One of the most awaited films of 2027, Naam - To Live Is War, has just got bigger. Presented by Mahesh Bhatt, the film was announced in June and stars Veer Pahariya in the lead. Varun Sharma of Fukrey fame will be seen playing a negative role for the first time in his career. Last week, the makers announced that Prashant Narayanan, Vijayant Kohli and Shefali Bagga had joined the cast. Now, Bollywood Hungama has exclusively learned that another prominent name has come on board – Himesh Reshammiya.

A source told Bollywood Hungama, “Naam - To Live Is War is an intense film and the makers wanted someone who could do musical justice to its subject and theme. They felt Himesh Reshammiya would be the right choice. Himesh was impressed with the film's plot and the passion of the team and hence, he readily came on board. He was also excited about collaborating with Mahesh Bhatt after a long time.”

Interestingly, Himesh Reshammiya and Mahesh Bhatt go back a long way. Himesh composed the song 'Soorat Pe Teri Pyar Aave' for Footpath (2003), starring Aftab Shivdasani and Emraan Hashmi. Mahesh Bhatt was associated with the film as a writer. Later, Mahesh Bhatt wrote the story and screenplay of Kajraare (2010), which starred Himesh Reshammiya in the lead. Himesh also composed and sang all the songs of the film.

Naam - To Live Is War, hence, marks their reunion after nearly 16 years. Although they haven't collaborated during this period, the mutual respect has remained intact. After the release of Himesh Reshammiya's 2014 mystery thriller The Xposé, he revealed in an interview with The Times of India that Mahesh Bhatt had personally called to congratulate him. Himesh had said, “Bhatt sahab called to congratulate me and that was an emotional moment for me. His praise means a lot.”

Himesh Reshammiya is on a roll. Besides Naam - To Live Is War, he has several interesting films in his pipeline, including Sooraj Barjatya's Yeh Prem Mol Liya, the Emraan Hashmi-starrer Gunmaaster G9, Anil Sharma's Arjun Naga and Vikram Bhatt's horror film, 1920: Cold Winter.

The source further revealed, “Like these upcoming films, the music rights of Naam - To Live Is War have also been acquired by Himesh Reshammiya's music label, Himesh Reshammiya Melodies.”

Coming back to Naam - To Live Is War, the film is presented by Mahesh Bhatt under Utsav Entertainment and Productions. Directed by Sidhaant Sachdev, it is produced by Utsav Upadhyay and Riddhi Chawda.

Naam - To Live Is War marks Veer Pahariya's third film after the Akshay Kumar-Sara Ali Khan co-starrer Sky Force (2025) and the recently released romantic comedy Prem Keetanu (2026).

Also Read: Himesh Reshammiya, Shilpa Rao, Anu Malik and others to perform at Bollywood Music Project’s 10th anniversary in Mumbai

Actor Shefali Shah has spoken about her experience with therapy, recalling how she first sought professional help after struggling to manage certain aspects of her life. In an interview with Bollywood Hungama, the actor discussed her journey with mental health professionals, the importance of finding the right therapist and how therapy has helped her recognise emotional lows before they become overwhelming.

Shefali, who recently made her debut as an author with The Audacity of Being: A Sort-of Memoir, published by Bloomsbury on October 1, 2026, has been discussing personal experiences as part of conversations around her book. During the interview, she explained that her decision to seek therapy did not stem from one major incident but from a growing realisation that she needed professional guidance. Shefali Shah recalls how she first sought professional help Shefali traced her first experience with a mental health professional to a visit to her children's school, where a psychiatrist had spoken about attention deficit disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADD and ADHD). At the time, Shefali believed her son might have the conditions and approached the psychiatrist with her concerns.

Recalling the incident, she said, “My children's school had a psychiatrist who came and spoke about ADD and ADHD. So I went to her one day saying, ‘My son definitely has ADD, ADHD, everything.’ She asked me to bring him in, but after meeting him, she said he was fine. Then she asked me, ‘What is your problem?’”

Shefali said the exchange eventually became a joke between them. However, she later approached the psychiatrist again when she was struggling with sleep.

“I remember once going to her saying that I cannot sleep. I need something to sleep. She asked me how long it had been since I had slept, and I said around 22 hours. I had come from the gym and hadn't eaten anything,” she recalled.

