Musical genius AR Rahman recently shared his insights on India’s potential to foster unity through its rich cultural heritage. Speaking at the launch of his new show, Nexa Music 3, Rahman emphasized how India’s diverse cultural landscape provides an extraordinary opportunity to unite people through music, words, and thoughts. “India’s cultural wealth presents a unique chance to bring everyone together through sounds, words, and thoughts,” Rahman passionately stated.
Discussing the need to advance regional music, Rahman identified empowerment as a critical factor. He explained, “The human mind works with empowerment. I feel, if the mind is empowered, everything can be done. One has to manifest while making any song that this is the best song that I am going to make, and everyone is going to love it. Every language is important, and everyone can shine anywhere. One should never underestimate any artiste.”
At the same event, attention also turned to the entertainment industry with news of the upcoming police-villain chase drama, Bad Cop. Directed by Aditya Datt, the fictional series features the talents of Gulshan Devaiah and Anurag Kashyap, along with other notable stars like Harleen Sethi, Saurabh Sachdeva, and Aishwarya Sushmita. Kashyap, particularly, delved into the complexity of his character, Kazbe. “I have created many characters that are gory, quirky, and dark, but it was difficult for me to be one. Kazbe is someone who doesn’t think too much before doing anything; he just does it. He is dreadful, eccentric, nefarious, and a quintessential villain,” Kashyap revealed.
In a more light-hearted vein, singer-songwriter Arjun Kanungo shared a memorable fan interaction. During a promotional event, Arjun was asked if he had ever been serenaded by his fans. Although he hadn’t experienced that, he recounted a touching incident where a female fan took his leftover cake home. “I was at a restaurant when a female fan came up to me for pictures.
. When I left the place, I saw that she took the leftover cake and put it in her pocket,” Kanungo said, recalling the unusual yet endearing encounter.
Meanwhile, Shweta Bachchan Nanda set the record straight about her daughter Navya Naveli’s Bollywood aspirations. Amid rumors speculating Navya’s entry into the film industry following her brother Agastya Nanda’s debut in ‘The Archies,’ Shweta clarified, “I think, you are very well acquainted with the work that Navya does, and she has her hands full. I don’t think Bollywood is the way to go for her.” Currently, Navya is busy with her own podcast, often featuring her mother and grandmother, Jaya Bachchan.
Actress Vidya Balan offered insight into her social media success, particularly on Instagram, where she enjoys a massive following. “It has been about two years since I started using reels. I was shooting in London for the film, Neeyat, and I had a lot of time at my disposal. My manager had been telling me, ‘Why don’t we do reels?’ I was just having fun. After a reel went viral, I realised that I did what I enjoyed, and people also enjoyed it. So, I started doing it regularly,” explained the actor, who was recently seen in Do Aur Do Pyaar and is set to appear in the next edition of Bhool Bhulaiyaa.
In another segment, actor Sargun Mehta credited producer Ekta Kapoor for opening doors for female filmmakers in the television industry. “In television, Ekta Kapoor cleared the way for everyone. She left no stone unturned to make sure that we don’t have that hassle of being told, ‘How will you do it [produce a show]?’ She already did it in such a way that nobody could question [a female producer]. In Punjabi movies, people were not used to the idea of [women] producing projects; not that they mocked me, but they didn’t think that I would pull it off the way I did,” said Mehta, who has several producing projects lined up including the TV show, Badal Pe Paon Hai.
Additionally, Netflix has announced the arrival of the third season of its popular teen drama series, Kota Factory, set to premiere on June 20. Created by Raghav Subbu, the series is based in Rajasthan’s Kota, an educational hub, and outlines the challenges students face as they strive to crack the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) to secure admission into the prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT). The new season will delve into the students’ tumultuous transition into adulthood, with Raghav Subbu at the helm as showrunner, and Jitendra Kumar returning as the beloved teacher and mentor.
Indeed, from empowerment through music to breaking gender norms in the entertainment industry, India’s cultural diversity continues to manifest in myriad forms, providing endless opportunities to bring people together and celebrate unity in diversity.
