‘Peddi’ is the kind of film that may stay with you. Set in 1980s rural Andhra Pradesh, it follows young man named ‘Peddi’ who uses his sporting talent to fight for his village’s dignity. Real enemy in the film is not a person but system. Neglect, indifference, and the slow erasure of a community’s identity drive the conflict. Sports becomes the language through which ‘Peddi’ speaks to the world.

If that story moved you, here are five films that hit the same nerve.

Also Read: Peddi Twitter (X) review: ‘Career best’ vs ‘disaster’ for Ram Charan’s performance; the internet is at war

Lagaan (2001)

This is the obvious one, but it earns its place for a reason. A drought-hit village in colonial India is given an impossible choice. Accept three times the usual tax or win a cricket match against British officers. The villagers have never played the game. They learn it from scratch.

What makes Lagaan feel close to ‘Peddi’ is the idea that a game can carry the weight of an entire people. The match is not just a match. It is about survival, pride, refusal to disappear quietly. The villagers are ordinary people with no special advantages. Their only asset is the will to fight together. Director Ashutosh Gowariker gives the film an epic scale, but the emotional core is surprisingly intimate. Every character in the village gets a moment. That is rare for a film of this size.

Irudhi Suttru (2016)

Known in Hindi as Saala Khadoos, this Tamil film is a bare-bones sports drama about a disgraced boxing coach who discovers a raw talent from a fishing village. He is difficult, obsessive, and not easy to like. She is stubborn and untrained but has something no amount of coaching can create.

The story is not about trophies. It is about two people from the margins who have something to prove. The boxing sequences are gritty and real. There is no slow-motion heroism. The film earns its emotional beats honestly. R. Madhavan gives one of his best performances, and Ritika Singh is a revelation. For anyone who liked how ‘Peddi’ used sport as a mirror for deeper social realities, this one delivers the same weight.

Dangal (2016)

This film needs no introduction, but it belongs on this list because of what it is actually saying underneath the wrestling. Mahavir Singh Phogat is a man who once had a dream that the system crushed. He channels that dream into his daughters at a time when nobody in rural Haryana thought girls could be wrestlers.

What connects Dangal to ‘Peddi’ is the setting and the stakes. The village is not a backdrop. It is the whole point. Winning internationally means something specific to a place that has been told it does not matter. Aamir Khan disappears into the role completely. The film is long but never slow. The climactic bout at the Commonwealth Games is one of the finest sequences in Indian sports cinema.

Sarpatta Parambarai (2021)

This one is a step apart from the others and is better for it. Set in the 1970s in a working-class neighbourhood in North Chennai, the film follows a young man who joins an underground boxing clan. The clans are more than sports teams. They carry caste loyalties, political allegiances, and old wounds that never fully healed.

Pa. Ranjith directs this with the eye of a social historian. The film is long, detailed, and unafraid of complexity. The hero does not always make the right choice. He fails, rises, fails again. Sport here is inseparable from identity and community survival. That is exactly what ‘Peddi’ is about. If you want a film that treats its world seriously and does not simplify for comfort, Sarpatta Parambarai is essential viewing.

Chhichhore (2019)

This one earns its spot by approaching the theme differently. A group of college students who were considered failures band together for a hostel sports championship. The film cuts between their youth and their present, where one of their sons is in hospital after a suicide attempt following exam failure.

The message is direct. Losing is not the end. What you do with failure defines you more than success ever could. The film does not preach. It earns that message through character and story. The sports sequences are funny, chaotic, and oddly moving. Sushant Singh Rajput plays the lead with a lightness that hides genuine depth. Like ‘Peddi’, the film uses sport to talk about something much larger than the game itself, about what we owe to each other when life is going badly.

Peddi Twitter (X) Review: Ram Charan’s rural sports drama ‘Peddi’, directed by Buchi Babu Sana, finally arrived in theatres today amid tremendous expectations. The film stars Ram Charan alongside Shiva Rajkumar, Janhvi Kapoor, Jagapathi Babu, and Divyenndu, with music by AR Rahman and cinematography by R. Rathnavelu. The moment the first shows ended, X exploded with opinions from all sides.

The hype going in

The pressure on this film was real. ‘Peddi’ marks Ram Charan’s third release since the blockbuster ‘RRR’, but none of his post-‘RRR’ films have come close to recreating that success. The makers had already shown the film to buyers, with producer Ravi Shankar claiming every buyer gave it a “blockbuster” report, calling it the biggest film of Ram Charan’s career. But the buzz was low, as the trailer did not really connect with audiences. The film’s success depended entirely on word-of-mouth after release.

Fans go wild on X

Once the premiere crowds walked out, fan reactions flooded the timeline. In a post that went viral, ‘Peddi’ was referred to as “pure cinematic fire.”

Done ☑️ with first half

What a fantastic fabulous movie..

Not even single scene not worthy 🔥🔥🔥

Fire every scene it’s a masterpiece..#peddi #peddiblockbuster

జై చరణ్ .. జై జై చరణ్ 💪 https://t.co/37B0bkQIXf pic.twitter.com/vApFz8qbr0

— $anthu (@im_santhoshpr) June 4, 2026

Ram Charan was lauded for delivering “one of the most intense and career-defining performances of his life. People said he owned every frame with unmatched screen presence,” while Janhvi Kapoor was praised for bringing charm and depth to the story.

Not everyone was convinced

Positive buzz ran into a wall of skepticism from another camp on X.

Pretty average 1st half with a decent interval. Only Charan is holding it together so far. BGM is so so #Peddi

— RGK 🍀 (@iamrgk_) June 4, 2026

Disaster#peddi

— starkboy (@biryani_beer) June 3, 2026

Several users pointed to pacing concerns. Critics noted the film feels slightly stretched in places, even while acknowledging strong performances throughout.

The first hour on X tells one story clearly: the fans came out swinging, and so did the skeptics. ‘Peddi’ is not a clean hit or a clean miss in public opinion yet. The word-of-mouth over the next 24 hours will settle it.

With a reported budget of Rs 350 crore and the weight of two consecutive flops behind him, Ram Charan needs the numbers to match the noise.

Also Read: Peddi OTT release date and platform: When and where to watch Ram Charan and Janhvi Kapoor-starrer after theatres

Andy Cohen may have a new man in his life. On June 2, the Bravo host was photographed holding hands with Kevin Sobieski in New York City. The two were arriving for dinner at celebrity hotspot Via Carota in New York City’s West Village neighbourhood, seemingly to celebrate Cohen’s birthday.

Popular internet gossip account DeuxMoi posted photos of Cohen and Sobieski holding hands with their fingers interlocked, alongside the caption, “Andy Cohen and his boyfriend Kevin spotted at Via Carota.” TMZ also quickly ran with the story, alleging that the two men had been dating for a “few months.”

Also Read: Beds, boys, and a broken prosecution: 10 most disturbing revelations from Netflix’s ‘Michael Jackson: The Verdict’

For the night out, Cohen wore a tan off-white cream suit paired with a pink shirt and sleek footwear, while Sobieski opted for a traditional dark suit and a pale button-down shirt.

Neither Andy nor Kevin have made any public statement after these June 2 dinner photos were released.

Who is Andy Cohen?

Andy Cohen is an American television executive and personality with a net worth of $50 million. He is perhaps best known as the host and executive producer of the late-night talk show Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, which premiered in 2009.

Cohen was born on June 2, 1968, in St. Louis, Missouri. His television career started more than three decades ago when he interned at CBS News alongside fellow intern Julie Chen. He worked at CBS News for 10 years, serving as a producer for programs like The Early Show, 48 Hours, and CBS This Morning before joining the television network Trio in 2000.

