Dharmendra Pradhan resigns: Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Aditi Rao Hydari, and other celebs hail students, call it a victory for youth voices

After days of nationwide protests over the alleged NEET paper leak and demands for education reforms, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has resigned from his post.

The development has prompted fresh reactions from several members of the film fraternity, many of whom had voiced support for the student-led movement over the past week. Several actors described the resignation as proof that peaceful, democratic protests can bring about change, while others urged the government to focus on long-term reforms in the education system.

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Also Read: “Step down Dharmendra Pradhan”: Jyotika backs students amid NEET protest, calls for accountability

PVR INOX Q1 results: Profit at Rs 56.5 crore, revenue up 10.4%, box office surges

PVR INOX reported a strong turnaround in the first quarter of FY27, posting a profit after tax (PAT) of Rs 56.5 crore, compared to a Rs 54 crore loss during the same period last year. The multiplex operator also recorded a 10.4 percent increase in consolidated revenue, which rose to Rs 1,622.2 crore from Rs 1,469 crore a year ago.

The company's performance comes alongside a robust recovery in the theatrical business, with India's total box office collections growing 20 percent year-on-year during the quarter. Strong film slate boosts admissions PVR INOX credited the quarter's performance to a healthy mix of Hindi, regional and Hollywood films. Among Hindi releases, Bhoot Bangla, Cocktail 2 and Main Wapas Aunga emerged as strong performers. Regional cinema also delivered impressive growth, led by films such as Raja Shivaji (Marathi), Drishyam 3 (Malayalam) and Karuppu (Tamil).

Hollywood titles also contributed significantly, with non-franchise films including Project Hail Mary, Michael and Obsession drawing audiences to cinemas. Admissions, ticket prices and F&B sales rise The multiplex chain recorded 36.6 million admissions during the quarter, reflecting an 8 percent year-on-year increase. Its Average Ticket Price (ATP) stood at Rs 273, up 8 percent from the previous year, while Spend Per Head (SPH) increased 9 percent to Rs 161. As a result, ticket revenue rose 16 percent, while food and beverage sales registered a 17 percent increase compared to the same quarter last year. EBITDA nearly doubles, company turns net cash positive PVR INOX also reported a sharp improvement in profitability. EBITDA climbed 90 percent to Rs 229.6 crore, with EBITDA margins expanding from 8.2 percent to 14 percent, driven by stronger operating leverage.

The company also achieved a key financial milestone by turning net cash positive, ending the quarter with Rs 80.7 crore in net cash as of June 30, 2026. Ajay Bijli on the quarter's performance Commenting on the results, PVR INOX Managing Director Ajay Bijli said the company's operational performance improved across key parameters: "The industry delivered broad-based growth, our operating metrics improved across the board, and the company is now net cash positive. With a diverse content slate ahead and a capital-light expansion model, our focus remains on delighting consumers, driving footfalls and creating enduring value for our shareholders."

Following the announcement of the quarterly results, PVR INOX shares climbed 5.5 per cent to Rs 1,047.85 on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), reflecting positive investor sentiment after the company's return to profitability.

Also Read: Main Vaapas Aaunga Box Office: PVR INOX-Cinepolis Week 2 collections jump 89.8% over Week 1

Salman Khan advises protesting students to return home, urges Sonam Wangchuk to end his fast: “If you want, will send you food from home”

Salman Khan has shared a message addressing the students involved in the ongoing NEET protests while also urging education reform activist Sonam Wangchuk to end his fast. Taking to Instagram, the actor expressed confidence that action would be taken against those responsible for the NEET paper leak and appealed to students to return home to their families.

In his post, Salman wrote, “The students are at top priority, educationally n security-wise, so they need not worry and have their parents worried for them. The Honorable Prime Minister has tweeted, and I am sure that he will take strict action against all those people who are responsible for this leak. So students, plz go back to your parents n homes.”

Sharing a special message for Sonam Wangchuk who has been on a hunger strike for over 25 days, Salman said, “Sonam, it’s done, bro. Don’t extend this. Keep the spirit for another day if there be a need, which I doubt, n eat something. If u want, will send u food from home.”

 

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Salman's latest post comes less than 24 hours after his earlier post where he expressed concern over the whole issue. Apart from appealing to students, Salman also directly addressed Sonam Wangchuk, requesting him to call off his fast. The actor said that while the spirit behind the protest should be preserved if needed in the future, he believes there is no need to continue the fast at present and even offered to send food from his home.

