Bollywood's Next Gen: 4 Star Kids Set To Debut In 2025
Joining the fray is Chunky Panday's nephew, Ahaan Panday, who is also making his Bollywood debut with Saiyaara (2025).
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Hindustan Times
28 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Credit, and contempt, for the paths to quick riches
A screenshot on the internet screamed, '41 crores! That's the net worth of a 23-year-old content creator'. Many on the internet lost it. They beat their breasts, posting their marksheets and entrance exam ranks, and their current in-hand salary, and claimed life is unfair. I wonder. Young people getting rich quick isn't new. Almost every new IPL player has a similar rags to five-tattoos-on-arm story. Hindi newspapers have been forever converting Day-0 dollar salaries to rupees to scare parents into packing their offspring off to Kota. A girl having poha in the college canteen being spotted by Subhash Ghai is not unheard of. So, why the commotion over influencers becoming famous and, subsequently, rich? Maybe this new path to wealth — earning money on the internet — is not yet culturally acceptable, hence the distaste among people. Several acceptable ways to make money have become Bollywood tropes. Going to school is just a brief and annoying interruption before you hop onto a plane to New York to study film-making, eventually to return and manage your family's spare-parts business in Karol Bagh. 'Vicky baba aaj hi vilayat se apni padhaai poori karke wapas laute hai (Vicky baba has returned home, after finishing his studies abroad),' an old caretaker helpfully tells the guests seated in the large living space. Clearly, Vicky baba's vilayati degree couldn't ensure employment, which is why he had to return. But nobody treats Vicky baba like a loser, he is ripe to be married off by converting dosti (friendship) to rishtedaari (relationship). A moviegoer in Muzaffarpur then aspires for this life. Another acceptable and respected way to get rich young is to study very hard, sacrifice friends, cable TV, smartphones, and get an All India Rank that doesn't look like a phone number. The number of hours studied is akin to currency. News-channels will ask you about the number of hours studied every day; smartness doesn't count, they just want to promptly report the number of hours, and a parent hearing that the topper studied 12 hours a day will use that benchmark to make their kid's life miserable. Here again, several movies have glorified the academic path. A scene with a person studying under a street lamp moves to the same chap jostling with scores of youngsters like him, gathered around a list stuck outside the Union Public Service Commission office, to find his name on it. Then he breaks down, uplifting music playing in the background. The academic path to wealth is the most common — the one that generates the least wealth at a young age and yet expects 70 hours of work a week. And still another is for ones who won the genetic lottery, blessed with such good looks that a film director spots them even as they are having paani puri on the street. Most such multi-million dollar careers kick off when a car stops at the roadside, a window rolls down, and an offer is made. Within a year or two, the paani puri eater is stepping out of a Land Rover, wearing oversized glasses, and making patronising small-talk with the paparazzi, while suffering from success. Very few in India begrudge such meteoric rise. It is, as they say, very acceptable. So, why are content creators judged so harshly? There is a concept in differential calculus, called the 'Local Maxima'. It relates to the highest point of a mathematical function in the immediate neighbourhood. When the internet was not there, those good at academics (local maxima) got accolades from relatives and neighbours for cracking a tough exam. The comparisons were local. And the relative superiority gave happiness. With the internet, the world became one's neighbourhood, and suddenly all the local maxima realised they aren't the global maxima. People their age were earning much more, while doing really, really less, and not necessarily studying 12 hours a day. It disturbed the local maximas' mental equations. Rags to riches stories, propelled by genetics and a bit of luck, always existed, but they were distant. With the internet, they are at your doorstep. The rise is swift, and every bit is recorded. 'My first two-wheeler' to 'first foreign trip with parents' to 'my first BMW', it is live-streaming large-scale hay production while the sun is shining. Then, Bollywood is yet to validate this new path, glamourise it and make a serious actor of repute play the role of a content creator, making the general public root for an influencer. Perhaps till then, influencers won't be immune to day-to-day jealousy, like Bollywood stars are. Barely any layperson would be jealous of Aishwarya Rai. She and her kind are in the stratosphere already. Influencers, however, operate somewhere in the middle, within range for people on the ground to take potshots. People like me, however, who aren't genetically chiseled or have the content creation chops, would do better to focus on differential calculus. Abhishek Asthana is a tech and media entrepreneur, and tweets as @gabbbarsingh. The views expressed are personal.
