The combination of Balakrishna and Nayanthara is one of the most successful pairings in the Telugu film industry. The duo has already worked together in three films, and fans were excited when it was announced that they would reunite once again for NBK 111, directed by Gopichand Malineni.
Balakrishna has signed his next film with Gopichand Malineni, which was initially planned as a large-scale historical epic with Nayanthara as the female lead. After a few days, due to budget revisions, the makers decided to change the storyline. As a result, Gopichand Malineni has come up with a completely new script.
No Change in the female lead of NBK 111: Nayanthara will not be replaced
There were earlier reports suggesting that Balakrishna might take up another project in between. But the team has now confirmed that there is no change in plans, and the Balakrishna– Nayanthara combination remains intact under the direction of Gopichand Malineni, though with a new story.
The latest update confirms that the actress will continue as the female lead in the new backdrop. Sources close to the team reveal that the script has been finalized, pre-production work is underway, and the shoot is expected to begin within a month with the same cast and crew. Only the story has been changed.
Ram Charan and Buchi Babu’s Peddi was announced for release on 27th March 2026. Despite continuous postponement rumours, the team consistently denied them and even stated the date of 26th March, saying that they were considering a one-day postponement.
But recently, the team informed its close sources and distributors that the film will not arrive on 27th March and will be shifted to 1st May. With this move, the 27th March slot is said to be taken by Ustaad Bhagat Singh.
Peddi: No May Release – Are the Makers Considering Another Date?
Now, the buzz is that Ram Charan’s Peddi might not even release on 1st May due to the pending shoot. The shoot itself is expected to continue for the next two months, making the May release very tough. It remains to be seen whether the team will pick a late May date or push the release to June.
Presented by Mythri Movie Makers and Sukumar Writings under the banner of Vriddhi Cinemas, the film stars Ram Charan in the titular role, alongside Janhvi Kapoor, Shiva Rajkumar, Jagapathi Babu, and Divyenndu.
The film’s first single, Chikiri Chikiri, became a viral Chartbuster across languages, gathering record views across streaming platforms.
Bollywood’s star singer Arijit Singh has shocked fans with a surprising announcement about his retirement. One of the most loved voices in Indian cinema, Arijit has delivered countless hit songs over the years, and his decision has left music lovers stunned.
Arijit Singh took to social media to share a heartfelt message with his fans. Wishing everyone a happy New Year, he thanked listeners for showering him with immense love throughout his journey. In his post, the singer announced that he will no longer take up any new assignments as a playback singer, calling it the end of a wonderful chapter in his life.
No More Playback Singing, Says Arijit Singh
Arijit Singh made his Hindi film debut with the song “Phir Mohabbat” from Murder 2, which marked the beginning of his rise in the music industry. He later became a household name with chartbusters like “Tum Hi Ho,” “Channa Mereya,” “Agar Tum Saath Ho,” “Raabta,” “Kesariya,” and “Apna Bana Le.” His latest hit is “Gehra Hua” from Dhurandhar.
The sudden announcement of Arijit Singh’s retirement from playback singing has deeply saddened his fans across the country. While his songs will continue to live on, Arijit Singh’s decision marks the end of an era in Bollywood music.
The Raja Saab marked the first big release for the Telugu Film industry in 2026, and sadly, it resulted in a big failure at the box office. The film’s collections did not match the expectations anywhere, and the Box Office Collections of America are out now.
The Raja Saab North America Closing Gross:
Total: $2.356M [₹21.57 Cr]
USA – $2.168M
Canada – $188K
Telugu – $2.295M
Hindi – $58K
Tamil – $3K
The Film’s break-even point is valued at $7.4M, and the recovery is just around 30%. Trade expected very huge numbers for The Raja Saab in North America, but it did not even cross Salaar and Kalki 2898 AD premieres with its closing, resulting in a big box office failure.
Even in North India, the film did not perform up to the expectations, and resulted in a big loss venture.
According to the latest reports, Mrunal Thakur is all set to make her Tamil cinema debut with STR51, which will mark her first collaboration with Silambarasan TR (Simbu). The actress is all set to enthrall fans with Dacoit, set to be released in 2026.
