Latest news with #JioHotstar
Mint
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Mint
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2 on OTT: When and where to watch Smriti Irani's much-awaited comeback
Twenty-five years after it first reshaped Indian television, 'Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi' is making a grand return with a brand new sequel. The show, produced by Ekta Kapoor, will premiere on Tuesday, July 29 at 10:30 PM on Star Plus, and will also be available for streaming on JioHotstar, giving long-time fans and new viewers alike a chance to experience the next chapter in the iconic Virani family saga. The reboot, titled 'Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2', brings back beloved stars Smriti Irani as Tulsi Virani and Amar Upadhyay as Mihir. The show marks a powerful blend of nostalgia and reinvention, as it reintroduces the themes of family, duty, and relationships to a new era of television. The show will simultaenously air on Star Plus and also stream on JioHotstar. Fans of the show, who have waited with baited breath, This sequel is more about rebooting memories, redefining Indian family drama, and perhaps most importantly, reuniting viewers with the characters they've never forgotten. 'Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2' isn't simply about reviving a cult classic. The first teaser, shared on Star Plus' Instagram, begins not at the traditional Virani mansion, but in a restaurant. A present-day family fondly recalls the original show, before the scene shifts to a quiet, moving image of Tulsi watering a tulsi plant. In a symbolic moment, she breaks the fourth wall and says, 'Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi wapas aa raha hai,' a gesture that bridges generations and invites audiences back into the world they grew up with. Alongside the returning leads, the new season introduces fresh faces to the ensemble cast, including Rohit Suchanti, Shagun Sharma, Aman Gandhi, Tanisha Mehta, Prachi Singh, and Ankit Bhatia. These younger actors bring contemporary perspectives and storylines to the established dynamics of the Virani household. As Indian television continues to evolve, 'Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2' promises to deliver both emotional resonance and modern drama—offering loyal fans a nostalgic homecoming and new audiences a timeless tale in a refreshed format.
NDTV
6 hours ago
- Sport
- NDTV
"If Ben Duckett Had Been Batting On 90...": Ex-India Star's Blunt Take On 'Handshake' Row
Former India cricketer Parthiv Patel commented on the handshake controversy that erupted during the fourth Test between India and England and questioned "if Ben Duckett had been batting on 90 in the same situation and the opposition offered a handshake, would England have accepted it?" In the final moments of Day 5, drama unfolded after India fought to keep the series alive courtesy of Ravindra Jadeja's (107*) and Washington Sundar's (101*) gritty 203-run unbeaten partnership. With the draw in sight, England captain Ben Stokes went to the Indian pair to offer his hand to signal the end of the contest. With Jadeja on 89 and Sundar on 80, the southpaws refused to accept it and opted to chase their centuries as they neared the three-figure mark. During the last few overs, England bowled spin and even part-timer Harry Brook and seemingly threw half-hearted deliveries at the duo, with hopes that Jadeja-Sundar would finish off quickly and spare the English attack from more humiliation as they gave away a 311-run lead, which turned into a 114-run lead for India. The exchange was shown on live television, with Stokes taunting Jadeja if he will score his century against Harry Brook, not even a part-time bowler for his team. Even opener Zak Crawley chimed in with some banter, saying that Jadeja should have played faster if he wanted his century. These remarks during the last hour of the match revealed the immense tiredness, frustration, and helplessness of an English attack that had squandered a chance of winning the series, with their skipper Stokes even putting his body on the line, holding up his shoulder and grimacing after every delivery. "England did things their own way. Their effort was clear -- they wanted to bowl India out and win the game," JioHotstar expert Parthiv said. "But when they realised that wasn't possible, they put their weapons down and acknowledged that India had played very well," he added. He also appreciated India's gritty approach with the bat and the resilience shown by the batters. "At the same time, India did what they wanted to do in their own way -- two players worked really hard, batted brilliantly, and both deserved to score centuries," he said, referring to the long, determined effort from Jadeja and Sundar. However, Parthiv raised a thought-provoking question about how England might have responded in a reversed scenario. "The only question I have is this: if Ben Duckett had been batting on 90 in the same situation and the opposition offered a handshake, would England have accepted it? I am very curious to know this, especially with so many talking about the 'spirit of the game,'" he said. The former India wicketkeeper believes the game still had some cricket left in it and that India had earned the right to continue batting. "In my opinion, the game should have continued till the end of the day, even if the Indian batters completed their centuries. If 15 overs were still left, India should have batted because they worked extremely hard," Parthiv stressed. He also recalled how precarious the situation looked just a day earlier, highlighting the turnaround. "Before lunch on Day 4, when two wickets fell, it looked like India could lose the Test on Day 5. But from that point to batting through 143 overs is an incredible effort," he pointed out. Parthiv concluded by supporting the Indian team's intent while expressing that he would've liked to see them continue for a bit more. "So, I believe what India did was absolutely right -- though personally, I feel they could have batted a bit more," he said. The series is still alive at 1-2, with the final match at The Oval to start from July 31.
