Latest news with #TRPs
Time of India
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Exclusive: Ankit Raizada bids farewell to Advocate Anjali Awasthi; says ‘It's been a fulfilling journey I'll always cherish'
Ankit Raizada, who won hearts as Advocate Aman Singh Rajput in Advocate Anjali Awasthi, recently wrapped up his role following the show's leap. In an interview with Times of India TV, Ankit opened up about his memorable experience, the charm of shooting in Kolkata, and what lies ahead in his acting journey. Reflecting on his time on the show, Ankit shared, 'It's been a beautiful ride. Playing Aman Singh Rajput gave me a lot to explore as an actor and as a person. I got to be part of some really emotional and high-energy tracks, and I built strong bonds on and off set. Overall, it's been a fulfilling one-year journey I'll always cherish.' Talking about shooting in Kolkata, he expressed his fondness for the City of Joy: 'Kolkata grew on me very quickly. From the food to the warmth of the people, and even the monsoon charm — everything had a vibe. I definitely enjoyed shooting there; it had its own rhythm and energy that made work feel different, in a good way.' Now that his part in the show has ended, Ankit is eager for new challenges. 'I'm keeping it open but exciting. I'd love to explore strong, performance-driven roles — whether it's a layered character in a daily soap, a thriller, or something youth-centric. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Villas Prices In Dubai Might Be More Affordable Than You Think Villas In Dubai | Search Ads Get Rates Undo The idea is to grow and surprise myself with something fresh,' he added. Addressing the dip in TRPs post-leap, Ankit remarked thoughtfully, 'Leaps are a creative call, and sometimes they work, sometimes they don't. Every show has its own journey. That said, audiences today are smart — they connect with real emotions and characters. So as long as that stays intact, any format can work.' Ankit's departure marks the end of a chapter but also sets the stage for new beginnings in his promising career.
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First Post
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- First Post
'The Hunt: The Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case' web-series review: Nagesh Kukunoor's take on one of India's darkest chapters scores with its restrained telling
It's fitting Kukunoor and his writers Sriram Rajan and Rohit Banawlikar opt for a streaming format to tell this bone-chilling story of a dark chapter in Indian history. But they don't treat the subject as a documentary read more Cast: Amit Sial, Sahil Vaid, Bagavathi Perumal, Danish Iqbal, Girish Sharma, Vidyut Gargi, Shafeeq Mustafa Director: Nagesh Kukunoor Language: Hindi It's hard to make political thrillers without taking sides. But what if a filmmaker decides to essay the aftermath of a tragedy that shook the nation? Filmmaker Nagesh Kukunoor's The Hunt is one such show that chronicles what happened after how it happened. It's based on the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991. Shoojit Sircar's Madras Cafe showed us the before, Kukunoor focuses on the after. Despite being a web series that allows makers to explore as much information as possible, Kukunoor wastes no time and jumps directly to the Prime Minister's speech at a crowded fare being blown into smithereens. The way he stages those little shots and jump cuts shows his grip over the material. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Even the reaction shots don't feel theatrical or flimsy. The Hunt begins with an anonymous phone call to the Indian High Commission in Colombo. The receptionist is asked if the Prime Minister is alive. Her immediate response and discomforting close-up shows how there's going to be no room for theatrics here. The opening credits too do a fine job of absorbing the viewers into the world the makers have created. As the names begin to roll, the newspaper like visuals with moving images prepare us for the calamity in the series ahead. It's based on the book Ninety Days by Anirudhya Mitra. And Kukunoor chooses actors over stars. He wants vulnerability over vanity. He wants lesser seen faces to become more discussed names. It's tricky to go back in time but there's definitely something charming and quaint about nostalgia. When Amit Sial, who plays D.R. Kaarthikeyan (IGP CRPF) is informed about the assassination, the next scene sees him in front of a television watching the news. That was the time when media was yet to dive into cacophony and decay for the greed for TRPs. The way the reporter reads out the news about Rajiv Gandhi, you wish