, growth as a filmmaker comes not from avoiding mistakes but from making new ones. “With every film, I learn from the mistakes of the previous one,” he says in an interview with 

. “But then I go ahead and make a new mistake. That’s the journey. After every release, I realise what worked, what didn’t, and I carry those lessons forward. But the learning never ends.”

It is with this drive that Shetty made the upcoming October release 

 (2022). Despite having five films to his credit, he insists he still feels like a newcomer. “This is my fifth film; 

 was my fourth. But even today, it feels like I am making my first film, because this is my first pan-India project." 

Although his 2022 film became a pan-Indian sensation shortly after release, it wasn't designed to be one. But for the prequel, however, Shetty and makers Hombale Films are going all out.  

Exclusive | Rishab Shetty on 'Kantara: Chapter 1': It Felt Like My First Film 

, only the eyes are enough. That understanding guided the making of 

, cut under near-secrecy, with barely any footage, and against a ticking clock that couldn’t be moved. Dropped on Khan’s birthday last month, the debut visual unit for Siddharth Anand’s much-awaited 2026 actioner was assembled in a blur of instinct, restraint and trust, by a team that knew exactly what not to reveal.

spoke to the team of the creative agency MA&TH, which also designed Khan’s intense first look poster from 

. Rajeev Chudasama (Director & Chief Creative Officer at MA&TH), 

Ravi Dsilva (Business Head) revealed how the 

assets were put together amid huge expectations (and a sea of fan edits).

Chudasama and Kataria were already deeply embedded in the film’s visual conversations long before the pre-teaser came into play. Chudasama, a close collaborator of Anand’s, says the discussions around 

 began early, evolving alongside the film itself.

“Sid and I are friends, so whenever he’s working on something, I’m usually sitting with him, talking through the approach. There’s a constant back-and-forth,” he says. “When we first started talking, the film was slightly different. Some big decisions were taken along the way, and the outlook changed. I was part of all those conversations, so I knew exactly where we were heading.”

But nothing about working on a project headlined by Khan is ever “easy” as the bar is set impossibly high with expectations. “If that was not enough, today you also compete with AI!”

He recalls how, months before any official assets were out, fans were already making AI versions of 

. “Every day, you’d see something new. Some of it was interesting,” he admits. “So you’re not just creating curiosity anymore. You’re also competing with all of that, while keeping the intensity intact!”

Complicating matters further was a very real, very human limitation when Khan had injured his shoulder, ruling out any elaborate photo shoots. A larger campaign had been approved, but only a portion of it was suddenly usable.

“We had a locked campaign, but because of what happened, nearly a third of it was off the table,” Chudasama explains. “So we focused on what we could do. We shortlisted six strong ideas. Each had a different layer of storytelling.”

All of them were developed and explored. But as Chudasama puts it, when you’ve worked with a star for this long, you instinctively know which image will carry the weight.

has been around longer than all of us. At that moment, Sid, Shah Rukh and I all knew which poster would cut through. Still, you always question yourself. What if you’re wrong?”

What finally emerged was striking in its restraint. A minimalist poster. Folded hands. A steady gaze. No excess. That decision was also a conscious pushback against the visual noise dominating film marketing today.

“There’s a lot of drama in posters right now. Too much of everything. Heavy Photoshop, plasticky textures, visuals that almost look AI-generated...” he says. “We were very clear we didn’t want that. We wanted his skin texture to be visible; we wanted him to feel human. The more real you keep it, the easier it is for people to connect.”

Chudasama, who has designed posters for over 750 films, says the calls he received for 

 were unlike anything he’s experienced. “And this was a very simple execution. I wasn’t trying to show my skills. When your subject is this strong, why should you shout over him? That understanding comes from experience.”

If the poster was about restraint, the teaser, set to a catchy background score by Anirudh, demanded precision under pressure. “Because it was extremely hush-hush, not many people knew about it. There were just four of us,” Chudasama reveals. “Shah Rukh sir, Sid, Nilesh and I.”

The footage couldn’t even be sent across. They had to work out of Anand’s office, focusing on storytelling without giving away too much of the plot. Kataria recalls how they had two days and one night to work on it, as the teaser had to be dropped on November 2.

“It was just after Deepavali, when Sid called and said, ‘Come over, watch this footage.’ I asked when he needed it. He said, today or tomorrow!” Kataria laughs and says, there was no room for overthinking, either they had to crack it, or nothing would go out on his birthday.

Khan joined them that very evening, articulating exactly what he wanted the teaser to do and, more importantly, what it shouldn’t. With the film still a year away, the mandate was to not reveal too much about 

“They were clear they wanted to reveal the first look, but it wasn’t clear which look it would be! There was one shot that stood out to everyone,” Kataria says. “The bloodied card in his mouth. That became the reveal.”

