Latest news with #Darlings'
News18
05-08-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
‘Darlings, I Loves You All': Vijay Varma Celebrates 3 Years Of Dark Comedy Co-Starring Alia Bhatt
Last Updated: Vijay Varma celebrated Darlings' third anniversary, sharing unseen images and reflecting on his role as Hamza. Directed by Jasmeet K. Reen, the film is a career milestone. Known for his remarkable ability to transform into complex, layered characters, Vijay Varma delivered one of the most chilling yet memorable performances of his career with Darlings. As Hamza, he portrayed an alcoholic, abusive husband whose sinister charm masked deep insecurities and volatile behaviour. Three years on, the movie still remains one of the most important in Vijay Varma's filmography, and today the actor decided to celebrate this milestone. Marking the film's third anniversary, Vijay took to social media to share a carousel of unseen behind-the-scenes images, along with a playful yet heartfelt caption: '3 years of 🐸 and 🦂 Big love to the team and to the fans of the movie. Darlings, I loves you all🫶." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Vijay Varma (@itsvijayvarma) The frog and scorpion emojis subtly reference the classic fable echoed in the film's subtext, hinting at the inherent nature of one's character, no matter the circumstances. Through a blend of satire and emojis, the actor paid tribute to a film that remains one of the most significant turning points in his filmography. 'I was quite shocked and shaken by the script. At the same time, it intrigued me a lot. It walks a fine line between darkness and humour. I wanted to get more of an idea of what the director was thinking. So, we got on a call and I understood where she was coming from. The perspective she was trying to bring in made it so much more interesting for me," Vijay Varma had earlier shared while talking about the film. Darlings (2022) is an Indian Hindi-language black comedy that premiered on Netflix on August 5, 2022, directed by Jasmeet K. Reen and co-written with Parveez Sheikh. This movie marked Alia Bhatt's debut as a producer alongside Shah Rukh Khan's Red Chillies production. As audiences continue to rediscover Darlings and appreciate its layered storytelling, Vijay Varma moves forward with an exciting slate of work. He will next be seen in Matka King, Gustaakh Ishq, and is also uniting with filmmakers known for pushing creative boundaries. With his unique choices and unmatched screen presence, Vijay continues to be a force to watch in Indian cinema. First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
India Today
31-07-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
Shefali Shah, Bhumi Pednekar on pay parity: OTT fairer to women
Actors Shefali Shah and Bhumi Pednekar recently opened up about pay differences in the entertainment industry, and how OTT is slowly changing things for women. Shah said that the gap in pay is often more about star power than gender, while Pednekar shared that her experience with streaming shows has been more fair, where actors are paid based on their work and two shared their views during a session titled: Begums of Binge: How Streaming is Empowering Women at the Women Summit, where they were also joined by Tanya Bami, Series Head at Netflix. The discussion was about the continuous change of women's roles in web shows and how OTT are giving them more chances to be seen, heard, and express themselves the long-standing issue of pay inequality, the 'Darlings' actor said, "Honestly, I don't even know if its pay parity between gender. I think it's between a star and actor. So you could do a film and play the lead. If there is a star opposite you, you will never ever get paid that kind of money. But on OTT, it does kind of change. I don't really think it's about a man or a woman per se." Bhumi Pednekar agreed with this and spoke about her own experiences in the industry. She said, "I have my fair share of experience. Obviously, when there is somebody who has a lot of experience who is working with you, then this conversation is redundant. So if you are working with somebody who has achieved credibility like yours, who has done similar work like you, then there is a parity in that phase which is true. However, my experience with my first outing has been different. We were paid for the value that we had."Both actors admitted that OTT is giving better chances to women to play strong and meaningful roles. They also believed that the digital sphere is also giving them the respect they didn't always get in the the work front, Shefali Shah was last seen in 'Three of Us', starring alongside Jaideep Ahlawat and Swanand Kirkire. She is set to return in 'Delhi Crime' Season 3 with Rajesh Tailang and Rasika Pednekar recently starred in Netflix's 'The Royals', a romantic comedy drama where she played a fierce startup founder opposite Ishaan Khatter. The show, which also featured Zeenat Aman, Dino Morea, and Sakshi Tanwar, has been praised for its fresh portrayal of modern romance. Up next, Bhumi will be seen in 'Daldal', a gritty web series for Prime Video, where she plays a police officer. The show has wrapped filming and is awaiting a release date.- EndsMust Watch
