THE CLIFF NEWS

Director Nag Ashwin recently shared his thoughts on fans speculating about Mahesh Babu taking on the role of Lord Krishna in the sequel to Kalki 2898 AD. The film, a blend of mythology and sci-fi, initially broke records as the year’s highest-grossing release before being surpassed by Allu Arjun and Sukumar’s Pushpa 2. Kalki 2898 AD was lauded for seamlessly merging a futuristic vision with elements from Indian epics. The movie featured Prabhas as Karna and Amitabh Bachchan as Ashwathama, with a brief yet pivotal appearance of Lord Krishna in a silhouetted form during the climactic reveal of Prabhas’ character as Karna in the Kurukshetra battle. Actor Krishnakumar Balasubramanian, noted for his role in Soorarai Pottru, portrayed Krishna in this brief appearance. However, the silhouette choice left room for fan theories, with many suggesting Mahesh Babu or Nani as potential candidates for the role in the sequel. This speculation continues to fuel excitement as the franchise moves forward.

Shah Rukh Khan is the first love of many. His onscreen charm and style have swept a lot of people off their feet. Rasika Dugal is no exception! The Mirzapur actress opens up about how her connection with Shah Rukh Khan feels like a long-distance relationship. In a recent conversation, Rasika opened up about her relationship with her husband, Mukul Chadda, and Shah Rukh Khan. She described her relationship with Shah Rukh to be like a long-distance one. She talked about how she has never met him in person but she fell in love with him by watching films like Darr and Baazigar. To her, Khan was more than just a Bollywood romance hero. Any film would work as long as it had SRK. She said she would always have an unaltered and unconditional love towards Khan. One day, she could abandon her shyness for him as well. She also opened up about her relationship with her husband, recalling the first time they had met. Rasika and Mukul had met in a theatre workshop. It was very cliche, she admitted. Every Sunday morning they had a session, and she remembers everyone looking hungover after a long Saturday. Out of the 15 attendees, one was Mukul. After chatting during lunch, Rasika and Mukul realised that they had a lot of common friends which was a pleasant surprise. Reflecting on their chance meeting, Rasika Dugal mentions how it’s been 14 years of marriage now. However, her relationship with Shah Rukh, though from afar, has been even longer. And we all could relate to her — Khan has really been the first love of many!

In a groundbreaking achievement, Salman Khan’s much-anticipated film Sikandar has taken the internet by storm. The teaser, released just 24 hours ago, has already amassed a staggering 48 million views, surpassing not only Pushpa 2: The Rule, starring Allu Arjun, but also Shah Rukh Khan’s Dunki, to become one of the most-watched teasers in recent times. In comparison, the teaser for Pushpa 2 garnered 39.3 million views, while Dunki collected 36.8 million views within the same 24-hour period. This remarkable feat underscores the immense popularity and global fanbase that Salman Khan commands, reaffirming his position as one of the biggest stars in the world. The Sikandar teaser opens with Salman Khan’s electrifying presence, showcasing his portrayal of the titular character Sikandar—an enigmatic figure who exudes power, mystery, and a magnetic charisma. Packed with breathtaking action sequences, high-octane drama, and stunning visuals, the teaser has sparked a frenzy on social media, creating a massive buzz around the film. Fans and movie enthusiasts are already buzzing with excitement, eagerly awaiting the film’s release. The success of the teaser is a clear indicator of Sikandar’s mass appeal and the unparalleled stardom of Salman Khan. The film has not only made waves within India but has captured the attention of audiences globally. Trending at #1 on YouTube worldwide and gathering an average of 2 million views per hour, the teaser has set a new benchmark for teaser viewership, further establishing Bollywood’s growing influence on the international stage.