Interestingly, that same image had also been shortlisted as a poster option but was eventually dropped to avoid repeating the same impact across formats. “We didn’t want to dilute it,” Chudasama says. “Once it existed in the audio-visual space, it had to live there. This was just a peek into the kingdom. For the rest, you have to wait.”

Shah Rukh Khan's 'King’: Inside the Secretive Race to Cut The Epic Teaser

Fear, when done honestly, is never about what jumps out at you. It is about what follows you home. That idea sits at the heart of 

, and it is also what drew Karan Tacker to the series. This was not a conventional horror project to him, but a story about a man who spent his life walking into the unknown.

Tacker initially describes the show as a ‘paranormal biopic’, but then offers a more layered perspective. “I wouldn’t exactly call it a biopic, because when you say biopic, you’re trying to look the part, behave like the part and talk the part.” 

 is instead inspired by the life and work of Gaurav Tiwari, the real-life paranormal investigator whose brief, intense career ended with a mysterious death at 32.

When the project first came to him, Tacker admits he knew little about Tiwari. “The first thing they asked me was, ‘Are you scared of horror?’” he recalls. “I said, ‘I’m petrified,’” he says with a laugh. The response was simple. Look up this name, Gaurav Tiwari, and call us back.

That late night Google search changed everything. “Here was a guy from a decent family who came to Bombay to become an actor. Then he went to the US, studied flying, became a pilot, had a paranormal incident that irked his curiosity, studied metaphysics at a church there, came back to India to practice it, and died a mysterious death at 32. I was like, wow. This is a banging story,” Tacker says.

Playing someone who once existed brings a weight of its own. Tiwari’s story is well-known, his death unresolved, and his family very much present. “There’s a sensitivity you carry when you’re playing a real person. His parents are still around. His wife is still around. You don’t want to disturb their state of being by doing something just for a gimmick,” Tacker says. 

That sensitivity shaped the show’s creative approach. From the start, the team decided they were not interested in chasing fear for effect. “We were very clear that we are not trying to do horror. Horror hasn’t been interestingly done in India for a very long time,” Tacker says.  Instead, 

 wants to allow fear to emerge organically. “What he did was scary for a layman. If you get scared in the journey of his life, that’s a win for us. But we are not using every tool just to freak you out,” he says.

For Tacker, the project also became his most immersive experience as an actor. He joined early, long before the shoot, spending months in pre-production. “It wasn’t about coming on board, doing your 60 days and leaving. We were constantly building. Deciding tonality, deciding how it would be shot, deciding what it should feel like,” Tacker says.

, Tacker’s choices have resisted easy categorisation. Genre, he insists, has never been the deciding factor. “I’ve never really looked at a genre before doing a part. It’s always been the intrigue of the life of the character,” Tacker says. 

 was not about espionage but about relationships. 

 was not about the uniform, but about the paradox of power and bureaucracy. “You are always trying to find characters that are far from you as a human being. That’s what excites you to get on set every day,” he adds.

Even as the show does well, Tacker is already thinking about what comes next. “It’s a very funny place. You’re promoting, shows are doing well, but you’re already hunting for the next script. You’re enjoying success and feeling like a struggling actor at the same time,” he says.

Asked what he is craving next, his answer is unexpected. “I really want to do a mature love story. I feel old enough now to bring a certain emotional maturity to it. Maybe the romance that’s missing in my real life... I’ll go and find it on screen,” he says with a laugh.

Karan Tacker on Playing a Man Whose Life Ended in Mystery, Finding Fear in ‘Bhay’, and Searching for Love On-Screen

 is persistent. He is persistent with his drive

 Over his almost 30-year-run at the cinemas, the Kannada actor is among the top A-listers in the industry today, but his rise hasn’t been without early struggles. The actor is also persistent with his clarity. When asked about his sharp observation on an actor’s shelf life, he says, “Don't have so much assurance that everything is forever. Fame is important to me, and so are friends and family. At the same time, every day comes to an end, right? So why are you taking today to tomorrow?” he tells 

 at a Bengaluru studio to discuss his love for Kannada cinema, being a pan-Indian star before the term existed, and whether he would ever return to playing a wildly enjoyable antagonist like the one in 

What makes you say yes to a film? Because I've seen you discuss the effort that goes into these scripts. For instance, you worked on the script of 

 for about 8 to 12 months with the director.

It's many things. I would've seen many films and read news about certain films doing extremely well, and would've probably waited for something that excites me. But I will definitely not say yes to a film because something similar has worked in the market. I don't think that can easily make me say yes. For me, it has to excite me. It should be something I haven't done so far, and even if it is something I've done before, it should have a newer plot. 

, but here, there are more layers to the character arc. He is sarcastic, fun and animal-like. Even when he narrated the script to me, I was curious about what was going to happen next. It was worth taking a chance. 

