Panchayat's Binod recalls rejection over looks: Went to parlour, got facial
'After a week, I got a call where they said, 'Why don't you go to a beauty parlour and get a facial done?' I was told there should be some shine and charm on my face. Deep down, I knew nothing would change, yet I went to the parlour and got a facial done. Then I turned to home remedies like applying haldi at night before sleeping, just to look good.""I used to tell people that I was focusing on my face and looks, but I didn't really put in much effort, just went to the parlour that one day. That was a tough time for me because I could see others giving auditions in front of me and getting selected,' recalled the actor," he said. However, it was not long before things changed for the actor. 'Finally, I got to play the part I had auditioned for, because they couldn't find anyone who could deliver what the makers were expecting. And then, they took me as I was. I feel that if your work is clean and up to the mark, they can compromise with looks because they don't compromise with talent. If you look at Nawazuddin Siddiqui, he used to look very different initially, and now he's on magazine covers too,' the actor added. View this post on Instagram A post shared by TVF | The Viral Fever (@theviralfever)Meanwhile, Prime Video and The Viral Fever (TVF) have officially announced that 'Panchayat' will return for a fifth season, set to premiere in 2026. The decision follows the remarkable success of Season 4, which delivered the biggest opening in the series' history. Launched on June 24, the latest instalment has captivated audiences both domestically and internationally, reinforcing the show's standing as a cultural phenomenon.'Panchayat Season 4', which premiered on June 24, featured Jitendra Kumar, Neena Gupta, Raghubir Yadav, Faisal Malik, and others in pivotal roles.- EndsTrending Reel
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India Today
6 hours ago
- India Today
UK theatre halts Indian film screening midway as fans litter around. Watch video
A video, seemingly from a screening of an Indian-language film in a theatre in the UK, went viral after the audience littered around, which compelled the maintenance staff to confront them, pausing the film the short clip, two men are seen arguing with the theatre staff about the mess they caused by throwing confetti during the movie. Despite being confronted, they refused to apologise. Instead, when questioned about their actions, the Indian-origin men suggested that the staff should display signs outlining the theatre man said, "If you had put up a sign outside, we wouldn't have done that." To which the staff member replied, "So, basically, you are saying you do not have common sense?" The staff appeared visibly upset by the response, as they said in the clip that it would be them who would have to clean up the mess after the audience could not independently verify the authenticity of the video and the claims being made in the video here: Since being uploaded online, the video has been reshared by several users across social media platforms. A section of the internet called the incident "unacceptable.""At least they could have said sorry and should have offered to clean up. That would have been more graceful than trying to argue it out," a user said, while another added, "Normalise calling idiots like this out at theatres. They are ruining the experience and taking the fun and excitement out of going.""Not one of them said sorry. He's justifying his actions till the end. Look at the arrogance of such people," a user this month, a video of a couple, seemingly Indian, dumping garbage by a roadside in Canada went viral, which drew sharp criticism online and sparked debate over public behaviour abroad. - Ends
India Today
11 hours ago
- India Today
Curious case of missing dance from dance numbers - no choreography, only clickbait
Once upon a time, a dance number meant dance. It included high-energy choreography, expressive moves, and storytelling through motion. Today, what is often labelled as a dance number feels more like a tactic to fill cinema halls. From weddings to break-up parties, festivals to night outs, the film industry has long provided a track for every occasion. But in the race to go viral, is it losing the very soul of dance?advertisementLook at the recent crop of viral songs. 'Dabidi Dibidi', 'Mere Mehboob' to 'Kissik'. Catchy? Yes. Stylish? Absolutely. But do they have dance? That depends on how one defines it. Because if you think gyrating with the man in the video or jumping on him makes for a step, then you haven't seen the pure challenge of Helen's 'Mehbooba Mehbooba' or the stunning workout-like moves of Katrina Kaif's 'Chikni Chameli'. In today's Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts-driven world, songs are often tailor-made for that one viral step or even just a what does the industry think? spoke to the industry experts - dancers, choreographers, producers, directors, and also the audience to understand where dance has vanished from these sizzling, fun has the process changed? Veteran director, producer, and choreographer Ahmed Khan noted how the process of creating dance numbers has dramatically changed over the years. 'It's not how it was in the early 90s. It has changed in the 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s. The process has been very different. Earlier, there used to be music recordings, sittings, discussions of songs. Then actors used to come for recordings, sit and talk,' he shared.'Now, actors come directly on set at times. I'm not saying there's anything wrong, but I think the actors are more prepared today. They are well-versed in their homework. Before coming into the industry, they trained themselves,' reflected preparation, however, doesn't always translate into physical choreography. It often plays out in how a shot looks, not how a dance line between glamour and discomfortActor Elli AvrRam admits the line between glamour and discomfort can get actors have an opinion when it comes to the making of dance numbers? She responds, 'In costumes? Yes, absolutely. From camera angles, though? I would say once you reach a certain position, you can be allowed to be heard.''I'm not somebody who feels that it is graceful when you suddenly end up seeing your song and there's a zoomed shot of your breast, for example. I feel it is a little bit ridiculous and not tasteful to be honest,' AvrRam the actor's lens, artistic control is often tied to your standing in the industry. She candidly shared, 'It also depends on where you are in your career and how comfortable you are with yourself. You should also have the guts to express your opinion. Without being afraid that it will be taken in a bad way. I think that comes with a lot of integrity - to just have the guts to be you and express what you feel.' But, is it more vulgar than fun?advertisementYet, not all songs maintain this balance. Some openly invite accusations of bluntly said, 'If it's vulgar, it's vulgar. Who makes them do it? The makers, the choreographer, or the director. They have some intention in their mind. As makers, you have to keep a thin line. And that line is on you, whether you want to cross it or not. There's nothing like unknown. When you end up teasing somebody, you can't say 'I did it unknowingly.' You are teasing. There's an effort to it and an action to it.'AvrRam, who has been part of songs like 'Harr Funn Maula' alongside actor Aamir Khan and 'Chamma-Chamma', says her comfort and craft come first. 