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Filmmaker Karan Johar is set to collaborate with acclaimed director Prosit Roy on a new psychological love story under the banner of Dharma Productions. The project is currently in the development stage and is expected to begin production later this year, marking a fresh creative partnership for both filmmakers. According to industry reports, the untitled film will blend romance with psychological elements, offering a darker and more emotionally layered narrative than conventional love stories. While the makers have kept the plot tightly under wraps, sources describe it as an intense relationship drama with a psychological twist. Prosit Roy is best known for directing the supernatural thriller Pari, starring Anushka Sharma, and the crime thriller series Raakh. His work has earned praise for its atmospheric storytelling and ability to explore the darker side of human emotions. His collaboration with Dharma Productions is expected to bring a fresh storytelling style to the production house’s slate. Reports suggest the film is still in the scripting and pre-production phase, with casting expected to begin soon. The makers are currently searching for the lead actors before moving the project to the shooting stage. Principal photography is likely to commence towards the end of 2026 if everything proceeds according to schedule. For Karan Johar and Dharma Productions, the project represents another step towards exploring diverse genres beyond traditional family dramas and romantic entertainers. In recent years, the production house has expanded into thrillers, courtroom dramas, horror and experimental storytelling, reflecting its changing creative vision. The announcement has generated excitement among Bollywood fans, many of whom are eager to see what Prosit Roy brings to the psychological romance genre with Dharma’s backing. Social media users have praised the collaboration, calling it an unexpected yet promising combination that could deliver a fresh cinematic experience. Although the film’s title, cast and release date remain undisclosed, the collaboration has already become one of the most talked-about upcoming Bollywood projects. With Prosit Roy’s distinctive filmmaking style and Karan Johar’s production expertise coming together, expectations are high for a film that aims to combine romance, suspense and psychological depth in a unique way.

Yami Gautam is reportedly set to headline Kahaani 3, taking over the lead role in the acclaimed thriller franchise previously fronted by Vidya Balan. The film, directed by Sujoy Ghosh, is currently in the pre-production stage and is expected to introduce a completely fresh story while retaining the signature mystery and suspense that made the franchise a favourite among audiences. According to reports, Kahaani 3 will not continue the storyline from the first two films. Instead, the makers are planning an entirely new narrative set within the same cinematic world. This approach is intended to preserve the franchise’s identity while giving audiences a fresh mystery to unravel. Sujoy Ghosh, who directed both Kahaani (2012) and Kahaani 2 (2016), is returning to helm the third instalment. An industry source quoted in multiple reports said, “Kahaani 3 is a new story altogether. The idea is to take the franchise forward while retaining the essence of the world that audiences have loved.” The source added that Yami Gautam has been chosen for the lead because her character has a powerful and emotionally layered arc that fits the film’s vision. The insider further revealed that the project is still in its early stages, with the creative team working on the script and production schedule before filming begins. “The film is still in the pre-production stage, and the team is working on the timelines for the shoot,” the source said. Speaking about Sujoy Ghosh’s return, the source explained that the filmmaker has a clear plan for the franchise’s future. “Sujoy has a very clear vision for the Kahaani world. He is working closely with the team to ensure that the third film feels fresh but still carries the soul of the franchise.” The source also noted that there is considerable excitement surrounding Yami Gautam’s casting, while the makers continue to finalise the shooting schedule. The Kahaani franchise has long been associated with Vidya Balan, whose performances as Vidya Bagchi and Durga Rani Singh earned widespread critical acclaim and helped establish the series as one of Bollywood’s finest mystery thrillers. Reports suggest that while Yami Gautam will now lead the franchise, the upcoming film is not intended to replace the earlier stories but rather expand the Kahaani universe with a new protagonist and standalone plot. Yami Gautam, who has earned praise in recent years for her performances in female-led films, is expected to bring a different dimension to the franchise. Industry observers believe the role could become another milestone in her career, especially given the strong legacy attached to the Kahaani brand. Although the makers have not officially announced the film’s cast or release date, reports about Yami Gautam leading Kahaani 3 have generated significant excitement among fans. Many have welcomed Sujoy Ghosh’s return and expressed curiosity about how the new chapter will honour the franchise’s legacy while introducing a fresh mystery for audiences.