The film isn't going to disturb lives if it doesn't work. If it does well, we're very happy, and if it doesn't do well, we're still happy. We're all safe, and it is not that kind of a budget we've thrown in that we have to be concerned about. If you're allotting me two-odd hours, trust me, I've given you something worth your time. I might not have made a 

We have increasingly seen people take notice of local ecosystems and the specificities of regional cinema, such as Kannada. Is this a good time for the industry? 

There will always be fluctuations, and nothing is a good time or a bad time. It might be because of society's circumstances. Your job is to keep doing something persistently well. But for an industry to do well, it needs collective efforts, but done differently. If everyone does their job well individually, it collectively helps the local ecosystem.

Every language has its own strengths and loose ends. I love my language, and I will strive to do better in Kannada films. I would like to take Kannada films higher. There are a lot of actors who have the same mindset, wanting to do better in the language. There are many minds trying to take Kannada cinema higher. It is being handled by good people.

The industry has a thriving set of stars, such as yourself, who belong to a generation that has been able to attract a loyal fanbase. But do you think the industry needs more star directors like in Tamil and Telugu cinema?

Every industry needs star directors so that it helps the business and acts as an invitation to the theatre. As much as you believe that a star actor can pull a crowd, a star director can pull a crowd, too. It is important. In the last few years, I've seen a lot of newer talents

 and their content is surprising. Over the years, things will be in a much better place.

I have to point out that you were one of the first actors to be a pan-Indian sensation before the term even became commonplace, with films like 

. How do you look at the term today? Is it overused?

It is overused. If anyone says they're making a pan-Indian film, I don't think it's making a difference at all in the market. Overused is probably an understatement because it is used so much. If anyone says the words ‘pan-Indian film,' your expression remains the same. Your eyebrows don't come together, and you don't have another curious question. When a certain film is being spoken about, and you know its value, they don't need to say it's a pan-Indian film. The potential of certain scripts is much larger than these words.

I wasn't thinking much while doing these films, and that's why I did well. Cinema did everything. I didn't think it was pan-Indian or anything. Rajamouli sir called me, RGV called me, and I did these films.

You're someone who can read a film and its fans really astutely, and you have done that over the years with a league of mass films that also have their own subtleties. How important is it for you to balance the creativity of the craft along with what audiences want?

I don't have to strike that balance because I think like an audience. As and when they're narrating the script to me, I'm imagining a film. I can't think like Sudeep, but as an audience member. You're not giving me prefixes or suffixes; I'm just sitting very vulnerable and listening to these scripts. 

You've spoken about retirements, and how any actor, no matter how big they are, needs to hang up their boots at one point. Do you think it is this clarity that drives you? 

This clarity doesn't scare me. If something is still working, then you're thankful for nature, and you can work on things with excitement. It doesn't make me take things too seriously. Don't have so much assurance that everything is forever. Fame is important to me, and so are friends and family. At the same time, every day comes to an end, so why are you taking today to tomorrow? This kind of thinking took me nowhere in my earlier days, and that's probably why I'm like this today.

You've played some deeply significant character roles apart from the exciting hero of the masses. But does stardom also come with a caveat? Do you miss playing outrageously different characters and villains, such as in 

No, I don't miss it. I don't see my character in 

 was a Joker and a Batman film. My hero was Batman, wearing a mask and flying all over the place. He didn't have a face. That's how I heard the story. The film also involved monoacting. 

That's an incredible comparison. Did you play the role thinking this?

Yes. For me, it was very easy because my character in the film imagines what eega explains. I'm reacting to my performance. The intensity of the performance was working for me. Sir [SS Rajamouli] would've given me a brief, but I would react immediately in a way. The fly was more so, many times, me only. I was imagining it in the room. 

I'm not interested in playing baddies and villains who have no purpose. Playing the antagonist also comes with a lot of freedom. The way you can portray a character in a negative role is beautiful. The greys allow you a lot of freedom. Of course, I would love to play a role like this again. Don't forget, I reject about 20 to 30 films a year, though they're hero roles. It's the same thing here. If it doesn't excite me, I say no. 

Kichcha Sudeep Interview on 'Mark': ‘Nothing Is Forever — and That Clarity Doesn’t Scare Me'


We walk into the Grand Suite at Fairmont Mumbai for a preview of filmmaker-entrepreneur 

's D’YAVOL universe. When Aryan finally took his seat across from us, smiling easily and eager to talk, the tone of the afternoon became clear. 

This wasn’t a guarded brand presentation; it was a conversation. And perhaps, the first time many in the room were seeing this side of him: curious, chatty, deeply invested in feedback, and visibly proud of what he calls his labour of love; t

he centrepiece of attention was the D’YAVOL X eyewear.

