Justin  Rao

Justin Rao

Entertainment Correspondent

Justin Rao writes on all things Bollywood. An alumnus of ACJ, he has keen interest in exploring industry features, long form interviews and spreading arms like Shah Rukh Khan.

MORE FROM JUSTIN RAO

A still from 'Kennedy'
Insight

Lights, Camera, Scoop | Anurag Kashyap’s 'Kennedy' to Finally Release in India; February Streaming Debut Locked

The Hollywood Reporter India's weekly column 'Lights, Camera, Scoop' unravels the behind-the-scenes madness of the big Bollywood machinery.

BY Justin Rao
According to Ormax Media’s Top 50 Streaming Originals in India: The 2025 Story, the year’s most-watched streaming originals together amassed over 654 million views
Insight

Top 50 Streaming Originals: Netflix, Prime Video, JioHotstar, Amazon MX Player, SonyLIV... Who Won the 2025 OTT Race?

Returning seasons dominated the upper end of the charts, while new originals struggled to break through unless backed by strong branding or star value.

BY Justin Rao
Linkin Park
Insight

Lollapalooza India 2026 Day 2: Linkin Park Unites a Generation for a Historic Night

Beyond Linkin Park, day two of Lollapalooza India also maintained the festival’s genre-spanning momentum

BY Justin Rao
Yungblud, Mother Mother, Knock2,  and The Midnight at Lollapalooza India
Insight

Lollapalooza India 2026: Yungblud, Knock2, Mother Mother, The Midnight Dazzle on Day One

The night closed with hip-hop maverick Playboi Carti, making his first appearance in India.

BY Justin Rao
A still from 'Border 2'
Columns

Lights, Camera, Scoop: Sunny Deol's 'Border 2' Beats 'Dhurandhar' at Box-Office; Midnight Shows Added After Morning Glitch

The Hollywood Reporter India's weekly column 'Lights, Camera, Scoop' unravels the behind-the-scenes madness of the big Bollywood machinery.

BY Justin Rao
The collaboration will see Marvel superhero tales, including Iron Man, X-Men, Captain America, and Fantastic Four, featured across 36 audio series, produced as high-quality audio content for on-the-go listening.
Insight

Exclusive | Marvel’s 'Spider-Man', 'Avengers' Among 36 Other Titles Added to Pocket FM's Hindi Audio Line-Up

The stories will unfold across multi-episode arcs, bringing the power of Disney’s storytelling to a new, mobile-first generation of listeners.

BY Justin Rao
Varun Dhawan and Sunny Deol in 'Border 2'
Insight

'Border 2' Box-Office: Why The Varun Dhawan Memes and Trolling Could Not Dent The Sunny Deol Juggernaut

Headlined by Sunny Deol, Varun Dhawan, Diljit Dosanjh and Ahan Shetty, 'Border 2' is set to release on January 23.

BY Justin Rao
Sunny Deol in 'Border 2'; Sumit Arora
Interviews

'Border 2' Writer Sumit Arora: Sunny Deol Sir Brings Gravitas To Every Dialogue We Give Him

As he awaits the release of the patriotic drama 'Border 2,' screenwriter Sumit Arora talks about his writing journey, and how some of his most popular lines were born in a cafe.

BY Justin Rao
Suniel Shetty; with son Ahan Shetty
Interviews

Suniel Shetty on Son Ahan's 'Border 2' and His Father's Rags-To-Riches Story: 'He Worked As a Waiter, Slept On Sacks'

Suniel Shetty has come on board to be the host and mentor on Amazon MX Player's show 'Bharat Ke Super Founders'.

BY Justin Rao
Ranveer Singh and Akshaye Khanna in a still from 'Dhurandhar'
Columns

Lights, Camera, Scoop | 'Dhurandhar' Box-Office Update; Aditya Dhar Cuts Sequel's Trailer With No Extra Shoot for Akshaye Khanna

The Hollywood Reporter India's weekly column 'Lights, Camera, Scoop' unravels the behind-the-scenes madness of the big Bollywood machinery.