The experience prompted Shefali to consider that she might need help managing her own concerns. “I just thought that I wasn't equipped to handle it,” she said, explaining that she gradually began seeing the psychiatrist. “I have to go to a dermatologist” Shefali said her decision to continue therapy was not necessarily linked to a single life-changing event. Instead, she came to understand that professional support could help her navigate difficult periods.

“I don't remember if anything happened which was earth-shattering. But things happen in your life and, at some point, I hope people realise that you need a third person who's a professional, who knows this better than me,” she said.

Comparing mental health support with seeking treatment for a physical condition, Shefali added, “I can't keep putting a cream on an allergy rash. I have to go to a dermatologist.”

She also acknowledged that, initially, she would turn to therapy mainly when she was going through a crisis, such as a period when work was scarce and she was feeling depressed. After some years, however, she felt that her existing approach was no longer helping her in the same way. Shefali Shah on finding the right therapist Shefali eventually met Dr Vishal Sawant after someone introduced them. She said one of the things that stood out about their first interaction was that he did not rely on her previous assessments to define her experience.

“When I told him what I thought was happening and showed him my report, he said, ‘I don't want to look at it.’ He never labelled me, which was fantastic,” she said.

According to Shefali, the therapist helped her understand that people experience emotional highs and lows differently, and that she might feel certain emotions more intensely than others.

“He said everybody goes through a low phase or a high phase. You might feel it more acutely than somebody else. That's how it started, and he's been a huge support, somebody who's made my life so much simpler,” she said.

Shefali added that therapy has gradually become less about seeking help only when something goes wrong. There are times when she meets her therapist simply because she feels the need to check in.

She recalled one of his early goals for her: “One of the first things he told me was that he wanted to reach a point where I didn't need him.”

Learning to recognise emotional lows Shefali said she has become more aware of her emotional state and can increasingly recognise when she is beginning to feel low. While she is unsure whether she has reached the point her therapist hoped for, she believes the process has helped her develop a better understanding of herself.

Discussing the role of therapy amid the pressures of everyday life, she explained that a therapist does not necessarily tell someone what decisions to make. Instead, the process can help a person understand their situation and decide how to respond.

“This person is not the one who will tell you what to do. He will just tell you, ‘This is what it is. Now you figure what you want to do.’ You have to choose your way, which is what you need anyway in life,” she said.

Shefali added that gaining perspective can sometimes mean stepping back emotionally and assessing a situation before deciding whether it deserves further attention.

Her account highlights how her understanding of therapy has evolved over time, from seeking help during difficult phases to developing greater awareness of her emotional well-being. Through her experience, the actor has also underlined the value of professional support in navigating life's pressures.

Also Read: EXCLUSIVE: Shefali Shah reveals Vipul Shah advised her against doing Waqt; says, “He told me don’t do it”

Farhan Akhtar’s Shah Rukh Khan starrer Don: The Chase Begins Again (2006) completed 20 years today. The film was a remake of Chandra Barot’s Don (1978), starring Amitabh Bachchan. Produced by Excel Entertainment and also starring Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Om Puri, Boman Irani, Arjun Rampal and Isha Koppikar, the action flick became a success at the box office. It was a major moment for mainstream Hindi cinema as sequels weren’t a regular feature back then.

Even after two decades, Don doesn’t appear old. A major reason for this is the visuals provided by cinematographer KU Mohanan. Interestingly, this was the first time he had worked in a mainstream commercial film. Mohanan revealed that there were apprehensions because of this before he came on board in an exclusive interview with Bollywood Hungama.

He said, “At that time, I was mainly doing advertising work. I was quite big in advertising films. Maybe, that’s why Farhan got an idea about my work. But he knew I hadn’t done any big feature film before. He was a little apprehensive also in the beginning if I would be able to pull it off. This was a huge film. He expressed his concerns and asked me if I would like to do it. I said I will try because even I was not very sure about myself. But I took it as a challenge and accepted the film.”

Challenges of shooting action sequences

Mohanan faced that challenge of shooting high-octane action sequences for the first time. “It was very challenging,” he said. “But we had a good team, like the second unit director and the action team. The main person was from Australia. He had worked in many Hollywood and international films. We really wanted to make it look world class. Most of the action scenes were done in real. The chase sequences were done in that speed. There wasn’t too much of cheating. Certain things which we couldn’t do in real were done with a little VFX. At that time, VFX was not very popular. It wasn’t easy to do VFX.”

