Category: 5. Entertainment

Two emerging talents from Bollywood romantic drama “Saiyaara” have earned IMDb Breakout Star STARmeter Awards, marking a significant milestone in their burgeoning careers.

Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda received the honors based on their exceptional performance on IMDb’s Popular Indian Celebrities rankings, which measures engagement from the platform’s global user base. The recognition spotlights performers who demonstrate strong audience appeal and suggests promising career trajectories ahead.

In “Saiyaara,” helmed by Mohit Suri and backed by Yash Raj Films, Panday makes his film debut portraying musician Krish Kapoor, while Padda takes on the role of journalist and songwriter Vaani Batra. Both actors have navigated complex character arcs involving personal redemption and inner conflict.

“Saiyaara” released worldwide July 18 and has become the highest grossing Bollywood romance of all time with $62 million. It is also the second highest Indian grosser of 2025 after “Chhaava.”

The pair has dominated IMDb’s popularity metrics in remarkable fashion, each securing the top position on India’s celebrity rankings in back-to-back weeks. Their appeal has transcended local boundaries, with both performers landing in the global top 100 — Padda at 64 and Panday at 75.

Panday said: “The IMDb ‘Breakout Star’ STARmeter Award is the first award of my acting career, and the fact that it comes directly from audiences makes it all the more special. I spent my whole childhood scouring IMDb, seeing different polls, watching the rise and fall of various movies and shows. IMDb was a portal for me to lose myself into world cinema. To be mentioned on it, to be a part of it, to be honored by it, and to know that I’m up there somewhere, would have been something that that a 12-year-old on his box computer could never have fathomed, but always dreamed of.”

The actor also acknowledged key industry figures: “I’d like to thank Adi sir [Yash Raj Films chair and MD Aditya Chopra] for believing in me and Mohit sir for being the best mentor I could have asked for in this journey of ‘Saiyaara’. Sharing this award with my co-star Aneet makes this achievement even more special. She deserves not only this but the world. For now, I want to focus on my journey ahead. I want to focus on my next film and work twice as hard to deliver another performance that I can be proud of. I’m overwhelmed to have received this unanimous love from people, it still shocks me to this day, and honestly, I think the only way to go forward is keep my head low and keep working.”

Padda added: “I’m delighted that ‘Saiyaara’ and my performance in it has resonated with audiences worldwide, which has led to my winning the IMDb ‘Breakout Star’ STARmeter Award. Winning an accolade that is driven by audiences makes this truly a meaningful recognition. I’m thrilled to have entertained people with a performance that has touched them. I’d like to dedicate my first award to the entire cast and crew of the film, and to Adi sir and Mohit sir for their belief in someone like me, and to my co-star Ahaan. It’s been an absolute joy to share the screen and this journey with him. It is truly precious when people believe in your skills and give you that one chance you need. Playing Vaani has been one of the most joyful and intense experiences of my life. I can’t wait to be back on screen soon and do what I love most, bringing stories and incredible characters to life. I want to focus on my next film, take all this love and channelize it to do even better on screen next time.”

The STARmeter system analyzes page view data from IMDb’s 250 million-plus monthly visitors worldwide, creating rankings that industry observers have found to be reliable indicators of emerging talent. The awards program has previously spotlighted actors including Monika Panwar, Zahan Kapoor, Kani Kusruti, Sharvari, Nitanshi Goel, Adarsh Gourav, Ayo Edebiri, and Regé-Jean Page.

Park Chan-wook is among the deans of Korean cinema, famous for writing and directing “Oldboy,” among other films, and producing “Snowpiercer.” He also has a new film premiering later this month at Venice, “No Other Choice.”

So when it was announced Friday that Park and his writing partner, Don McKellar, had been expelled from the Writers Guild of America, it naturally raised a question about what it would mean for his career.

The answer is: Almost nothing.

“It has absolutely no impact on employability,” said Adam Levin, a partner at Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp. “Neither the union nor the producers can discriminate against you based on your non-union status.”

Park can still write, produce and direct movies and TV shows, either overseas or in the U.S. Companies that are signatories to the WGA contract are free to hire him in whatever capacity they want, or to buy his finished films. He can also work for non-signatory companies, domestically or abroad, without a waiver from the WGA.

And if there’s another writer’s strike, he can keep on writing.

Park and McKellar were disciplined for writing their HBO mini-series “The Sympathizer” during the 2023 strike. The WGA considers such conduct “scab writing,” and punishes it in order to deter future strike-breaking and to maintain a credible strike threat.

According to a source familiar with the situation, “The Sympathizer” had been written and shot and was in post-production when the writers’ strike began in May 2023. Park and McKellar worked to complete the show, believing they were following the strike rules, which forbid members from performing “writing services” for a struck company.

