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

Madhuri Dixit
Interviews

Madhuri Dixit on 'Mrs. Deshpande' and 40 Years of Cinema: 'When I Walk Into My House, the Fame Stays Outside'

Madhuri Dixit discusses her ever-expanding screen legacy, and her latest JioHotstar series 'Mrs Deshpande', directed by Nagesh Kukunoor.

BY Justin Rao
Kirti Kulhari
Interviews

Kirti Kulhari: 'Four More Shots Please' Still Continues to Rattle Some Men

As 'Four More Shots Please' gears up for its finale, Kirti Kulhari talks about how the Prime Video show has transformed her over the years

BY Justin Rao
What does it actually cost for a Bollywood star to show up, smile at your wedding ceremony, pose with your uncles and aunts, and accidentally photobomb your cousins?
Columns

Lights, Camera, Scoop | Bollywood’s Wedding Rate Card: What do SRK, Salman Khan, Ranveer Singh, Janhvi Kapoor and Others Charge?

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

BY Justin Rao
Pankaj Tripathi
Interviews

Exclusive | Pankaj Tripathi To Turn Full-Fledged Producer Soon; Talks Collaborating on 'Feature-Length Productions' Next

Pankaj Tripathi, who has presented the series 'Perfect Family', says stepping into producing would finally give him the creative agency and authorship that acting alone cannot.

BY Justin Rao
Barbara Broccoli at the ongoing Doha Film Festival
Insight

Doha Film Festival 2025 | 'James Bond' Producer Barbara Broccoli Warns That Film Financing Getting ‘Increasingly Difficult’

Barbara Broccoli, producer of the iconic James Bond films, urged the audience to watch movies in cinemas. 'You really need to support them'.

BY Justin Rao
Nicky Bentham, Barbara Broccoli, David Oyelowo, Hassan Al Thawadi and Fatma Hassan Alremaihi
Insight

Doha Film Festival 2025| David Oyelowo, Rachel Brosnahan and Cynthia Erivo Come Together For ‘Othello’ Adaptation

According to the makers, the screenplay reimagines the classic text in a contemporary war-torn desert in the Middle East. 

BY Justin Rao
 Steven Soderbergh attends the premiere of 'The Christophers' during the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival
Interviews

Doha Film Festival 2025: Steven Soderbergh on ‘The Christophers,’ His John Lennon Doc, and Why Today’s Box-Office Climate Is Squeezing Young Filmmakers

Speaking at the Doha Film Festival 2025 during the premiere of 'The Christophers,' Soderbergh said the tension between artistic instinct and commercial survival has become sharper than ever.

BY Justin Rao
Team 'The Voice of Hind Rajab' at the Doha Film Festival 2025
Insight

Doha Film Festival 2025 | ‘The Voice of Hind Rajab’ Director: 'There is Nothing Stronger Than Cinema for Empathy'

The film, centred on the final moments of a six-year-old Palestinian girl trapped inside a car under military fire, drew a visibly emotional response from its makers as they recounted the responsibility of bringing her story to screen.

BY Justin Rao
The opening ceremony of the Doha Film Festival 2025
Insight

Doha Film Festival 2025: ‘The Voice of Hind Rajab’ Kicks Off Opening Ceremony With Emotional Tribute

The Doha Film Festival will run from November 20 to 28 and feature 97 films from 62 countries.

BY Justin Rao
Shiladitya Bora at TIFF for 'Bayaan'
Insight

Producer Shiladitya Bora Breaks Down Indie Films’ Economics, Box Office and Revenues

Having backed 'Masaan' and 'Bayaan', Shiladitya Bora champions craft, clarity, and commercial sense in indie filmmaking

BY Justin Rao
'Sairat'
Insight

THR India's 25 in 25: 'Sairat' Was A Gut-Punch That No One Saw Coming

The Hollywood Reporter India picks the 25 best Indian films of the 21st century. Making the list is Nagraj Manjule’s 'Sairat', which unravelled the caste violence hiding beneath Indian romance.

BY Justin Rao
'Udaan'
Insight

THR India's 25 in 25: 'Udaan' is the Scream of a Generation Yearning to Break Free

The Hollywood Reporter India picks the 25 best Indian films of the 21st century. Making the list is Vikramaditya Motwane's 'Udaan', a powerful exploration of rebellion and coming of age.

BY Justin Rao
India's OTT space is going through a supposed crisis.
Columns

Lights, Camera, Scoop: A Storm is Brewing Inside India's OTT Space, And Creators Are Privately Sharing Their Grief

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

BY Justin Rao
Vijay Subramaniam
Interviews

Vijay Subramaniam on AI 'Mahabharat': 'It’s Engineering, Not Mindless Prompting'

AI films aren’t made with "mindless prompts,” says Vijay Subramaniam, adding that while the tech has its place, it can never replace the magic of Shah Rukh Khan opening his arms.

BY Justin Rao
Rana Daggubati
Interviews

Rana Daggubati Discusses His New Film Slate Across Tamil, Telugu and Hindi; Keen to Create 'More Democratic' Production Company

Rana Daggubati's new slate also includes a Hindi film starring Manoj Bajpayee, adapted from the novel 'Last Man in Tower'

BY Justin Rao
A still from ‘Baahubali: The Epic’
Theatrical

‘Baahubali: The Epic’ Movie Review: A Decade Later, SS Rajamouli's Vision Still Dwarfs Every Pretender

'Baahubali: The Epic' is towering and overwhelming, and a pulsating reminder that nobody has come close to matching SS Rajamouli's ambition yet

BY Justin Rao
Stills from 'The Odyssey', 'Sitaare Zamneen Par' and 'Coolie'
Rambling Reporter

Bollywood's Cardinal Sins: Industry Leaders Discuss Theatrical-To-Streaming Window, Poor Marketing and Sky-High Ticket Prices

From Aamir Khan’s YouTube experiment to Christopher Nolan’s advance booking strategy, cinema is evolving globally — but can India keep pace?

BY Justin Rao
Stills from 'Dhadak 2' and 'Homebound'; Somen Mishra
Interviews

Somen Mishra: Dharma's Creative Head on 'Homebound' Oscar Race, Box-Office and Why Trolls Don't Bother Him

Somen Mishra talks about what the year means for Dharma Productions, the CBFC battles, the box-office talk, and more

BY Justin Rao
Karishma Tanna in Croatia.
Travel

Travel Like Karishma Tanna: How The Actor Curated an Unforgettable Vacation in Croatia

Karishma Tanna’s European getaway was all about island winds, blue horizons and old towns.

BY Justin Rao
A still from 'Rockstar'.
Interviews

Sing For Me: The Lost Art of Lip-Synced Songs

The multiplex generation turned away from lip-syncing in movies, deeming it ‘unrealistic’ — but audiences are hungry for its return.

BY Justin Rao