BY Justin Rao
2025 turned out to be the Indian film industry’s highest-grossing year ever.
Insight

Indian Box-Office Crosses Historic ₹13,000 Crore as Bollywood Hits Record ₹5,504 Crore, But How Did Other Industries Fare in 2025?

The Ormax box-office report highlighted the rising average ticket price, which coincided with dwindling footfalls recorded across the board.

BY Justin Rao
Mithila Palkar talks about 'Happy Patel'
Interviews

Mithila Palkar on How ‘Happy Patel’ Set Broke Bollywood’s Entourage Culture: 'No Phones, No Personal Teams'

Mithila Palkar traces her journey: from breaking out on the Internet 10 years ago to attempting comedy with her latest film 'Happy Patel' backed by Aamir Khan

BY Justin Rao
If the films land big, 2026 could reset benchmarks across openings, lifetime grosses and global box-office potential.
Rambling Reporter

2026 Box-Office Predictions: 'Dhurandhar 2,' 'Ramayana,' 'King' and More

With 'Ramayana', 'Dhurandhar 2', 'King' and a stacked slate of star-driven tentpoles, 2026 could be Indian cinema’s biggest year yet — if the audience shows up.

BY Justin Rao
Sajid Nadiadwala
Insight

Exclusive | Sajid Nadiadwala in Advanced Discussions for Half-Billion Dollar Strategic Deal With International Company

The major development comes at a time when the producer is awaiting the release of his upcoming biggie, 'O'Romeo' starring Shahid Kapoor.

BY Justin Rao
Kiara Advani in a still from 'Toxic'
Insight

Exclusive | Kiara Advani's Character in Yash's 'Toxic' Inspired by Cirque Du Soleil

Advani will be kicking off 2026 with the Geetu Mohandas directorial, which features her playing Nadia.

BY Justin Rao
Dhanush and Aanand L Rai might reunite after 'Tere Ishk Mein'
Insight

Exclusive | Aanand L Rai Might Plan an Epic Period Action Romance with Dhanush After the Success of 'Tere Ishk Mein'

An ambitious reunion between Aanand L Rai and Dhanush might be on the cards, with the possibility of the duo exploring a large-scale period action romance.

BY Justin Rao
Stills from 'Tere Ishk Mein', 'Saiyaara' and 'Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat'
Insight

Heartbreak High: How ‘Saiyaara’, ‘Tere Ishk Mein’ and ‘Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat’ Used Music, Reels and Anguish to Rule the Box-Office

'Saiyaara', 'Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat' and 'Tere Ishk Mein' reshaped the box office conversation in 2025, presenting a heady cocktail of sad songs, broken hearts, and sold-out shows.

BY Justin Rao
Shah Rukh Khan in a still from 'King'
Columns

Lights, Camera, Scoop: Is Shah Rukh Khan's ‘King’ Headed the ‘Dhurandhar’ Way? Decoding Bollywood’s New Two-Part Temptation

The Hollywood Reporter India's weekly column 'Lights, Camera, Scoop' unravels the behind-the-scenes madness of the big Bollywood machinery.

BY Justin Rao
Mr Faisu.
Interviews

Mr. Faisu: The Rise Of An Unlikely Digital Powerhouse

Mr. Faisu has quietly become one of India’s most enduring digital success stories. Now, he’s ready to prove that content creators can become something more.

BY Justin Rao
The Indian box-office in 2025 thrived on shocks and surprises
Insight

Top 10 Highest-Grossing Indian Films of 2025: From 'Dhurandhar' and 'Kantara: Chapter 1' to 'Saiyaara'

India’s 10 highest-grossing films of 2025 have collectively amassed ₹5,500 crore-plus worldwide, underlining a sharply top-heavy year at the box-office; here's a breakdown of the year that went by

BY Justin Rao