Mint
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Mint
OTT releases this week: Housefull 5, My Oxford Year, and much more - Movies, web series to watch
From comedy and food shows to crime stories and dramas, there's a lot to watch this week. With new films and series coming to Netflix, JioHotstar, Prime Video and Apple TV+, here's a quick look at what's streaming in the coming days. Eccentric billionaire Ranjeet Dobriyal (played by Ranjeet) dies suddenly aboard a luxury cruise during his 100th birthday celebration. He leaves behind a staggering £69 billion fortune and one cryptic clause: it all goes to 'Jolly.' The twist? Three different men aboard the ship claim to be Jolly—each bearing the same scar and a seemingly perfect backstory. What follows is a rollercoaster of confusion, deception and comedy, promising a chaotic inheritance battle at sea. Anna De La Vega (Sofia Carson), a determined American postgraduate student, arrives at Oxford University with clear goals and a rigid schedule. But her carefully structured life takes an unexpected turn when she meets Jamie Davenport (Corey Mylchreest), a charming British poet who introduces her to the world of literature and spontaneity. As their bond deepens, Anna is forced to question her ideas of control, success and what it truly means to live in the moment. Balaji Telefilms' iconic serial returns with a second season, launching on its 25th anniversary. The show marks the return of Smriti Irani and Amar Upadhyay in their beloved roles, while also introducing a host of new characters. Fans can expect a blend of nostalgia and fresh drama as the timeless family saga continues in a new era, reflecting changing times and relationships. This Telugu-language action thriller tells the emotional story of a brother and sister, blending heartfelt family dynamics with intense action sequences. As their bond is tested through a series of life-altering events, Thammudu delivers both sentiment and suspense in a story driven by love, sacrifice and resilience. The final chapter in Netflix's Trainwreck documentary anthology revisits the bizarre 2019 Facebook event 'Storm Area 51, They Can't Stop All of Us.' What began as a humorous online post by Matty Roberts quickly spiralled into an internet sensation, triggering military responses and culminating in a quirky desert gathering known as Alienstock. This episode features interviews with Roberts, alien cosplayers, meme creators, military officials, and local residents who witnessed the surreal event unfold. Narrated by WWE Chief Content Officer Paul 'Triple H' Levesque, this five-part docuseries offers a rare glimpse into the world of professional wrestling from behind the curtain. Viewers are taken inside the closely guarded writers' room that shapes the company's biggest storylines, including the build-up to WrestleMania 41. Featuring appearances by superstars like Cody Rhodes, John Cena, Rhea Ripley, CM Punk, and Bianca Belair, the series unpacks the creative decisions, character arcs and strategic planning that drive WWE's spectacle long before the action hits the ring. This three-part true-crime docuseries delves into the twisted mind of David Berkowitz, also known as the 'Son of Sam' killer. Using previously unheard audio interviews recorded in 1980 at Attica Correctional Facility, the series offers a chilling window into Berkowitz's psyche. Alongside the tapes, interviews with detectives, journalists and survivors provide new insight into the fear that gripped New York City during his infamous crime spree in the late 1970s. Directed by renowned true-crime filmmaker Joe Berlinger, the series promises a harrowing and in-depth exploration. Based on Mio Wakagi's bestselling novel, Glass Heart is a Japanese musical drama about second chances, resilience, and creative rebirth. The series follows Akane Saijo (Yu Miyazaki), a university student and drummer who is abruptly removed from her band. Her journey takes a new turn when gifted musician Naoki Fujitani (Takeru Satoh) recognises her raw potential and invites her to join his new group, TENBLANK. With fellow musicians Sho Takaoka and Kazushi Sakamoto, they embark on a shared quest for musical success, grappling with personal setbacks, rivalry and self-discovery. Set in late-18th-century Hawai'i, Chief of War tells the story of Ka'iana (Jason Momoa), a noble warrior returning home from travels abroad. He finds his homeland divided by internal strife and under the looming threat of Western colonisation. The nine-episode series chronicles his efforts to unite the warring chiefs of the islands before foreign powers can invade. Told from an indigenous perspective, the series explores Ka'iana's journey through violence, loyalty, and cultural preservation, offering a powerful narrative of resistance and identity.
