Month: August 2025

The teaser of Ayushmann Khurrana and Rashmika Mandanna starrer ‘Thama’ is finally out.

Produced under the banner of Maddock Films, ‘Thama’ belongs to the same horror-comedy universe as Rajkummar Rao’s ‘Stree’, Varun Dhawan’s ‘Bhediya’ and Abhay Verma’s ‘Munjya’.

Thama is directed by Aditya Sarpotdar and is billed as the first love story in Maddock’s horror comedy universe. Apart from the lead duo, the film stars Nawazuddin Siddiqui in a negative role and Paresh Rawal in a supporting role.

The teaser opens with Ayushmann’s voiceover asking, “Will you be able to live without me for 100 years?” to which Rashmika responds, “Not even for a moment.”

It is followed by the close-up shots of Ayushmann and Rashmika as they exchange glances in the forest. The teaser then features visuals of the lead duo’s dance numbers, followed by the special dance performance of Malaika Arora.

The teaser concludes with Nawazuddin’s chilling antagonist look, criticising romance among the citizens, saying “Why did you stop? In my 75 years of life, I haven’t seen romance. Continue, Continue”, before leaping in the air to attack.

Maddock Films shared the teaser of the movie on its Instagram handle. While sharing the teaser, the production house wrote, “Na darr kabhi itna shaktishaali tha, aur na pyaar kabhi itna BLOODY! Brace yourself this Diwali to witness the first love story in the Maddock Horror-Comedy Universe.”

On Monday, the makers dropped a string of posters of the lead actors, including Ayushmann Khurrana and Rashmika Mandanna.

They wrote, “Presenting Ayushmann Khurrana as Alok – Insaaniyat ki aakhri umeed” presenting an intense look.

It was followed by another mysterious poster of Rashmika Mandanna’s “Tadaka – Roshni ki ek hi paheli kiran.”The ‘Animal’ star is seen dressed in a dramatic gown, putting forward a powerful expression on her face.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who appears to be in a negative character, will portray the character of “Yakshasan – Andhere ka badshah.” In the poster, the actor is seen sporting long hair as he exudes a devilish aura.

The makers have also unveiled the first look of Paresh Rawal as Mr. Ram Bajaj Goyal – “someone who always tries to find tragedy in comedy.”

‘Thama’ will be released on Diwali this year. (ANI)

Authorities in Pune on Tuesday said a red alert will remain in place for the next two days in the Ghat areas as heavy rains continue to batter many parts of the city and the surrounding regions.

Several areas of Pune city are also under an orange alert.

Pune District Collector Jitendra Dudi told ANI, “…There is a Red Alert in Ghat areas. In the city and other areas of Pune, there has been an Orange Alert for the past 2 days. In the coming two days too, there is a Red Alert in Ghat areas and an Orange Alert in city areas. The situation is under control right now,” he said.

He further said that the release of water from Khadakwasla and Pawna dams has been “increased a little because the water from the catchment area is coming directly into the dam”, and noted both dams are “more than 95% full.”

“We are planning in such a manner that the timing of the release of water and rainfall in the city should not coincide. Otherwise, the chances of a flood situation rise. Currently, our solution is to release the water slowly… No accident as such has been noticed in any of the areas. No road is blocked due to water. Water should be released only in coordination with the Irrigation Department and other Departments. So that flood situation doesn’t form in any area…” he added.

Meanwhile, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Tuesday declared a holiday for all government and semi-government offices in Mumbai, advising private offices to allow employees to work from home except those in essential and emergency services.

The decision came after the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert for extremely heavy rainfall in Mumbai and its suburbs.

The BMC order stated that concerned offices and establishments should immediately instruct their employees to work from home depending on the nature of their work.

In a post on X, BMC wrote, “All government and semi-government offices in Mumbai will remain closed today, August 19, 2025. Private offices/establishments are requested to instruct their employees to work from home. The Indian Meteorological Department has issued a red alert for extremely heavy rainfall in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation area (Mumbai city and suburbs) today, Tuesday, August 19, 2025. Additionally, continuous heavy rain is lashing Mumbai.”