Mrunal Thakur began her acting career in Bollywood and later gained a strong fan base among Telugu audiences with successful films like Sita Ramam and Hi Nanna. Her performances in these films earned her praise and wide recognition.
Mrunal Thakur set to make her debut in Tamil cinema
The actress has been patiently waiting for the right project to enter Tamil cinema, and that opportunity has now arrived. She will be seen alongside Simbu in his upcoming film, tentatively titled STR51. The film will be directed by Ashwath Marimuthu.
Ashwath Marimuthu delivered a super hit last year with Dragon, starring Pradeep Ranganathan, which brought him significant attention in the industry. His new script reportedly convinced Simbu to take up the project.
The film is said to be a romantic fantasy comedy and will be produced by AGS Entertainment. The shooting is expected to begin by the end of April 2026.
Sirai (2025) is a critically acclaimed Tamil thriller drama, starring Vikram Prabhu (who appeared in Ghaati) in his 25th film. Directed by Suresh Rajakumari, the film garnered unanimous positive reviews following its OTT release. Read on for our review to discover what makes it so highly regarded.
Story:
Set in 2003, Kathiravan (Vikram Prabhu) works as a head constable in the Armed Reserve (AR) at Vellore. He is under scrutiny from senior officers due to an encounter case that is still under investigation.
Amid this pressure, he is assigned another duty: to escort Abdul Rauf (LK Akshay Kumar), a convicted murderer, to the Sivagangai Court. During the journey, Kathiravan slowly learns about Abdul’s past. The rest of the film unfolds how Abdul became a murderer and what final judgment awaits him.
Performances:
Vikram Prabhu delivers a sincere and restrained performance, doing exactly what the role demands. LK Akshay Kumar is effective in his part, but it is Anishma Anilkumar who truly stands out with her natural and impactful acting. Ananda Thambirajah and the supporting cast are also well-suited to their roles.
Analysis:
Directed by Suresh Rajakumari and co-written by Tamizh, Sirai is a well-intended thriller drama with a strong message. The film succeeds in presenting police procedures in a realistic manner. Scenes involving prisoner escorts and overcrowded courtrooms, where cases often seem pre-decided, are portrayed convincingly.
The mystery surrounding Abdul’s behavior is maintained well in the first half. The sequence where the police trio misses the bus, followed by the police station episode, is particularly engaging and well executed.
The flashback portions revealing Abdul’s backstory feel quite ordinary. The familiar setup of a Hindu–Muslim conflict affecting a love story, along with an abusive alcoholic antagonist who conveniently appears, such as during the pre-climax, gives a routine feel. These elements could have been handled in a more refreshing way.
Although the film moves through a few convenient moments, it regains momentum in the last twenty minutes. The climax comes with a pleasant surprise and provides a convincing closure to the love story.
Positives:
Performances
Truthful Narration
Emotional Scenes
Climax
Negatives:
Initial Slow Feel
Ordinary Flashback Portions
Sirai Review and Verdict:
Sirai is a well-meaning procedural thriller that gets most things right. While the slow beginning and predictable backstory slightly affect its impact, the film impresses with natural performances, well-handled emotions, and a strong, effective climax.
Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan’s son, Akira Nandan, has approached the Delhi High Court, alleging that his personality and right to privacy were violated through a film created using artificial intelligence. In his petition, Akira stated that an AI-generated movie misused his facial expressions, voice, appearance, and personal traits by employing AI morphing and deepfake technology.
Akira Nandan Moves to Court Against AI-Generated Film
Along with the AI-generated film, Akira Nandan informed the court that a large number of fake profiles and social media pages have been created in his name on platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and X. He requested the High Court to direct the concerned platforms to remove these fake accounts. After admitting the petition, the Delhi High Court issued notices to the respondents.
The High Court imposed a ban on the AI-generated love story film, stating that the use of artificial intelligence and deepfake technology to exploit Akira Nandan’s name, image, likeness, voice, and personality amounts to misappropriation. The court observed that creating distorted content that harms the petitioner’s reputation is a clear violation of his right to privacy.