Indian Express
8 hours ago
- Sport
- Indian Express
Consistent line, early focus on bat and ball, faith from Gautam Gambhir: Washington Sundar's journey to becoming an integral member of the Indian team
'Ni ena periya Prasanna va? (are you the great (EAS) Prasanna?)' This was a question that a young Washington faced from his father, M Sundar, in 2016 over a dinner table in Kolkata. In the lead-up to that year's Under-19 World Cup, as Washington was leaking runs in the preparatory fixtures in Kolkata, Sundar only found out what was wrong once he saw his son bowling at the venue. 'He was tossing them up like a classical off-spinner would do. And Sarfaraz Khan hit him for three-four sixes over mid-wicket in one over. I couldn't believe what he was doing,' he tells The Indian Express. That night, Sundar would drop in to the team hotel to have a quiet word or two to remind Washington what he originally is. 'When he joined the team for the camp, they wanted him to flight the ball and toss it up. He is not Prasanna or (R) Ashwin. Washington's strength is constantly attacking the stumps and bowling in the same spot again and again and testing batsmen's patience. Now that Ashwin isn't around, you can't expect him to bowl like him. He is a great with over 500 Test wickets. Washington has to bowl like Washington…' Sundar pauses before completing the sentence: 'And bat like Washington.' What-a-TON Sundar! 💯 Grit. Determination. Dominance. Held the fort till the very end, a maiden test century to cherish forever! 🙌🏻#ENGvIND 👉 5th TEST | Starts THU, 31st July, 2:30 PM | Streaming on JioHotstar! — Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) July 27, 2025 In India's ongoing tour of England, Washington has shown with the ball and bat why he would be an integral member of the national team squad going forward. At Edgbaston and Lord's, he has shown his off-breaks don't need favourable conditions and that he has enough guile to create opportunities. And on the final day at Manchester, his unbeaten 206-ball 101 showed why he deserves to bat up the order. With a strong defence as his base, he is capable of constructing innings like any other top-order batsman and that's one of the reasons why many in Tamil Nadu cricket have been harping, for long, that Washington's batting capabilities are being under-utilised. That may no longer be the case as Washington is emerging into a cricketer that Sundar has been dreaming of all along. 'I wanted him to be the captain's go-to man across formats with bat and ball. When you are switching formats, I didn't want anything to be compromised. If your foundations are strong, you can manage everywhere. I have given Washy a strong base,' Sundar says. For decades, Kamal Haasan has been the lone, bright shining star in Chennai's Eldams Road. Now, with the 25-year-old all-rounder's breakthrough performances in England, he has Washington for company. The traits that Sundar spells out are what caught Stephen Fleming and MS Dhoni's attention in the 2017 IPL. In 2025, it is why India are counting on Washington every time they pick him in the XI, knowing he won't give away easy runs and can make telling contributions with the bat. It is precisely what Washington has delivered through the series, where he has left so much of a mark with the ball that Shubman Gill's captaincy came under sharp scrutiny for not bowling him till the 69th over of England's innings at Manchester. He may not be a conventional off-spinner, but the drift alone has caused England batsmen plenty of trouble. 'Very early in his age, all that I would make him bowl was spot bowling. I would drop a handkerchief on the pitch just outside the off-stump line. Washington's job was to keep landing the ball repeatedly on it and hit the top of off-stump. With that line and the drift he was getting, I believed, he had more chances to succeed because he would constantly be bowling in the line of the stumps and even if it holds its line, then the outside edge will come in play. As a spinner, he can still test both the edges. And when he was also deceiving batsmen with his drift,' Sundar says. Being tall, Washington's high-arm release and open-chested action mean he has the sight of batsmen at all times, allowing him to make adjustments till the point of release. Those huge fingers, impart plenty of revs, which in turn enable him to get the drift. That has become the sucker punch for batsmen. 'He has always had the drift,' AC Pratheepan, who has been mentoring him of late in Chennai, says. 'In the last few years, he has undergone a small tweak, where he wants to use the crease and angles more to create the illusion in the minds of batsmen that he is getting more turn than what is actually on offer.' #WashingtonSundar reflects on how special it was to score his maiden Test century to help save the match and how he and #Ravindrajadeja planned the rescue act together.#ENGvIND 👉 5th TEST | Starts THU, 31st July, 2:30 PM | Streaming on JioHotstar! — Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) July 27, 2025 If that drift left both New Zealand's Tom Latham and Rachin Ravindra squared up, in Manchester, it left Harry Brook in a different postcode. In all of it, apart from the drift, the angle causes an element of illusion. Pratheepan points out how Washington has slightly changed his grip on the ball, which enables him to impart more revs than before. 