Hindustan Times
16-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Prabhas fans dance, cheer, bathe his cutout in milk at wild The RajaSaab teaser launch in Hyderabad
The teaser launch of the pan-India horror-comedy The RajaSaab was held at Prasad's Multiplex in Hyderabad on Monday morning. Prabhas wasn't even there, but that did not stop 300 'Darlings' from converging at the theatre. As one fan, Tarun, put it, "There were passes for this, so only these many came. If it were free entry, you would have seen the streets blocked." Fans screamed, danced, and bathed in milk, as they anointed their favourite Rebel Star's cutouts in milk right outside the venue. "This is the return of vintage Prabhas," they said. A giant cutout of Prabhas was unveiled right before the teaser launch at the venue. The nearly 30-foot cutout was the centre of attraction for all fans. Raja Saab' is one of the most highly anticipated movies in the Indian cinema industry this year. The horror comedy is directed by Maruthi. The movie is slated to release in theatres on December 5, 2025. However, in an unexpected alleged breach just days ahead of its official release, portions of the teaser from 'The Raja Saab' have reportedly been leaked and are currently available on the internet. Taking note of the leaked videos, the film's official handle posted on X that action will be taken against those posting leaked content from the teaser online. The makers shared a statement on their official X page on Friday, addressing the same. They wrote, 'Strict action will be taken and handles will be suspended immediately if any leaked content from #TheRajaSaab is found. We request everyone to cooperate and stand with us in protecting the experience. Let's celebrate responsibly. Be aware.' 'The Raja Saab' is produced by TG Vishwa Prasad under the banner of People Media Factory. The cinematography of the film is handled by Karthik Palani, while Thaman S composed the music of the movie. Apart from Prabhas's charming presence, the film's cast includes Malavika Mohanan, Nidhhi Agerwal, and Ridhi Kumar in prominent roles. The film has been creating a buzz in the entertainment industry ever since its makers released its first-look poster on the occasion of Makar Sankranti last year. The fans of Prabhas are eagerly waiting to watch their favourite actor in the horror-comedy genre, contrary to a string of action movies the actor has appeared in over the last few years. The movie is set to have a pan-India release in Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam. (With ANI inputs)
India Today
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
Are we living in spoiler-verse? Is pre-release content killing the hype for films?
There was a time - not that long ago - when walking into a theatre felt like stepping into the unknown. You might've caught a poster outside, a teaser that barely gave anything away, or a song you couldn't stop humming without even knowing its place in the story. And then came the film - and with it, like most of us, 'Darlings' director Jasmeet K Reen also enjoys the thrill of watching a film fresh in theatres. Speaking to she shared, 'I try to do that often - watch the trailer, then the film. It helps you create your own experience and form a personal connection with the story and its characters. It's a beautiful and intimate process. Later, if needed, you can read about the making or even rewatch the film to learn more, especially as a filmmaker.'advertisementCut to 2025. It often feels like we've already watched half the movie before it's even released. There's a teaser, a second teaser, then a character teaser, a motion poster, five songs, and a behind-the-scenes featurette. By the time we actually sit in the theatre, the surprise is long TO SPOILER NATION Let's start with the obvious villain in this story: trailers that feel like mini-movies and an overload of content that basically no one asked year, the makers of the magnum opus 'Kalki 2898 AD' didn't just drop a teaser - they dropped an entire rollout calendar. Multiple teasers, two full-blown trailers, character intros, promo clips, and leaked fan footage. Reddit threads were already piecing the plot together weeks in advance. 