According to officials, parts of Mumbai received more than 250 mm of rainfall in the past 24 hours. Between 8:30 AM on Monday and 8:30 AM on Tuesday, Vikhroli recorded 255.5 mm, Byculla 241 mm, Santacruz 238.2 mm, Juhu 221.5 mm, and Bandra 211 mm. Colaba received 110.4 mm, while Mahalaxmi saw 72.5 mm of rainfall.

On Monday, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis issued a warning about severe weather conditions in the state, particularly in Mumbai, due to heavy rainfall.

Mumbai received 177 mm of rainfall in just 6-8 hours, prompting the CM to advise citizens to take precautions as more showers are expected along with high tides.

A red alert has been issued for Mumbai, Thane, and Raigad, with the IMD forecasting extremely heavy rainfall in these areas.

“In the last 2 days, Maharashtra has received widespread rainfall. Red Alert and Orange Alert have been issued for several districts. Even for the next three days, until 21st August, half of the districts in Maharashtra have either Red Alert or Orange Alert. We discussed the precautions that need to be taken due to this,” Fadnavis said. (ANI)

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia on Tuesday alleged that Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi is running a “jhooth ki dukaan” (shop of lies) as the Congress MP leads the ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ in poll-bound Bihar. Bhatia further questioned whether Gandhi would apologise to the nation for spreading “falsehoods”.

At a BJP press conference here, Bhatia referred to a petition rejected by the Supreme Court on August 18, alleging discrepancies in the Maharashtra Assembly elections held in November 2024.

“Yesterday, the Supreme Court dismissed a petition challenging the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections over alleged bogus voting. The court stated, ‘There is no tangible material before us that states there was bogus voting.’ Additionally, the court noted that this was a misuse of the legal process”

“Rahul Gandhi is running ‘jhooth ki dukaan/showroom’, not ‘mohabaat ki dukaan’…”, Bhatia added.

He also responded to the Congress’s claims of discrepancies in the Maharashtra voters’ data, claiming that “baseless questions were raised on the Election Commission”.

“For 40 hours, lies were floated to weaken our democracy and raise baseless questions on the Election Commission. Who will take responsibility for this? Will Rahul Gandhi apologise to the nation? What about harming the public’s faith? The people who saw this information must have believed it to be true,” he said.

Echoing similar concerns, BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad accused the Congress party of wanting infiltrators and deceased people to remain on the voter list.

Prasad told ANI, “What do they want- that infiltrators be made voters? Should those who have died be kept as voters? Should those listed in two places be kept as voters? What do they want? They have not been able to clarify their stand so far.”

“I want to say one thing to Rahul Gandhi, you raised the issue of Pegasus, there was a hearing in the Supreme Court, it was said that those who have a problem should give their phones for investigation, but you didn’t give yours. On the Rafale issue, you had to apologise in front of the Supreme Court…The country will never forgive you. The way you have insulted the Parliament, you will never get votes,” he added.

LJP (Ramvilas) MP Shambhavi Choudhary also criticised the Opposition’s campaign, stating it would not benefit their alliance.

“This yatra will not bring any benefit to their alliance. The people of Bihar have made up their minds to vote only for those who have brought development to the state. Whatever allegations they have made against the Election Commission, they should understand that the Election Commission is a constitutional institution,” Choudhary said.

The ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ began on Sunday from Sasaram. The 16-day yatra has been organised to protest against the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list in Bihar and alleged ‘vote chori’.The yatra will cover more than 1,300 km across over 20 districts and conclude in Patna on September 1. (ANI)

The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a plea filed by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) against a 2022 judgement of the Punjab and Haryana High Court which held that a 16-year-old Muslim girl can enter into a valid marriage with a Muslim man and granted protection to the couple from threats.

A bench comprising Justice BV Nagarathna and Justice R Mahadevan observed that the NCPCR was a stranger to the litigation and had no locus standi to challenge the High Court’s judgment.