'Actually we'd been working on these things for way too long. Unfortunately, he went through a lot of injuries in between, which delayed it a bit. But once he got fully fit, his bowling has just evolved. It might seem like he isn't doing much, but in terms of angles, speed and trajectory, he bowls a lot of variations that will make him effective across conditions,' Pratheepan, who also mentors Varun Chakaravarthy, adds. In January 2021, when Washington left Brisbane, he had put his imprint on a famous Test series win. He would later name his pet dog 'Gabba' and was full of hope. In the next two months, he would play three more Tests against England and had scores of 85*, 0, 0, 96*; only to be never picked again till the beginning of 2024. As India moved on from the Virat Kohli-Ravi Shastri era, it appeared they were doing so without Washington as well, going two entire World Test Championship cycles without considering him. Injuries (Two in his fingers and one in his shoulder and hamstring) also played their part, as every time he made a comeback, a lay-off seemed around the corner. Washington would change his diet plans, would go about improving his fitness, yet something seemed to hold him back. 'It was definitely not an easy period,' his father Sundar says. 'It was difficult to see him because he looked stressed and down. Personally, I've never seen him like this and at home, we, as a family, tried everything to keep in a good frame of mind. Growing up, because of cricket, he has missed out on a lot of things that other kids get to experience. And since he always calls me a hard taskmaster (Sundar was Washington's first coach as well), at the ground, he was always fear-stricken when he saw me at home.' During his stint as mentor of Lucknow Super Giants, Gautam Gambhir had told assistant coach Sridharan Sriram how Washington was being under-utilised in Indian ranks. Now in the hot seat as India head coach, at his first sight of distress during the New Zealand series, it was Washington that Gambhir turned to. When many expected Kuldeep Yadav to feature in the series – similar to the current circumstance in England – it was Washington who came in after a solid spell in the Ranji Trophy and got a spot in the XI. Washington's batting, despite his heroic efforts at Brisbane, Chennai and Ahmedabad, has gone under the radar. In Chennai cricket circles, many, including the reputed WV Raman, have always seen him as a top-order batsman who can bowl rather than a bowler who can also bat. In Washington's formative years, Sundar had ensured his son got equal attention to both facets of the game. The mornings would see him alternate every day between bowling and batting before it was fine-tuned at the MRF Pace Foundation. 'When Sundar brought him, even as a 14-year-old he could face fast bowlers bowling with a full run-up. He wasn't afraid of facing them,' M Senthilnathan, who coaches him at club level, says. 'Even when he came here, he had a strong defence. When your defence is strong, you can add shots to your batting. He doesn't need to change his game based on the format. He has shots that go all around the park. If he constantly gets to bat higher up, you will see more from him as a batsman. With confidence, he would only get better,' he says.
Indian Express
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Hiten Tejwani says Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2 co-star Smriti Irani is ‘still the same' even after 25 years: ‘Despite everything she's achieved…'
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi is returning to the small screen with Season 2 today. Ahead of the premiere, actor Hiten Tejwani, who played Karan Virani in the original series 25 years ago, confirmed in an interview that he will be reprising his role. In the recent interview, Hiten also spoke about returning to Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi sets after over two decades and reuniting with Smriti Irani. While talking to India Today, Hiten said, 'It's an honour to be part of a show like Kyunki, and to come back after almost 25 years… it feels like we never stopped. It's like we've just picked up where we left off.' He continued, 'This show is a legacy. Being part of it again feels like a blessing. No one expected it to return. TV has changed, audiences have changed, but the fact that Kyunki is back and people still care and it's amazing.' Recalling his first reaction when he heard the news about season 2 of Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, the actor said, 'I was really happy. After all, how often does an iconic show like Kyunki come back? I just felt grateful to be a part of it again.' He added, 'We're back as Karan and Nandini. How and in what way, that's something you'll have to watch and find out!' ALSO READ | Amar Upadhyay reveals Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2 will run for 10 months to a year: 'Mihir has changed a bit, but his relation with Tulsi is the same' When asked if reprising his role as Karan Virani was a challenge, Hiten Tejwani said, 'It was like coming home. Of course, there's always that process on the first day of figuring the character out again, but it felt easy. Familiar.' Hiten was also thrilled to reunite with actor-turned-politician Smriti Irani after so many years. 'She's still the same on set. Despite everything she's achieved, she brings that same energy,' he shared. Along with core values and relationships, Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2 will also focus on contemporary issues. 'Even back then, the show was ahead of its time. This version will also highlight topics that haven't been shown on TV much. The essence remains the same, but the themes will be fresher,' he revealed. Hiten also confirmed that a new generation of Viranis will be introduced in the show. 'You'll see new faces, but the roots are intact.' Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2 will air at 10:30 pm on Star Plus tonight and stream on Jio Hotstar as well.