Salman's statement comes amid the ongoing NEET protests, with students raising concerns over the examination process and demanding accountability in the wake of the paper leak. His message has now joined the growing public conversation surrounding the issue, calling for reassurance for students while expressing faith that appropriate action will be taken by the authorities.

Also Read: Salman Khan REACTS to NEET protest violence, urges government to support students: “It should not be hijacked politically”

Kareena Kapoor Khan voices support for students amid ongoing NEET protests; says, “They aren’t preparing for tomorrow, they are tomorrow”

Kareena Kapoor Khan has extended her support to the students participating in the ongoing NEET protests through a heartfelt note on Instagram. The actress shared a series of text posts, expressing concern over the voices of young people seeking to be heard and stressing the importance of preserving faith in education and merit.

In her note, Kareena wrote, “I’ve sat with this for a few days, but I can’t sit with it any longer. The voices of so many young people asking to be heard are impossible to ignore... and they shouldn’t be. We all know what education means to a child. It gives them confidence. It gives them hope. It gives families proof that tomorrow can be better than today. But education only works if children believe in it. And they stop believing the moment they suspect that honesty, hard work and merit don’t actually count.”

She added, “No child should have to wonder if their effort will be enough. They deserve a system they can trust, where merit is real, effort is rewarded, and every child starts on equal footing. That isn’t a lot to ask. It’s the bare minimum. When an entire generation speaks with one voice about its own future, listening isn’t a courtesy we extend. It’s an obligation we owe them. Our children are watching us as closely as we watch them. How we respond now... not eventually, now... will tell them everything about whether fairness and trust are real, or just words adults use.”

 

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Kareena ended her post with, “They aren't preparing for tomorrow. They are tomorrow.”

The actress' statement comes amid the ongoing NEET protests, with students demanding that their concerns be addressed. Kareena's message has added her voice to the growing public discussion surrounding the issue, while highlighting the importance of fairness, trust and merit in the education system.

Also Read: Kareena Kapoor Khan wishes Priyanka Chopra on birthday with nostalgic Koffee With Karan throwback: “Sky will always be the limit for you”

Ahan Shetty joins Vikram Bhatt's 1920: Cold Winter; shoot expected to begin in November: Report

Actor Ahan Shetty may soon be seen exploring the horror genre for the first time. According to the latest reports, the Border 2 actor has reportedly come on board for filmmaker Vikram Bhatt's 1920: Cold Winter, the sixth instalment in the long-running 1920 franchise.

As per a Mid-Day report, the film is currently in the scripting stage. A source quoted by the publication claimed that Ahan was looking to diversify his filmography after making his debut with Tadap and recently returning to the big screen with Border 2.

"This will be Ahan's first brush with the supernatural genre. He wants to do a variety of roles, after being launched in the romantic action drama Tadap. That's why he is carefully choosing movies that belong to different genres," the source said.

The report further stated that Vikram Bhatt and producer Anand Pandit are currently searching for the film's female lead. They are reportedly looking to cast a reasonably well-known actress rather than a newcomer.

If everything goes according to plan, filming is expected to begin in November. Before that, the producer-director duo is said to travel to Scotland for a location recce. Some portions of the film are also expected to be shot in Shimla.

The 1920 franchise began with the 2008 film 1920 and has since expanded with 1920: Evil Returns, 1920: London, 1921, and 1920: Horrors of the Heart. 1920: Cold Winter will mark the sixth chapter in the supernatural horror series.

Neither Ahan Shetty nor the makers have officially confirmed or denied the report so far.

Meanwhile, Ahan will next be seen in director Tinu Desai's Sanki.

Also Read: Ahan Shetty secures title Sanki for next film after personally approaching Sajid Nadiadwala

Naseeruddin Shah SLAMS PM Narendra Modi over NEET protests, says, "Has he accepted responsibility for any blunders?"

Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah has once again spoken out on the ongoing controversy surrounding the alleged NEET paper leak and the police action against students protesting at Delhi's Jantar Mantar. Days after sharing an emotional video condemning the crackdown, the actor criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's handling of the issue during an interview with The Wire.

Naseeruddin Shah says he is “not surprised” by government's response When asked how he viewed the Prime Minister's response to what was described as one of the most serious issues of his tenure, Shah said he was not surprised. "I'm not surprised at all. When has he spoken honestly about anything? Has he accepted responsibility for any of his blunders? Has he ever accepted the fact that he was perhaps wrong? No. He's divine, and this supposed divinity of his has affected all his followers," Shah said.