The bench said, “NCPCR has no locus to challenge such an order… if two minor children are protected by the High Court, how can NCPCR challenge such an order…. It is strange that the NCPCR, which is for protecting the children, has challenged such an order.”

The counsel appearing for NCPCR told the apex court that they were raising a question of law whether a girl, who has not attained the age of 18, can be held to have the capacity to enter into a legal marriage merely on the basis of personal law.

However, dismissing the plea, the bench said, “No question of law arises, you challenge in an appropriate case.”

It also dismissed other petitions filed by the NCPCR challenging other similar orders passed by the High Courts.

NCPRC had raised the issue of whether the Muslim personal law allowing child marriages will prevail over the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act,2006.

It had approached the apex court challenging an order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which said a Muslim girl after attaining puberty is competent to enter into a contract of marriage with a person of her choice under the Muslim Personal Law.

Earlier, a different bench of the top court had directed that the order of the High Court, which held that a Muslim girl aged 15 years can enter into a legal and valid marriage as per personal law, should not be relied on as a precedent in any other case.

NCPCR had contended that Muslim girls who are 14, 15, 16 years old are getting married.

Earlier, the National Commission for Women (NCW) had approached the top court to make the minimum age of marriage for Muslims girls the same as that of persons belonging to other religions.

The minimum age for marriage in India is currently 18 for women and 21 for men. However, the minimum marriage age for Muslim women is when they attain puberty and 15 years is presumed to be that age.

The NCW had said that allowing Muslims to marry at the age of puberty (around 15) is arbitrary, irrational, discriminatory, and violative of penal laws.

The plea had said even the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) does not provide for those under 18 to consent to sex.

It had said the PIL was filed for the enforcement of the fundamental rights of minor Muslim women to bring Islamic personal law in consonance with the penal laws applicable to other religions.

The High Court in 2022, in its order, had cited the provisions of the Muslim Personal Law on marriage to rule that a 15-year-old Muslim girl was competent to enter into a contract of marriage with a person of her choice.

The NCPCR had sought to ensure proper implementation of statutory laws that are specifically in place to protect children below the age of 18 years.

The Commission highlighted the provisions of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act (PCMA) 2006 and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) to put forth its reasons for challenging the High Court ruling.

NCPCR had said the order is violative of PCMA, which, the petition said, is a secular law that applies to all.

It further stated that the provisions of POCSO stipulate that no child below the age of 18 years can give a valid consent. (ANI)

Amid heavy rainfall in several parts of the state, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said that Mumbai has received around 300 mm of rain, leading to some disruptions, but the water level in the Mithi River is slowly going down.

The city recieved 300mm of rainfall in the past 24 hours from 8 am on August 18 to 8 am on August 19.

The chief minister said that SDRF and NDRF teams have been deployed where needed.

A red alert remains in place for the Konkan and Ghat regions for the next few hours and orange alert has also been issued for some areas.

Addressing reporters, chief minister Fadnavis said, “Due to heavy rainfall in the state, there has been loss of life and property at some places. SDRF and NDRF personnel are deployed at certain locations. Mumbai has received around 300mm of rainfall due to which there have been a few disruptions. The water level in the Mithi River is going down gradually. Red alert is valid for Konkan and Ghat areas for the next few hours.”

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde visited the Naupada area today, where several homes were flooded. The city has been experiencing continuous rain since last night.

NDRF Team has also been deployed at Kranti Nagar in Kurla to assist in rescue and relief work.

Local train services from Vashi railway station to Mumbai station were halted due to heavy rains, causing major inconvenience to passengers. Train movement was stopped for about an hour, leaving a large number of passengers stranded at the station.

Office-going citizens were directly affected, leading to heavy crowding on the platforms. Anger and frustration were visible among the passengers. Railway employees were seen trying to manage the situation at the station.

Earlier today, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) declared a holiday for all government and semi-government offices in Mumbai, advising private offices to allow employees to work from home, except for those in essential and emergency services. (ANI)

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said that it might be impossible to find anyone alive in the Kishtwar incident, stating that the disaster took place due to cloudburst rather than a breach of glacial lakes.

“Finding the missing persons alive now looks nearly impossible. In these circumstances, we will try to retrieve as many bodies and hand them over to their loved ones. According to the information we have received so far, the disaster that happened in Kishtwar was due to a cloudburst and not a glacial lake breach,” Omar Abdullah told reporters.

The J-K CM stated that the government will now appoint a team of experts to find out the other affected areas in the region and sought a report from them so that such incidents do not take place in the future.

“Now we have to appoint a team of experts to identify areas which might be in danger. A few months ago, the same thing was seen in Ramban, at that time the financial loss was more and the loss of life was less. This time the loss of life was more, but to avoid such a situation in future or if it arises, what steps can be taken by the government to reduce the loss, for this we will have to appoint some experts and ask for their report,” Abdullah said.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo confirmed that 61 people have lost their lives in the cloudburst and flash flood incident that occurred in the Kishtwar district, while 116 individuals have been rescued so far.

Addressing mediapersons, Chief Secretary Dulloo said, “61 people have lost their lives in the incident. Security forces and various agencies have launched a collective search and rescue operation. CISF, J&K Police, CRPF, BRO, Indian Army, and NHPC were present at the spot immediately after the incident. Almost 450 people are working there day and night in a rescue operation. 116 people have been rescued so far.”

Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) Deputy Inspector General (DIG) MK Yadav stated that the rescue operations are ongoing and efforts are being made to locate and save those still missing.

“Rescue operations are ongoing here, and JCB machines are also working continuously. SDRF, NDRF, local police, and CISF have all been divided into teams, zoning up the area. All agencies are working here. We are hopeful of saving more people. Other people who are missing, who are trapped inside boulders, muddy areas, we are trying our best to get them out. The situation here is better than before,” Yadav said while speaking to ANI. (ANI)

A group of around 15-20 people, described by police as “dog lovers,” allegedly obstructed Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) workers during a stray dog-catching drive in Rohini, police said on Tuesday.

According to police, the group assaulted MCD staff, freed two captured dogs, and vandalised the MCD vehicle by smashing its windows and stealing the register and logbook.

“A complaint was filed yesterday against a group of approximately 15-20 so-called dog lovers. They allegedly obstructed an MCD vehicle tasked with capturing stray dogs, freed two stray dogs, and assaulted the MCD staff — the incident involved vandalism, including breaking the vehicle’s window and stealing the register and logbook,” Rohini DCP Rajeev Ranjan said.

“A case has been registered under sections for obstructing a public servant from discharging their duty and theft,” he added.

Earlier on Friday, four FIRs were filed in connection with protests staged by dog lovers without prior permission at multiple locations in the New Delhi district on August 11 and 12. “Those who refused to leave the protest sites despite repeated requests were detained. Legal action will be taken against all those found violating the law,” police said.

The developments come amid an ongoing legal battle over stray dogs.

On August 11, the Supreme Court had ordered that all localities in Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram and Faridabad be made free of stray dogs, with no compromise on the matter. It had also made it clear that no captured animal should be released back onto the streets.

On Thursday (August 14), the SC reserved its order on pleas seeking a stay on its August 11 directive to remove all stray dogs from localities in the Delhi-NCR region and place them in shelter homes.

A three-judge bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and NV Anjaria stated that it would pass an interim order on the August 11 decision of a different bench. (ANI)

The Yamuna River is flowing above the danger mark after all 18 gates of Hathinikund Barrage in Haryana’s Yamunanagar were opened on Sunday due to rising water level after continuous rain.

The visuals of the river at Delhi’s ITO show the water crossing the danger mark. This has raised concern among the authorities.

Earlier, all the 18 gates of Hathinikund Barrage were opened after 1.78 lakh cusec of water came into the river due to heavy rainfall, resulting in a rise in the water level.

Vijay Garg, Executive Engineer of the Irrigation Department, said, “1.78 lakh cusec of water has come into the river after the recent rainfall. This is the highest water level of this season.”

The water level in rivers is increasing use to continuous rainfall, and flood-like situations are being witnessed in several regions.

The weather department has issued red and orange alerts for several districts of Maharashtra until August 20.

Earlier, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Monday issued a warning for Haryana, predicting thunderstorms, lightning, and rain in several districts.

According to the IMD, thunderstorms and lightning accompanied by moderate rain are very likely over Sampla, Rohtak, Kharkhoda, Sonipat, Ganaur, Samalkha, Bapouli, Gharaunda, Karnal, Indri, Gohana, Israna, Safidon, Panipat, Asandh, Nilokheri, and Radaur.

In addition, light rain is expected in Firozpur Jhirka, Punahana, Hodal, Hathin, Nuh, Palwal, Taoru, Ballabgarh, Sohna, Gurugram, Charkhi Dadri, Bhiwani, Rewari, Pataudi, Kosli, Matanhale, Jhajjar, Bahadurgarh, Berikhas, Hansi, Hisar, Narnaund, Faridabad, Julana, Jind, Kaithal, Narwana, Kalayat, Barara, Jagadhri, Chhachhrauli, Pehowa and Shahabad.

IMD scientist Surinder Paul said that rainfall activity is expected to continue in Haryana for the next 2-3 days, although the intensity will remain moderate.

“There will not be hefty downpours, but showers will persist till August 20. Some reduction is likely around August 21-22, but the monsoon will become active again after August 23 for 4-5 days,” he stated.

Paul further added that north-western Punjab districts, including Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Nawanshahr, Patiala, Rupnagar, and Mohali, will also continue to receive rain. In Haryana, districts like Yamunanagar, Karnal, Kaithal, Kurukshetra, Panipat, Sonipat, Rohtak, Jhajjar, Mahendragarh, Gurugram and Faridabad are likely to be affected.

He cautioned that waterlogging in low-lying areas and fields could become a concern, particularly after August 23, when heavy rain may occur in some districts of southern Haryana, such as Gurugram and Faridabad.

While ruling out any immediate “red alert” situation, the IMD has advised residents and local administrations to remain vigilant and take necessary precautions. (ANI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday met Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who returned to Earth in July after completing NASA’s Axiom-4 space mission. During the meeting, Shukla shared that people around the world are excited about India’s Gaganyaan mission.

He added that his crew members were so enthusiastic that they made him promise to invite them to the Gaganyaan launch.

During the interaction, PM Modi asked, “As the first Indian to reach there, what are your thoughts? And what kind of questions do people ask ?”

Shubhanshu Shukla said, “Wherever I went, whoever I met, everyone was very happy to meet me, very excited. The biggest thing was that everyone knew about what India is doing in the field of space. Everyone knew about this, and many people were more excited about Gaganyaan. They would come and ask me, ‘When is your mission going?’ And my crew members made me sign that whenever Gaganyaan is gone, you will invite us to the launch.”

PM Modi then asked, “What change do you feel after such a long journey in space, and now coming back?”

“The environment up there is very different. Once we reach space, we can remove our seat belts and move around inside the capsule. The heart rate slows down, but the body starts adjusting in 3-4 days. But when we return to Earth, the body takes time to readjust. Even though I was healthy, I couldn’t walk properly. People had to hold me for support.”

PM Modi asked Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla about the use of moong and methi (fenugreek).

Shukla explained that food is a big challenge on space missions because space is limited and cargo is expensive. He said moong and methi are easy to grow with little water and sprout in just 8 days.

“Food is a big challenge on a space station; there is less space, and cargo is expensive. You always try to pack as many calories and nutrients as possible in the least space, and experiments are going on in every way. They are very easy to grow and need very few resources, just a little water, and they sprout in only 8 days. These are some of the secrets of our country.”

“They used to call you tag genius. What’s the reason behind that?” PM Modi asked.

Shukla said, “…When I joined the Air Force, I thought that I would not have to study, but I will have to study a lot after that. And after becoming a test pilot, it becomes a discipline of engineering. So I think we were well prepared, when we reached for this mission…The mission has been successful, we have returned, but this mission is not the end, it is the beginning…”

PM Modi then said that the biggest work would be to have a very large pool of astronauts, 40-50 people in India.

