Have you heard? Pratik Gandhi and Sunny Hinduja recall being rejected for looks

‘You are not too good looking’

Rejections and colour bias marked Pratik Gandhi’s early days in Mumbai before he went on to become one of the most sought-after actors in Hindi cinema. Speaking at a panel discussion for Netflix’s Saare Jahan Se Accha, moderated by mid-day, Pratik opened up about being outrightly dismissed by television show makers. “TV outrightly rejected me when I came in 2004. A common comment I would listen to was, ‘You aren’t conventional hero material.’ Now, this is a ‘good English’ way to put it, right? But what is a conventional hero? I don’t know,” he recalled. His co-stars echoed similar experiences. Sunny Hinduja shared that he was once told, “You are very good, but you are too good looking.” The actor revealed he was often judged for his skin tone. To which, Pratik added, “As a country, we are obsessed with [fair] skin. Bright skin and big muscles were the only requirement to be an actor on television back then. So, I thought, ‘Toh acting kab dekhoge aap? Woh nahi dekhna hai.’ I would be told, ‘Dialogue toh bol loge tum, par tumhe ameer nahi dikha payenge.’ I didn’t know how to work on this feedback.”  Meanwhile, Anup Soni pointed out that he was rarely cast as wealthy character, explaining, “I have never played a role where my character is born rich. I would be told, ‘You don’t look born rich’.”

Biwi number one’s vlog is full of tea

Sunita Ahuja and Govinda

Bollywood star Govinda’s wife, Sunita Ahuja, has launched her YouTube channel, making headlines with her debut vlog. The the first video on her YouTube channel shows her visiting a Durga devi temple in Chandigarh, where she tearfully recalled how she had prayed to marry Govinda. “When I met Govinda, I started praying to Maa that I get married to him. Mata Rani gave me two good children,” Sunita said. She also indirectly addressed divorce rumours, and said, “No matter who tries to break my house, I know Maa Kali is there. it is not good to hurt a good woman.” 

‘The OG mean girl’

Kareena Kapoor Khan

After Mrunal Thakur faced trolling over her resurfaced video where she had commented on Bipasha Basu’s looks (Cats are purring, August 15), Kareena Kapoor Khan has now come under fire as old interviews of the actor gain traction online. Social media users have branded her “the OG mean girl” after revisiting remarks she made about her about her contemporaries. Kareena once described Sanjay Leela Bhansali as a “confused director” and Salman Khan as a “bad actor.” She had also criticised Aishwarya Rai’s casting in Devdas (2000)as “unjust” and made unflattering comments about Ameesha Patel’s appearance, referring to her “pimples and under-eye bags.” In another instance, she declared that being “fat is not sexy.” The videos have sparked debate, with some defending her candour as honesty, while others called her comments insensitive. On the work front, Kareena was last seen in Crew (2024). She will next be seen in Meghna Gulzar’s Daayra with Prithviraj Sukumaran.

Magnetic magic

(L-R) Nagarjuna and Rajinikanth in ‘Coolie’. PICS/KIRTI SURVE PARADE, INSTAGRAM

Veteran star Akkineni Nagarjuna is revelling in the historic success of Coolie, which has shattered box office records worldwide. The film, starring megastar Rajinikanth and featuring Nagarjuna as the ruthless villain, Simon, grossed over Rs 151 crore on day one, becoming the highest opener for a Tamil film globally. “The love that Coolie has received across the world has been nothing short of historic,” Nagarjuna said, praising the film’s reception. Notably, its Telugu versions contributed over Rs 17 crore on the first day, with strong overseas numbers too. Lauding his collaboration with Rajinikanth, Nagarjuna added, “There’s a magnetic magic when two journeys like ours meet on screen. Records had to break, and they did.” The film has hit the Rs 200 crore mark globally over 
the weekend.

Swara’s hit by identity crisis

Swara Bhaskar

Actor Swara Bhaskar, known for films like Tanu Weds Manu (2011) and Nil Battey Sannata (2015), has candidly spoken about her post-motherhood struggles, saying she went through an “identity crisis” after welcoming her daughter Raabiya in 2023. “The hardest part of being a mom was not knowing who I am. I was such an ambitious, driven person before this,” she told PTI. She admitted she is “It is not [about] chasing films” anymore but is instead focused on financial stability and building a secure home for her child. Now balancing work and motherhood, she stars alongside husband Fahad Ahmad in reality show Pati Patni Aur Panga. “I don’t want to go back anywhere. I’ll always be a mom,” she added.