Off to Dubai
In his lifetime, Shah Rukh Khan has received countless awards for his contribution to Hindi cinema. Now, the superstar has jetted off to Dubai to receive the Global Icon Award. He was spotted at the Mumbai airport carrying a Hermès bag and sporting a Dior hooded jacket — because when you’re SRK, even airport looks are a moment. Shah Rukh will be honoured during the inaugural Dubai Mall Festival of Fashion. But before attending the two-day festival, which kicked off on January 29, the actor dropped another big announcement — the release date of his next film, King. He unveiled the teaser on social media and wrote, “King is ready to roar on 24.12.2026 in cinemas (sic).”
Making his debut
Papon
Playback singer Papon, known for Bulleya, Jiyein Kyun, and Moh Moh Ke Dhaage, has now made his debut in Odia music with his new track Kuni Kuni. The romantic melody captures love, longing, and tender emotions. Hailing from Assam, Papon says the experience was both new and enriching. “Singing in Odia was a completely new experience for me. Being from Assam, I was excited to explore a different linguistic and musical space. Once I understood the dialect and its nuances, the song began to flow very naturally. It helped me express romance in a very pure and honest way,” he says. The lyrics are penned by Sunil Parida, with music composed by Bharat-Hitarth. With Kuni Kuni, Papon now adds Odia as his 11th language, having previously sung in Assamese, Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Marathi, Urdu, Mishing, Bodo, Tiwa, and Punjabi.
On autopilot
Karan Patel
After over two decades in the television industry, Karan Patel had hit pause in 2019. Isn’t it with good reason? The actor, who recently returned to screens with reality show The 50, adapted from the popular French series Les Cinquante, opens up about stepping away from the relentless grind of daily television. He says he reached a point where he felt he was “running on autopilot”. While TV has been an integral part of his career, the demanding nature of the medium eventually took its toll. “I love television, but it’s physically and mentally exhausting. I wanted to reconnect with myself, with life outside the set. That pause wasn’t about quitting — it was about recalibrating,” says the actor, who was last seen in the daily soap Yeh Hai Mohabbatein.