Shah Rukh Khan’s daredevilry made things easier

Mohanan shared that SRK made things easier and he was amazed by his commitment towards shooting action scenes. “He will do anything you tell him,” he recalled. “He used to get very excited for action, even at times when I used to get scared. I was sitting behind him in the car with the hand-held camera during a chase scene. He was driving the car and hitting the water barrel that was coming on the windscreen and then hitting a road roller. Everything is done by him. There was no duplicate.”

One particular scene involving fire astonished Mohanan about the kind of risks Khan was ready to take. “There is also a scene where the car is going through a fireball. That car is driven by Shah Rukh Khan. It wasn’t a stunt double. There was a camera mounted in front of the car, so you can see the actor. He did it twice. He is the greatest star I have worked with. He is a such a great, gentle and warm human being. He is a very hardworking actor and very supportive to everybody. He is a dream to work with. More than a star, I am a huge fan of Shah Rukh Khan as a person,” he said.

Don started a good professional bond between Mohanan and SRK, which continued in various projects in the years to come. “Shah Rukh is very fond of me maybe because of the quality of work I come with. He really appreciated the way I worked in Don. That’s the reason I did Raees (2017) and Jab Harry Met Sejal (2017). After that, I did innumerable TV commercials with him,” he recalled.

The end twist played a major role in Don’s box office success

Interestingly, KU Mohanan is a big fan of the original Don. It released when he was a school student in Kerala. He was glad to know that Farhan Akhtar’s remake threw in a major twist in the end. “It was so exciting for me to re-do that film as a cinematographer,” he said. “When I read the script and saw the twist, I felt it was very interesting. Otherwise, what is the point of making it exactly like before? That’s a great twist that Farhan brought in. Maybe that’s one of the reasons why the film worked at the box office. We had a very strong team along with the great vision of Farhan Akhtar. He is very supportive as a director and a great producer, along with Ritesh Sidhwani.”

Don’s international look was an effort to break the existing pattern in Bollywood back then

Don had an international look to it. Mohanan said that this is what they always aimed for. “We were trying to break the regular pattern of Bollywood cinema existing at that time,” he said. “Anyways, I am exposed to international cinema. Actually more than Hollywood, I am exposed to other kind of cinema – the cinema from Europe, Japan, etc. So, I have a different kind of way of looking at things. Maybe that worked in the film actually. That’s why it looks different.”

Mohanan made it clear that despite taking inspiration from international cinema, his aim was never to copy anything from foreign films. “You can get inspired by someone else’s work. You can get influenced by people who worked before us. It’s like carrying a baton forward. I tried to make it look very unique and our own. To an extent, I think, I succeeded in doing Don. It wasn’t a copy of Hollywood. But it also wasn’t like the regular Hindi cinema of that period,” he said.

The green colour palette

One can easily notice the green colour palette to the film right from the onset. Sharing the thought behind this, Mohanan said, “When we did the camera and look test, Farhan, myself, the production designer Aradhana Seth and the costume designer Aki Narula discussed decided that we will go with one particular colour palette. It’s a collaborative work, actually. We also decided that we will cut off certain type of a colour. For example, there are no warm colours in the film; it’s a very cold film. You have shades of blue, green and black. We thought this looks like a good colour palette for the film. Otherwise, Hindi cinema was not doing any colour palette at that time. There wasn’t a properly paletted film. It was all haywire. There is only one song (‘Yeh Mera Dil Pyaar Ka Deewana’) where there is a lot of warmth, like red, orange, etc.”

Don started a healthy working relationship between KU Mohanan and Excel Entertainment

Don was a pleasurable experience for KU Mohanan. It became a start to a long collaboration with Excel Entertainment, with movies like, Talaash: The Answer Lies Within (2012), Fukrey (2013) and Raees. He laughingly said, “Most of my filmography is produced by Excel Entertainment. They are very good producers. They are very straightforward and very quality conscious. That’s the reason I did most of my films with them. Ritesh Sidhwani is a very great producer.”

Surprisingly, Mohanan wasn’t a part of Don’s sequel Don 2: The Chase Continues (2011). When pointed this out, he said, “I was busy with some other work actually.”