After Trio was bought by Bravo in 2004, Cohen became the Vice President of Original Programming. He later became the Executive Vice President of Development and Talent at Bravo until 2013.

Cohen welcomed son Ben and daughter Lucy via surrogate. Previously, he confessed on the Call Her Daddy podcast in October 2025 that while he loves being a single father, the dating world is complicated. He joked about searching for love on Raya and Grindr.

Who is Kevin Sobieski?

Kevin Sobieski is a 42-year-old high-powered executive with serious ties to the entertainment world.

According to his LinkedIn, Kevin currently works in Portfolio Operations at TPG and has been in the role for just over two years. He described his work as: “Member of General Management (generalist) function within TPG Capital’s Portfolio Ops team, focusing primarily on Healthcare investments.”

TPG is one of the world’s largest alternative asset management firms, with over $200 billion in assets under management.

His education

Kevin Sobieski graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He also completed a semester abroad in Copenhagen.

His career path

Sobieski has built a career across finance, consulting, and private equity over nearly two decades.

Kevin began his career in marketing and financial analysis at General Mills from 2006 to 2010. He then spent significant tenure at Bain & Company from 2012 to 2017. This included multiple leadership roles focused on strategy and merger integrations. After that he directed transformation initiatives at Newell Brands in 2017-2018.

From 2018 to 2022, he served as a Portfolio Operating Executive at MacAndrews & Forbes, where he assisted with strategic initiatives for several companies, including RxSaver, which was acquired by GoodRx in 2021.

Sobieski spent two years advising early-stage companies focused on remote work technology and AI-driven human resources software prior to his 2024 entry into TPG.

His connection to the entertainment world

Before Kevin Sobieski became linked to Andy Cohen, he was known in entertainment circles as the former boyfriend of a major Broadway composer.

Sobieski dated composer and songwriter Benj Pasek from 2018 to 2022. The two were photographed on the red carpet a number of times throughout their relationship, including at the opening of the Broadway musical Dear Evan Hansen, which Pasek composed. Pasek also created the music for films like La La Land and The Greatest Showman.

Sobieski travelled to multiple public appearances with Pasek while they were together, including the London premiere of Dear Evan Hansen in 2019.

How did Andy Cohen and Kevin Sobieski meet?

Andy and Kevin appear to have first met in 2020 after they both participated in a Covid fundraiser called Saturday Night Seder.

The Saturday Night Seder was a virtual fundraiser broadcast on YouTube on April 11, 2020. It was co-produced by Benj Pasek and featured a wide array of celebrity participants, including Andy Cohen.

Sobieski is no stranger to a glamorous lifestyle or mingling with elite crowds. He previously accompanied Benj Pasek to high-profile opening nights in London and Los Angeles.

Reactions online

The comments on the DeuxMoi Instagram post were immediately flooded by fans who recognised the man with Cohen as Kevin Sobieski.

An alleged friend of Kevin revealed more about their romance to DeuxMoi, claiming: “He is a GREAT guy and Andy is super lucky to be with such a gem.”

The story spread rapidly across entertainment outlets, with TMZ, Just Jared, and Out all running coverage within hours of the photos going online.

What Cohen has said about dating

Cohen opened up to Extra in November 2025 about hopes for getting married, saying: “I think that a few things need to happen before I get married.” He also revealed his dating dealbreaker, noting: “I think if the first date was like, ‘When can I meet Countess Luann?’ I might be like, ‘You know what? Slow your roll, dude.'”

On the Call Her Daddy podcast in October 2025, when host Alex Cooper asked if he was on the apps, Cohen confirmed he was on Grindr, Scruff, Raya, Hinge, and Tinder. He even noted he got kicked off Grindr because people accused him of impersonating himself.

The relationship marks a new chapter for Cohen, who has not publicly dated anyone since his early 2000s split from John Hill.

Netflix dropped its three-part docuseries ‘Michael Jackson: The Verdict’. Directed by Nick Green, it revisits the 2005 criminal trial that acquitted Jackson on all 14 counts of child sexual abuse. Here is what the documentary lays bare, without the softening that Jackson’s admirers prefer.

1. The Bashir documentary triggered everything

Former BBC journalist Martin Bashir’s film ‘Living With Michael Jackson’ put the spotlight directly on the entertainer’s relationship with 12-year-old Gavin Arvizo, who would go on to accuse Jackson of molesting him. In the BBC documentary, Jackson appears clutching Arvizo’s hand and speaking joyfully about sharing a bed with the boy on multiple occasions. Jackson invited Bashir into Neverland specifically to rebuild his battered image. It destroyed what was remaining of it instead.

Also Read: He spends money on a date, she goes home without sleeping with him: What India’s ‘favourite’ stand-up comics call content

2. Jackson never recovered from the 1993 settlement

Jackson never really recovered from the 1993 child molestation accusations when he settled with 12-year-old Jordy Chandler and his family for $23 million. The documentary shows this payment was not closure. It was a shadow that followed him into every courtroom argument, undermining any claim of innocence with jurors who knew the history.

3. He admitted to sleeping with children

In an archival footage’s most controversial moments, Jackson openly admits to sharing his bed with young boys, insisting that sleepovers involved nothing more than fun, games, sleep. He said this on camera, to a journalist, while holding a child’s hand. No spin from his legal team or inner circle could undo it.

4. Pornography found behind locked doors

At best, Jackson engaged in a historic pattern of taking young children who were not his own into his bedroom behind a locked door, sleeping in bed with them, and showing them pornography. There is no dispute here. It is a statement of documented fact that the documentary does not shy away from, even as it also presents his defenders.

5. The prosecution self-destructed

Jackson walked free because the prosecution’s case was undone by unreliable witnesses, namely Gavin’s mom Janet, and major blunders like putting Jackson’s ex-wife Debbie Rowe on the stand, where she flipped. Rowe was called as a prosecution witness and ended up helping the defence. That is not bad luck. That is a catastrophically ready case.

6. Jurors swayed by fame, not just facts

The real uphill battle was simply convincing admirers that the man behind ‘Thriller’ could be a monster, particularly when the likes of child actor Macaulay Culkin were willing to take the stand to proclaim him a harmless saint. The fact that accusations from multiple kids that they were groped and raped was not enough to convince a jury to put Jackson behind bars speaks volumes about who is and is not believed in matters of justice.

7. No cameras in court meant the public was kept blind

No cameras entered in court. And so the public’s view of the facts at the time were filtered by commentators and presented piecemeal, the filmmakers themselves acknowledge. For years, people judged the trial on whatever fragments television chose to air. The documentary argues this distorted the public understanding of how strong the prosecution’s underlying evidence actually was.

8. The accusers were completely absent from the documentary

Viewers hoping for a balanced examination of the allegations against the singer may keep waiting to hear from at least one of the accusers or their families. That testimony never arrives. A documentary about child abuse allegations that does not include the alleged victims’ voices is a significant editorial choice. Critics have called it a glaring gap.

9. The timing is nakedly commercial

It is hard to separate the timing of this documentary from the renewed interest in Michael Jackson. With the biopic ‘Michael’ currently drawing a lot of attention, the pop star is once again dominating headlines. As a result, ‘Michael Jackson: The Verdict’ often feels like a project designed primarily to capitalise on that renewed interest. The documentary arrives over a month after the theatrical debut of the Michael biopic starring Jaafar Jackson, which grossed around $850 million. This is content riding a money wave, not justice-seeking.

10. The documentary offers almost nothing new

Green’s docuseries is a rather linear affair that is heavier on rehashing than on revelation, and those familiar with this headline-making chapter will come away with scant new information. The series relied heavily on interviews that rarely go beyond information that has been publicly available for years. For a trial that ended 21 years ago and left so many questions open, Netflix had the access and the platform to go further. It chose not to.

