Vicky Kaushal is able to draw parallels between his upcoming film, The Great Indian Family, and the film industry. Just like his film celebrates the diverse Indian cultures, the film industry, he says, is an example of variety. “Our film industry is a representation of India’s beautiful diversity. Here, you will see people from various backgrounds making a living through sheer talent and work ethic. When we are on set, we are all one unit working towards the end goal that is making a film we are all proud of. Our film industry is a microcosm of what India is and I’m fortunate to be part of it.”

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Saira Banu recently shared an interesting anecdote about her 1984 film, Duniya. Taking to Instagram, she wrote, “Years before I starred in this [film], I had given up my acting work, which was my love, because I was not getting enough time to be at home to share the beautiful life I had embarked upon by being fortunate enough to have married Dilip sahib, the Emperor.” In the note, she recalled how Kumar once told her, “Saira, I know that you have stopped working so that we can share this precious time together. These precious moments could not have been possible if you had been away somewhere.” She added, “Then he said that he would like me to do a special appearance in the film.”

Wise call

At the 69th edition of the National Awards, which were announced last month, Vicky Kaushal-starrer Sardar Udham earned trophies in five categories. Kaushal, who won the Best Actor honour previously for Uri: The Surgical Strike, lost the title this year to Pushpa: The Rise actor Allu Arjun. “We have a great jury who made a great decision. And, it was a fantastic performance by Allu Arjun,” said Kaushal when asked to respond to the choice. “Being a Punjabi, I consider it a huge deal to get the chance to play Sardar Udham, because this is the story that we have heard since childhood, and it is personal. I’ve always wondered why this story was not told to a wider audience,” he said about his film.

Nithya’s next up for release

Nithya Menen’s Telugu comedy-drama series Kumari Srimathi is set to premiere on Prime Video on September 28. The announcement was made by the streaming platform yesterday. The series stars Breathe actor Menen in the titular role of Srimathi and is comprised of seven episodes. Set against the backdrop of a village in the East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh, Kumari Srimathi presents a hilarious take on the challenges faced by a 30-year-old woman, as she confronts stereotypes prevailing in a small, tradition-bound town. It has been directed by Gomtesh Upadhye.

Hassa ke dikha, say kids

Entertainment platform BookMyShow recently released a survey which shed light on Gen Z’s consumption tastes. Comedy shows, it appears, emerged to be a hot favourite among youngsters, with 35 per cent of the transacting audience for comedy events belonging to this group. Apart from Indian comedian and actor, Vir Das, the platform also considered artistes like comedian Zakir Khan and Anubhav Singh Bassi while collating the details. Bassi featured in Ranbir Kapoor’s Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar  and is set to head on a pan-India tour this year. It also considered sales for South African comedian Trevor Noah’s upcoming India tour, Off The Record.

Just another girl in the city?

Shruti Haasan seemed to have had an unpleasant experience at the Mumbai airport following her return from Dubai. A stranger appeared to follow the actor and got too close for comfort as she made her way to her car. The incident was captured by lensmen and saw an irked Haasan attempting to get rid of the man. She was also seen irately conversing with him. She asked the cameramen if they could identify him. While she attempted to avoid an encounter with him, and walked in a different direction, he subsequently approached her again.