Bollywood's biggest stars ignite the screen! From the dazzling premiere of [mention a recently released film or event] to the brewing controversies surrounding [mention a current entertainment scandal], India's entertainment scene is ablaze. This week saw [mention a significant entertainment event, e.g., a music launch, award ceremony, or box office milestone], further cementing India's position as a global entertainment powerhouse. The battle for box office supremacy heats up as [mention competing films or actors], while the digital realm witnesses the rise of [mention a trending OTT series or online sensation]. Beyond Bollywood, regional cinema continues to flourish, with [mention a noteworthy achievement in regional cinema]. From the vibrant world of music to the captivating realm of television, Abtak.com brings you the pulse of Indian entertainment. Dive in and stay updated on the latest news, reviews, and exclusive interviews—your ultimate destination for all things entertainment. Explore the captivating stories unfolding now!
Kochi: Raids were conducted at the residences of leading Mollywood actor Prithviraj Sukumaran and actor-producer Dulquer Salmaan by the customs department in search of foreign luxury vehicles brought into the country without paying duties. This is part of a nationwide crackdown codenamed "Numkhor" (which means "vehicle" in the Bhutanese language), targeting a racket allegedly involved in tax evasion and illegal vehicle imports. Raids were carried out at Prithviraj's house in Thevara and Dulquer's residence in Panampilly Nagar. Officials also visited Prithviraj's Thiruvananthapuram home, but no suspicious vehicles were found there. Nearly 30 locations across Kochi, Kozhikode, and Malappuram are being searched in connection with the case. Officials claimed that around 11 vehicles have been seized so far. The operation is based on intelligence reports that decommissioned Bhutan Army vehicles, auctioned at low prices, were smuggled into India without paying customs duties. These high-quality vehicles were allegedly transported to Himachal Pradesh, registered using temporary addresses, and later sold at inflated prices to high-profile people, including film stars and businessmen. Sources say a well-organised network of agents has been facilitating these transactions, exploiting legal loopholes in Indo-Bhutan trade agreements. While the vehicles are legally auctioned in Bhutan, their import and resale without proper taxation constitute a violation of Indian customs laws. Customs authorities have compiled a list of recipients of these vehicles, which reportedly includes celebrities. The raids at the actors' homes are based on suspicions that such illegally imported vehicles may also have been purchased by them.
Chennai: Malayalam actor and director Prithviraj Sukumaran recently revealed that he was given an incredible opportunity by Subaskaran, the head of the renowned Tamil film production house Lyca Productions, to direct a film starring Tamil superstar Rajinikanth. Speaking at the teaser launch of his highly anticipated Malayalam film L2: Empuraan, Prithviraj shared the details, saying, "I have been assigned the task of welcoming Lyca Productions into Malayalam cinema. This obviously is their first ever project in Malayalam. It is a bit of an anecdote. I think now, it is safe to say that Subaskar ...Read More >
Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh recorded highest net GST collections amounting to 78,860 crore, reflecting a growth of 3.40% in first quarter of financial year. Total tax collections in Q1 (including all sectors) stood at Rs 213,361 crore, compared to Rs 13,096 crore in FY 2024-25, showing a growth of 2.02%, which indicates a sustained and healthy growth trajectory over the same period, according to Commissioner of Commercial Taxes Babu A. For three consecutive months - April, May, and June 2025, the State has recorded the highest-ever net GST collections for each respective month when compared to ...Read More >
The 71st National Film Awards stirred considerable discussion after The Kerala Story clinched two major honours -- Best Director for Sudipto Sen and Best Cinematography for Prasantanu Mohapatra. While the film was a commercial success, it also sparked widespread criticism for its controversial theme centered on alleged religious conversions. Now, Ashutosh Gowariker, who chaired the Feature Film Jury, has weighed in on why the film received recognition from the prestigious panel. Ashutosh Gowarik ...Read More >
NEW DELHI, June 3 (Reuters) - Prime Minister Narendra Modi's high-profile attendance at a global airlines conference this week underscores how much India is banking on a boom in aviation to support wider development goals, but headwinds to its ambitions are gathering force. Undeterred by the uncertainty gripping the aviation sector globally due to trade tensions and shaky consumer confidence, India's biggest airlines are ploughing ahead with orders for new planes, following record deals two year ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: Trade talks between India and the US appear to be back on track, as President Donald Trump hinted that a "very big" agreement with India will be forthcoming soon. In a presser at the White House, Trump said, "Everybody wants to make a deal and have a part of it. Remember a few months ago, the press was saying, 'You really have anybody of any interest? Well, we just signed with China yesterday. We are having some great deals. We have one coming up, maybe with India. Very big one. Where we're going to open up India, in the China deal, we are starting to open up China.""We're not going ...Read More >