Veteran actress Aruna Irani recently spoke about one of the darkest phases of her career, three years without work, and a Marathi film that changed everything.

Let’s delve into it, chronologically.

A Career That Began in Childhood

Aruna Irani was born on 18 August 1946 in Bombay. Her father, Faredun Irani, ran a drama troupe, and her mother, Saguna, was an actress. The performing arts were part of her household from the very beginning.

Aruna Irani made her debut in the movie Gunga Jumna (1961) at nine years old. The classic song “Insaf ki Dagar pe” in Dilip Kumar’s Gunga Jumna was picturised on her. From that point, she kept working steadily as a child artist.

After doing several small roles in films like Jahanara (1964), Farz (1967), Upkar (1967), and Aaya Sawan Jhoomke (1969), she was building a name for herself. The bigger break, however, was still a few years away.

Also Read: 5 Ram Charan films to watch before ‘Peddi’

The Blockbuster Years With Caravan and Bombay To Goa

The early 1970s brought Aruna Irani her most high-profile work. She shot to fame with her performance as an aggressive gypsy woman in the superhit Caravan (1971), where she also danced with Jeetendra in tracks like “Chadti Jawani Meri Chaal Mastaani” and “Dilbarr Dilse Pyaare.”

Then came Bombay To Goa in 1972. Aruna Irani played the role of Mala in the film, opposite Amitabh Bachchan who played Ravi Kumar. Shatrughan Sinha and Mehmood were also part of the cast.

Aruna herself has recalled this period with pride. She said that both Bombay To Goa and Caravan were blockbusters. Both films ran for years in Super Cinema and Dreamland theatres. She was at the top of her game, working alongside one of Hindi cinema’s biggest rising stars.

The Sudden Fall: Three Years Without Work

Then, without warning, the work stopped.

Aruna Irani has opened up on the toughest phase of her life when she was out of work for three consecutive years, and how a once leading actress had to dance for just Rs 2,500 to earn a livelihood.

Speaking on the reality show Tum Ho Naa, she recalled how abruptly things changed after two back-to-back hits. After Caravan and Bombay To Goa, there were suddenly no offers. No calls. No roles. She has described sitting in studios and waiting for someone to notice her as something she refused to do.

The success as a heroine eluded her, and ironically, the newer actors and actresses who she supported became stars while acting with her — Jeetendra in Farz (1967), Rishi Kapoor and Dimple Kapadia in Bobby (1973), Jayaprada in Sargam (1979), Kumar Gaurav in Love Story (1981), and Sanjay Dutt in Rocky (1981).

Her memorable performance in Caravan had already typecast her in vampish and supporting roles. The film industry had effectively moved on from her as a leading lady.

Accepting a Lavani for Rs 2,500

When work finally came, it was not what she had been known for. It was a Lavani performance in a Marathi film. The pay was Rs 2,500.

She performed a Lavani in a Marathi film and did it with courage. She told herself she had to go and show people she was still alive. She could not just sit in a studio and ask to be cast.

The film was Dada Kondke’s Marathi film Aandhla Marto Dola. She told herself she had once been a heroine opposite Amitabh Bachchan and was now doing a Lavani for Rs 2,500. But she chose to go anyway.

This was not a decision made out of comfort. It was one made out of necessity and a firm refusal to disappear from the industry quietly. She has spoken about this with no regret, describing it as the choice that saved her career.

The Turning Point: Meeting Raj Kohli

That Marathi film did more than give her a paycheck. That decision turned out to be fruitful because there she met people who would change her career. She met Raj Kohli ji, and from there work started coming her way again.

This meeting opened new doors. The roles returned. The industry noticed her again.

A Career That Reinvented Itself

Rather than fade away, Aruna Irani adapted. In the late 1980s and 1990s, she focused more on motherly characters in films like Shahenshah, Chaalbaaz, and Phool Aur Kaante. That approach struck the right formula when she played an elderly character in the 1992 release Beta.

Beta earned her the second Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award. She had won her first Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award for Pet Pyaar Aur Paap (1984).

In her later career, Irani switched to television and also took up the direction and production of tele-serials such as Mehndi Tere Naam Ki, Des Mein Niklla Hoga Chand, Rabba Ishq Na Hove, and Vaidehi.

On 19 February 2012, she was awarded the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award.

She married Bollywood film director Kuku Kohli in 1990. Aruna Irani is also the sister of filmmaker Indra Kumar.

The ‘Euphoria’ Season 3 finale, “In God We Trust,” aired on June 1, 2026, and it delivered exactly what the show has always promised: chaos, grief, glitter, and absolutely zero comfort. Rue Bennett is dead. Alamo is dead. Ali went full vigilante. Cassie is pivoting to OnlyFans mogul. Nate got buried alive and bitten by a rattlesnake in the episode before.

None of this is what the internet predicted.

Over the past several weeks, Reddit threads, TikTok videos, and long-winded Twitter threads have been absolutely cooking with theories about how Season 3 would end. Fans spent four years waiting for this show to come back. That is four years of pent-up theorising energy, and it shows. People were posting with the conviction of someone who had cracked a cold case. They had evidence. They had screenshots. Also, they had matching initials and Shakespeare references.

They were wrong.

Here, ranked by sheer audacity, are the biggest fan theory misses of the ‘Euphoria’ Season 3 finale.

The “Rue is a Detective” Theory (Confidence Level: Criminal)

This one takes the top spot. A popular theory circulating on Reddit insisted that the finale would reveal Rue had become a private detective. The logic, as fans explained it at length, was that Rue has always narrated the show with hindsight and detail, as if retelling events after surviving them. Fans argued this was Sam Levinson planting clues since the pilot episode.

Also Read: Zendaya gave the best TV death in years; so why does the ‘Euphoria’ finale feel empty?

The irony here is rich. Sam Levinson actually did pitch a version of ‘Euphoria’ where Rue would be a background character and a private detective. Zendaya reportedly opposed the idea, and it was scrapped. So the theory was almost real, which somehow makes it worse. Fans accidentally theorised their way into a rejected writers’ room pitch. Rue did not become a detective. Rue died on a couch from fentanyl disguised as Percocet.

The “It’s All Lexi’s Play” Theory (Confidence Level: Baffling)

Quite a few fans went all-in on the idea that the entire third season, or at least the finale, would be revealed as a script Lexi was writing. This was framed as a callback to the “Is this play about us?” moment from Season 2, when Lexi staged a school production that laid bare everyone’s secrets.

The theory had a certain poetic logic to it. Lexi was working as a writers’ assistant for a showrunner played by Sharon Stone in Season 3. The meta angle was there. Fans were convinced.

In the actual finale, Lexi appears briefly and declines to work with Cassie. That’s it. The entire season was not a play. The deaths were real. Rue did not pop back up and take a bow.

The “Maddy Sells Out Cassie to Alamo” Theory (Confidence Level: Wildly Wrong)

Fans built quite the case for this one. The theory was that Maddy, faced with her own mounting debts, would betray Cassie by handing her over to Alamo in exchange for protection. Supporters pointed to Euphoria’s recurring theme of survival overriding loyalty.

What actually happened: Maddy showed up at Alamo’s club to pay off a debt, got used as a human shield during Ali’s showdown with Alamo, and walked away with her freedom after Ali shot Alamo dead. Maddy did not betray Cassie. By the end of the episode, she and Cassie were planning to turn Nate’s house into an OnlyFans hype house together. Extremely unexpected, but also kind of perfect.

The “Faye Saves Rue” Theory (Confidence Level: Touching but No)

After Episode 7, when Faye screamed to wake Wayne while Rue was robbing the safe, fans were split. Half assumed it meant Faye had turned against Rue for good. The other half theorised the opposite: that Faye would redeem herself in the finale by coming back to save Rue at a critical moment.