Founded by Shah Rukh, Aryan, Leti Blagoeva and Bunty Singh, the luxury streetwear label has built its reputation on drop-led scarcity, meticulous detailing and a visual language that sells out within hours. With eyewear, the brand is stepping into a category that feels almost inevitable. “Eyewear has been on our radar for quite some time,” Aryan tells 

“We actually started working on this collection close to three years ago. When you wear sunglasses, it’s one of the first things people notice about you — it can completely transform your presence. And all of us, especially my father, have a personal passion for sunglasses, which made it an exciting space for D’YAVOL X to be in.”

That personal lineage matters. Sparked by Shah Rukh’s long-standing relationship with sunglasses, a style signature that has transcended films and entered cultural memory, the eyewear collection grew from an idea into a full-scale design endeavour. 

“Eyewear has always been more than a style statement for me,” Shah Rukh shared. “It shapes how I express myself, and how I see the world. Watching it grow from inspired sketches into beautifully crafted pieces has been incredibly fulfilling.”

The decision to manufacture in Japan was non-negotiable. Known globally for precision eyewear craftsmanship, the Japanese ateliers brought both discipline and depth to the process. 

“A significant amount of R&D goes into planning a new project,” Leti Blagoeva shares. “Beyond the non-negotiable material choices — titanium and premium acetates — we spent months perfecting weight balance, hinge mechanics and overall comfort.”

For Aryan, the journey into eyewear has been as instructive as it has been creative. “My biggest learning has been understanding the myriad things that go into making a frame,” he says. “Precision engineering, material science, ergonomics and aesthetic choices all have to align perfectly. It’s a category that demands both creativity and discipline, that balance has taught me a lot.”

Looking ahead, D’YAVOL X is thinking beyond categories. “The idea is to build a world, not just a product line,” Aryan explains. “Spirits, streetwear, eyewear, experiential events; these are all parts of that larger universe. Fashion will continue to evolve, spirits will remain a strong pillar, but we’re also exploring new verticals. It’s less about choosing one direction and more about building a cohesive lifestyle ecosystem with its own attitude and aesthetic.”

Aryan Khan on His D’YAVOL X Vision: 'The Goal Is to Build a World, Not Just a Product Line'

Kritika Kamra was 18 when she dropped out of design school to pursue her acting career. "I completed a single semester," laughs the actor, who was spotted by a talent scout outside the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) campus in Delhi. Several years later—a journey which took in a lengthy television career, a lukewarm Bollywood debut and a robust streaming transition—she has landed what can be called her first central leading role in a film. In Anusha Rizvi's well-reviewed

 (on JioHotstar), Kamra is in the thick of things: a bespectacled academic starting on a 12-hour writing binge, her peace usurped by members of her cacophonous clan. 

Tracing two generations of an upper-middle-class Muslim family, it's a witty, sweet-natured film, brought to shimmering life by a large and lovable ensemble. Kamra was approached for the role of Bani Ahmed by Delhi-based casting director Dilip Shankar (Unsurprisingly, Shankar also cast for

, definite texts of the self-reflexive Indian family film). 

"Frankly speaking, it's tough for an actor like me to be cast in a central part," Kamra says, plainly. "There's the whole commerce of the film industry and various factors that go into casting. Even then, there are not many films being written with women at the centre." Her audition was a self-shot video of her making chai (tea), among other scenes from the script. "Dilip sent the video to Anusha and I got the part. It was gratifying to know that there are filmmakers who still trust and follow the audition process." 

Excerpts from a conversation with the actor...

'The Great Shamsuddin Family' released a week after 'Dhurandhar' and picked up organically...

It’s no secret that there was no marketing for this film. We were entirely relying on word of mouth to get noticed. Since the day of release, there’s been a barrage of wonderful feedback. Ravish Kumar wrote about it. Karan Johar and Neeraj Ghaywan gave us a shoutout on social media. Varun Grover championed the film and left a beautiful review on Letterboxd. Cinephiles have written long essays on the film. The scene where my character says, “People who take care also need to be taken care”, has been shared on cinema pages, and the comments sections are flooded with beautiful messages. It’s the first time I am experiencing something like this.

What were the workshops/rehearsals like? 

There were two table reads: one in Bombay, one in Delhi. Anusha lives in Delhi, and we shot the film there. The workshops were very theatre-like, actually. We were playing out whole scenes and the camera was sort of deciding what it wanted to capture. Of course, stalwarts like Farida Jalal, Dolly Ahluwalia and Sheeba Chaddha come from a background of theatre. With the kind of filmographies they have, they don’t need rehearsals with lines. So it wasn't about that. It was more about finding the rhythm. That and getting used to the technicalities, since we were confined to one location for the entire period. Unlike some films where you dress up multiple locations, the film was shot entirely in the one house in Chattarpur in South Delhi. Only the rooftop scenes were filmed in the Nizamuddin area, with the Humayun’s Tomb in the background.