Kochi: The residences of leading Malayalam actors Dulquer Salmaan and Prithviraj Sukumaran came under the scanner of the Customs and Revenue Intelligence Department on Monday as part of Operation Numkhor, a statewide crackdown into the alleged smuggling of luxury vehicles. According to officials, the investigation revolves around pre-owned SUVs illegally imported from Bhutan into India without paying customs duties. These vehicles were allegedly sold at reduced rates to businessmen and prominent personalities, including members of the film industry. Searches began around 9 a.m. at Dulquer's ...Read More >
New Delhi: Lucky Bhaskar, starring Mollywood heartthrob Dulquer Salmaan and Meenakshi Chaudhary in the lead roles, has returned to the spotlight as it is now available for streaming on Netflix. Directed by Venky Atluri, the film has been making waves online, with millions of viewers praising its captivating storytelling, stellar performances, and music. Upon its release on OTT today, netizens took to social media to express their admiration for the film, calling it a "masterpiece." One viewer praised the film's narrative and performances, writing, "Lucky Bhaskar. The best of 2024. A masterpie ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jun 26 (PTI) In a significant enforcement action, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has seized goods worth Rs 9 crore under 'Operation Deep Manifest', targeting illegal imports of Pakistani-origin goods routed through Dubai. The operation has thus far led to the seizure of 39 containers carrying 1,115 metric tonnes of goods in blatant violation of import policy conditions and prohibitions imposed by the government on direct or indirect import or transit of Pakistani-origin goods, the finance ministry said in a statement on Thursday. One of the partners of an importing ...Read More >
Speaking at the curtain raiser event for the 30th CII Partnership Summit, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said Google will be building its biggest data centre after the US in Vishakhapatnam. Through "atmanirbharta", India is building supply chains to navigate through weaponisation of trade, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal said on September 30. Delivering the address at the curtain raiser event for the 30th CII Partnership Summit in New Delhi, Goyal said gr ...Read More >
Lokah: Chapter 1 - Chandra will debut later this month, most likely before Diwali, though the official OTT release date has not yet been confirmed. Kalyani Priyadarshan's most recent book, Lokah: Chapter 1-Chandra, marks a significant turning point in her career. The superhero drama, which was produced by Dulquer Salmaan and directed by Dominic Arun under the Wayfarer Films banner, has changed the course of Malayalam box office history. The film has officially become the highest-grossing Malayal ...Read More >
Ahmedabad, June 27: Union Home Minister Amit Shah began his Gujarat visit on a spiritual note early Friday morning by participating in the Mangala Aarti at the historic Shri Jagannathji Temple in Jamalpur, Ahmedabad. The visit coincides with the auspicious occasion of the annual Shri Jagannath Rath Yatra, a major religious event that draws thousands of devotees every year. Arriving at the temple at 3:15 a.m., HM Shah joined in the sacred rituals and offered prayers to Mahaprabhu Jagannath. Sharing his experience on social media platform X, he posted, "On the sacred occasion of Rath Yatra, par ...Read More >
Patna, Aug 1 (PTI) Healthcare services were affected at AIIMS-Patna on Friday as resident doctors went on an "indefinite strike" in protest against the alleged high-handedness of Sheohar MLA Chetan Anand. According to a press statement issued by the Resident Doctors' Association (RDA), AIIMS-Patna, on Friday, "The RDA expresses deep disappointment and anguish over the lack of action by the administration following the violent and traumatic incident that occurred on Wednesday, when MLA Chetan Anand, his wife and their armed guards breached hospital security, physically assaulted staff, and thr ...Read More >
Chandigarh: Punjab finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Friday claimed that the state had achieved record tax revenue growth, with the goods and services tax (GST) collection registering a net growth of 32.08% in July 2025 compared to the corresponding period last year."This robust performance is part of the state's consistent trend of setting record-breaking growth in tax revenue year-on-year and month-on-month for the last three and a half years," said Cheema.The minister elaborated that the net GST revenue collected in July this year was Rs 2357.78 crore, a substantial increase of Rs 572 ...Read More >
Maruti Suzuki India (MSIL) Chairman R C Bhargava on Thursday said India must "not give in to any kind of bullying" after US President Donald Trump's decision to raise tariffs on Indian imports to 50 per cent this month, urging national unity to uphold dignity and support the government. On the domestic front, he said a reduction in GST on small cars could help counter the economic strain created by these tariff measures. "My hope and my expectation is that subject to approvals by the GST Council, we will see a revival of the small car market, overall faster growth of the car industry, more i ...Read More >
Customs officials in Kerala are conducting raids at multiple locations, including the residences of actors Prithviraj and Dulquer Salmaan, as part of "Operation Numkhor." The operation investigates alleged tax evasion involving luxury vehicles imported from Bhutan using fraudulent registrations. Authorities are examining vehicle documents and have detected approximately 15 violations related to this scheme. Residences of Malayalam stars Prithviraj Sukumaran (Thevara) and Dulquer Salmaan (Panampi ...Read More >