'Where's the intrigue in that?' asks every moviegoer who once loved the thrill of not knowing. advertisementThis year, 'Housefull 5' took things up (or down?) a notch. The teaser - though later taken down - managed to give away major gags, the vibe of every character, and even flashes of the climax. It wasn't a tease - it was practically a narrated Google Slides guilty too. Remember 'Madame Web'? The trailer gave away the villain, the emotional core, and nearly every twist. By the time the film hit screens, audiences had already memed it to death. The Marvels suffered similarly, with audiences feeling more connected to press junket content than the actual question that arises here is: is this newfound strategy actually working? According to popular Tamil film producer SR Prakashbabu, 'Good content combined with strong publicity works well and bad content and no publicity goes unnoticed.' OVEREXPOSURE: THE NEW MARKETING PLAYBOOK'Hype is great. But we're not building curiosity any more - we're feeding people the whole meal before they even arrive at the table,' says senior marketing executive Vamsi Kaka in an interview with and he's not Vijay Sethupathi once expressed his fear that too much public exposure may disconnect his audience from his on-screen characters. While promoting his film 'Merry Christmas' with the Film Companion, he said, 'I fear too much exposure, talking so much about films and about myself. I fear I may detach my audience from my characters and my films. I don't want to disturb them while watching films.'advertisementHe added, 'Even on my Instagram, I have only a couple of personal photos. Earlier, there were only one or two award shows, and you would get to see actors at very few moments. Now, there is too much exposure, which makes me afraid.''Pushpa 2' was on top trends weeks, months even before its release in December last year. Every move Allu Arjun made on and off set became a reel material. Fan-shot leaks, behind-the-scenes glimpses, and official promos dominated feeds. While fans love the access, where's the sense of discovery when everything is already on your phone? Director Anil Sharma echoed this sentiment while talking to 'Earlier, a poster and a trailer were enough. But now there's OTT, reels, satellite, social media - so much going on that a single trailer or poster risks getting lost. That fear drives filmmakers to overcompensate," he told Tamil cinema, known for its grand reveal style, is slipping. Lokesh Kanagaraj's 'Leo' campaign was massive - but also too revealing. "By the time you sit in the theatre, you're just waiting for the scenes you've already seen in promos," noted one fan on Reen, who directed Alia Bhatt in the Netflix film 'Darlings', shared whether she ever felt pressured by studios or marketing teams to 'give more'?'We wanted to and did reveal that Alia would eventually stand up against violence, and many people who watched the film felt connected and invested in the journey, waiting for when the tables would turn. Sometimes you have to trust your audience this way. Like Hitchcock would bring the audience in before his characters,' she said in the interview with SONGS THE NEW SPOILERS?Remember when film songs offered a vibe without giving away the plot? That era seems to be close to being over, according to moviegoers.'Sitaare Zameen Par's' emotionally packed ballads already hinted at pivotal moments in the protagonist's arc. 'Chandu Champion's' transformation arc? Already charted through motivational songs and clips. It begs the question: what's left for the big screen?Compare that to 'Barfi!' or 'Tumbbad', where the music set the tone but didn't narrate the entire story. That was storytelling. But again, according to director Anil Sharma, overexposure is birthing new the methods adopted by marketing agencies to sell their movie, he noted, "The current obsession is with opening day and weekend numbers. So, producers and actors have become extremely fearful, leading to aggressive promotion.'He explained, 'Audience memory has shortened - show them something today, and they'll forget it by evening, buried under ten more pieces of content. That's why constant visibility is now necessary."THE GREAT DILEMMA: STAY OR SCROLL AWAYBeing chronically online comes with a curse: we love trailers, aesthetic edits, and fan theories - but we also crave surprise. The lines are blurry. Do you avoid social media and risk FOMO, or stay in the loop and get served spoilers every hour?A growing movement called #NoTrailerClub on Reddit and X is choosing to skip trailers altogether. Their goal? Preserve the first-time theatre magic. Because honestly, nothing beats the moment when the lights dim, and you don't know what's coming as the 'Gadar 2' director mentioned, "People are always scrolling - in buses, trains, or even at home. If they miss the poster, they might see the teaser, and if not that, maybe the trailer. One way or another, information has to reach the viewer."advertisementAnd if the overdose of content is helping with an increase in footfall, there's no harm. THE PRESSURE TO PERFORMLet's talk about why this overexposure even exists. The film industry today, or at least post Covid-19, is in performance mode 24x7. With hundreds of films releasing each year and OTT competition surging, filmmakers are afraid of being invisible."Today, it's all about 'out of sight, out of mind'," said explains why every new promo drop has a 'now or never' energy. As viewers, we're part of the problem too - we scroll endlessly, consuming content with such speed that nuance often gets lost in the every pre-release content out there only leads to something great, said Jasmeet Reen. 