What was the most emotional or memorable scene for you to perform? 

It’s the scene in the dining room where Bani's elder sister Humaira (played by Juhi Babbar Soni) is speaking to Bani about what's going on in her life. I love that scene because it captures her inner life, what's going on in her head and heart. Bani’s relationship with Aditya is coming apart. Her sister, meanwhile, is not judging it but she is not very supportive either. Anusha orchestrated things in a way that we as actors really lived that moment and brought truth to it. There was not a tinge of self-pity in that scene; it felt very real. I remember getting a lump in my throat towards the end of it, really feeling it.

The one scene that felt strange is where Bani suddenly goes, "I am not a liberal". What was your reading of the moment?  

Anusha is extremely nuanced with her writing. She’s also very politically aware. So when she says liberal, she is really illustrating the difference between a left-minded academic like Bani and, you know, social media liberals, which is not a crowd she identifies with. She is also a progressive liberal but as she says, she does not want to impart half-baked knowledge on every news cycle. 

The word 'liberal' returns in the scene on the terrace, when the character Latika asks Bani if she got a 'TT' (Triple Talaq). 

A lot of people didn't get that reference, including my own father. Triple Talaq has been a hot topic of discussion in our nation (it was criminalised by the Parliament in 2019). That scene is the culmination of microaggressions that Bani is feeling throughout the film. Earlier, in the kitchen, Latika calls her a hypocrite. And then she says, "This is such a funny interfaith marriage situation."  It's like she's amused by this elopement, while the family is obviously scared. So the TT line on the terrace is basically the last straw. Bani snaps back, rightly judging that Latika is trying to be superior and is virtue signalling. This is the gaze of self-described liberals that Anusha is calling out. 

My career is not decided by an agency. It is a result of my own choices. And they are very personal and instinctive to me. 

 has emboldened my risk-taking appetite. I'm currently gearing up for another indie project that will require a physical transformation. Then there's 

, directed by Nagraj Manjule and co-starring Vijay Varma. I have a glamorous turn in it, in 70s' Bombay, with all the jazz and vintage cars and retro stylings. The first look will be out by early next year. It's a big show, and Nagraj sir has created a fascinating world rooted in ambition, money and class struggle. 

Kritika Kamra Interview: 'My Career is Not Decided by An Agency'

PVR INOX Executive Director Sanjeev Kumar Bijli doesn’t believe ticket prices are a cause of the decline in footfalls. “It’s the films; if it's a good film, then people will come,” he says—this despite several filmmakers, including 

, being vocal about how movie-going has become prohibitively expensive.

“If you check into an expensive hotel and get great service, you don't think about the price. It’s when you get bad service that you question the value for money,” offers Bijli. Over the last two years, there has been persistent doom-and-gloom around the health of the Hindi film industry. But Bijli is surprisingly optimistic about footfalls. “The admission numbers are steadily going up. Last year it was 130 million at our cinemas alone. This year we should reach 150 million, which clearly shows an incremental increase,” he says.

The state of the box-office supports this optimism. Despite 2025 being a disappointing year for Indian cinema tentpoles—

, among them—Ormax Media reports that as of November, the cumulative box-office for 2025 is 18 per cent higher than the same period in 2024. Ormax also estimates that 2025 stands a strong chance of becoming the best-ever year at the Indian box office, a record currently held by 2023.

Last month, ahead of the box office juggernaut 

 about ticket prices, ad overload, the health of the industry, why 2025 could be the year of sleeper hits, the ongoing OTT-versus-theatrical debate and more.

What do you make of the year so far in terms of box-office and moviegoing?

I think this has been one of the best box-office years post-COVID. We look at our exhibition business as BC and PC—before COVID and post-COVID. That period gave rise to and strengthened OTT platforms. A lot of films went straight to streaming, and the post-theatrical window shrank from eight weeks to six. It’s gone back to eight weeks, but the perception among consumers is still that films arrive on OTT within two to three weeks. That perception caused a permanent dent to the exhibition business.

This year, however, we’ve seen a strong resurgence in cinema attendance compared to last year, which was lukewarm due to the Hollywood strike. Several English-language tentpoles like 

My sense is that it’s been a good year for films overall, but a poor year for blockbuster tentpoles. Would you agree?

 did very well and crossed ₹100 crore, as did 

 ended up doing ₹200–250 crore—not a small number, but lower than expected. 

 was expected to replicate the success of 

 and reach ₹500–600 crore, which it didn’t. Meanwhile, 

Many big Hindi tentpoles we were counting on have also moved to next year—

. What’s interesting this year is the return of sleeper hits, which were critical to our business pre-pandemic. Smaller films starring actors like Rajkummar Rao or Ayushmann Khurrana kept cinemas going then. Over the last few years, these films went from being called “multiplex films” to “OTT films” because they weren’t spectacle-driven. Now, they’re back to being multiplex films. It was encouraging to see 

. This is what’s made the box office far more buoyant this year.

