the Prime bundle," Rishabh Gupta, country head, Amazon Music India, said in an interview. 'On the content side, we do a lot of exclusive podcasts and bring fans closer to artistes via video IPs (intellectual properties)." As far as local languages go, the platform hosts content in 20-plus languages, with Hindi, English, Tamil, Telugu and Punjabi forming the top five, Gupta added. On the Android app, the user interface supports nine languages. The platform that has seen engagement surge since the pandemic. Gupta said that podcast customer listening hours are up 22% over 2024. While Hindi remains its most streamed language with an 84% customer spread, followed by English and Punjabi at 63%, Tamil and Telugu are witnessing strong growth, too, driven by curated regional playlists and improved discovery features. Gupta said the service is fully committed to being seen as a part of the Prime bundle and has witnessed great traction among consumers, in turn, helping the Prime program (including video and shopping) significantly. 'People who use multiple benefits have been some of our longest-serving Prime customers," Gupta added. As a DSP (distribution service provider), Gupta said the platform doesn't necessarily dictate as to what content needs to be produced. However, besides the music catalogue that comes via acquisitions from both from the film and non-film genres, Amazon Music is creating some of its own video and editorial IPs. This shoulder content, ranging from 2 to 20-minute videos, touches upon themes like what may be going on in an artiste's mind before going on stage at a concert, and so on. Further, while the platform is open to all kinds of podcasts, it targets some exclusive and early access deals as well. Podcast content now makes up approximately 15% of total user engagement on the platform. To be sure, the audio business in India, across regions and languages, is facing its share of challenges. Film producers, independent artistes and music labels are grappling with the shutdown of multiple streaming platforms, including Airtel's Wynk, ByteDance's Resso and Hungama Music, which failed to crack the paid subscription model. Others, such as Spotify, have halved per-stream payouts. Despite a rich musical heritage and wide consumption across the country, the Indian music segment declined by 2% to ₹5,300 crore in 2024, according to the annual Ficci EY media and entertainment report. Digital revenue, the biggest chunk of the segment, fell from 68% of total revenue in 2023 to 62.4% last year. The Indian music industry recorded 192 million free streamers in 2024, as compared to 12 million paid streamers, reaffirming that platforms have been forced to depend heavily on advertising revenue. However, Gupta is optimistic. 'India is an evolving country and a growing market for all kinds of businesses, including music, which is currently at the centre stage of the art and culture landscape. The space is constantly evolving with developments in technology and marketing, not to mention a continuous endeavour to grow bigger and better," Gupta said. 'As a country, we've advanced exponentially—just see how easy it is to make digital payments today and compare it to how it was three to four years back when we were all cash dependent. And while this has nothing to do with the music industry, it has aided the subscription economy, not just for the music industry, but for video-on-demand and everything else. So, every few years we see a new addition, mostly a better one, to the existing norms and processes that suddenly drive some sort of hockey stick growth for the industry, and I think for music, it's probably just around the corner," he added.