The question of what constitutes “writing services” is the source of a multi-decade dispute, with the WGA and the Directors Guild of America offering conflicting advice. Under the DGA interpretation, members are allowed to do things like cut existing material for time or make minor adjustments in dialogue. The WGA sees those actions as “writing” and forbids them.

According to the source, Park is adamant that he did not write during the strike. A WGA trial committee recommended a censure, but the board increased the discipline to expulsion, the source said.

The WGA did not respond to a request for comment.

Park only joined the WGA in order to work on “The Sympathizer,” as his previous work was not governed by the contract. He opted not to appeal the board’s decision.

Expulsion is the most severe form of punishment the guild can mete out. But the Taft-Hartley Act of 1947 outlawed the “closed shop,” meaning that the union cannot limit job opportunities solely to its own members.

The WGA can require that non-members who work under its contract pay a fee to compensate for the cost of union representation. So if Park or McKellar wanted to write another prestige cable drama, they could do so, but would have to pay the “financial core” rate to the union. The rate is currently 4.21% less than standard WGA dues.

Signatory employers would also have to abide by the minimum terms of the WGA contract, and would have to pay pension and health contributions on their behalf. Park and McKellar would also be eligible for benefits on the same terms as members are, and would also be entitled to union representation in disputes with the employer.

The effects of the expulsion are limited. Park cannot vote in WGA elections, serve in WGA offices, attend WGA events, or be eligible for WGA awards.

The most significant effect may be the public stigma. The WGA maintains a website listing ex-members who have elected to take “fi-core” status or who have been kicked out. For an early-career writer, that could hinder job opportunities even if, legally, it shouldn’t.

But Park will be in good company on the list, along with other big names who have voluntarily opted out of WGA membership. Those names include George Clooney, Sylvester Stallone and George Lucas.

The Jonas Brothers were determined to make the opening night of the band’s Jonas20: Greetings from Your Hometown Tour one to remember.

The band — consisting of brothers Joe, Nick and Kevin Jonas — kicked off their 20th anniversary tour on Sunday at MetLife Stadium in their home state of New Jersey. But to make it more special, they surprised their fans with some special guests throughout the show, including Demi Lovato.

The Jonas Brothers and Lovato previously starred in the 2008 Disney Channel Original Movie, Camp Rock, which saw Joe and Lovato play love interests onscreen as well as have a real-life romance in 2010. They also reprised their characters in the sequel, Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam.

During Sunday’s show, they performed “This Is Me” and “Wouldn’t Change a Thing” from the movie, with clips from the concert quickly going viral on social media. Lovato later shared an Instagram carousel to reminisce on the special performance, writing, “Hey siri play this is me by mitchie torres.”

Jackie Chan wants you to know that although he’s a grownup, he can still pack a punch.

“Today, I’m 71, [and] I still can fight,” the iconic martial artist said on Aug. 9.

Chan made the declaration during his acceptance speech for a lifetime achievement award at the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland. His comments stem from a conversation he had with his father as a teenager.

“One day, my father was cooking a big dinner party in the American embassy,” he said. Chan’s father was a then-60-year-old professional chef who at the time worked at the American embassy in Australia. Chan went on to describe his life then: “I have nothing to do, and at that time, I was around 17. I just sit in the kitchen, watching my father, cooking the whole day.”

In a conversation about the younger Chan’s career plans, his father said that he was still able to cook at 60. Then he asked his son: “Can you still fight when you’re 60?”

In a lengthy sit-down interview at the festival, the Rush Hour actor explained that his ability to continue to perform action scenes at 71 comes from years of discipline instilled in him as a child at the China Drama Academy.

“Back then, I remember, I would get up at 5:30 a.m., go running for an hour, hang upside down for another hour, do 5,000 punches, 1,000 kicks,” Chan said. “The teachers would hit you on your head or across your face with whatever they were holding.”

Chan said that training at this pace meant that he could “take the pain [on film sets] later.”

“I broke my ankle in the morning, and I kept on working in the afternoon,” he said of making movies. “I broke my hand on the set, and the same day, I’m shooting again.”

Karate Kid: Legends, from left: Jackie Chan, Ralph Macchio

Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

The winner of an honorary Academy Award did admit that he has some reservations about growing older.

“I’m scared that I’m getting old,” Chan said. “But sometimes I think about [those that came before me]. My teachers. They didn’t get old. They died very young. I was lucky. … I don’t know when I’ll die, so it doesn’t matter. Right now, I know I’m getting old, but I do my old man things. Even fighting — I do the old man fighting now.”