The actor went on to question what he described as a lack of accountability, while referring to several statements made by the Prime Minister in the past. "It's amazing to hear and see the magic he seems to have performed. He talks about gutter gas to a group of scientists who applaud. He talks about Lord Ganesha's head being the result of plastic surgery, Karna and the Kauravas being IVF-born, and he's applauded by doctors. What is happening to us? Is there no one who is ever going to question this man?" he said.

Shah also criticised the Prime Minister for not holding press conferences, claiming he avoids difficult questions. "He never speaks to the press because he's scared. He'll be asked about 2002. He'll be asked about his supposed 35 years of begging, meditating in the Himalayas, and travelling abroad before he entered politics," he alleged.

Continuing his criticism, the veteran actor questioned the Prime Minister's public messaging and actions. "He tells us to save petrol and drives around in a convoy of SUVs. He tells us not to travel abroad and then leaves on foreign tours. I find it difficult to take anything he says seriously," Shah said.

When the interviewer remarked that, in his view, the Prime Minister appeared to be "a fraud," Shah responded, "Well, he's very close to being one, but I find it difficult to take anything he says seriously."

Shah's latest remarks come shortly after he shared an emotional Instagram video expressing anger over the police action against students protesting over the alleged NEET paper leak. In that video, he said he was "boiling with anger" after watching footage of security personnel using force on demonstrators and compared the masked officers to American ICE agents.

 

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Also Read: Naseeruddin Shah joins Dhanush and Mammootty’s Om, returns to Tamil cinema after 26 years

Dhurandhar fame Ayesha Khan detained by Mumbai Police during student protest, shares video asking, “Just a simple why?”

Ayesha Khan, who recently featured in the special song ‘Shararat’ from Dhurandhar, has claimed that she was detained by the Mumbai Police while attempting to participate in a student protest in Dadar on Wednesday. The actor later shared videos and detailed her experience through Instagram, alleging that she and her friends were forcibly taken into police custody despite not having started the protest.

According to Ayesha, she reached Dadar around 4 pm to extend her support to the ongoing student protests that have spread to Mumbai. She said that before she could raise any slogans or begin demonstrating, a police officer informed her that protests were not permitted at the location. When she asked, “Bata dijiye dusra aur kya raasta hain,” she claimed the situation escalated quickly.

In a video statement shared on Instagram, Ayesha alleged that around 15 police personnel, including both male and female officers, surrounded her group and instructed them to board a police van. She further claimed that when they resisted, they were forcibly taken into the vehicle.

 

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Describing the incident, Ayesha said, “I was pulled by 4-5 women. I used all my strength to try not getting into the van but they pulled us in. Poorey van mein hum poochte rahein ki aap ne humein kyu detain kiya hain? Humne galti kya kiya hain? No answer, no accountability, nothing. Kisi ne koi jawab nahi diya aur humein Dadar se door Worli lekar aaye.”

She added that while officers at the Worli police station treated them respectfully, she still did not receive an explanation for the detention. According to Ayesha, her primary question remains why she and others were detained before they had even begun protesting.

 

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In another Instagram post, Ayesha shared a video that appeared to show her being pushed into a police van during the incident. Alongside the clip, she wrote, “Dragged, detained for standing in peace. Asked questions to all the police people present there on why were we being detained? But no answer whatsoever! Sadak pe khade rehna kabse crime ho Gaya? Today will be the most peaceful sleep of my life. I stood for what was right! Still in the police station asking the same question! Why am I detained? Which law did I break? Forget about one’s democratic right, and protecting it, instead you are harming your own citizens, for what? I see shame in some of their eyes, but they are bound by their duties, they know, we know, what’s right and what’s wrong. My stand is clear. We lack accountability, EVERYWHERE. I still have hope, we will see a better future.”

The demonstrations in Mumbai are part of a wider wave of student protests that began in New Delhi and have now spread to multiple cities across the country. Protesters have been demanding accountability and have also called for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Demonstrations have taken place at several locations in Mumbai, including Shivaji Park and Chaityabhoomi, with some protesters claiming they were detained even before reaching the protest sites.

Also Read : Ayesha Khan opens up about attempted rape, says ‘I am almost sexualised everyday’