to listen to her again purely because how composed she's. In fact, everyone barely raises its voice in the series. Even when a character tells Sial this is going to the most challenging time for him, he calmly responds by saying he'll choose his own team. Kukunoor at times has faltered as a filmmaker but his fondness or fetish for slow-burn is just as fresh. He jumps to the point swiftly but moves ahead with the narrative with composure. The best example is his remarkable sports drama Iqbal that completes two decades this year. Even the turgid 8x10 Tasveer established the mystery around the plot and took its own sweet time to unveil all its cards. And with The Hunt, the filmmaker's ambitions must be lauded. It's a bold and precarious subject. It involves a giant of a political figure's assassination. It's fascinating how the makers refuse to conceal or change names and give them fictional stories. There are open references to IPKF and LTTE. In one key scene, Sial says how the Gandhi family is truly cursed. It's also fitting that Kukunoor and his writers Sriram Rajan and Rohit Banawlikar opt for a streaming format to tell this bone-chilling story of a dark chapter in Indian history. But they don't treat the subject as a documentary. It unfolds like a whodunnit. We have been told how it happened. Now the SIT has to figure why it happened, and by whom it happened. We have heard this booming background score before that's meant to add a tinge of urgency to the plot, but the way it all unfolds keeps the show going. And such stories need conversational treatment. There are endless discussions and questions that pop up among the characters. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD It will also be interesting to see the response The Hunt receives. The Rajiv Gandhi assassination is a chapter that unfolded 34 years ago. The pages of history books have been long forgotten as we moved towards our phone screens. It's also a horror that barely resurfaces on social media. We have faint memories of reading about the former Prime Minister. Getting to know about the brutality of his death now feels like going through mixed emotions. Should we describe this show as a brush with nostalgia? Is it a history lesson we ought to have been taught with more detail? Or should we treat this as another whodunnit? As stated above- We know what happened. Now tell us how it happened and who made it happen. Take your pick. Rating: 3 (out of 5 stars) The Hunt - The Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case is now streaming on SonyLIV
India Today
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
Kapil Sharma didn't have identity, got show because of me: Navjot Singh Sidhu
Former cricketer and politician Navjot Singh Sidhu has claimed that he played a pivotal role in helping Kapil Sharma secure his big break. In a candid vlog on his YouTube channel, Sidhu shared how he became part of 'The Kapil Sharma Show', revealing that it was Kapil who approached him with a special to Sidhu, the channel had one key condition before giving Kapil his own show: Sidhu had to come on board as a permanent came to me and said, 'Paaji, I have a request. If you agree to be part of my show, they will give me an independent show,'' Sidhu recalled. He added, 'When I asked who made that call, he said Raj Nayak sahab, then the head of Colors. Raj Nayak wanted me on the show to boost TRPs. We met over breakfast, and I agreed.' Reflecting on Kapil's early days, Sidhu added, 'Kapil rose to fame with 'The Great Indian Laughter Challenge'. Later, he was exploited in Comedy Circus and didn't have an identity of his own. I stepped in when he needed support.'A few days ago, Netflix officially announced on Instagram that Navjot Singh Sidhu will return to 'The Great Indian Kapil Show' after nearly six years, sparking excitement among fans the announcement: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Netflix India (@netflix_in)Sidhu was a regular presence on Kapil's shows from 2012 to 2019 across Colors and Sony Entertainment Television. He stepped away after a controversial remark made in the aftermath of the Pulwama terror attack. Now, he is all set to return as the show's permanent guest, alongside Archana Puran Singh. 'The Great Indian Kapil Show Season 3' will premiere on June the same vlog, Sidhu also opened up about his stint on 'Bigg Boss' in 2012, revealing that he took part in the reality show due to financial constraints.'Bigg Boss gave a lucrative offer,' Sidhu admitted. 'People often lose their reputation by going on the show, but I took the challenge because I needed money to build my house in Amritsar. I wouldn't have been able to afford it with my earnings as a politician," he disclosed that the show offered him a high payout, though the producers could only afford to keep him for a month. Despite his early exit, he said he maintained his dignity and never spoke ill of anyone during his time on the show. 'I left without damaging my image, and that opened new doors for me,' he 'Bigg Boss', Sidhu was offered a commentary job with Star Sports, marking a new chapter in his post-politics Watch
The Hindu
08-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
TDP Floor Leader in Lok Sabha demands action against journalist for derogatory comments on Amaravati
Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu, TDP Floor Leader in the Lok Sabha, wrote letters to Vijaya R. Rahatkar, Chairperson of the National Commission for Women, National Human Rights Commission Chairman Justice (Retd.) V. Ramasubramanian, and Press Council of India Chairman Justice (Retd.) Ranjana Prakash Desai, requesting them to take suo motu cognisance of the derogatory comment made by journalist V.V.R. Krishnam Raju that the State capital Amaravati was the 'capital of sex workers', and take appropriate action against him. Mr. Krishna Devarayalu was referring to the comment passed by Mr. Krishnam Raju during a televised debate on Sakshi TV on June 6 hosted by Kommineni Srinivasa Rao, and sought an investigation into the incident, and the initiwtion of criminal proceedings against Sakshi TV for insulting the Modesty of a Woman under the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita. He also wanted a direction to the Sakshi Channel to submit an explanation and publicly apologise for airing such content. The TDP MP said the impugned comments amounted to committing a gross violation of human dignity, fundamental rights, and media responsibility. The comments were humiliating to the women and culture of Andhra Pradesh. The broadcast of this offensive content suggested a failure of editorial oversight. He said the right to free speech could not be weaponised to demean women and it should be ensured that women's dignity was not sacrificed for mere TRPs.
Indian Express
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
Indian cricket, before and after Virat Kohli
Whether Virat Kohli — who has just bid goodbye from the Test stage as one of its greatest — was batting, setting the field, instructing bowlers, casually talking, guffawing or prowling the far-flung outposts of the ground, he bristled with an unstoppable enthusiasm. As though an invisible field of energy was fuelling and guiding him, drawing in the audience, their eyes, heads and hearts. India rode the crest of the Virat wave to notch several famous wins, at home and abroad, for 14 years. As much as his batting — the refined splendour of strokes, the fusion of classicism with modernity that would be a thesis for ambitious young batsmen — India will miss the unwavering and infectious energy that defined him. So will world cricket. Virat burst forth at a time when Test cricket suffered existential pangs, when gifted cricketers were forsaking long-form rigours for the lucre and instant gratification of the shorter versions, when even the finest were picking and choosing their preferred formats. But Virat showed that they could be successful across formats, if they had the will and wisdom. He walked the talk by scaling the tops of batting charts in every format. He was passionate about Test cricket, spoke openly about its primacy over other formats, endorsed it in interviews and press conferences, took every opportunity to implore the next generation to focus on the longer game, and most importantly, cared about it. As powerful a cricketer as he is, his voice was taken seriously in the game's decision-making corridors. World cricket, thus, has lost one of its most vociferous advocates and ardent champions. He made crowds flock to watch Test matches and he kept the TRPs soaring much to the broadcasters' relief, as though preserving Test cricket was as big a mission as scoring hundreds and winning games. He leaves not a hole or a crack at the heart of Indian batting, but an emptiness that will be difficult to fill. There is no heir-apparent, and even if there was one, he would have been crushed under the immaculate burden of being the successor to Kohli. In a way, it's a tribute to Kohli's greatness that he did not make the country miss Sachin Tendulkar for years. He was not quite Tendulkar, but he was the closest India had to him. Now India waits for someone who could be the closest they can to Kohli. Someone eventually will rise in this cricket-mad land, but to recreate the unblinking energy of Kohli could be a near impossible act.