At the New York premiere of Karate Kid: Legends in May, Chan said he could do “triple and double kicks” decades ago, but now, as a martial arts elder statesman, “[If] I do one kick, I do one kick.”

AARP’s advocacy work includes fighting ageism in Hollywood and encouraging the entertainment industry to tap into the unique perspectives and talents that actors, writers and producers who are 50 and older bring to their work. AARP’s annual Movies for Grownups Awards, telecast on PBS, celebrates the achievements of the 50-plus community in film and television. This year’s honorees included best actress Oscar winner Demi Moore, 62 (The Substance), and best actor Oscar winner Adrien Brody, 52 (The Brutalist).

Jennifer Aniston said she had been “mourning” her Friends co-star Matthew Perry long before he died in 2023.

During a recent interview with Vanity Fair, the actress opened up about how she and her fellow Friends castmembers — including Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer — tried to help Perry over the years during his struggles with addiction.

“We did everything we could when we could,” she said. “But it almost felt like we’d been mourning Matthew for a long time because his battle with that disease was a really hard one for him to fight. As hard as it was for all of us and for the fans, there’s a part of me that thinks this is better.”

The Morning Show star added, “I’m glad he’s out of that pain.”

Perry, who died at age 54 from the acute effects of the anesthetic ketamine, with drowning a contributing factor, previously detailed how his friends helped him in his memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing. He also told Diane Sawyer in 2022 that Aniston “was the one that reached out the most” throughout his entire struggle with addiction, which dated back to his early years on the hit sitcom that ran from 1994 to 2004.

Following his death, Aniston shared a touching tribute to her late friend and co-star. “Having to say goodbye to our Matty has been an insane wave of emotions that I’ve never experienced before,” she wrote on Instagram in November 2023. “We all experience loss at some point in our lives. Loss of life or loss of love. Being able to really SIT in this grief allows you to feel the moments of joy and gratitude for having loved someone that deep.”

She continued, “And we loved him deeply. He was such a part of our DNA. We were always the 6 of us. This was a chosen family that forever changed the course of who we were and what our path was going to be. For Matty, he KNEW he loved to make people laugh. As he said himself, if he didn’t hear the ‘laugh’ he thought he was going to die. His life literally depended on it. And boy did he succeed in doing just that. He made all of us laugh. And laugh hard.”

(Web Desk) – Hania Aamir has faced backlash after sharing a video that many deemed reckless and unsafe. In the clip, Hania is seen riding a motorbike through the streets of Karachi with a friend, with both wearing no helmets.

Social activist Shaniera Akram took to Instagram to express her concern. Known for her longstanding advocacy for road safety, Shaniera criticised the video and stressed the responsibility that comes with influence.

Read More: Hania Aamir’s daredevil ride through streets of Karachi takes internet by storm

She emphasised that her remarks were not a personal attack against Hania but rather a reminder of how dangerous such stunts can be. She also said she was thankful that Hania remained unharmed.

Many on social media echoed Shaniera’s sentiments. One user commented, “People need to keep their kids away from Hania’s influence.”

Another remarked, “Hania is a chapri and an attention seeker,” while others simply stated, “Shaniera is right here.”

The incident has sparked a broader conversation about the responsibilities influencers have when it comes to setting examples for their audience—especially when it involves safety.

Hania Aamir is known for her vibrant Gen Z persona and fun. With a massive following, her actions have the power to influence countless young fans.

At the end of Squid Game season three, Cate Blanchett appears playing ddakji in a back alley with a man who seems to be homeless, which is similar to what her counterparts did in South Korea in the events of the series.

In an interview with Variety, the Oscar winner said the “came out of the blue,” and the actress said she was not given the complete details about it.

“Because it’s such a cult series and they were shooting in L.A. of all places, everyone was on a need-to-know basis,” she explained, adding she had to bring her own suit because the production said.

To keep her cast a surprise, Cate said she practised her scene several times to get it right. “I got a couple of storyboards. I had to [learn to] play the game very quickly. I had to practice and practice.”

The star continued, “I knew there were four or five setups that they were going to do, and I knew what they needed from every shot, and then I was given the sides. But it was one of the more mysterious jobs.”

Given her cameo, the actress expressed openness to appearing in the potential Squid Game spinoff or sequel.

“I am wildly open to anything,” she shared. “And in a world that is so beautifully, magically created like that, for sure.”

The 56-year-old also raved about the makers of Squid Game, which has a massive global viewership. “They’re amazing world-builders, and that series has been eaten alive. I don’t think there’s a corner of the globe that it hasn’t touched in some way.”

Squid Game is streaming on Netflix.