Hindi
Once upon Udaipur tales take centre stage at storytelling festival 2026
MUMBAI: Once upon a time is not just a phrase in Udaipur this January, it is a full-blown festival. The Udaipur Tales International Storytelling Festival has unveiled its celebrity artist lineup for its seventh edition, scheduled from 9 to 11 January 2026, promising three immersive days where stories travel by voice, memory and imagination rather than screens.
Setting the tone for the 2026 edition are National Award-winning actor Divya Dutta and acclaimed theatre and film actor Rajit Kapur, who headline a diverse roster of storytellers and performers from India and overseas. The line-up blends theatre, dance, music and oral narrative, with names such as Danish Husain, Arif Zakaria, Divy Nidhi Sharma, author Mayur Kalbag, international storytellers Maia Ganatra, Mikka Chesron, and musician-actor Meiyang Chang performing with his band. Adding a visual dimension, the Sanjukta Sinha Dance Company from Ahmedabad will present Shifting Sands.
A defining feature of the festival remains Honours Unveiled, the Honouring of Master Storytellers, a curated segment introduced in the fifth edition to recognise lifelong contributions to oral storytelling. The jury-led honour celebrates those who have preserved cultural memory, language and lived histories through the spoken word, reinforcing the festival’s belief that storytelling is a living, transformative art.
Speaking about her participation, Divya Dutta noted that storytelling is where performance becomes most honest, shaped by the bond between teller and listener, adding that the festival offers a rare, meaningful space for stories to be shared through presence and imagination. Festival co-founder Sushmita Singha said the 2026 edition deepens that philosophy by bringing together distinguished voices from across cultures, adding new layers of craft and perspective.
The three-day programme is carefully structured. Day One opens with contemporary, folkloric and satirical narratives featuring Mayur Kalbag, Maia Ganatra, Divy Nidhi Sharma, Rajit Kapur and the Sanjukta Sinha Dance Company. Day Two focuses on legacy and lived histories, anchored by Honours Unveiled, followed by performances from Danish Husain, Colonel R K Sharma, Arif Zakaria and Meiyang Chang with his band. Day Three spans morning and evening sessions, culminating with performances by Mikka Chesron, Prithviraj Choudhury and Divya Dutta, alongside a closing Sufi music performance by Aanchal Srivastav.
Strengthening its digital outreach, Readmio joins as the official digital partner, supporting engagement initiatives and a dedicated children’s stage each morning. The festival will also host its sixth annual storytelling competition for school students, alongside Jamghat, its open talent platform running daily from 3 pm to 5 pm, encouraging participation from first-time performers, students and independent artists.
True to its inclusive ethos, the festival will feature sign-language interpreters, participation from visually impaired students and a performance by inmates from Udaipur Central Jail. Tickets for the 2026 edition will be available on Bookmyshow, starting at Rs 250, inviting audiences to step into a world where stories are heard, not scrolled.
MUMBAI: Prime Video has found its next feel-good original, and it comes with a healthy dose of heart, humour and youthful chaos. The streaming platform has announced Don’t Be Shy, a coming-of-age romantic comedy produced by Alia Bhatt and Shaheen Bhatt under their banner, Eternal Sunshine Productions.
Written and directed by Sreeti Mukerji, the film follows Shyamili ‘Shy’ Das, a 20-year-old who believes her life is neatly mapped out until it suddenly is not. What follows is a relatable tumble through friendship, love and the awkward art of growing up, when plans unravel and certainty gives way to self-discovery.
The project is co-produced by Grishma Shah and Vikesh Bhutani, with music composed by Ram Sampath, adding to the film’s promise of warmth and energy. Prime Video describes the story as light-hearted yet emotionally grounded, with a strong female-led narrative at its core.
Prime Video India director and head of originals Nikhil Madhok, said the platform was delighted to collaborate with Eternal Sunshine on a story that blends sincerity with humour. He noted that the film’s fresh writing, earnest characters and infectious music make it an easy, engaging watch for audiences well beyond its young adult setting.
For Alia Bhatt, Don’t Be Shy reflects the kind of storytelling Eternal Sunshine set out to champion. She said the film stood out for its honesty, its coming-of-age perspective and Mukerji’s passion, which she felt was deeply woven into the narrative. Bhatt also praised Prime Video for supporting distinctive voices and bold creative choices.
With its breezy tone and familiar emotional beats, Don’t Be Shy aims to charm viewers whether they are rom-com regulars or simply in the mood for a warm, unpretentious story about life refusing to stick to the plan.
MUMBAI: Tips Films struggled to find its rhythm in the final quarter of 2025, as a spike in production costs and a new regulatory burden pushed the Mumbai-based outfit deeper into the red. According to results released on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, the company posted a net loss of Rs 286.87 lakh for the quarter ended 31 December, despite a modest bump in total income to Rs 456.29 lakh.
The bottom line was hit by the introduction of India’s New Labour Codes, which forced a Rs 37.37 lakh catch-up payment for employee benefits. Production costs also proved a heavy lift, gobbling up Rs 318.48 lakh during the period. On a nine-month basis, the picture looks even bleaker; the company has racked up losses of Rs 1,237.61 lakh, a sharp reversal from the Rs 1,269.17 lakh profit it managed in the same period last year.
Investors will be looking for a script change as the company enters the final stretch of the financial year, with basic earnings per share now languishing at minus Rs 6.64. For now, Tips Films remains a single-segment player, pinning its hopes entirely on the volatile world of film production and distribution.
MUMBAI: Eros International Media Ltd has moved the Bombay high court against filmmaker Aanand L Rai and his production banner Colour Yellow Media Entertainment LLP, alleging unauthorised exploitation of the intellectual property of its 2013 blockbuster Raanjhanaa in the promotion and release of the 2025 film Tere Ishk Mein.
The studio is seeking damages of Rs 84 crore, claiming losses arising from what it describes as unlawful capitalisation on Raanjhanaa’s goodwill. According to a report in The Times of India, Eros has filed a commercial intellectual property suit along with an interim application, alleging trademark infringement, copyright infringement and passing off.
Eros contends that Tere Ishk Mein was deliberately marketed as a “spiritual sequel” to Raanjhanaa without authorisation. The suit names Aanand L Rai, Colour Yellow Media Entertainment LLP and Colour Yellow Productions, along with Super Cassettes Industries (T-Series), writer Himanshu Sharma and Netflix Entertainment Services India LLP, turning the dispute into a multi-party legal battle.
In its filing, Eros asserts that it is the producer and exclusive owner of all intellectual property rights in Raanjhanaa, including copyright, registered trademark rights, character rights in Kundan Shankar and Murari, and remake, prequel and sequel rights. The company alleges these rights were exploited while promoting Tere Ishk Mein, which released theatrically on November 28, 2025.
The legal action was triggered by a teaser released online in July 2025, which Eros claims used phrases such as “From the world of Raanjhanaa” and hashtags including #WorldOfRaanjhanaa. The interim application further alleges unauthorised use of footage, background score and music from Raanjhanaa, despite Eros no longer holding the film’s music rights.
Directed by Aanand L Rai, Tere Ishk Mein stars Dhanush, Kriti Sanon, Priyanshu Painyuli, Prakash Raj and Tota Roy Chowdhury. Neither Eros nor the defendants have issued an official statement so far.
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