Neither happened, really. Rue escaped that situation on her own, with some accidental help from Marshawn Lynch’s character G. Faye does not re-enter the picture in a meaningful way. Rue later dies before the episode’s midpoint, not in a dramatic standoff but quietly, on a couch, after taking pills Alamo left out for her on purpose.

The “Jules Crashes Everything” Theory (Confidence Level: Enthusiastic)

Jules’ storyline in Season 3 involved an older, wealthy surgeon as a sugar daddy, and fans ran with it. The most detailed version of this theory suggested her benefactor was secretly the surgeon performing illegal operations on Alamo’s girls, that a police raid would catch Jules in the crossfire, and that this would finally connect her arc to the season’s criminal underworld.

In reality, Jules appears in one scene in the finale. She has no dialogue. She is shown crying, likely because she has heard about Rue’s death. Her relationship with the surgeon is unresolved. The show does not connect her to Alamo at all. After seven years and three seasons, Jules gets one tearful cameo in the final episode of the series. The internet has complicated feelings about this.

The “Rue Flees the Country and Survives” Theory (Confidence Level: Hopeful)

This was the fan-favourite alternative to the death theory. Supporters argued that killing Rue would be too obvious, too bleak, and that the show would instead end with her escaping to Mexico or disappearing into a new life. Some versions of the theory had her getting clean in a foreign country. Others had her simply vanishing, alive but unreachable.

Zendaya herself had said in a 2024 interview that she hoped Season 3 would bring Rue “a little bit of happiness and a little bit of joy” and that she wanted to explore Rue’s sobriety journey. Fans took this as a sign that survival was on the table. The show took it as a reason to make her death even more devastating.

Rue did not flee the country. She went to Ali’s house, fell asleep, and did not wake up.

The “Cassie is Forced to Perform for Alamo” Theory (Confidence Level: Very Detailed)

Fans theorised that Cassie would end up trapped performing at Alamo’s strip club, the Silver Slipper, forced there by threats to Lexi. The theory tied neatly into the show’s themes of objectification and fantasy becoming imprisonment. It was dark, thematically coherent, and completely wrong.

Cassie ends the series planning her own OnlyFans empire. She is not a hostage. She is, in fact, somewhat thriving in the most chaotic way possible. Also, she and Maddy are converting Nate’s house into shared accommodation for other OnlyFans creators. This is not a tragic ending for Cassie. It is just a very ‘Euphoria’ one.

The Lesson Nobody Asked For

Here is the thing about theorising for a show like ‘Euphoria’. Sam Levinson spent four years writing this season. Fans spent four years theorising. The gap in those four years was filled by the 2023 Hollywood strikes, the death of Angus Cloud, the death of executive producer Kevin Turen, and endless reports of behind-the-scenes tension.

People were emotionally invested before a single frame aired. That investment turned into a kind of collective anxiety, and theorising was how fans managed it. Predicting the show felt like controlling it, just a little.

The finale, running at one hour and thirty-three minutes, is the longest episode in HBO history. It ends with Rue dead, Ali avenging her by shooting a drug lord after a champagne-bottle duel, and Cassie and Maddy building something together out of the wreckage.

Nobody predicted any of that. And somehow, that feels exactly right.

AI music company Suno has raised $400 million in Series D funding round. The post-money valuation stands at $5.4 billion. The company announced the round on Wednesday, June 3, 2026.

Bond Capital led the investment. Bond Capital’s portfolio includes OpenAI, Substack, and Kalshi. Other new investors in the round include IVP, Forerunner, Union Square Ventures, Alkeon Capital Management, and Quiet Capital.

Existing investors also participated. They include Matrix Partners, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Menlo Ventures, and Schroders Capital. Suno CEO Mikey Shulman confirmed in a blog post that the round also drew in unnamed artists, producers, and songwriters from across the music industry.

Valuation Jump

The new valuation of $5.4 billion is more than double Suno’s previous figure. In November 2025, the company closed its Series C round at a $2.45 billion valuation after raising $250 million. That Series C was led by Menlo Ventures and included NVIDIA’s venture arm NVentures, Hallwood Media, Matrix Partners, and Lightspeed.

Before that, Suno raised a $125 million Series B in May 2024, led by Lightspeed Venture Partners. That round valued the company at approximately $500 million. The company has now more than tripled its valuation in roughly seven months.

Suno is now the highest-valued startup in the AI music sector.

Company Background

Suno was founded in 2023 by Mikey Shulman, Georg Kucsko, Martin Camacho, and Keenan Freyberg. All four were previously employees of Kensho, an AI data analytics firm that S&P Global acquired. The company is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with additional offices in New York City and Los Angeles.

In April 2023, Suno released its first public product, called Bark. Bark was an open-source text-to-speech and audio model published on GitHub. The music generation web app launched publicly on December 20, 2023.

The platform allows users to type a text prompt and receive complete song in return. The output includes vocals, harmonies, instrumentation, song structure. Users can specify genre, mood, instruments, tempo, lyrical content. The platform currently runs on version 5 of its AI model released in September 2025.

Revenue and User Growth

Suno surpassed 2 million paid subscribers as of February 2026. Its annual recurring revenue has reached $300 million as of the time of funding announcement.

For comparison, Suno’s ARR was $50 million at start of 2025. It rose to $140 million by September 30, 2025. It has now more than doubled from that figure.

At September 2025 mark, users were generating around 7 million tracks per day. They were also streaming 20 million minutes of music daily on the platform.

Suno ranked first in Apple App Store’s music category in multiple countries. Shulman noted this in his June 3 blog post.

Team and Hiring Plans

Suno currently employs around 200 people. The company expects to grow its headcount by up to 70 percent before the end of 2026. That would bring the total to roughly 340 employees.

Shulman said in his announcement that the funding will go toward new products, platform growth, and hiring.

Legal Battles

Suno has been at the center of major music industry lawsuits. In 2024, the Recording Industry Association of America filed suit against Suno and its competitor Udio on behalf of Warner Music Group, Universal Music Group, and Sony Music Entertainment. The complaint alleged mass copyright infringement in the companies’ AI training data.

Warner Music Group settled its case with Suno in November 2025. The two companies then announced a licensing partnership. As part of the deal, Suno acquired Songkick, a concert discovery platform, from Warner. The settlement was Suno’s first formal agreement with a major record label.

Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment remain in active litigation against Suno as of this report’s publication. Last month, UMG and Sony asked a federal court for permission to add more than 61,000 copyrighted sound recordings to their lawsuit. The two labels used audio fingerprinting technology to identify recordings they allege were present in Suno’s training data.

Suno asked the same court to keep secret the exact number of audio files it used to train its model. The company argued that disclosing the figure would give competitors a strategic advantage.

Suno also faces separate legal actions from Denmark’s music rights organization Koda and Germany’s GEMA.

In April 2026, the Financial Times reported that licensing talks between Suno and the remaining major label plaintiffs had stalled. A person involved in the talks told the newspaper there was no clear path forward with the current proposal.

More than 1,800 independent artists have also supported class-action lawsuits against Suno and Udio alleging copyright infringement.

Warner Partnership and New Model

Despite the ongoing litigation with UMG and Sony, Suno is moving ahead with the product framework it built with Warner Music Group. Shulman said in his blog post that the company plans to release its first music model developed in partnership with the music industry in the coming months.

Under the Warner deal, the new model will allow users to reference and incorporate Warner-owned songs into their creations. The current Suno models will be deprecated when the new licensed models launch. Free-tier users will no longer be able to download audio. Only paid subscribers will retain download access, subject to monthly caps.

Bloomberg reported that Warner Music executives have expressed optimism about anticipated revenue under the partnership.

Use of Funds

Shulman said the $400 million will go toward three areas: expanding the user base, building new creation features, and growing the team.

The company also plans to invest in AI model development. Suno is preparing to release the model built in collaboration with the music industry. Testing of that model under the Warner partnership is already underway, according to a company representative.

Also Read: From ‘Get Out’ to ‘Obsession’: The films proving social horror is the most profitable genre in cinema right now

Here is the roundup of three Malayalam and Tamil films arriving on OTT this week.

Patriot (ZEE5, June 5): Malayalam

Patriot begins streaming on ZEE5 from June 5. Mahesh Narayanan has directed, written, and co-edited the film. Production is handled by Anto Joseph and K.G. Anil Kumar.

The film carries a reported budget of Rs 140 crore and has a runtime of 180 minutes. Mammootty plays Dr Daniel James and Mohanlal appears as Col. Rahim Naik. The cast also includes Fahadh Faasil, Kunchacko Boban, Nayanthara, Revathi, Darshana Rajendran, Zarin Shihab, Prakash Belawadi, and Shaheen Siddique. Cinematography is by Manush Nandan and music is composed by Sushin Shyam.

The film follows covert operatives who uncover a surveillance conspiracy that escalates into a national security emergency. They race against time to dismantle the network before it silences opposition.

Patriot marked the full-fledged reunion of Mammootty and Mohanlal after 18 years. The iconic duo was last seen together in lead roles in the 2008 action thriller Twenty:20, directed by Joshiy.

Also Read: Never seen ‘Lagaan’ on the big screen? You now have three days to fix that

The film opened to Rs 9.80 crore from over 2,600 shows in India on its first day, with collections largely driven by Kerala. It opened to a worldwide gross of around Rs 28 crore on its opening day and collected more than Rs 60 crore globally during its first three-day weekend. The film’s total gross collection stands at Rs 32.44 crore after 23 days of its domestic theatrical run.

ZEE5 will stream the film in Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Hindi. The ZEE network has also acquired the satellite rights, and Zee Keralam will broadcast the film after its OTT release.

29 (Netflix, June 5): Tamil

The Tamil coming-of-age drama 29 begins streaming on Netflix from June 5, 2026. The film is directed by Rathna Kumar and stars Vidhu and Preethi Asrani in the lead roles.

The film is jointly produced by Karthik Subbaraj under Stone Bench Creations and Lokesh Kanagaraj under G Squad. Cinematography is by Madhesh Manickam, editing by R.S. Sathish Kumar, and music by Sean Roldan. The supporting cast includes Mahendran, Avinash, Shenaz Fathima, and Prem Kumar.

Vidhu plays Sathya, a quirky 29-year-old whose life takes an unexpected turn. As he navigates humorous situations and chance encounters, he forms unlikely friendships and begins to see life from a new perspective. The film blends romance and drama with themes of self-discovery, relationships, and second chances.

The film was written and directed by Rathna Kumar and follows the story of a man dealing with a quarter-life identity crisis who gets into a relationship with an ambitious woman. Music lyrics are penned by Uma Devi, Bakkiya, and Shankar.

According to industry tracker Sacnilk, 29 collected Rs 30 lakh from 694 shows on its opening day. The film’s total India gross stands at Rs 34 lakh. Despite the modest box office run, a section of critics responded positively to the film.

There is a strong possibility that Telugu and other regional dubbed versions will be made available on Netflix simultaneously with the Tamil original. This is Rathna Kumar’s first film after Gulu Gulu in 2022.

Dridam (JioHotstar, June 12): Malayalam

Shane Nigam’s Malayalam investigative thriller Dridam will be released on OTT platform JioHotstar on June 12, 2026, over a month after its May 8 theatrical debut.

The film is directed by Martin Joseph and co-produced by Jeethu Joseph. The screenplay is written by Jomon John and Linto Devasia. Cinematography is handled by P.M. Unnikrishnan, editing by Vinayakh, and production design by Sunil Das. The film is produced by Mukesh R. Mehta and C.V. Sarathi under the banners E4 Experiments and Bedtime Stories.

Shane Nigam plays Vijay Radhakrishnan, a newly appointed Sub-Inspector posted to a rural police station. The posting initially appears routine, but the situation changes when a series of crimes begins to unfold in the area, including multiple murders and a bank robbery, which form the core of the investigation.

The supporting cast includes Shobi Thilakan, Kottayam Ramesh, Dinesh Prabhakar, Nandhan Unni, Krishna Prabha, Saniya Fathima, Abhiram Radhakrishnan, Prasant Murali, Mathew Varghese, Bitto Davis, and Abhishek Raveendran.

This is Martin Joseph’s directorial debut. He has previously worked closely with filmmaker Jeethu Joseph.

Bollywood actor Aamir Khan is reportedly marrying his partner Gauri Spratt on July 5 in private registered ceremony at his Mumbai residence. This will be the 61-year-old actor’s third marriage. Neither Aamir nor Gauri has officially confirmed the wedding plans.

The Wedding: What we know so far

According to reports, the ceremony will take place at Aamir Khan’s home in Mumbai. The couple has chosen registered marriage and has not planned large public celebration or grand Bollywood reception.

A source cited in media reports stated: “They are both in secure place and only wanted to celebrate their bond. They have already started preparations for the wedding, which will be a close-knit event attended by their close ones.”

The guest list has not been officially confirmed. Reports suggest that Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan, both close friends of Aamir, may attend, though this depends entirely on their schedules at the time. The ceremony is expected to include immediate family members from both sides.

Aamir Khan’s previous marriages

Aamir Khan has been married twice before. His first marriage was to Reena Dutta in 1986. The two were married for 16 years before separating in 2002. They share two children together, Junaid Khan and Ira Khan.

His second marriage was to filmmaker Kiran Rao in 2005. They were also married for 16 years. In 2021, the couple announced their separation. They continue to co-parent their son Azad Rao Khan.

Aamir has spoken openly about both relationships. On the talk show Two Much with Twinkle Khanna and Kajol, he said: “I have been lucky that the two women I have been married to are really wonderful women, both Reena and Kiran are wonderful people. So even though we went through the breakup, we are still family.”

How the relationship with Gauri became public

Aamir Khan publicly introduced Gauri Spratt to the media on the eve of his 60th birthday on March 13, 2025, during a meet and greet event in Mumbai. At the event, he confirmed they had been in a relationship for 18 months at that point.

He told journalists that the two had known each other for 25 years but lost contact for a long time. They reconnected accidentally when Gauri was visiting Mumbai. Speaking about how the romance began, he said: “She happened to be in Mumbai and we met accidentally, we kept in touch, and then it all happened organically.”

He also made a lighthearted reference to his 2001 film Lagaan, saying: “Bhuvan ko uski Gauri mil hi gayi.”

Aamir’s public statements on commitment

Since confirming the relationship, Aamir Khan has made several public statements about how he views his bond with Gauri. On Two Much, he described their relationship as equivalent to marriage in his mind. “When you are committed to a relationship then shaadi toh paper pe sign karke karte hai. If you are really connected with the person, sometimes it’s like marriage. Like Gauri and I are together, we are very highly committed to each other,” he said.

In a separate interview with Bollywood Hungama, he said: “Gauri and I are really serious about each other and we are in a very committed space. Marriage is something, I mean, in my heart, I’m already married to her. So whether we formalise it or not is something that, you know, I will decide as we go along.”

In an interview with Navbharat Times, he said: “I feel that I am very blessed that Gauri entered my life. We are very happy together. Mujhe lagta hai ab jaake mai mukammal hua hu.”

Moving in together

Before news of the wedding broke, reports confirmed that Aamir and Gauri had already begun living together. According to Gulf News, the couple moved into an upscale home in Mumbai located close to where Aamir’s family resides. Aamir also mentioned in an earlier interview that they had been living together for over a year.

Who is Gauri Spratt?

Gauri Spratt was born on August 21, 1978, in Bengaluru, Karnataka. She is 47 years old. She comes from a multicultural family. Her father has Tamil and British roots, while her mother is of Punjabi and Irish descent.

Gauri’s grandfather, Philip Spratt, was a British-born communist who came to India in the 1920s and participated in the country’s freedom movement.

Her mother, Rita Spratt, owns and operates a salon in Bengaluru called Spratt Hair Studio. Gauri has a twin sister named Shauna Spratt.

Gauri attended Blue Mountain School in Ooty from 1990 to 1996. She later moved to London, where she studied at the University of the Arts London and earned a Foundation Degree in Arts in Fashion, Styling and Photography between 2002 and 2004. She graduated with distinction.

Back in India, she built a career in the beauty and fashion industry. She became a Partner and Director at BBlunt salons, a prominent salon chain with locations in Mumbai and Bengaluru. She has also worked as a fashion stylist and image consultant.

Gauri has a son named Quinn from a previous marriage. Quinn is seven years old. Details about her former husband have not been made public. Gauri previously lived in Bengaluru before relocating to Mumbai.

Family reaction

Aamir has said that his children from his first marriage, Junaid Khan and Ira Khan, are happy about his relationship with Gauri. He said: “My children are also happy to have met her.” His son Azad, from his marriage with Kiran Rao, has not been publicly quoted on the matter.

Gauri has also had a visible public presence since the relationship was confirmed. The couple appeared together at the screening of Aamir’s film Sitaare Zameen Par and also made a joint appearance in China, where Aamir introduced Gauri to Chinese actors Shen Teng and Ma Li.

Aamir Khan Productions confirmed re-release of ‘Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India’ on June 12, 13, and 14. The announcement was made on the official Instagram page of Aamir Khan Productions. The post read: “A timeless epic that touched every heart. On the 25th Anniversary of LAGAAN, the epic saga returns to the big screen. Relive the magic in theatres on 12th, 13th and 14th June.”

Along with the announcement, the makers released a new trailer. It revisits key moments from the film including scenes from the cricket match, village of Champaner, and music of AR Rahman. The response on social media was immediate. Fans called it the “best movie” and left comments like “Gold” under the announcement post.

 

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What the film is about

‘Lagaan’ originally released on June 15, 2001. The film was directed by Ashutosh Gowariker and produced by Aamir Khan under his banner, Aamir Khan Productions. The film runs for 233 minutes.

The story is set in 1893 during British colonial rule. A drought-hit village called Champaner is already struggling with heavy land taxes. When a British officer doubles the tax, a villager named Bhuvan challenges the British to a cricket match. If the villagers win, they pay no tax for three years. If they lose, they pay three times the original amount. The villagers have never played cricket before. The British team is made up of experienced players.

The film was narrated by Amitabh Bachchan. Cinematography was handled by Anil Mehta.

Also Read: Peddi OTT release date and platform: When and where to watch Ram Charan and Janhvi Kapoor-starrer after theatres

The cast

Aamir Khan played the lead role of Bhuvan. The ensemble cast included Gracy Singh, British actors Rachel Shelley and Paul Blackthorne, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Suhasini Mulay, Raghubir Yadav, Rajesh Vivek, Rajendra Gupta, A.K. Hangal, Pradeep Rawat, Raj Zutshi, Shrivallabh Vyas, and Amin Hajee, among others.

Music was composed by AR Rahman. Lyrics were written by Javed Akhtar. The soundtrack included songs like ‘Ghanan Ghanan’, ‘Mitwa’, ‘Radha Kaise Na Jale’, and ‘O Rey Chhori’. The English portions of ‘O Rey Chhori’ were written by Zoya Akhtar and Farhan Akhtar.

Budget and box office

‘Lagaan’ was made on a budget of Rs. 25 crore (approximately Rs. 250 million). The film collected Rs. 65.97 crore during its original theatrical run. It became the third highest-grossing Hindi film of 2001. The film was also a commercial hit internationally, earning around USD 2.5 million at overseas box offices.

The film was released on the same day as ‘Gadar: Ek Prem Katha’, making June 15, 2001 one of the biggest clashes in Bollywood history.

Awards and recognition

At the 49th National Film Awards, ‘Lagaan’ won eight awards. One of them was the Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment.

‘Lagaan’ was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2002. It is the third Indian film to receive this nomination. The other two are ‘Mother India’ (1957) and ‘Salaam Bombay!’ (1988). As of 2025, no Indian film has received this nomination since ‘Lagaan’.

Director Ashutosh Gowariker won the Filmfare Award for Best Director for the film. He also won the Filmfare Award for Best Film for ‘Lagaan’.

The film was screened at several international film festivals and won awards at the Locarno, Portland, Leeds, and Bergen International Film Festivals. The BBC and Channel 4 placed it at number 14 in their “50 Films to See Before You Die” list.

The 25th anniversary celebrations

The re-release is not the only event marking the film’s silver jubilee. In May 2026, Spotify hosted a special live recording event in Mumbai with Aamir Khan, AR Rahman, Javed Akhtar, and Ashutosh Gowariker. The session was hosted by Meiyang Chang. At the event, the creators shared previously unheard stories about the making of the film and its soundtrack.

Gowariker recalled searching for a sound that could capture the arrival of rain while making ‘Ghanan Ghanan’. The event was part of Spotify’s “Behind The Beats” video series and was open to a select group of Spotify Premium fans.

The poster challenge

 

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Before the re-release announcement, Aamir Khan Productions launched the #LagaanPosterChallenge on June 2, 2026. The challenge was announced in a video featuring director Ashutosh Gowariker.

Fans were invited to recreate the film’s original promotional poster in their own style. Entries could be submitted via email at lagaanposterchallenge@gmail.com or posted on Facebook, Instagram, and X using the official tag. Submission window closed on June 10, 2026.

Makers specified that AI-generated entries would not be accepted. Only handmade or digital artwork created by the participant was eligible. Winners received an invitation to attend a special screening of the film alongside the original cast and crew.

There was a time when an Indian wedding meant chaos in the best way. Cousins sleeping four to a room. Someone’s maasi crying before the ceremony even started. Phupha ji breaking into naagin dance too quick. The halwai working since three in the morning. Nobody asked whether the marigolds photographed well. The flowers just had to smell right.

That world has not disappeared. But something else has grown alongside it, loud and expensive and hungry for attention.

Also Read: Revenge bedtime procrastination: Gen Z is losing 332 hours of sleep a year on purpose; research says it’s not working

A $130 billion industry built on a single day

India’s wedding industry is now worth close to $130 billion. Let that number breathe for a second. One hundred and thirty billion dollars. Spent on flowers, outfits, venues, drone operators, choreographers, and the guy whose entire job is making sure the couple looks good from thirty feet in the air. The industry has grown faster than most sectors in the country, and analysts expect it to keep climbing. Weddings here are not just ceremonies anymore. They are economic events.

A big part of what is driving that growth is Instagram.

The platform changed how couples imagine their wedding before a single booking is made. You open the app, you scroll for twenty minutes, and suddenly you have strong opinions about draping styles, lighting setups, and whether your first dance needs a fog machine. You did not know you wanted a fog machine. Now you feel incomplete without one.

This is not accidental. The algorithm rewards visual spectacle. High production value gets shared, saved, reposted. A wedding that looks cinematic travels further than one that was simply warm and real. So naturally, more weddings start being designed with that reach in mind.

When celebrity weddings became the benchmark

Celebrity weddings poured fuel on this particular fire.

When Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma got married in Tuscany in 2017, the pictures circled the internet for days. Every detail was clean, curated, quietly flawless. When Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh had their Lake Como ceremony, it looked less like a wedding and more like a fashion editorial that happened to include vows. Katrina Kaif and Vicky Kaushal, Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani, Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor. Each one arriving with its own visual identity, its own hashtag, its own set of reference images that would later show up in wedding planners’ offices across the country.

The problem is not that these weddings happened. The problem is that they became a benchmark.

Nobody said out loud that your wedding should look like Deepika’s. Nobody had to. The comparison was already living inside every mood board on every couple’s phone. Plenty of families, working with a fraction of that budget, started trying to recreate the feeling. The outfits. The backdrop. The lighting. The particular way joy was presented rather than simply felt.

What the Instagram wedding actually costs

So what does the Instagram wedding actually cost?

A mid-range wedding aimed at looking good online now runs between Rs 25 lakh and Rs 50 lakh in many Indian cities. That is not the luxury tier. That is the tier trying to look like the luxury tier. Within that budget, the venue alone can swallow a significant portion, particularly if it has a garden, a view, or any quality that reads as aesthetic on camera. Floral arrangements designed for photography cost more than ones designed for fragrance. A bridal makeup team with a social following charges a premium. So does a photographer who shoots in a certain style that has become trendy. Videographers now offer cinematic reels as a base package, not an add-on.

And none of this accounts for the outfits. Multiple outfit changes have become expected in certain circles. Designer lehengas. Customised sherwanis. The idea that you wear one thing for the ceremony and something entirely different for the reception, and possibly a third thing for the sangeet, is no longer reserved for film families.

At the top end, numbers get genuinely dizzying. Weddings at premium heritage properties, with international performers and flown-in florals, routinely cross the crore mark. The KPMG-backed research firm Wazir Advisors noted that the average per-wedding spend in India has risen sharply over the last decade, with urban weddings seeing the sharpest increases.

The part nobody puts in the wedding brochure

Here is the part that does not fit neatly into a wedding brochure.

All of this pressure lands somewhere. It lands on the couple. It lands on the families. It lands specifically on the people who cannot really afford any of it but feel like they cannot afford to skip it either. A 2023 survey by financial planning platform Fisdom found that a significant number of Indian families go into debt for weddings, sometimes borrowing amounts they take years to repay. The wedding ends. The loan does not.

Beyond money, there is something quieter happening. Couples who spend months planning a photogenic wedding sometimes arrive at the actual day and find themselves managing it like a production. The timeline is not about what feels good. It is about the light. The photographer needs the couple at the Mandap entrance by five-thirty because that is golden hour. The guests need to be seated before the drone flyover. The first dance needs to happen before the caterer moves the tables.

You have planned this day for fourteen months and you are essentially a location coordinator for your own marriage.

The guests are not off the hook either

The guests are not off the hook either.

Indian weddings have always had an element of performance. That is not new. But the audience has expanded beyond the people in the room. When someone at your wedding posts a reel before you have even had dinner, your event is now live on the internet. This creates a strange incentive. Guests want something worth posting. Couples want something worth posting. Everyone is, in some low-grade way, always thinking about the shot.

A wedding planner working in Delhi once said something worth repeating. She said her clients now ask two questions that nobody used to ask ten years ago. The first is whether the venue is photogenic. The second is whether the lighting will look good in a reel. Not whether the food is good. Not whether there is space for people to sit and talk. Photogenic and reel-ready.

What the camera cannot capture

None of this means that people who plan carefully do not love each other deeply. That would be a ridiculous conclusion to draw. Love and Instagram are not mutually exclusive. A well-lit ceremony can still be a genuinely moving one.

But there is a cost to orienting a deeply personal day around the reactions of people who were not even invited.

Memory does not work like a highlight reel. Ask anyone ten years out from their wedding what they remember. Nobody says the drone footage. They say their father could not stop crying. They say their best friend made a speech that started embarrassingly and ended beautifully. They say the power went out for twenty minutes and somehow that became the best part of the night because everyone laughed together in the dark.

Those moments do not need a videographer. They do not need golden hour. They just need people who are actually present, not performing presence for a camera.

The wedding that still matters

Indian weddings at their best have always been about gathering. About eating together and dancing badly and arguing about who sits where. About rituals that carry meaning even when nobody fully remembers why. About the slightly chaotic, slightly overwhelming feeling of being surrounded by everyone who has known you your whole life.

That is still possible. It requires, maybe, a conscious decision to want it. To resist the pull of the feed just long enough to look up and actually be there.

The likes will disappear from the algorithm in seventy-two hours. The people in the room will stay with you much longer than that.

Amid the West Asia crisis, the Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved one-time budgetary support of Rs 10,000 crore for Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) to provide ATF price stabilisation support to Indian airlines for operations.

The move is aimed at easing pressure on OMCs and shielding them from losses due to rising ATF prices.

According to the Cabinet note, “A one-time budgetary support of up to Rs 10,000 crore shall be provided as an interest-free advance to OMCs to support ATF price stabilisation for Scheduled Indian Airlines. The corpus shall compensate OMCs for losses arising from elevated international ATF prices whenever the prevailing Import Parity Price exceeds the benchmark price determined under the approved mechanism.”

The budgetary support will be in the form of interest-free advances to OMCs through the Demands for Grants of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. It will shield OMCs from losses arising from volatile and elevated ATF prices during the ongoing West Asia crisis.

ATF price stabilisation support will be in force for a period of 36 months with provision for annual review or until the advance amount is fully recovered/settled, whichever is earlier.

The support will be provided to OMCs to facilitate stable ATF pricing for airlines during the ongoing period of exceptional fuel price volatility arising from the West Asia crisis, according to an official statement.

Moreover, when international ATF prices moderate, the differential amount will be recovered from OMCs and returned to the Consolidated Fund of India.

The arrangement will continue until the entire support amount is fully recovered and settled.

The scheme will be available to all willing scheduled Indian carriers for both domestic and international operations. The mechanism provides greater predictability in fuel costs by adopting a fixed-price arrangement for domestic and international operations, thereby reducing airlines’ exposure to sudden fuel price spikes.

The arrangement will be implemented through an MoU between participating Indian airlines and OMCs, with the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas as signatories, according to the statement.

Under this one-time arrangement, participating airlines will procure ATF only from OMCs for up to three years, subject to annual review or until the advance amount is fully recovered, whichever is earlier.

The proposed mechanism will provide enhanced stability and predictability in ATF pricing for Indian airlines, enabling better operational and financial planning. The measure will have positive spill-over effects on tourism, hospitality, trade, exports, regional development, and investment.

Due to the ongoing West Asia crisis, international ATF prices have surged nearly 2.5 times from Rs 60.50 per litre in March 2026 to Rs 142 per litre in May 2026.

(With inputs from agencies)

The Delhi Police on Wednesday arrested Lavkesh Bajaj, the owner of the Malviya Nagar hotel where a fire killed 21 people, including foreign nationals and left several others injured.

The development comes hours after the fire broke out at the multi-storey building in South Delhi.

Following the fire tragedy, the police had issued a lookout circular against Bajaj, who had been absconding since the incident on Wednesday morning.

He was arrested after sustained search operations involving multiple police teams.

According to officials, the hotel violated building norms and illegally constructed rooms three times the permitted limit, leading to the higher number of casualties.

The police have registered a case under provisions of culpable homicide and other relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Investigators are also examining the role of “three partners” reportedly associated with the operation of the hotel.

Sources said the group is believed to run multiple hotels and guest houses across Delhi, prompting authorities to widen the scope of the probe into ownership structures, licensing compliance, and safety norms.

Preliminary findings had indicated possible violations at the property, including claims that the establishment was registered under the Bed and Breakfast (B&B) category but was allegedly operating far beyond its permitted capacity.