Time of India
35 minutes ago
- Time of India
When Sanjay Dutt recalled Sunil Dutt's hilarious reaction to him crashing a car, but not forgetting THIS
Sanjay Dutt , the versatile actor, has been winning fans' hearts with his peculiar style and innate acting skills, whether it's action sequences or emotional confrontations. While his acting made headlines, Dutt's substance abuse in the past is no stranger to the fans. Sanjay Dutt recalls the incident... This happened on Salman Khan 's show Dus Ka Dum, where Sanjay made a guest appearance with Jackie Shroff . During the show, the 'Munna Bhai M.B.B.S.' actor narrated an incident between him and his father, Sunil Dutt , leaving the other two stunned and in laughter. The incident occurred before Dutt's Bollywood debut, which ended with him having cuts on his face. 'There is one incident I remember, I was doing a film with Rajiv Rai . So, I went to his place at night for a narration. The narration never happened, but we started consuming liquor. Later, when it was 2 am, I left his house in an inebriated state, and I crashed my car,' the 65-year-old said. 'It was before 'Rocky'; the glass broke on my face, so I had all the cut marks. He had given me a present of four liquor bottles, and with that, I went home and slept,' he continued, before hilariously adding, 'The next morning, when Dutt Sahab ( Sunil Dutt) woke me up, the first thing he said to me was that it is okay that you had an accident, he forgave me, but he said, 'How did you not forget those 4 bottles in the car, how did you remember those?'' Sanjay Dutt's films... On the work front, Sanjay Dutt starred in two movies that were released this year, 'The Bhootnii' and 'Housefull 5.' The latter was a multi-starrer and had a smashing box office run, breaking the record of its earlier instalments.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Jung Yong Hwa's New Album Launch: A Dreamer's Anthem Celebrating 10 Years of Solos
Growing Up With Your Idol: Why Jung Yong Hwa's Story Feels Like Ours Let's be real-there's nothing like seeing your favorite artist evolve right alongside you. Jung Yong Hwa, the charismatic leader of CNBLUE and a K-drama icon, just hit his solo 10th anniversary. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now And instead of just dropping another album, he's basically poured his whole heart into "One Last Day," a mini album that's all about cherishing the moments that pass us by. Think about it-ten years of making music, facing ups and downs, and still coming back with something fresh. That's not just dedication, that's passion. For anyone who's ever felt lost or wondered if their dreams were slipping away, this album is like a warm hug and a pep talk rolled into one. The album, released on July 3rd at 6 PM KST, features seven tracks, each more personal than the last. Jung Yong Hwa's growth isn't just about better vocals or cooler beats-it's about learning to appreciate every single second, even the ones that hurt. If you've ever played a song on repeat because it just "gets" you, you'll find a piece of yourself in this album. Night Runner: The Song That'll Make You Stare at the Stars (and Maybe Tear Up) Let's talk about "Night Runner," the title track that everyone's buzzing about. It's got this dreamy, almost cinematic vibe-think gentle piano, smooth guitar, and lyrics that hit you right in the feels. The whole song is about how, even if you fade away from the night, your dreams and wishes keep shining up above. It's like that moment when you spot a shooting star and silently make a wish, hoping the universe is listening. Jung Yong Hwa himself said he wanted listeners to imagine a shooting star burning out, slowly fading, but carrying everyone's wishes as it disappears. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The song even fades out at the end, just like a meteor vanishing in the night. It's the kind of track you listen to when you're lying in bed at 2 AM, thinking about what you want from life, or maybe texting your best friend about your wildest dreams. And here's a fun comparison: it's like those late-night Bollywood songs that make you want to dance and cry at the same time. The kind of music that makes you believe your dreams are worth chasing, no matter how impossible they seem. More Than Just a Comeback-It's a Whole Mood This isn't just another K-pop comeback with flashy outfits and catchy hooks. Jung Yong Hwa wrote and composed every single song on this album. He's obsessed with making sure everything-the music, the photos, the music video, and even the concert-fits together like a perfect puzzle. That's the kind of effort you only see from artists who genuinely care about their fans and their art. When asked about his legacy, Jung Yong Hwa said, "I want people to remember me as someone who never stopped growing." He hopes that songs like "Night Runner" will stick in people's hearts for years, like wishes that never quite fade from the night sky. It's a message that hits home for anyone who's ever felt like giving up but decided to keep going anyway. The Concert That's Set to Be a Rollercoaster of Emotions Circle these dates in your calendar: July 18-20. That's when Jung Yong Hwa is taking over Seoul Olympic Park's Olympic Hall for his solo concert, "Director's Cut: Our Fine Days." If you've ever been to a CNBLUE concert, you know it's all about high energy and jumping around. But this time, he's promising something different-something more personal, more emotional, and totally authentic. He's putting his all into making sure the concert matches the album's vibe. Every detail, from the stage design to the setlist, is meant to make you feel like you're part of his journey. It's not just a show-it's an experience, the kind that makes you look back and realize how far you've come. And honestly, isn't that what we all want? An artist who grows with us, who's not afraid to talk about time, dreams, and the struggles we all face. It's like when your favorite singer drops a song that makes you want to call your best friend at midnight-music that just gets you, no matter what you're going through. Why Jung Yong Hwa's Story Hits Home for Every Young Dreamer Jung Yong Hwa's journey is something every young person can relate to. Whether you're grinding through college, hustling for your first job, or just trying to figure out what you want from life, his message is clear: keep growing, keep dreaming, and let your wishes light up the sky-even if it's just for a moment. And if you ever get the chance to see him live, don't miss it. It's not just about the music-it's about feeling seen, understood, and inspired to chase your own dreams, no matter how hard things get.