What about the window between theatrical and OTT release? Aamir Khan has spoken about how short windows discourage audiences from coming to theatres.

With Hindi films, we’re satisfied with an eight-week window. But the perception persists that it’s still only two to three weeks, partly because the first logo audiences see on the big screen is “Streaming Partner.”

For Tamil and Kannada industries, we’re in constant dialogue. Our argument is that shorter windows leave money on the table theatrically. If a film opens well, people continue coming to cinemas for weeks—often it takes two or three weeks just to make a plan. Moviegoing is a community event. From our perspective, eight weeks is the sweet spot, and we hope to find common ground.

But Tamil and Telugu films don’t always release at PVR in Mumbai?

Only the Hindi-dubbed versions don’t. If we accept those terms for Hindi, it can have repercussions across the Hindi film industry. The original-language versions do release.

In Hollywood, stars and filmmakers actively rally around theatrical releases. Do we see that camaraderie here?

They may not make public statements like Aamir did during 

, but choosing theatrical releases and promoting films aggressively is itself a vote of confidence in theatres. That said, no one here has quite done what Tom Cruise has.

Ticket prices are the most common complaint against PVR. Is there a solution?

The national average ticket price is ₹260. We still believe cinema is an affordable form of entertainment, though some may disagree. There’s also the economic reality—rising real estate costs, electricity expenses and minimum wages. These are massive input costs, and our ticket prices remain among the lowest globally. In the US and UK, they’re $10–20.

While income levels differ, real estate costs in cities like Mumbai and Delhi are comparable to global metros. Balancing this is a challenge. That said, we’ve introduced initiatives like Cinema Lovers Day and Super Saver Tuesdays, along with bank offers like buy-one-get-one-free. We’re closely monitoring this, but we don’t believe pricing is why people stay away. It’s the films. If it’s a good film, people will come. Otherwise, you wouldn’t see a ₹600 crore 

Would a 20–30 per cent weekend price cut meaningfully increase footfalls?

No. Prices are already palatable, and massive Friday openings happen at current rates. Those openings are a result of content resonating as much as pricing.

What about the complaint about endless ads before films?

We’ve reduced them and capped ad time at around 15 minutes, split between pre-film and interval. Feedback indicated it had gotten out of hand, and we acted on that. We’re also running ad-free pilots in select metros. We’re very conscious of customer experience—irritating audiences is the last thing we want.

Filmmakers have said PVR charges them to play trailers.

That’s not happening anymore. It existed pre-COVID. We now see trailers as essential to exciting audiences. We’re limited to four trailers per show, and marketing is a joint effort. We actively promote films through our platforms, posters and standees.

If you were investing in one Indian film industry over the next two years, where would it be?

Definitely the south. It consistently delivers strong storytelling and high returns on investment. The films may be lower on glitz, but they’re rich in content—and that’s only getting better.

PVR INOX’s Sanjeev Kumar Bijli on Falling Footfalls, OTT Windows and Why Ticket Prices Aren’t the Problem

Just hours after Indo Warehouse’s performance in New Delhi this past week, founders Armaan Gupta — aka Kahani — and Kunal Merchant sit across a screen with 

, visibly excited as they speak about the days ahead on their India tour. The momentum from the Delhi crowd still lingers, underscoring the significance of a return that feels less like a tour stop and more like a homecoming.

Formed in New York, Indo Warehouse emerged from a clear creative gap: the absence of a global club sound that authentically reflected South Asian musical depth. Rather than relying on familiar motifs, the collective set out to build Indo House as a genre rooted in rhythm, melody and emotion — drawing from south Asian traditions while remaining firmly embedded in contemporary dance culture. What began in underground spaces has since evolved into a global movement, connecting dance floors across continents.

The past year marked a series of defining milestones. Indo Warehouse became the first south Asian electronic collective to perform at Coachella, sold out London’s Roundhouse, and debuted at Hï Ibiza. With over 100,000 attendees across six continents, more than 50 releases, and upwards of four million streams, the collective has steadily expanded both its reach and its influence. Collaborations with artists such as Sid Sriram, Red Baraat, Raja Kumari and Tech Panda and Kenzani further reflect a commitment to bridging generations and genres.

Now, as Indo Warehouse brings its sound back to India for a landmark six-city tour — Mumbai performances, including a set at Sunburn Music Festival tonight — the moment signals more than success. It represents recognition, continuity and the growing global presence of South Asian electronic music on its own terms.