'Personally, I have not experienced anything like this (criticism) in any of the songs I have done. I don't think I would ever do anything where I feel uncomfortable, or I think it's going in some other direction.'advertisement'I'm very opinionated when it comes to my craft. Because obviously, I want to deliver my best. I want to feel my best while I'm performing. My dance moves have to resonate with me. I've always just surrendered to the choreographer, the director, and their vision,' she her, this line isn't just about personal comfort but social responsibility.'I think in certain things, it's very important as a human being, and when you're also an artiste. It's all very individual - how deeply, sensibly, and intelligently you choose to develop. That you are a part of something, creating something that will reach out to a larger audience. There are sometimes family films. Will it make sense to portray a dance number like this in a family? Like, for children - one has to be extremely sensitive,' the actor said. Entertainment over storytelling for viralityDirector Siddharth P Malhotra admits most of these songs are made more for entertainment than storytelling. 'I don't think there is a narrative purpose it will serve. It just gives you more entertainment. A dance number, unless it's a dance-based film, will not help you in the narrative of the film.'advertisement'What helps is that it creates some kind of trend. If a dance step has become viral, people use it to dance at parties or in nightclubs. You impersonate a star's favourite step and that's pretty much the idea,' he sees a viral song as a tool to increase the film's reach.'Every director does not come with audience expectations. Some directors love dance-steps and are very picky about them. Some are not. Each director today is actually now telling a story and being honest with their story more than the formula of the story. The competition has gone so high that now if you don't deliver, you're gone,' the 'Kal Ho Naa Ho' director said.'You want that one step, which hopefully will become the 'Tauba-Tauba'. It will help your film gain further popularity. The viral dance step will make your film eternal. For the prosperity of the film, every director or producer would want some kind of step that sticks with the youth or with the masses in general,' he said. Do these songs help in business?Trade analyst Girish Johar echoed this sentiment. He said, 'I think that they definitely help with getting a lot of eyeballs and getting a lot of resonance. Music is a very critical element in the Indian movie ethos. Whenever a film does well, music plays a very critical role."advertisementJohar points to 'Tauba-Tauba' and the songs of 'Stree' to illustrate how music still drives audience verdict?From the audience's side, the reactions are more airline professional and mother of two, Seema Chhillar, shared: 'If a song is playing on loop at home because my kids love it, we naturally get curious about the film behind it. It often tempts us to plan a theatre outing. As a mother, I'm always mindful of what my kids are watching. When a song with suggestive choreography suddenly comes on, it puts me in an awkward spot,' she Birla, a 26-year-old software engineer and avid Bollywood fan, said: 'As someone who loves dancing and grew up copying full dance routines from songs like 'Desi Girl' or 'Ghagra', it's disappointing. How am I supposed to recreate some of these dance moves that we see on reels today?' That tension between glamour and grace is where most dance numbers now live. Some dazzle. Some distract. Many barely dance at all. Whether you groove to them or scroll past, they aren't going offbeat anytime soon.- Ends
India.com
15 hours ago
- India.com
India's most-watched web series, crossed over 27 million views, not Panchayat, Family Man, Squid Game, Aashram, Mirzapur, name is…, lead actors are…
India's most-watched web series, crossed over 27 million views, not Panchayat, Family Man, Squid Game, Aashram, Mirzapur, name is..., lead actors are... In the realm of OTT space, numerous shows and movies release across multiple platforms almost daily. From legal dramas and romcoms to survival thrillers, audiences have plenty of options to watch and enjoy online. Spanning wide range of OTT platforms like Netflix, Prime Video, JioCinema and others, this one web series emerged as the highest-watched show in the second half of 2025. The serious captivated audiences worldwide with only one renowned star in the lead. Which is the most-watched Indian OTT show in 2025? As per India's top 50 streaming Originals list Pankaj Tripathi's Criminal Justice Season 4 has become the most-watched original show in 2025. Ormax Media released the list of its top 50 streaming shows and ranking included only original content released directly on OTT platforms with no licensed or dubbed titles. Criminal Justice Season 4 on Jio Hotstar took the top spot, and attracted a massive 27.7 million views. Viewership reflected the number of individuals who watched at least one episode of the show or a minimum 30 minutes of a film of any OTT platform. Criminal Justice Season 4 surpassed other favourites originals such as Bobby Deol's Ek Badnaam Aashram Season 3 Part 2, which bagged second position with 27.1 million views. Then, followed by Jitendra Kumar and Neena Gupta Panchayat season 4 that took the third spot with overall viewership of 23.8 million. Other original shows like Jaideep Ahlawat's Paatal Lok on Amazon Prime Video and the finale season of global favourite Squid Game Season 3 on Netflix bagged fourth and fifth positions with 16.8 million and 16.5 million views. About Criminal Justice: The Family Drama The season 4 of Criminal Justice premiered on JioHotstar in May with just three episodes, and continued to attract audiences weekly. Bankrolled by Applause Entertainment and BBC Studios India, the Pankaj Tripathi-led courtroom drama also featues Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, Shweta Basu Prasad, Asha Negi, Surveen Chawla, Mita Vashisht, Barkha Singh, and Khushboo Atre in key roles.