'We sell dreams, and a trailer is an unfinished dream. If people want to know the whole dream they will go and watch the film. All we can do is stay true to the DNA of the film while marketing,' she TO DRAW THE LINE?Let's be honest. Theatres aren't just competing with other films - they're competing with YouTube thumbnails, OTT banners, Instagram Reels, and AI-generated movie scenes. In this chaos, studios think the only way to win attention is by giving it all the excitement of watching 'Kahaani' or 'Andhadhun' without knowing what twist would hit you? Or the thrill of 'RRR', which, despite its massive promo campaign, kept enough secrets to make theatres erupt with joy?That's the kind of cinematic joy we're Kaka, who has worked on close to 450 films over his career, noted an incident where he was tempted to watch Aamir Khan's 'Dangal' only after watching one of his work-out videos months ahead of its narrated, "At that time, I only knew he was doing a film - I had no clue what it was about. But the moment I saw that video, I decided I would watch the film on the first day, first show in theatres. That was the kind of impact it had - at least on me."Now, according to the people who have associated themselves with films for ever now say that the approach might be tiring once you start applying for every other stated that the problem only arises when "the same level of promotion is done for a film with a budget of just Rs 2–3 crore."He explained, "For example, if you're releasing a teaser, pre-trailer, BTS, and multiple promos for a film like 'Baahubali', 'Pushpa', or 'Ponniyin Selvan' - there's genuine anticipation, and people are invested. There's a lot at stake; big investments, big expectations. So it's the makers' responsibility to reach the right content to the audience. That makes sense." "But doing the same kind of build-up for a Rs 5–10 crore film or a small love story is, in my opinion, overkill. On the other hand, for a film like 'Kalki', 'War 2', or 'Coolie', not doing aggressive promotions would be a mistake," he added.A good marketing campaign builds curiosity. A great one makes you restless with anticipation but reveals nothing substantial. Studios need to trust that less can truly be people love content. But they also love the experience. That moment when you gasp in a theatre, not because you knew it was coming, but because you didn't - that's here's a humble request: Tease us. Intrigue us. But don't overfeed us. Let us feel something again - without deja honestly? The best kind of spoiler is no spoiler at all.
News18
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
Vijay Varma Demands 'Harsher Punishment' For Masood Azhar After Operation Sindoor
Last Updated: Sharing a video of the Masjid post the surgical strike, actor Vijay Varma wrote, "Taste your own medicine." As part of Operation Sindoor, Indian Forces struck Bahawalpur, leaving 10 members of Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar's family dead. Sharing a video of the attack post the surgical strike, actor Vijay Varma wrote, 'Taste your own medicine." However, it feels like not everyone agreed with Vijay's point of view. Replying to those, the 'Darlings' actor shared a note on his Instagram stories stating that Masood Azhar deserves an even harsher punishment for what he has done. 'For those who are triggered by the previous story.. Masood Azhar needs an even harsher punishment if there is. Hardened criminal. F**ker escaped justice back in 1999 with IC814 hijacking," Vijay's note read. According to a statement attributed to Masood Azhar, the ones killed in the attack in Bahawalpur included his elder sister and her husband, a nephew and his wife, another niece, and five children from his extended family. The JeM chief also confirmed the demise of one of his close associates, his mother, and two other close companions during the attack by the Indian Armed Forces. Masood Azhar is believed to be behind several terror attacks, including the Parliament attack, the terror strike at Pathankot airbase, and the 2019 suicide attack that led to the death of 40 CRPF personnel in South Kashmir. He was among the three terrorists released by Indian authorities after the 1999 Kandahar hijacking of an Indian Airlines plane. After being released, Masood Azhar went to Pakistan and came up with a new terrorist organisation, Jaish-e-Mohammed. During the wee hours of May 7, the Indian Army attacked several terror sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir as part of Operation Sindoor. The Indian army's attack was in response to the horrific Pahalgam attack on April 22. First Published:
