Sonia Aggarwal stuns as gritty cop in ‘Gift' teaser
The teaser sets the stage for a high-stakes crime narrative, with Sonia's character front and center as she tackles a deeply complex rape case. In a gripping monologue, she reflects on her career as an officer who has solved several criminal cases. Yet, she admits that this particular investigation remains stagnant, making it the most challenging case of her career.
The teaser emphasizes her relentless pursuit of justice. Sonia's character declares that regardless of how cunning the perpetrators are, law enforcement must stay multiple steps ahead—'200 per cent more,' as she puts it. The teaser subtly hints that the culprits may be monitoring the police's every move, raising the stakes further.
As the visuals unfold, tension escalates with Sonia finally announcing a breakthrough in the case. The teaser closes with her impactful line: 'Wait and watch!' — a promise of gripping developments to come.
Gift also stars Birla Bose, Super Good Subramani, Crane Manohar, Sasi Laya, and Rekha in key roles. The film has music composed by Amara CV, cinematography by Rajadurai, and editing handled jointly by David Ajay and Ganesh.
Produced by director Pa Pandiyan, with Vedivelu Kamalakannan as co-producer, Gift is shaping up to be a thought-provoking crime drama that delves into the psychological and procedural challenges faced by law enforcement in solving sensitive cases.
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Indian Express
8 hours ago
- Indian Express
Kiran Desai's first novel in 19 years earns spot on Booker Prize 2025 longlist
Kiran Desai's new novel The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny has been longlisted for the 2025 Booker Prize. It is the Indian-origin author's first book in nearly 20 years, and her first appearance on the Booker list since winning in 2006 for The Inheritance of Loss. Published by Hamish Hamilton, The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny is a sprawling novel that traces the parallel journeys of two Indian protagonists—one in New York, the other recently returned to India—as they grapple with personal history, family, and identity in a changing world. At over 650 pages, it is the longest book on this year's list of 13 novels, selected from over 150 submissions. The book will be released on September 23, 2025. Desai is the only previous Booker winner on this year's longlist Should she win this year, she would become only the fifth double winner in the prize's 56-year history, joining Peter Carey, JM Coetzee, Margaret Atwood and Hilary Mantel. Born in New Delhi, Desai was educated in India, England and the United States, and currently lives in New York. Her mother, Anita Desai, was shortlisted for the Booker three times. Desai's third book has been long in the making. Her debut novel, Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard (1998), was translated into more than 22 languages and widely acclaimed. Her second, The Inheritance of Loss (2006), won the Booker Prize in 2006, as well as the National Book Critics Circle Award in the US, and was shortlisted for the Orange Prize for Fiction. The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny, which is yet to be published, is described by her publisher as a globe-spanning love story and generational family saga that 'mines questions of memory, language, identity and belonging.' It spans continents and decades, tracing the lives of two young Indians whose paths cross and diverge in unexpected ways. The story opens with a fleeting encounter on an overnight train, where Sonia and Sunny—once the subjects of a failed matchmaking attempt by their grandparents—are drawn to each other yet remain emotionally guarded. Sonia, recently returned to India after studying in Vermont, is struggling to find direction as a novelist. Her journey is shadowed by a past relationship with a charismatic artist, whose influence she fears still lingers over her life like a curse. Sunny, meanwhile, has settled in New York, working as a journalist while distancing himself from his domineering mother and the lingering violence of his extended family. As the novel unfolds, Desai explores the characters' parallel efforts to construct lives of meaning amid the dislocation and uncertainty of the modern world. Through Sonia and Sunny's fragmented connection, she examines themes of migration, class, generational conflict, and the emotional costs of globalization. Calling Desai's novel as 'vast and immersive,' the Booker Prize 2025 judging panel said, 'This novel about a pair of young Indians in America becomes one about westernised Indians rediscovering their country, and in some ways a novel about the Indian novel's place in the world.' 'The book enfolds a magical realist fable within a social novel within a love story. We loved the way in which no detail, large or small, seems to escape Desai's attention. Every character (in a huge cast) feels fully realised, and the writing moves with consummate fluency between an array of modes: philosophical, comic, earnest, emotional, and uncanny.' Desai joins 12 other authors on this year's longlist, which represents a broad international mix. Authors come from or have roots in India, Malaysia, Ukraine, Trinidad and Tobago, Albania, Hungary, the UK, the US and Canada. The list includes two debuts: Endling by Maria Reva and Misinterpretation by Ledia Xhoga. This year's panel is chaired by Irish author and 1993 Booker winner Roddy Doyle, alongside Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀, Chris Power, Kiley Reid, and Sarah Jessica Parker. 'There are short novels and some very long ones,' Doyle said. 'Some of them examine the past and others poke at our shaky present. They are all alive with great characters and narrative surprises.' 📌 Love Forms by Claire Adam (Faber) 📌 The South by Tash Aw (4th Estate) 📌 Universality by Natasha Brown (Faber) 📌 One Boat by Jonathan Buckley (Fitzcarraldo Editions) 📌 Flashlight by Susan Choi (Jonathan Cape) 📌 The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai (Hamish Hamilton) 📌 Audition by Katie Kitamura (Fern Press) 📌 The Rest of Our Lives by Ben Markovits (Faber) 📌 The Land in Winter by Andrew Miller (Sceptre) 📌 Endling by Maria Reva (Virago/Little, Brown) 📌 Flesh by David Szalay (Jonathan Cape) 📌 Seascraper by Benjamin Wood (Viking) 📌 Misinterpretation by Ledia Xhoga (Daunt Books Originals) Alongside Desai, three other authors on the list have previously been nominated for the Booker: Tash Aw (longlisted in 2005 and 2013), Andrew Miller (shortlisted in 2001), and David Szalay (shortlisted in 2016). The remaining nine authors have been nominated for the Booker for the first time, though many are award-winners in other contexts. Claire Adam, for instance, won the Desmond Elliott Prize in 2019; Natasha Brown received a Betty Trask Award in 2022; and Maria Reva was awarded the Kobzar Literary Award in Canada for her earlier short fiction. Penguin Random House dominates the longlist, with five books across four imprints, including Jonathan Cape, Viking, Fern Press and Hamish Hamilton. Independent presses have also made a strong showing: Faber & Faber has three nominations, and Fitzcarraldo Editions, Daunt Books Originals, and Sceptre round out the list. Fitzcarraldo's inclusion marks its first appearance on the main Booker Prize longlist, despite regular success on the International Booker Prize circuit. The Booker Prize 2025 shortlist will be announced on 17 September, with the winner revealed at a ceremony in London on 11 November. The winning author will receive £50,000 (Rs 50 lakhs) £2,500 (2.5 lakhs) awarded to each shortlisted writer. Aishwarya Khosla is a journalist currently serving as Deputy Copy Editor at The Indian Express. Her writings examine the interplay of culture, identity, and politics. She began her career at the Hindustan Times, where she covered books, theatre, culture, and the Punjabi diaspora. Her editorial expertise spans the Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Punjab and Online desks. She was the recipient of the The Nehru Fellowship in Politics and Elections, where she studied political campaigns, policy research, political strategy and communications for a year. She pens The Indian Express newsletter, Meanwhile, Back Home. Write to her at or You can follow her on Instagram: @ink_and_ideology, and X: @KhoslaAishwarya. ... Read More
Time of India
7 days ago
- Time of India
Ameesha Patel: In a relationship, no one should be a trophy for the other
Ameesha Patel She has portrayed some of the most iconic love stories on screen, from the innocent and charming Sonia in Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai to the deeply emotional Sakeena in Gadar. For many movie lovers, Ameesha Patel has set the gold standard for romantic characters. But what does love look like for her in real life? In a chat with Mumbai Mirror, she says, 'My ideal partner should be genuine, loyal, and someone who prioritises our mutual happiness. There must be respect and an understanding of each other's personality and profession. Intellectual compatibility is very important. It should never be about personal gains. No one should be a trophy for the other.' Apart from her much-talked-about comeback in Gadar 2, Ameesha also made headlines for her comments on nepotism, including during her debut award acceptance speech where she spoke about being an outsider in the industry. A clip from that speech recently resurfaced online. She says, 'I didn't start the conversation on nepotism. All I said was that I don't have a godfather. But I have God.' Sharing her thoughts on the insider–outsider dynamic, she says, 'Yes, insiders or star kids have an advantage. They enter the industry better prepared and with more opportunities. But they also carry a heavy burden of expectations. People often forget the pressure they face to live up to the hype of being someone's child, and that's not easy. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Why seniors are rushing to get this Internet box – here's why! Techno Mag Learn More Undo As an outsider, you do have to work harder, but you also enter without preconceived notions. Ultimately, whether you're an insider or outsider, you need to have that pull, that spark that brings audiences to cinemas. Today, we see many star kids who aren't able to do that. The box office is showing that. So, for us outsiders, it's a big validation to know that audiences are showing up for our films. Both sides come with their own pros and cons.'
Hindustan Times
20-07-2025
- Hindustan Times
Himesh Reshammiya pays musical tribute to Operation Sindoor at Delhi Concert
New Delhi [India], July 20 (ANI): Ace singer Himesh Reshammiya took a momentous pause during his Delhi concert on Saturday evening to pay tribute to the Indian Armed Forces over their successful execution of Operation Sindoor. Himesh Reshammiya performed in Gurgaon on Saturday. He urged the audience at the Indira Gandhi Arena stadium to thank the Jawans for their brave efforts. "Sab hoga magar humein unhe nahi bhoolna chahiye jinki wajah se aaj hum yahan ek dusre ko mil pa rahe hain. Humare desh ke jawano ko salute hai. Jai Hind. Operation Sindoor zindabad," Himesh Reshammiya expressed. And then in a moving performance, Himesh Reshammiya crooned the patriotic song 'Dil Diya Hai Jaan Bhi Denge Aye Watan Tere Liye' from the 1986 film 'Karma'. The Indian tricolour also flashed on the big screen. The Delhi leg of his Cap Mania Tour, presented by Saregama Live, kickstarted on July 19 and will conclude on July 20. Last night, a sea of fans gathered together under one roof to witness the magic of Himesh Reshammiya's voice, wearing the customised "HR" caps. A hilarious yet notable moment during the concert was when Himesh Reshammiya playfully asked the audience if they wanted him to sing "regular" or with his signature nasal style. "Thoda regular gaaun ya naak se gaaun? (Should I sing normally or from my nose?)," he said, leaving the jam-packed stadium in splits. Himesh Reshammiya undoubtedly turned Delhi into a nightclub on Saturday. From 'Tandoori Nights' to 'Hookah Bar', 'Long Drive' and 'Jhalak Dikhlaa Ja', he sang all his peppy numbers and made Delhiites jump with joy and enthusiasm. A wave of nostalgia was sparked with his gig as he transported the audience to the early 2000s by singing his hit tracks such as 'Chakna Chakna' and 'Viraaniya' from 'Namastey London'. He also unleashed his lover boy side at the concert, all thanks to his wife Sonia. Sonia joined him on stage for a bit and delivered a few lines about love that touched everyone's hearts. The husband and wife shared an adorable hug as well. Audience also experienced mesmerising "suroors" from the voices of Pragati Nagpal, Arjun Tanwar, and Maahi on the first Day of the Delhi leg of the Cap Mania tour, presented by Saregama Live. (ANI)