The court also issued notices to Meta, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and X, directing them to remove the social media accounts linked to the video and disclose the IP details related to them. The case was heard by a bench led by Justice Tushar Rao. Senior advocate Sai Deepak represented Akira Nandan and filed the petition on his behalf. Advocates Aditya Gupta appeared for Google, while Varun Pathak represented Meta in the proceedings.
Music director Anirudh Ravichander is currently the most popular musician in South Indian cinema, enjoying a massive fanbase across languages. The latest buzz is that Anirudh Ravichander is all set to perform at a grand live concert in Hyderabad.
He made his Tamil debut with 3 (2012), and the song “Why This Kolaveri Di” became a global sensation, turning him into an overnight star. Since then, Anirudh has delivered several blockbuster albums in Tamil, including Ethir Neechal, VIP, Kaththi, Master, Jailer, Leo, and Vikram.
His energetic background scores and chartbuster songs have made him a favorite among young audiences. In Telugu as well, Anirudh has scored music for films like Jersey, Gang Leader, Agnyaathavaasi, Devara, and Kingdom, earning him huge admiration from Telugu movie lovers.
Anirudh has previously performed in Hyderabad, including a mini-concert in 2025, which received a great response. Now, he is scheduled to return with a much bigger and highly anticipated live concert on March 21, 2026, marking one of his most significant performances in Hyderabad so far.
Karthi’s Vaa Vaathiyaar, which was also promoted in Telugu, did not get a theatrical release in the Telugu states. But the Telugu version is now set to release directly on OTT, as it is making its digital debut tonight.
It is well known that Vijay’s Jana Nayagan, which was planned for a Pongal release, was postponed due to censor-related issues. Taking advantage of this situation, Vaa Vaathiyar was released only in Tamil on January 14, 2026. Directed by Nalan Kumarasamy, the film failed to impress audiences and ended up with poor box-office collections.
The movie is now heading to Amazon Prime Video for streaming. The platform has officially announced that Vaa Vaathiyar will premiere on January 28 in Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Kannada, and Malayalam.
Krithi Shetty plays the female lead opposite Karthi. The supporting cast includes Sathyaraj, Rajkiran, Anandaraj, Shilpa Manjunath, Karunakaran, G. M. Sundar, Ramesh Thilak, and P. L. Thenappan. The film is produced by K. E. Gnanavel Raja under the Studio Green banner, with music composed by Santhosh Narayanan.
The issue of the casting couch has once again become a hot topic in Tollywood. Recently, Megastar Chiranjeevi stated that there is no casting couch in the film industry and that new talent is always encouraged, to which singer Chinmayi strongly reacted to his comments. He also said that the industry reflects one’s own attitude and that professionalism protects people from negative experiences.
Chiranjeevi made these remarks during the success meet of Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu. He said that if a person is professional, no one can harm them, and issues like casting couch do not exist in the industry.
Casting Couch Issue: Chinmayi reacts to Megastar Chiranjeevi’s Comments
However, singer Chinmayi Sripaada strongly disagreed with Chiranjeevi’s comments. Reacting through a social media post, she stated that the meaning of the word “commitment” has been completely distorted in the film industry. According to her, many women are denied opportunities if they do not agree to so-called “full commitment,” which often implies sexual favors rather than professionalism.
Men in the Film Industry Believe They Are Entitled to Sexual Favors in Exchange for Work: Chinmayi
Chinmayi said that women who believe commitment means dedication to work and professionalism are often shocked to learn its real meaning in the industry. She alleged that some men in powerful positions feel entitled and expect sexual favors in exchange for work. She also highlighted that sexual harassment and abuse remain widespread issues in the industry.
While acknowledging that senior actors like Chiranjeevi come from a generation that worked with mutual respect, Chinmayi pointed out that the reality today is very different. She emphasized that blaming women or denying the existence of the casting couch only silences victims and protects offenders.
Chinmayi concluded by stating that the real problem lies with men who believe they are owed sex in return for giving work, and that the industry must acknowledge this reality instead of denying it.