Time of India
41 minutes ago
- Time of India
"Going to slap..." Johnny Manziel's scorching comment defending Cam Newton adds fuel to fiery Jalen Hurts media controversy
Johnny Manziel sides with Cam Newton (Imagn Images) Former Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel has once again taken to social media to defend a fellow football icon—and this time, his fiery words were aimed at Philadelphia Eagles superfan King Gillie. The controversy erupted after a viral video showed Gillie taunting Cam Newton for never winning a Super Bowl, a jab that didn't sit well with Manziel, who wasted no time clapping back. Johnny Manziel defends Cam Newton with savage clapback amid Jalen Hurts media drama targeting Eagles superfan During his birthday celebration, King Gillie—known for his passionate Eagles support—was seen holding the Vince Lombardi Trophy and mocking Newton's NFL résumé. 'Cam ain't never had one of these, and I ain't going back and forth with you,' he said into the mic. 'Thank you Jalen. Appreciate you Jalen. Love you Nick. Appreciate you Jalen. Cam Newton never had one of these.' The clip, shared by the parody 'Shannon Sharpes Burner' account on X, quickly made the rounds, drawing attention not only for the statement but for its timing. Less than 24 hours later, Johnny Manziel unleashed a scathing response on the platform. 'Yo King Gillie you may be the biggest f-cking loser on the planet. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like No annual fees for life UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo Talking like you've f-cking done anything on a football field. If I see you just know I'm going to slap the f-ck out of you, trust,' Manziel posted. Manziel's outrage wasn't just about football accolades—it was personal. Newton had appeared just the day before on Manziel's new podcast Glory Daze, where both men reflected on their shared past as underdog icons in college football. Newton and Manziel: Heads of the underdog empire In the podcast episode, Newton delved into what made their college football journeys so powerful and similar. 'When you think about Texas A&M and you think about Texas, who's the superior team? Texas. Right? When you think about Auburn and you think about Alabama, who's the superior team? Alabama. We were the heads of the underdogs.' Both Newton and Manziel etched their names into college football history—Newton in 2010 with Auburn and Manziel in 2012 with Texas A&M. Though Newton's NFL career included a league MVP award and a Super Bowl appearance, the mutual respect between the two remains rooted in their college dominance, not just professional achievements. Manziel's defense of Newton wasn't just about a friend—it was about legacy, respect, and reminding fans that greatness isn't always measured by trophies. Also Read: Jayden Daniels does not care much what people say, he is still a 'Momma's boy': 'She's a mom first" For real-time updates, scores, and highlights, follow our live coverage of the India vs England Test match here. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!


Time of India
41 minutes ago
- Time of India
WWE SummerSlam 2025 (August 03, 2025) Results: Jacob Fatu makes statement despite losing to Solo Sikoa in a Steel Cage match
Image via WWE The heated tensions between former Bloodline members, Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu, was witnessed at WWE SummerSlam Night 2 in a hard-hitting Steel Cage match. Solo put his WWE United States title against The Samoan Werewolf within the confines of the steel structure. As the action packed match took place in MetLife Stadium, it was Solo Sikoa who emerged victorious at the end of a hellicious bout, but his MFT ending on the receiving end. Solo Sikoa clashed against Jacob Fatu in a huge Steel Cage match at WWE SummerSlam 2025 The collision between Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu began to an explosive start inside the Steel Cage at SummerSlam 2025. Both former cohorts began trading blows and used the structure to inflict maximum damage on each other. Fatu came with his unleashing fury, while Solo combatted with his hard-hitting style. As the match progressed, Jacob Fatu looked to escape the match, only for Talla Tonga to make the save for Solo Sikoa. His attempt was diffused by the arrival of Jimmy Uso, however, he was quickly disaptched by the new MFT member. Jacob Fatu had the opportunity to escape the cage through the door, but chose to instead punish Solo Sikoa. That proved to be a costly decision as other MFT members, J.C. Matteo and Tonga Loa also intervened. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Angelina Jolie's Son Used To Be Adorable, Now He Looks Insane Undo They had the upperhand on Fatu for a while, but he managed to take them down. He then turned his attention back to Solo Sikoa, and laid a beatdown on his former Tribal Chief. However, the final moments of the match saw Jacob Fatu trying to stop to escape from the door. However, Talla Tonga hit the door right in his face and led to Sikoa escaping the cage and retaining the WWE United States Championship. However, the post match saw Jimmy Uso coming back to attackk Talla Tonga alongside Jacob Fatu inside the Steel Cage and J.C. Matteo also felt their wrath. In a shocking moment, Fatu climberd the top of the cage and delivered a moonsault on both Matteo and Tonga Loa to make a statement despite losing the match. Also read: WWE SummerSlam 2025 Day 2: Full schedule, start timings, how to watch, and more For real-time updates, scores, and highlights, follow our live coverage of the India vs England Test match here. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!