Shah Rukh Khan joins Vodafone Idea as brand ambassador, company unveils new ‘Vi’ logo

Vodafone Idea has announced Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan as its new brand ambassador as the telecom company unveiled a revamped brand identity, including a new logo that changes from “V!” to “Vi”. The company also launched a new campaign titled Vi badal raha hai... tayaar rahiye.

Khan, popularly known as SRK, will endorse the telecom service provider for the duration of the campaign, although the company has not specified how long the association will continue. The announcement comes as Vodafone Idea, backed by the Aditya Birla Group, works to strengthen its position in the competitive telecom market while seeking funding for its planned Rs 45,000 crores capital expenditure over the next three years.

Vodafone Idea CEO Abhijit Kishore said, “This is not simply a logo refresh, it is the first expression of the evolution we are bringing to the Vi Brand. It reflects our ambition for Vi and commitment to shaping what telecom can be – an experience that makes life more rewarding, and full of possibilities for our customers.”

 

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Kishore further outlined the company's plans for the coming weeks, saying, “Over the coming weeks, this evolution will come alive with strategic launches, new campaigns and a range of experiences that will shape how we engage with our customers. The new identity captures optimism—an optimism for everything that is possible today, more importantly for what we can bring to both; our retail customers and enterprises in the future as a tech co.”

The development comes amid Vodafone Idea's efforts to raise funds for network expansion. Business Standard had reported that the telecom operator was close to securing financing from State Bank of India, with its promoters backing guarantees for the proposed loans. The company raised Rs 6,400 crores through bank-funded and non-funded facilities in the quarter ended June, marking the first tranche of its planned ₹35,000 crore fundraising.

The funds are expected to support its 4G expansion and 5G rollout plans. Vodafone Idea also added 240,114 customers in July, its highest monthly addition in two years. This marked its fourth consecutive quarter of net customer additions since the beginning of FY27 and its sixth consecutive month of gains since February.

Customer additions form one of the three key pillars of Vodafone Idea's Vi 2.0 strategy, alongside double-digit revenue growth and a target to triple cash Ebitda over the next three years.

Aditya Birla Group chairman and Vodafone Idea non-executive chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla has said the company had moved beyond its “most challenging years” with improved financial clarity, continued promoter support and renewed investment capacity following the resolution of the long-pending adjusted gross revenue (AGR) issue.

“FY26 was a year of resolution. FY27 begins a period of execution,” Birla said in his address to shareholders in the annual report for FY26.

“The priorities ahead are clear: Execute the network investment programme, strengthen market competitiveness and translate a stronger balance sheet into sustained growth in customers and earnings," he had specified.

Also Read : King100: Teaser of Nagarjuna starrer unveiled on his birthday; film to clash with Shah Rukh Khan starrer King

EXCLUSIVE: Esha Dharmendra Deol CONFIRMS signing Malamaal Weekly 2: “Script is absolutely hilarious; EXACTLY what I needed – fun, light-hearted, full of laughter”

Earlier today, Bollywood Hungama exclusively broke the news that Esha Dharmendra Deol has signed Malamaal Weekly 2. We now bring to you an exclusive quote from the talented and beautiful actress, confirming that she’s indeed a part of the much-awaited comic caper.

Esha Dharmendra Deol began by saying, “This is exactly what I needed – something fun, light-hearted and full of laughter. After completing two very different films – the horror-comedy Ghungat and the SYG: Sambarala Yeti Gattu – I was really looking forward to doing a complete comic caper, and Malamaal Weekly 2 came along at just the right time.”

Esha further said, “Having done films like No Entry (2005), Shaadi No 1 (2005) and One Two Three (2008), comedy is a space I’ve always loved and really wanted to come back to. The script is absolutely hilarious, and I genuinely think everyone is going to love it. I’m just so happy to be part of a film that’s all about fun, laughter and pure entertainment.”