Jasprit Bumrah suffered a back injury during the India-England ODI series in July 2022, which ruled him out of action for a couple of months. He missed the Asia Cup during that period and made a comeback for India in September during the three-match T20I series against Australia at home. He featured in the second and third T20I before being ruled out of action again due to a back injury. He missed the T20 World Cup in Australia due to that, in addition to the 2023 edition of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, IPL 2023, and the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023 final against Australia at Lord’s. There were a lot of question marks over Bumrah, and many experts and greats of the game felt that the right-arm fast bowler from Ahmedabad is over. He won’t be able to return to the field and have the same kind of impact again. The cricketer, who made his international debut as a 22-year-old in January 2016 against Australia at Sydney Cricket Ground, was heavily trolled on social media platforms by fans, and the trend of ‘Sharam karle Bumrah’ was so common at that time. But Bumrah remained unfazed by all that and instead focused on recovering completely before making a comeback. And man! What a comeback he has made since his return to competitive cricket in August 2023. Comeback on August 18, 2023 Bumrah returned to the international scene once again after almost 11 months, and his first assignment was a three-match T20I series in Ireland for which he was appointed as India’s captain as well. Bumrah picked up two wickets each in the first two matches and led India to a 2-0 series win. He then played for the Rohit Sharma-led side in the Asia Cup, three-match ODI series against Australia, and the ODI World Cup 2023 and finished with 4, 6, and 20 wickets, respectively. He was one of India’s top performers in the men’s 50-over megaevent and played a big role in the team’s unbeaten run to the final. In the summit clash against Australia at Narendra Modi Stadium on November 19, 2023, he picked up two wickets for 43 runs in nine overs but failed to help India lift the title for the third time in history. Bumrah, who is arguably India’s best fast bowler of all time, made a successful comeback in 2023, but it was just the trailer because what he managed to do in 2024 was beyond imagination. Unreal numbers The fast bowler, who only played one Test in 2023, which was also in the last week of the year, played 13 Test matches in 2024 and dismissed 71 batters with an average of 14.92. No bowler ever in the 147-year-old history of Test cricket has managed to take more than 70 Test wickets in a calendar year with an average less than that of Bumrah’s. He was outstanding for India, not just in India, where he played 8 Tests, but also in South Africa and Australia. In his first Test of 2024, which was played at Newlands in Cape Town, Bumrah picked up two wickets in the first innings and six in the second to seal India’s win by 7 wickets inside two days. For his brilliant performance with the ball (12 wickets in two Tests), Bumrah won the Player of the Series award in South Africa. He then played four of five Tests at home against England and finished the series with 19 wickets. He dismissed six batters (2/28 and 4/41) in the series opener, which India lost by 28 runs in Hyderabad, and picked up nine wickets (6/45 and 3/46) in the second match at Visakhapatnam to help India level the series. No. 1 in all three formats For his top bowling show in Vizag, Bumrah won Player of the Match award, and the nine-wicket show also helped him achieve No. 1 Test ranking for the first time in his career. By reaching the top of the ICC Test bowler’s ranking, Bumrah created history as he became the first bowler and overall fourth cricketer in the world to achieve the No. 1 position in ICC rankings in all three formats of the game. 20 wickets for MI After helping India win a home series with a scoreline of 4-1, Bumrah participated in the IPL 2024 for the Mumbai Indians and picked up 20 wickets in 13 matches to finish as the third leading wicket-taker. His best performance for the Hardik Pandya-led side was in the home match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, where, in his quota of four overs, he managed to take 5 wickets for 21 runs. But despite Bumrah’s efforts, MI finished at the bottom of the IPL 2024 points table.