THR India: How do you define Indo house music?

House or broadly dance music that authentically incorporates south Asian elements — percussion, vocals, other instruments. It's a broad definition by design. It follows the path set in place by other genre driven house music like Afro house or Latin house. We believe there was always a space for this. In fact there's been a lot of music that could have been classified as Indo house but was never given a name.

THR India: Would you consider yourselves as one of the first in the genre at this scale?

 No, definitely not. There have been plenty of incredible south asian collectives. Medieval Pundits are one of the OG pioneers of the fusion of electronic and South Asian sounds. In this day and age, we are one of the first few in terms of the kind of sound we're making and how we are making it accessible to people around the world; people who don't necessarily come from the dance world. We write our own original music and also pull from nostalgic sounds that we grew up with. It's about bringing people together. We’re not the first to do it, but I think we're one of the first to bring a lot of us together around this sound.

THR India: When did you know that this was what you wanted to do?

We have different histories. This has always been a dream of mine. It's such a unique thing for a kid growing up to have an opportunity to be a full-time musician, DJ or producer. For a long time a lot of us have been kind of brainwashed to believe that we can't do that, that it’s not stable enough. That is still in my head a little bit. So we really believe we're in a situation where we have a responsibility to our community, to artists who are like us, to continue to build this path forward so we can see more of us on stages. I look at it more as a responsibility than a career. 

 There was a lot of passion behind bringing people together on a dance floor. From the first show, we set some pretty lofty goals and then didn't stop pursuing them. If we're going to do this, we thought we should go all in, otherwise what's the point? The two of us were working in tech at the time and we quit our jobs.

We actually didn't know each other until 2021 so even our relationship is fairly new. But both of us were working in start-ups and tech and we took a huge leap to do this.

THR India: What are the elements of Indian music that you would consider as non-negotiables for an Indo Warehouse track?

The typical things that people would assume are going to be in a track would be a vocal sample, some 

, and boom. That's exactly what the West would do. And we're from New York... diaspora kids. We were born there, we live there. But we also see the actual depth of our culture, and love it. We grew up in an environment where we saw non-Indians try and make something supposedly Indian, and know that there was so much more to this. Slapping on some tabla [beats] and some dhin-dhin-nak is not cool. There's so much more. We try to push beyond the typical.

You've also collaborated with a lot of great artists. What was it like to work with people like Sid Sriram and what do you look for in collaborators?

Any work with Sid right now is at a very early stage. Just being in the room with him, able to share our sound with him is really amazing. We don’t force an artist to want to do something. They have to understand our vision with the sound which is very new to a lot of people. The time I had in the studio with Sid, we spent 90 per cent of it just listening to music together and sharing what we're into. When you're singing a record, look at how much space you have in electronic music to let things breathe.

But our collaborations with artists vary and can be done remotely over WhatsApp. In fact, Kahani sometimes sings a voice note, sends it to an artist and they come back with an amazing vocal.

THR India: Who have you sent a voice note to recently?

Pretty much every person that I work with, actually. There’s a record that will be coming out soon, called ‘Rang Rasiya’, with Chitralekha Sen. I remember when we were chatting on WhatsApp, I created the structure for the song and then we were going back and forth on what it should be. I sent her a voice note singing a melody. And in classic Chitralekha fashion — literally 24 hours later — she sent me back a full arrangement and the song was done. As a producer, you have to write down or record yourself even if you're not a singer or not trained in something. It is vulnerable but you'll regret it later if someone can't hear your vision.

THR India: What are some of your other collaborations that are particularly memorable?

Recently I worked with Raja Kumari on a few records and we just released one too. It was an amazing experience because she's incredibly talented as a songwriter. I had a record that had a sample on it and I couldn’t clear it. I basically presented the song to Raja and said that we had to fix this and if she could write something on it. She was in New York, working late. She came to the studio at 1 a.m. and by 3 a.m. she had figured out the problem. Now that’s released, and it’s one of the songs I’m super excited to perform in Mumbai.

THR India: Does performing in India feel like a homecoming of sorts?

Yeah. We came here two years ago for the first time as Indo Warehouse and we did a 10 city run. At that time, our sound was generally not being played anywhere. It was very new. We met a lot of new fans, and every dance floor was filled. Two years later, all you hear is our sound, effectively. Not all of it is necessarily our music, but the general style of it. A lot of DJs are trying to create that and that's really amazing to see. There's a lot of talent here. India has grown a lot in the last few years. There's a lot happening, almost too much happening (laughs). There's like a show every day in every city featuring acts from around the world.