Officials suspect that instead of the approved six rooms, nearly 25 rooms were being used to accommodate guests.

The hotel’s fire safety arrangements and evacuation infrastructure are also under scrutiny.

Reports suggest the building had only one common entry and exit point, which may have severely hampered evacuation efforts as flames rapidly spread through the structure.

US President Donald Trump has said that he would like to meet Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei.

“I would like to meet him, and we probably will meet at some point, depending on how it all works out,” Trump said while speaking with the New York Post’s “Pod Force One” podcast on Tuesday.

Trump also suggested that the widely reported claims about Mojtaba’s injuries could be true and the Iranian leader may be “missing a lot of different parts.”

“I’m not hearing he’s doing great. If you believe the stories, he’s missing a lot of different parts,” he said.

The US President’s remarks expressing desire to meet the Iranian Supreme Leader came days after he had a heated exchange with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a phone call.

Trump reportedly called Netanyahu “f***ing crazy” after the latter ordered Israeli military to invade Lebanon, putting the fragile ceasefire between the US and Iran at risk as Tehran warned of suspending peace talks if attacks are not stopped.

Confirming this, Trump said that he was “perturbed” at Netanyahu’s military escalation in Lebanon.

“I was a little bit perturbed at his constantly fighting with Lebanon,” Trump said in the interview.

IRGC claims US forced to accept its ‘new Iranian rules on the battlefield’

Meanwhile, Iran has claimed that the US has accepted new rules imposed by Tehran, particularly regarding the smart management and control of the Strait of Hormuz.

In a statement carried by Iranian state media, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps said, “The enemy is forced to accept the new rules that the Iranian nation and armed forces have imposed on the battlefield, especially in the realm of smart management and control of the Strait of Hormuz.”

The IRGC further stated that Iran will not retreat in the face of threats by the United States.

“The Iranian nation will not retreat in the face of threats and aggression but will continue the path of honor with unity and faith more than ever before,” the IRGC added.

The Uttarakhand Police have stated that the state’s youth are being influenced by Pakistan’s ISI and other terrorist organisations across the border. The police said that this was revealed following the recent arrests of some anti-social elements by the Special Task Force (STF) in Dehradun.

STF officials said that the interrogation of the arrested youth revealed that Pakistan-based terrorist organisations and the ISI are trying hard to build a terror network in Uttarakhand through social media. On condition of anonymity, they said that four suspected terrorists arrested in Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh in the past two months have confessed to being in touch with their handlers in Pakistan. These handlers were working for the ISI and other terrorist organisations in Pakistan, they added.

Following disclosures made by the arrested persons, the Uttarakhand STF has deployed cyber experts to monitor the activities of other suspects.

The STF investigation revealed that apart from being in touch with Pakistan-backed terrorist organisations, the suspects were actively working to radicalise local youth and establish a strong network through social media platforms. STF SSP Ajai Singh said that following disclosures made by the arrested men, security agencies across the state have been placed on high alert. According to Singh, the arrested suspects maintained contact with cross-border terrorists and ISI agents through Instagram, video calls and other social media applications, with agencies successfully recovering digital evidence confirming these links.

STF SSP Ajay Singh said that social media-based anti-national activities have surged recently, with terrorists misleading and alluring local youth towards different forms of jihad. “The investigation has uncovered an ISI module that was recruiting youth through social media. In several places, the arrested persons were made to install CCTV cameras at locations from where Pakistan-based handlers could easily monitor activities. Keeping this in view, cyber commandos have been deployed for continuous surveillance in certain places in the state capital,” he added.

According to the STF, names of cross-border handlers like Shahzad Bhatti and Abid Jatt surfaced during the interrogation of the arrested persons. A senior STF official said that one arrested suspect, named Vikrant, was involved in influencing youth and painting graffiti reading “Tehreek-e-Taliban Hindustan (TTH)” on walls in the state capital. Ajai Singh said that state agencies are now working to unearth other individuals who were in contact with him. Central security agencies are assisting the ongoing STF probe in monitoring suspicious activities on social media.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued an official statement here on Wednesday stating that reports appearing in a section of the media claiming it sold a portion of its physical gold reserves recently to stabilise the Indian rupee are “not correct”.

According to an RBI press release dated June 3, 2026, issued by its Chief General Manager Brij Raj, “The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has come across reports in certain sections of the media about the RBI’s sale of gold. The RBI emphasises that these reports are ‘not correct’.

“In this context, it is clarified that the physical stock of gold is disclosed by the RBI in its Monthly Bulletin. The physical stock of gold remains unchanged at 880.52 tonnes as of date,” the central bank clarified in its press release.

The Press Information Bureau (PIB) FactCheck also tweeted on its official X handle on Wednesday, “A news report published by Bloomberg states that the RBI may have sold gold amounting to approximately USD 12 billion. This claim is fake. According to the RBI, the share of gold in India’s foreign exchange reserves rose from 13.92% at the end of September 2025 to 16.70% on March 31, 2026, and further to 16.85% as of May 22, 2026.”

According to a report published on Tuesday by Bloomberg Economics, quoting its senior economist for India, Abhishek Gupta, “The Reserve Bank of India likely sold $12 billion of its gold reserves and bought $7.5 billion in foreign currency assets during the two weeks ending May 22”.

Bloomberg Economics economist Abhishek Gupta supposedly used publicly available data to infer that “the RBI appears to have offloaded a substantial portion of its gold holdings to shield its foreign currency assets from the cascading fallout of the war in the Middle East”.

“The purported sales underscore policymakers’ concerns about the pressure India is facing from sustained capital outflows and higher oil prices as the Iran war and effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz drag on. They also show the RBI is prioritising reserves of liquid foreign currency as a wider current-account deficit weighs on the rupee,” the Bloomberg Economics report had stated.

According to the report, “RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra is weighing all options available to stabilise the Indian rupee, including an interest-rate hike and raising US dollars from investors overseas”.

“The RBI’s interventions in the foreign exchange markets have had some effect, helping the rupee outperform most peers in Asia since May 20, when the currency fell to an all-time low. The rupee was down 0.2 per cent to 95.17 on Tuesday. India is the world’s third-largest oil importer, and the nation is burning through foreign currency as the Iran war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz drive up its energy costs and weaken the currency,” the report stated.

Gupta also said in his assessment, “The RBI will likely continue rebuilding its foreign exchange reserves to the degree they can. Periods of dollar weakness, renewed foreign-capital inflows, or lower oil prices would create opportunities to add to foreign currency assets.”

“At the end of March, the RBI held 880.52 tonnes of gold, of which 77% was held domestically, with most of its overseas holdings stored at the Bank of England and the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), according to the RBI’s latest foreign exchange report from April,” the Bloomberg Economics report stated on Tuesday.

Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and AICC general secretary and ex-Deputy CM Sachin Pilot have greeted DK Shiv Kumar on being sworn in as Chief Minister of Karnataka.

In his congratulatory message, Gehlot wrote, “Congratulations to @DKShivakumar on taking oath as Chief Minister of Karnataka. I am confident that your government will continue to pursue people-centric policies and work for the welfare of Karnataka.

Commending the governance of the outgoing Siddaramaiah government, Gehlot said, “The contributions of Sh. @siddaramaiah towards Karnataka’s progress has been significant and is deeply appreciated.”

AICC general secretary Pilot said, “My best wishes to the new government.”

My heartiest congratulations to Shri @DKShivakumar ji as he takes oath as the Chief Minister of Karnataka. I am confident that under your leadership, the state will witness a renewed commitment of the party towards public welfare and service.

My best wishes to Shri @DrParameshwara ji on taking oath as the Deputy Chief Minister, and to all the ministers who have been entrusted with the responsibility of serving the people of the state, Pilot wrote on X.