ISRO is gearing up to achieve a significant milestone with a Geosynchronous Launch Vehicle mission scheduled in January set to become the 100th launch from the Sriharikota spaceport, a top official said. The 99th launch from Sriharikota was Monday’s PSLV-C60 mission which successfully placed two spacecraft for conducting the Space Docking Experiment in a circular orbit, ISRO Chairman S Somanath said. “So, all of you have seen the majestic lift-off and the launch of the SpaDeX (Space Docking Experiment) rocket, and for us, this is the 99th launch of any vehicle from Satish Dhawan Space Centre so, that is also a very important number. So, we are going for the 100th launch at the beginning of the next year”, he said. Mr Somanath, also the Secretary, Department of Space, was talking to reporters after the PSLV-C60 mission successfully placed the Space Docking Experiment spacecraft A and B in a circular orbit. On future launches planned by ISRO, Somanath said, “In 2025, we will have many missions to start with the GSLV launching the (navigation satellite) NVS-02 in the month of January.” ISRO successfully placed a navigation satellite onboard the GSLV-F12/NVS-01 rocket in May 2023. This GSLV rocket successfully deployed the NVS-01 navigation satellite, weighing about 2,232 kg into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO). The NVS-01 was the first of the second-generation satellites envisaged for the Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) services. On Monday’s PSLV-C60 mission, Mr Somanath expressed hope that many more Space Docking Experiments would be taken up by the scientists in the coming days. “It is really an important mission with (India’s) space sector reforms and expansion of space activities. There will be many more SpaDeX varieties including complex missions of docking systems in the coming days,” he said. Meanwhile, referring to the rescheduling of the PSLV-C60 rocket from the earlier planned 9.58 pm to 10 pm on December 30, Mr Somanath said, scientists do a conjunction study to check whether a satellite going to an orbit comes very close to another satellite while travelling in the same orbit. “If you find there is any close proximity (between satellites), then we have to move the current satellite a little bit. Either, we delay it (the launch) or make it early, so that this proximity condition does not occur,” he said. Scientists undertook time to fix the launch for the lift-off and decide on the best time which gives the maximum distance to be away from the other satellite in the orbit, he added. 

Manoj Bajpayee has shared an update on The Family Man 3. The actor has wrapped up the shoot for the third season of the Prime Video series. Oh boy, we cannot wait for it to arrive on the OTT platform now.  On Saturday (December 28), Manoj Bajpayee announced the happy news on his Instagram Stories. A picture of the clapperboard featured in the post. The words, “It’s a wrap” can be seen scribbled on it. Manoj Bajpayee celebrated the occasion by relishing a nutty-flavoured chocolate cake. “2024 shoot wrap” is written with white icing on two chocolate bars kept atop the dessert. The side note read, “Shooting wrapped. For The Family Man 3. Aur thoda intezaar (Just a little more wait.” Previously, Manoj Bajpayee revealed that he was having fun shooting for The Family Man‘s upcoming installment. In an interaction with he said, “Mujhe bahut mazaa aa raha hai. Abhi shooting chal rahi hai. Ek schedule khatam kiya hai humne. Raat ko dedh baje jaa ke soya hu main aur phir aapke iske liye aana tha. Main Family Man ki hi shooting kar raha tha” (I am enjoying a lot. The shooting is going on. We have wrapped up a schedule. I slept at 1:30 AM and then I had to come for the masterclass).”

“It’s not everyone’s cup of tea,” a phrase we’ve heard a million times in reviews, might just be the perfect way to start talking about Marco. It feels as overused as the formula that drives this movie. Yet, there’s something about this film that warrants a closer look. Written and directed by Haneef Adeni, Marco tries to make its mark, and while it doesn’t completely succeed, it’s not a total miss either. The plot follows Marco, played by Unni Mukundan, on a path of vengeance after the murder of his brother, Victor. The story takes us through a series of extremely violent and overly stylized confrontations, all driven by Marco’s thirst for payback and to subsequently protect his family. It’s a classic revenge drama at its core, but what makes it stand out is its attempt to push the boundaries of on-screen violence. That said, the story itself lacks depth, with its formulaic and often predictable narrative occasionally offset by some experimental elements. Though Marco has been referred to as a spin-off of Mikhael, written and directed by Adeni, it charts its own path, creating a new world and dynamics, independent of Mikhael’s storyline. Now, let’s talk about the execution. The film leans so heavily on its style and action sequences that it overshadows its narrative substance, relying on a predictable structure that feels overused. The violence in Marco is extreme—bordering on excessive—and arguably its only novel aspect. The film’s heavy reliance on graphic violence becomes its Achilles’ heel, with some sequences, particularly a 10-20 minute stretch, so intense that they might compel viewers to look away. The ‘A’ certification is well-deserved, and if you are squeamish, you might want to reconsider watching it. In conclusion, Marco caters to fans of stylized action and intense violence. If you’re in the mood for something action-packed and don’t mind a formulaic story, this might be worth a shot. But in the end, there’s no denying that Marco is trying to do something very different within a familiar framework.