 Coming here is so special. If you look at the data, our biggest communities of fans — streamers, social media following — are based here. To come here and see them is such a tremendous privilege. What we experienced in our show in New Delhi was a feeling that we hadn’t had in a long time. The crowd was exceptional. We've played in the world's best cities — Ibiza, London, New York, Amsterdam, Toronto — but our first tour date this past weekend in New Delhi was such an amazing crowd to play for. They were there early and so warm to us. You know, sometimes in the world people hold up their phone and have song requests. There wasn't a single song request in Delhi. During my set, the crowd went into some chant, on their own. It was almost like being in a soccer match. It's making me think about this Mumbai show and how exciting that's going to be.

THR India: Speaking of concerts, we have to talk about Coachella. How did that come about?

 It is invite-only, I guess, if that's a phrase. After our first show, four years ago, we had said that we're going to take this to Coachella and make everyone see that the sound is infectious. So in the fall of 2024, we got a call from our agents. They broke the news, and said, ‘Coachella wants you to perform!' Our jaws were on the floor. We thought: what does that mean? Will we get an early slot? Would people be there? Quickly, we found out they were giving us a closing slot on the Gobi stage which we never really expected. But we owned it. The next six-seven months all we did was prepare for that. We brought a team of almost 40 people — stage managers, production managers, content people, dance teams, artists, featured artists. And it was incredible.

They give you a stage and it’s a blank canvas — you have to build everything from the ground up. You have 40 to 50 minutes to create your performance. There've been South Asian artists at Coachella, but I don't think there's ever been a presentation like ours. It was not one dimensional. Obviously, Diljit [Dosanjh] performed and it was an incredible show, largely Punjabi. But we also had an incredible percussionist [Nihal Singh], with multiple dhols. We had Bhangra dancer, Raas dancers.

THR India: You feature a lot of nostalgic Indian tracks. Are there any singers you’re inspired by or want to work with?

So many. We're inspired by the legends, of course. The idea was spawned when I heard a dance beat on a beach in Mexico and Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's Qawwali in my head on top of that. But today, it's also about new talent, learning who's on the streets. Young talent defines the next five to ten years and with them, you build for the future.

I agree. One of the goals is connection. Some phenomenal nostalgic artists have inspired us, but the desire to work with them is more for ourselves. We feel pride in working with new south Asian talent.

Our shows [in Mumbai]. We have the rest of our India tour over the next 10 days. But after four years of nonstop touring, we want to take a step back. We want to be in the studio every day, just like the gym. Create so much music so that six months from now, the second half of 2026, we reintroduce ourselves to the world. The next phase of Indo Warehouse is going to be a very fun, very beautiful new version of us.

From Coachella to Sunburn: Indo Warehouse on Taking South Asian House Music Global

Varun Sandesh is a curious ophthalmologist in ZEE5’s latest show, 

. He steps into the role of Nayan, a young doctor who hatches a plan to peek into the private lives of people. 

, in an interview. “He's a very curious guy who likes to peep into people's lives,” he adds with a laugh. Directed and written by 

Swathi Prakash Mantripragada, the series will be available for streaming from December 19. 

Sandesh, who is making his streaming debut with the title, discerns that 

 is a commentary on today’s times, where surveillance is a huge talking point. “When I first made my debut in 2007, social media wasn't as big. Private things were usually kept private, and a lot of people didn't really know much about whoever they wanted to follow. But now it's become easy to follow and stalk people and find out what's going on in their lives. Everything is out in the open, and the access is easier. Too much of anything isn't good, and that's what Nayan depicts.” 

The actor, who has played villains in films such as Sundeep Kishan’s 

 (2023), doesn’t box Nayan with the baddies he’s played on screen. 

“He’s complex. I loved the story, and Swati garu’s narration instantly pulled me in. It's a fictional story, but she made it sound so believable.” The actor, who has gone on to do several films since his debut in Sekhar Kammula’s 

(2007), a college drama that remains a fan favourite up until today, is still fondly associated with the film. But he doesn’t mind. The hit film went on to gain cult cultural importance in Telugu cinema, even prompting remakes in other languages. Sandesh plays Chandu, an engineering student, who is smitten by Madhu (Tamannaah Bhatia) in the friendship drama. The film is as nostalgic to him as it is to fans, he says. Sandesh recollects writing his twelfth-grade mid-term papers in the US when he heard about 

“I recorded my audition in a camcorder, reading out Chandu's lines, and my sister was prompting Madhu's lines. I watched the audition and told him not to send it because I wasn't happy with it. But he went ahead and sent it in without my knowledge,” he adds. While he isn’t in touch with the gang, besides Nikhil Siddharth and Aadarsh Balakrishna, he understands why the film is treasured. “We shot most of the film in CBIT college, and we all stayed right behind the college in a resort. I'm not sure if it's still there, but it was called Treasure Island. The whole cast and crew stayed there for the whole shooting process, and Nikhil and I were roommates. The whole process was beautiful.”

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