Shukla shared that when he was young, becoming an astronaut seemed impossible because there were no programs. But now, children are asking him how they can become astronauts, showing that the dream is alive.

“When I was young, Rakesh Sharma sir went for the first time in 1984, but the dream of becoming an astronaut never came to my mind because we did not have any program. But when I went to the station this time, I spoke to the children three times. In every program, the children asked how can I become an astronaut? So I think this in itself is a big success for our country. In today’s India, they know that it is possible. We have the option and we can become. And like you said, it is my responsibility, I feel I got a lot of opportunities to represent my country and now it is my responsibility to take as many people as possible to this level,” Shukla said .

PM Modi then said, “Space station and Gaganyaan. These are our big missions. Your experience will be very useful in that.”

Shukla then praised the government’s strong commitment to the space program, despite setbacks like Chandrayaan 2, and said India has the capability to become a global leader in space.

“I think somewhere there is a very big opportunity for us, especially because the kind of commitment our government has made to sustain the space program, budget every year, inspite of failures like Chandrayaan 2. Even after that, we said no, we will move ahead. Chandrayaan 3 was successful. Even after such failures, if we are getting so much support and the whole world is seeing this. We have the capability, so we can acquire a leadership role here. You talked about Atmanirbharta in space manufacturing… So all these things are connected in the same way,” Shukla said.

“If we do it self-reliantly, we will do well,” said PM Modi.

Shukla, who returned to Earth on July 15 after completing NASA’s Axiom-4 (AX-4) space mission, landed in the national capital in the early hours of Sunday.

Shukla was part of NASA’s Axiom-4 Space Mission, which took off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, US, on June 25. He returned to Earth on July 15, splashing down off the coast of California. He became the first Indian in 41 years to travel to space. (ANI)

Continuous heavy rainfall triggered a massive landslide in Shimla’s Benmore locality near Ramchandra Chowk late on Monday night, forcing the evacuation of over 30 families and leaving residents in fear.

The slide disrupted power supply, water supply, and road connectivity in parts of the state capital, adding to the havoc caused by week-long rains across Himachal Pradesh.

The landslide occurred on the road leading towards Jakhu, blocking access and stranding residents.

Locals said cracks had been visible on the stretch for the past two weeks, but the situation escalated on Monday night when a major slide occurred around 10.30 pm, followed by repeated soil and tree collapses till midnight.

Former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur, who resides in the affected Ramchandra Chowk area, visited the spot on Tuesday morning and criticised the government’s preparedness.

“Incidents are happening every day across the state. Earlier, we saw such damage in Mandi district, but now Shimla, Kullu and Chamba are also facing similar disasters. The wall constructed here last year at a cost of Rs 70 lakh could not even last one year. Houses have been vacated, and both upper and lower stretches of the settlement remain under serious threat. Even ambulances cannot pass, as the road has been completely blocked,” he said.

Residents said they had already sensed danger due to widening cracks, but no urgent preventive measures were taken.

“About 15-20 days ago, cracks began appearing on the Jakhu road. Nobody paid attention, and they kept widening. When I returned from the office yesterday evening, I saw they had become very big. Three families faced the highest risk, so we decided to leave by 9.30 pm. By 10 pm, the landslide began, and it continued until 11:30 pm, bringing down trees. Even now, dangerous trees are being cut by the administration. Until a proper retaining wall is built, this area will remain unsafe. We may have to shift out for one or two months till the weather improves. Nearly 30 families are at risk here,” said a resident, Kamal Krishan Sharma.

Sharma added that many families have appealed to the administration for temporary shelter, as rainwater seepage and sliding soil have weakened the already fragile retaining structure, creating a serious threat to houses both above and below the road.

Officials said efforts are underway to clear the blocked stretch and secure the area, but with continuous rainfall and unstable slopes, the threat of further damage persists. The issue is also being raised in the ongoing state Assembly session. (ANI)