Bollywood Hungama was the first one to confirm in February 2026 that Malamaal Weekly 2 is in the works. Two months later, in April 2026, we revealed that Amit Joshi of Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya (2024) fame has been signed to direct the comic caper. While we reported last week that Raveena Tandon and Parineeti Chopra have joined the cast of Malamaal Weekly 2, we also confirmed on August 11 that Shilpa Shirodkar has signed the comic caper, marking her grand comeback to Bollywood after 26 years. Later, we reported that Fardeen Khan, Elvish Yadav, Rajpal Yadav, Mahesh Manjrekar and Soniya Bansal have also been locked for Malamaal Weekly 2 as well.

Malamaal Weekly 2 is expected to go on floors in November 2026. The film will feature a completely new storyline. However, it will retain the core thematic flavour of the original – a group of ordinary people in a small town, driven by poverty, greed and the prospect of sudden wealth, finding themselves caught in an increasingly chaotic situation.

Also Read: EXCLUSIVE: Esha Deol and Bigg Boss fame Soniya Bansal join the Malamaal Weekly 2 cast

EXCLUSIVE: Check out Sidharth Malhotra and Tamannaah Bhatia’s intense chemistry in 'Samjho Na'; Tamannaah, Jubin Nautiyal to launch The Vvaan’s romantic track on September 2 in a mall

After keeping audiences hooked with its mystery, folklore and larger-than-life fantasy world, The Vvaan gears up to reveal the side of its story that fans have been waiting to see — romance. The excitement is rife for the film’s first upcoming song, ‘Samjho Na’, which is set to bring Sidharth Malhotra and Tamannaah Bhatia’s fresh pairing into the spotlight, with a special launch that brings together Tamannaah Bhatia and Jubin Nautiyal ahead of the song’s release.

If the teaser had audiences wondering what lies inside The Vvaan, ‘Samjho Na’ promises to give them something emotional and romantic to latch on to. The first song will open the door to the film’s romantic world, giving audiences their first full glimpse of Sidharth and Tamannaah sharing screen space and bringing their never-seen-before chemistry to the centre of the story.

The lead pair are sharing screen space for the first time, making ‘Samjho Na’ the first showcase of a pairing audiences have never seen together before. Given the teaser's reveal of what happens to the couple in the film, the first upcoming song is the much-needed emotional grounding of the story.

The upcoming launch itself is being positioned as a lively event for fans, with Tamannaah and Jubin Nautiyal set to make an appearance at a mall on Wednesday, September 2, at 7:30 pm. With the singer performing and Tamannaah joining him, the evening is expected to bring the song's romantic energy straight to the audience.

Musically, ‘Samjho Na’ brings together a strong team, with Tanishk Bagchi as composer and music producer, Jubin Nautiyal and Suvarna Tiwari on vocals and Manoj Muntashir on lyrics. Krishna Kishor has handled additional live production, while Eric Pillai has mixed and mastered the track, with Michael Edwin Pillai as assistant mix engineer.

For The Vvaan, this is an important shift from “What is happening inside that forest?” to “What is happening between these two?” And with Sidharth and Tamannaah coming together on screen for the first time, ‘Samjho Na’ is set to bring all the ingredients of a launch that the audience will be watching with bated breath.

Backed by some of the country's most distinctive storytellers, The Vvaan brings together TVF’s Arunabh Kumar, director Deepak Mishra and Ektaa Kapoor for a commercial film that attempts to take Indian folklore into a new cinematic space. While its world is rooted in folklore and fantasy, the film brings together adventure, mystery and humour to shape itself as a complete family entertainer. The ambition extends beyond the film, with The Legend Of Vvaan comic book already introducing audiences to the larger folklore surrounding its universe.

Presented by Balaji Motion Pictures, a division of Balaji Telefilms Ltd, in association with TVF and 11.11 Production, The Vvaan stars Sidharth Malhotra and Tamannaah Bhatia. Written by Arunabh Kumar and directed by Deepak Mishra, with Manu Anand as DOP and Visual Director, the film is produced by Shobha Kapoor, Ektaa R Kapoor, Arunabh Kumar and Niraj Kothari.

The Vvaan arrives in cinemas on September 25, 2026, promising a big-screen fantasy folklore experience where the visuals, music, mystery and scale come together to create a world audiences will want to step into.

Also Read: Sidharth Malhotra says physical preparation for The Vvaan went beyond fitness: “Training has to support all of that”

Badshah, Isha Rikhi confirm separation after months of speculation: “Mutually decided to part ways”

Rapper-singer Badshah and Punjabi actress Isha Rikhi have confirmed that they are parting ways. The couple made the announcement on Monday evening, August 31, months after their marriage became public and weeks after speculation about trouble in their relationship gained momentum. Badshah shared a joint statement on his Instagram Story, saying that the decision was mutual and made with respect. He also requested fans and the media to give them privacy as they move forward separately.

“I and Isha Rikhi have mutually decided to part ways and move forward on our separate paths. This decision has been made with mutual respect, and we request everyone to kindly respect our privacy during this time,” Badshah wrote.

The couple further made it clear that they do not wish to discuss the matter publicly. “This will be our only statement on the matter. We sincerely request that there be no further speculation or assumptions regarding our relationship,” the statement read.

 

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Isha Rikhi’s emotional post had sparked speculation The announcement comes weeks after Isha shared an emotional note on social media that led to questions about the status of her marriage. In the post shared in July, the actress spoke about staying silent because of fear and said she felt overwhelmed by what she described as her husband’s “influence, power, and resources.”

“There are battles that leave no visible scars. For a long time, I remained silent because I was afraid. I felt overwhelmed by the influence, power, and resources I believed my husband had, and I convinced myself that staying quiet was the safest thing to do,” she wrote.

Isha further said that her silence should not be seen as acceptance. “Silence was never acceptance. It was survival. Today, I'm choosing courage over fear. I may not be ready to tell the whole story, but I'm finally ready to stop pretending that everything was okay,” she added.

 

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Badshah’s second marriage The separation marks the end of Badshah’s second marriage. He was previously married to Jasmine Masih. The two reportedly met on Facebook and got married in 2012. Badshah and Jasmine welcomed their daughter, Jessemy Grace Masih Singh, in 2017. The couple later separated and finalised their divorce in 2020. Badshah has continued to co-parent their daughter following their separation.

Also Read: Isha Rikhi breaks silence on separation rumours with Badshah with cryptic post: “Silence was never acceptance”

Rohit Sharma set to make TV debut with Family Full House, premieres September 19

Indian cricketer Rohit Sharma is set to make his debut in the entertainment space with Family Full House with Rohit Sharma. Sony Pictures Networks India announced the title of the upcoming show on Monday, August 31, along with its premiere date. The show will debut on September 19, 2026, on Sony Entertainment Television and Sony LIV.

The upcoming programme marks a new on-screen venture for Rohit, who has largely been associated with cricket throughout his career. The show is positioned as a family-oriented entertainment format and will see the World Cup-winning captain take on a role beyond the cricket field.

Family Full House with Rohit Sharma is expected to bring Rohit into a different setting for audiences who have followed his journey as a cricketer. The announcement comes with a promotional video shared by the network, offering the first glimpse of the upcoming show.

The show will be available to viewers across both television and streaming, with its premiere scheduled for September 19.

 

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Rohit Sharma has been one of the most prominent names in Indian cricket over the past decade. As captain, he led India to the 2024 T20 World Cup title and was part of India's 2025 Champions Trophy-winning campaign.

With Family Full House with Rohit Sharma, the cricketer now takes on a new entertainment role as he makes his television debut. The show will premiere on September 19, 2026, on Sony Entertainment Television and Sony LIV.

Also Read: Rohit Sharma hints at TV debut with Sony Pictures Networks India teaser, watch

BREAKING: Hanuman Ansh ends with the promise of a sequel; writer-director Vishal Chaturvedi begins work on the second part

The month of August turned out to be a miraculous one thanks to Hanuman Ansh. Released on August 7, the film collected just Rs. 1.07 crore in its first week. The collections slipped to just Rs. 50 lakhs in its second week. After collecting a mere Rs. 5 lakhs on Thursday, August 20, Hanuman Ansh surprisingly collected Rs. 15 lakhs the next day, on August 21. While it earned Rs. 95 lakhs on August 22, the earnings zoomed to Rs. 2.58 crores on Sunday, August 23.

