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Around Tinsel Town
‘Friends’ director James Burrows dies at 85
Television comedy has lost one of its most influential creative forces, with legendary director James Burrows passing away on Friday (June 19, 2026) at the age of 85.
Burrows’ family confirmed his passing in a statement shared with People magazine, celebrating his decades-long contribution to television.
Bollywood
Ajay Devgn to star in the actioner ‘Chauhaan’; first look, release date out
‘India’s Got Latent’: Season 2 of Samay Raina’s reality show to stream on Netflix and YouTube
Vishal Bhardwaj, Sreekar Prasad and Deepa Bhatia among 529 new invites for Academy membership
Hollywood
Timothée Chalamet and Selena Gomez to lead voice cast of Illumination’s new animated adventure ‘Not Alone’
Regional Cinema
Police investigate Malayalam actor Lakshmipriya’s defamation complaint against YouTubers
Crisis in AMMA deepens as resignations continue
Trailers
In ‘Digger’, Tom Cruise is unrecognisable in retrospective trailer offering a glimpse into Iñárritu’s comedy
In ‘The Debut’ trailer, Julianne Moore is a shy housewife taking acting lessons
‘Eetha’ teaser shows Shraddha Kapoor playing Lavani dancer in Laxman Utekar directorial
‘Klara and the Sun’ trailer features Jenna Ortega as an AI companion in Taika Waititi’s upcoming sci-fi
‘Fool Night’ trailer shows Netflix adapting Kasumi Yasuda’s acclaimed dystopian sci-fi
‘Batman: Knightfall’ trailer shows the e
In ‘Sheep in the Box’ trailer, Hirokazu Koreeda explores AI and the limits of human imagination
Essential Reading
1) Gulshan Devaiah on ‘Maa Inti Bangaaram’ success: ‘It’s fantastic to see a female-led mass entertainer work’
>> The actor opens up on his first Telugu film ‘Maa Inti Bangaaram’, co-starring Samantha Ruth Prabhu, and how he consistently looks for diversity even while playing an antagonist
2) Behind ‘Son of Thanjai’, the Tamil game that promises to revolutionise Indian gaming
>> Writer-lyricist Madhan Karky and Ayelet Studio head Abraham K take us through the making of their historical open-world game and speak about the challenges of making a rooted Tamil game with international appeal
3) Love ‘Tere Paas Main’ from ‘Main Vaapas Aaunga’? Meet Deepali Sahay, the voice behind this viral song
>> Playback singer Deepali Sahay opens up about working with A.R. Rahman for the viral song, how its scale was changed just a day before the film’s trailer launch, why she feels that she has a ‘gifted voice’ and more
4) ‘It’s about time’: How a Chennai journalist’s book inspired ‘Made in India: A Titan Story’
>> Former The Hindu BusinessLine journalist Vinay Kamath reflects on seeing his book on Titan’s journey transformed into one of 2026’s streaming successes
5) Where are Kannada cinema’s next stars?
>> Kannada cinema still leans heavily on its tried-and-true male heroes and familiar storylines. It’s time for the industry to evolve and embrace a new generation of talent that reflects the vibrant, diverse audience it serves
6) ‘Wheels of Kodachadri’, a documentary on the jeep drivers who ferry passengers from Mookambika to Kodachadri
>> The Malayalam documentary directed by Sohan Lal, which earned him the award for the best director at Pune Short Film Festival, zooms in on the lives of the jeep drivers who navigate rough terrains every day
7) ‘In our minds we still hold the wild’: Murali Gopy on ‘Ananthan Kaadu’
>> Murali Gopy talks about the graphic novel-inspired period film he has scripted and stars in, which releases on June 25
8) Actor Madhoo on ‘Chinna Chinna Aasai’: The film was meant to happen
>> The actor on how she became Leela in Varsha Vasudev’s languid love story Chinna Chinna Aasai
9) Director Varsha Vasudev on what went into the making of her debut movie, ‘Chinna Chinna Aasai’
>> Varsha Vasudev tells a heartwarming story about how two strangers, who are lonely in their lives, find comfort and happiness in each other when they meet at Varanasi
10) Tamil actor Arya on headlining the Malayalam film, ‘Ananthan Kaadu’
>> After being in the industry for two decades, Arya has his first full-length role in Malayalam cinema in Ananthan Kaadu
What to watch
1) In ‘Supergirl’, Milly Alcock deserves better than James Gunn’s franchise monoculture
Read the full review here
2) In ‘Welcome To The Jungle’, Akshay Kumar and Johny Lever salvage a script lost in the woods
Read the full review here
3) In ‘Ananthan Kaadu’, a flat, old-fashioned political potboiler lacking novelty
Read the full review here
4) In ‘Con City’, Arjun Das, Anna Ben’s con game gives away its own trick
Read the full review here
5) In ‘Witch Hat Atelier’, Kamome Shirahama’s spellbinding sketchbook fantasia is one of the year’s finest strokes
Read the full review here
6) ‘Nippon Sangoku’ series review: A Song of Rice and Fire
Read the full review here
7) In ‘The Voice of Hind Rajab’, Kaouther Ben Hania’s damning indictment of spectatorship speaks for itself
Read the full review here
8) In ‘Chinna Chinna Aasai’, Indrans, Madhoo elevate this simple, poignant tale
Read the full review here
9) ‘Balan’ is a supremely crafted film in which everyone delivers their best
Read the full review here
Published – June 26, 2026 04:40 pm IST