Also Read: EXCLUSIVE: Shah Rukh Khan’s birthday to witness a KING-sized BLAST; Siddharth Anand gears up to launch EXPLOSIVE teaser on November 2

In recent times, several Hindi films, including Dhurandhar, Border 2, Fighter, Sky Force, Article 370, Tiger 3, etc, have reportedly been denied a release in certain Middle Eastern markets. However, the upcoming Ayushmann Khurrana-Sara Ali Khan starrer Udta Teer has now faced a roadblock closer to home, in the neighbouring country of Nepal.

Bollywood Hungama has learned that Udta Teer has not been granted permission for public screening in Nepal. Bollywood Hungama is in possession of a copy of the official order, which was communicated to the makers by Bishal Bhandari, Section Officer, Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, Government of Nepal.

The letter further stated that permission was denied as the film falls under the subject matter prohibited by Section 5(3) of the Film (Production, Exhibition and Distribution) Act, 2026 B.S.

The letter was issued on Ashwin 30, 2083, as per Nepal's Bikram Sambat calendar, which corresponds to Friday, October 16, 2026, in the Gregorian calendar.

Udta Teer stars Ayushmann Khurrana, Sara Ali Khan, the late Mukul Dev and several others. Written and directed by Akash A Kaushik, the film is produced by Karan Johar, Adar Poonawalla and Apoorva Mehta's Dharma Productions, along with Guneet Monga Kapoor and Achin Jain's Sikhya Entertainment.

The film tells the story of a Pakistani spy who infiltrates India but ends up losing his memory. In an unexpected turn of events, he begins believing that he is a hardcore Indian patriot, leading to chaos and madness.

Also Read: Ayushmann Khurrana promises unexpected twists and laughter in Udta Teer; says, “Just when you think you know where it’s going, it takes another turn”

Mumbai witnessed a shooting incident in suburban Juhu on Sunday evening, October 18, after unidentified assailants allegedly opened fire at Tiger Shroff’s car. Following the incident, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde visited the actor’s residence late at night to check on his well-being and review the situation. The visit came as the Mumbai Police and Crime Branch began investigating the attack and searching for those responsible.

Visuals shared by news agency ANI and circulated on social media showed Eknath Shinde meeting Shroff at his residence. In the footage, the actor appeared with dressings right below the neck, on his arm, and a crepe bandage too around his arm. Shinde has not yet addressed the media about the incident. According to the information available, the state government has indicated that the matter is being treated seriously, while the police continue efforts to identify and apprehend the assailants.

#WATCH | Mumbai | Visuals from inside the residence of Tiger Shroff as Maharashtra Dy CM Eknath Shinde arrived to visit him following an incident of firing at his car, injuring his driver The actor is safe and has not sustained any gunshot injuries, as per Mumbai Police

(Visuals source: Shivsena PR)

— ANI (@ANI) October 18, 2026

According to preliminary reports, the incident took place at around 7 pm on Sunday near Pushpa Park in Juhu, when Shroff was returning from a football session. The assailants reportedly arrived on a motorcycle and fired multiple rounds at the actor’s BMW. Shroff is said to have escaped without sustaining any bullet injuries, although the vehicle was hit during the firing.

The Mumbai Police and the Crime Branch subsequently cordoned off the area where the firing took place. Investigators reportedly recovered empty bullet shells from the scene, while forensic teams were mobilised to examine the evidence. The investigation is also focusing on CCTV footage from the surrounding area to establish the sequence of events and identify those involved. Reports indicate that the police are examining available evidence and pursuing leads as the search continues across the city.

Shortly after the incident, a message circulating on social media allegedly claimed responsibility in the name of the Lawrence Bishnoi syndicate. However, the claim remains unverified. Senior police officials have reportedly indicated that all angles are being examined as part of the ongoing investigation, and no conclusion has been established regarding the identity or motive of the assailants.

The incident has prompted heightened attention to the investigation, with authorities working to establish the circumstances surrounding the firing and trace those involved. Further details are expected as the police continue their probe into the shooting near Pushpa Park in Juhu.