प्रयागराज में जनवरी से आयोजित होने वाले महाकुंभ की चर्चा देश-दुनिया के हर कोने में हो रही है. इन सबके बीच एक कुर्मी जातिगत समुदाय का महाकुंभ रविवार को अयोध्‍या में आयोजित हुआ. अयोध्‍या के सियासी फलक पर इस समुदाय की अनदेखी को लेकर इसका आयोजन हुआ. पार्टी लाइन से इतर सभी दलों के इस समुदाय से ताल्‍लुक रखने वाले नेताओं ने इस कार्यक्रम में हिस्‍सा लिया. इस समुदाय का कहना है कि पिछले दो दशकों से यहां की विधानसभा या संसदीय क्षेत्र में कुर्मी ओबीसी समुदाय का प्रतिनिधित्‍व देखने को नहीं मिला जबकि यहां पर इनकी बड़ी संख्‍या है. लोकसभा में अयोध्‍या-फैजाबाद सीट से 1999 में आखिरी बार इस समुदाय से ताल्‍लुक रखने वाले बीजेपी के वरिष्‍ठ नेता विनय कटियार की चुनावी जीत हुई थी.  हालांकि इस समागम की टाइमिंग को लेकर सवाल उठ रहे हैं क्‍योंकि अयोध्‍या की मिल्‍कीपुर विधानसभा सीट पर उपचुनाव होने हैं. सपा नेता अवधेश प्रसाद के लोकसभा चुनाव जीतने के बाद इस सीट पर उपचुनाव होगा. हालांकि द इंडियन एक्‍सप्रेस की इस रिपोर्ट के मुताबिक आयोजकों ने इस प्रोग्राम और चुनाव के बीच किसी भी प्रकार के कनेक्‍शन से इनकार किया है. 

Filmmaker Sujoy Ghosh, who was initially supposed to helm Shah Rukh Khan, Suhana Khan and Abhishek Bachchan starrer ‘King’, has stepped down as the director of the film. Instead, SRK will now collaborate with his Pathaan helmer Siddharth Anand for the film. Now, reports on the Internet claim that Sujoy Ghosh has moved on from King, and is already in discussion for his next project. He is reportedly in talks with Shahid Kapoor for a thriller film. However, the actor’s team has now reacted to these claims, denying reports about their collaboration. As per a report in Mid-Day, Sujoy Ghosh and Shahid Kapoor had planned to collaborate on a movie in 2021, however, the project did not materialize due to scheduling conflicts. Now, the actor-director duo has reportedly resumed discussions about the film, which will commence production in 2025. The director has had the film’s script ready for quite some time. It is reported that the project will feature Sujoy Ghosh’s signature suspense and drama. A source told Mid-Day that while the actor was interested in the film’s script earlier, the timing wasn’t right. Now, both Shahid and Sujoy Ghosh are making it a priority to align their schedules and bring the film to life. However, Hindustan Times reported that Shahid’s team has denied the reports about him being in talks with Sujoy for any such film.

Adani Enterprises (AEL) has fully exited the Adani Wilmar JV, selling its 13% stake to meet the minimum public shareholding norm, with another 31% stake going to Wilmar International, a company filing informed stock exchanges on December 30. The divestment will raise proceeds worth over $2 billion, which Adani Enterprises said would be used in ‘core infrastructure platforms’. Adani Enterprises, Adani Commodities LLP (ACL) and Wilmar International’s subsidiary Lence entered into an agreement, as per which Lence will acquire 31.06% stake in Adani Wilmar held by ACL, said the company statement. The other part of the transaction involves Adani Enterprises divesting around 13% of its stake in Adani Wilmar to achieve compliance with minimum public shareholding requirements. With this, AEL will be selling a total of 44% stake in Adani Wilmar as part of the exit, and Wilmar International will acquire up to 31% held by Adani Enterprises in Adani Wilmar, said the statement. “…with the completion of these two legs, AEL would completely exit its ~44% holding in Adani Wilmar,” it added.