Pakistani television dramas tend to follow familiar patterns. Family feuds, romantic misunderstandings, domestic conflicts. Shaandaar, the new crime thriller airing on Express Entertainment, has made a deliberate choice to go somewhere different, and the early response suggests audiences are ready for exactly that. The 16-episode drama, directed by Wajahat Rauf, draws inspiration from several real-life roadside killing cases that have sparked public debate and outrage in Pakistan. It is not a dramatisation of any single incident. Instead, the story brings together elements from different cases involving violence, privilege and the kind of power that can sometimes make consequences disappear. The question it keeps returning to is one that many Pakistanis have asked in real life: what happens when the powerful believe they are beyond accountability? For Ahsan Afzal Khan, who plays the central character Salar, the project offered something rare. “A script picked by Mr Wajahat Rauf already gives you the impression that something different is coming,” he told The Express Tribune. He described the opportunity to work in this genre as one of the main reasons he signed on. “There are very few such stories. We were getting a chance to do something different, a crime thriller genre.” Salar is not easy to like. He is privileged, arrogant and narcissistic. He looks down on others and misuses his influence. But Khan was careful to distinguish between understanding a character and excusing one. “I hope people relate to the human side of Salar, but not to his entire personality,” he said. He also pushed back on the idea that characters can be neatly sorted into good and bad. “No negative character is a bad person, and no positive character is a good person. We are all layered somewhere.” His explanation for how someone becomes Salar is rooted in how they were raised and what they absorbed along the way. “Did we face bullying? What did we face? All of that is incorporated into your mind. You are reacting as a defence mechanism.” Beneath the arrogance, there is a human being shaped by something. But those origins do not erase the damage. The drama is designed to move quickly. Khan described it as “fast-paced, gritty and dark,” but said the tone is not relentlessly heavy. “There is a light mood too, then slowly it gets darker and darker. There are social messages and a lot of things.” He said he watches the episodes with his family and finds himself wanting to see the next one. “It keeps you interested. It is not dragged.” That pace appears to be connecting with a younger audience. “Teenagers and Gen Z are enjoying this drama a lot,” Khan said. He also noted that viewers who usually prefer international content have expressed interest in the series, which says something about how far Shaandaar’s tone and subject matter depart from what Pakistani television typically offers. The ensemble cast includes Shamoon Abbasi, Shahzad Sheikh, Areeka Haq, Ali Dayan, Laila Wasti and Ahsan Afzal Khan. Together they inhabit a world where privilege and power create consequences that ordinary people cannot escape, and where the same actions carry very different costs depending on who commits them. It is a world many Pakistani viewers will recognise without needing it explained.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is not your average politician, and the playlist he shared with Rolling Stone makes that abundantly clear. In a candid and wide-ranging interview with the magazine, the newly elected mayor opened up about his love of music, name-dropping artists from Uganda, Pakistan and the United States in a conversation that has since generated considerable excitement, particularly in Pakistan. The moment that caught Pakistani audiences off guard was Mamdani’s mention of Shamoon Ismail, the Pakistani rapper and singer who has built a substantial following through his distinctive blend of pop, R&B and Urdu and English lyrics. “I’ve also been listening to a Pakistani rapper named Shamoon Ismail, who I’ve listened to for a few years, but I’m also listening to a little bit more of his music,” Mamdani said. The acknowledgement from the mayor of one of the world’s most powerful cities landed with particular warmth among Pakistani fans, who were clearly delighted to see a homegrown artist reach the playlist of such a prominent international figure. Mamdani was candid about what music means to him beyond casual listening. “It’s part of how I understand the world and how I understand my place in the world,” he said, framing music not as entertainment but as a tool for making sense of life and identity. The interview also offered a window into how his relationship with music began, rooted in the particular atmosphere of early 2000s New York. “I used to love going to Tower Records. They would have just floors of an incredible number of CDs, and for some reason, I loved The Offspring at the time,” he recalled, describing the kind of music discovery that now feels like it belongs to a different era entirely. His memories of finding music in the city carried the texture of street-level New York. “There were three to four albums. The first version I was given was the clean version of Jay-Z’s The Blueprint. The funny thing was that they used to sell bootleg CDs right outside of Tower Records, and that’s where I bought Eiffel 65’s Europop,” he said, the detail of the bootleg seller outside Tower Records painting a vivid picture of the city he grew up in. His Ugandan roots also appeared in his playlist. “I’ve been listening to a lot of Radio & Weasel, who are a duo from Uganda, who were running the charts for a long, long time,” he said. And for quieter, more reflective moments, he reached for country music. “And, you know, if I’m feeling reflective, throw on some Kacey Musgraves,” he added. Mamdani, who is of South Asian and East African descent, became a cultural talking point when he wrapped up his 2025 electoral victory speech to the Bollywood track Dhoom Machale as his family walked onto the stage. That moment went viral and signalled from the very beginning that this was a politician with a different kind of cultural identity from those typically associated with New York’s highest office. In a previous interview, he had also spoken warmly about Indian-American rapper Himanshu Suri, known as Heems, describing him as one of his favourite artists well before he entered politics. For Shamoon Ismail, the mention by a sitting mayor is the kind of international visibility that cannot be manufactured or bought. For Pakistani music more broadly, it is a reminder that the country’s artists are being heard in places and by people that might surprise even their most devoted local fans.