Also Read: Tiger Shroff safe after firing incident reported under Juhu Police Station

Amit Trivedi had a conversation with Komal Nahta in which he revealed that he had no plans of composing songs for films. However, he made independent music with singer Shilpa Rao; the latter made Anurag Kashyap heard those songs and that’s how Anurag got interested to meet Amit Trivedi. This was a time when the acclaimed filmmaker was working on Dev D (2009), starring Abhay Deol.

Amit Trivedi said, “Anurag sir told me that he was doing a modern-day Devdas and that it had a requirement of some 12-15 songs. He shared some ideas and references. All this was very new for me. I went home and started working immediately. I took 6 months to compose 6 songs as my advertising work was also going on. 6 months later, Shilpa asked me for an update. I told her, ‘Are you sure you want to do this? Sir must have forgotten our meeting’. But she insisted that we had to meet him again.”

He continued, “Earlier, we met in Anurag sir’s office. This time, the meeting took place in my studio. Anurag sir came along with Vikas Bahl. Trust me, main kaanp raha tha. I was 26-27 years old. I had not seen Devdas. So, I saw both Dilip Kumar’s Devdas (1955) as well as Shah Rukh Khan’s Devdas (2002). That gave me an idea about the plot. Then, I composed as per what I understood. I feared ki main gaali khaunga and that this would be the first and last song of my career! However, they were so impressed and they liked all the songs.”

Amit added, “The next day, they called me for narration. I didn’t know what that meant (laughs). I heard the story after which I composed two more songs – ‘Saali Khushi’ and ‘Pardesi’. After listening to the tracks, Anurag sir tweaked a bit of the script and reimagined the film. I was like, ‘Wow. Aisa bhi hota hain’!”

He also stated, “Then, something happened. I don’t know exactly, but producer Ronnie Screwvala sir was not keen on making Dev D. So, the film went on hold. Anurag sir met me and said, ‘You have worked enough on Dev D. Tu abhi ruk jaa. Thoda hold pe hain. Meanwhile, I am producing a film called Aamir (2008). Raj Kumar Gupta is directing it. You work on this film while I figure out a way forward for Dev D’.”

Aamir, starring Rajeev Khandelwal, released first and hence marked Amit Trivedi’s debut as a film composer, even though Dev D was the first film he had worked on. Dev D eventually released eight months later.

Also Read: Abhay Deol recalls “creative flow” with Anurag Kashyap in BTS anecdote as Dev D set to re-release on April 24, 2026

Filmmaker SS Rajamouli has extended his wishes to the team of Ramayana Part 1 ahead of the film's worldwide theatrical release on November 5. The filmmaker praised director Nitesh Tiwari and producer Namit Malhotra for bringing the epic to the screen on a large scale.

Rajamouli shared his thoughts on X, describing Ramayana as a story that Indian storytellers have long aspired to bring to the screen. He wrote, "It's a joy to see @niteshtiwari22 and @malhotra_namit bring it to the screen on such a grand scale. Each actor brings these timeless characters to life with depth."

Directed by Nitesh Tiwari and co-written by Shridhar Raghavan, Ramayana Part 1 stars Ranbir Kapoor as Prince Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita and Yash as Ravana. The film also features Sunny Deol, Ravie Dubey, Anupam Kher, Kajal Aggarwal, Rakul Preet Singh, Vivek Oberoi, Kunal Kapoor, Adinath Kothare, Arun Govil, Indira Krishnan and Lara Dutta in key roles.

#Ramayana is a story every Indian storyteller grows up aspiring to tell. It's a joy to see @niteshtiwari22 and @malhotra_namit bring it to the screen on such a grand scale. Each actor brings these timeless characters to life with depth. Looking forward to 5th November. Best wishes to the entire team. https://t.co/zRAQ54SfJm

— rajamouli ss (@ssrajamouli) October 17, 2026

Ramayana Part 1 brings together a large ensemble The film's cast includes actors from different parts of Indian cinema, with Yash making his Hindi film debut as Ravana. The project brings together several performers for a new cinematic adaptation of the epic.

The music for the film has been composed by Oscar-winning composers Hans Zimmer and AR Rahman. The makers are also planning a worldwide theatrical release, including IMAX screenings.

Ramayana Part 1, also referred to as Ramayana: Rise of a Legend, is scheduled to release in cinemas worldwide on November 5.

Also Read: Yash calls himself “Radhikapati” at Ramayana international trailer launch in Bengaluru, credits wife Radhika Pandit for her support