Since then, there has been no looking back for the film. Its third-week collections were Rs. 11.09 crores, while in its fourth weekend it earned Rs. 30 crores, shocking the trade and industry. Hanuman Ansh has earned approx. Rs. 42 crores to date and it seems like it now has a shot at crossing the Rs. 100 crore mark if it holds in the weekdays and the coming week. For a film made in a few crores and made in just Rs. 10 lakhs, this is a historic feat and it has been possible due to positive word of mouth and marketing.

Interestingly, audiences who ventured out to watch Hanuman Ansh have realized that the film ends with the promise of a sequel. A slate at the end mentions that the story of Neeb Karori Baba is yet to be completed. Over the weekend, the team of the film visited a multiplex in Agra, where they interacted with the viewers. Later, speaking to the media, writer-director Vishal Chaturvedi revealed that work has begun on the sequel.

Vishal also revealed that the second part will focus on Neeb Karori Baba’s life in his birthplace, Firozabad, and will then explore his life in Agra, Mathura, etc. Interestingly, Neeb Karori Baba’s family was based in Agra. Lead actor Shobhinaw Satyaa was also present alongside Vishal Chaturvedi at the interaction in the Agra theatre.

Hanuman Ansh was officially announced on February 20 this year, and the makers had revealed at the time that it would be a trilogy. The spiritual trilogy is inspired by the book ‘Divine Detour’, which is incidentally written by Vishal Chaturvedi.

EXCLUSIVE: CBFC cuts 35 seconds of intimate scenes in Mirzapur The Movie; mutes cuss words in 4 places, replaces abuses in 6 places

On Saturday, August 29, Bollywood Hungama was among the first to inform readers that Mirzapur The Movie has been passed with an ‘A’ certificate by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). We further revealed that the run time of the film exceeds 3 hours. We now exclusively bring you the cuts given to the gangster-drama.

The CBFC asked for several cuts before handing over the censor certificate to the makers. To begin with, cuss words were muted at 4 places, while at 6 places, the abuses were replaced with ‘appropriate’ words. The dialogue ‘Galey se lag gar’ was also modified.

In the first half of the film, a word was replaced with 'kamar'. Meanwhile, in the post-interval part, the word 'lanth', which means idiot, was asked to be modified. A caste reference was also asked to be modified.

As for the visual cuts, the makers were asked to reduce intimate scenes by 50% through suitable modifications in visuals and sound. This was done in two scenes, one in first half and one in the second half. As a result, 35 seconds of intimate scenes were deleted.

Interestingly, not a single violent and gory scene was censored by the CBFC. Once these changes were made, the censor certificate was given to the makers of Mirzapur The Movie. The length of the film, as mentioned on the certificate, is 197.19 minutes. In other words, it is 3 hours, 17 minutes and 19 seconds long.

The censor certificate also mentions that Mirzapur The Movie was passed by the Revising Committee of the CBFC. Usually, the Examining Committee is the first to view the film, and when it asks for several modifications, the makers can approach the RC. The Revising Committee then reviews the film and makes the final call on the certification and suggested modifications.

Mirzapur The Movie releases on September 4 and stars Pankaj Tripathi, Ali Fazal, Divyenndu, Jitendra Kumar, Abhishek Banerjee, Rasika Dugal, Mohitt Malik, Sheeba Chadha, Rajesh Tailang, Shriya Pilgaonkar, Harshita Shekhar Gaur, Shweta Tripathi, Sonal S Chauhan, Anangsha Biswas, Shaji Choudhary, Sushant Singh and above all, Ravi Kishan.

Also Read: Mirzapur: The Movie teaser out – Ali Fazal, Pankaj Tripathi return ahead of September 4 release