Kochi, The Kerala High Court on Friday sought a response from the Customs Preventive Department on a plea by actor Dulquer Salmaan seeking the release of his vehicle seized by the agency as part of its operation to identify and confiscate luxury cars smuggled into India from Bhutan. Justice Ziyad Rahman A A issued notice to the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs and directed its counsel to come with instructions on September 30, the next date of hearing. In his plea, Dulquer stated tha ...Read More >
MUMBAI: The third major global rating agency Moody's Ratings has reaffirmed its Baa3 (BBB-) sovereign rating on the country and retained the outlook at stable, one month after rival Fitch also maintained the rating at the lowest investment-grade level. On the other hand, the largest agency S&P had on August 14 upgraded the country to BBB from BBB- for the first time in 18 years. "The rating affirmation of BBB- rating and stable outlook reflect our view that India's prevailing credit strengths including its large, fast-growing economy, sound external position and stable domestic financing base ...Read More >
New Delhi, May 26 (PTI) Alcoholic beverage maker's body CIABC has urged the government to adopt a phased reduction in import duties on liquor products under the proposed India-EU free trade agreement (FTA), while calling for strong safeguards to prevent misuse of trade concessions under the pact. In a submission to the commerce ministry, Confederation of Indian Alcoholic Beverage Companies (CIABC) has proposed slashing the effective customs (or import) duty on bottled products like wines and spirits from the current 150 per cent to 100 per cent immediately and then down to a resting customs d ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram: Ravada A Chandrasekhar took charge as the new State Police Chief on Tuesday. He succeeds Shaik Darvesh Saheb, who retired on June 30. His tenure will run until July 1, 2027. A 1991-batch IPS officer currently serving as Special Director with the Intelligence Bureau, Chandrasekhar is on central deputation. He was selected over Nitin Agarwal, who topped the official list of probables. The appointment order, issued by Kerala Chief Secretary Dr A Jayathilak on behalf of the Governor, was released soon after a cabinet meeting held on Monday. Hailing from Andhra Pradesh's Godav ...Read More >
MUMBAI: Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar has urged the Centre to ban import of raisins from China. In a letter written to Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan, Mr. Pawar said "illegal" import from China, bypassing customs duties and taxes, is causing severe financial losses to both grape farmers and the national exchequer. Mr. Pawar's letter came in the wake of the memorandum submitted by the Maharashtra State Grape Growers Association. The MSGGA has alleged that there has been a significant influx of substandard Chinese raisins into the Indian market, because of which ...Read More >
Jammu- Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday reviewed the ongoing restoration work of the historic Mubarak Mandi complex, which was the power centre of the Dogra kings in Jammu, and stressed on enhancing its heritage appeal. The Mubarak Mandi Complex is one of Jammu's most significant architectural heritage sites and is envisioned as a comprehensive cultural centre, housing museums, conference venues and heritage hospitality services. Accompanied by Advisor Nasir Aslam Wani and MLA Yudhvir Sethi during the visit, the chief minister was briefed in detail on the multi-phas ...Read More >
Sept 26 (Reuters) - Shares of India's Waaree Energies (WAAN.NS), opens new tab fell 4.5% to 3,288.9 rupees on Friday after U.S. customs officials said they were investigating if the solar panels maker sidestepped tariffs on Chinese-made cells and panels by labeling them as made in India. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a memo on Friday that there was reasonable suspicion that Waaree had failed to label some of its imported products as subject to antidumping and countervailing duties Washington has imposed for years. The agency said it was taking steps to protect U.S. revenues, ...Read More >
New Delhi, Sep 27 (PTI) Malayalam actor Tovino Thomas, best known for his roles in projects such as "Minnal Murali", "2018", and "Ennu Ninte Moideen", is set to headline "Lokah Chapter 2". A sequel to the recent release "Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra", the film will be written and directed by Dominic Arun, who also helmed the first installment. Starring Kalyani Priyadarshan, Sandy, and Naslen, "Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra" released in theatres on August 28. Dulquer Salmaan has produced it under his production banner Wayfarer Films. Dulquer Salmaan shared the news with a post on his X handle on Satu ...Read More >
Despite its vast potential, the full capabilities of GST data remain largely unrealised. While aggregate data provides a broad overview of tax performance and health of the Indian economy, disaggregated sector-wise information is crucial for evidence-based policymaking. A closer look at the performance of GST revenue collection raises several questions. First, though the growth of GST revenue collection improved in the last seven years (13 per cent) compared to the pre-GST period 2012-17 (11.8 per cent), there has been hardly an increase in the tax base of GST in the last seven years compared ...Read More >
Lucknow, Jul 17 (PTI) To curb illegal mining and transportation, the Uttar Pradesh government is deploying advanced technologies under the Integrated Mining Surveillance System (IMSS), a release said on Thursday. Mining activities are already being monitored through drones, geo-fencing, RFID tags, and AI-powered check gates. Now, the state is set to introduce 'Weigh-In-Motion' (WIM) technology to accurately track vehicle overloading. Also Read | 'Arvind Kejriwal Used Government Funds to Buy Mobiles Costing Up to INR 1.63 Lakh', Claims Delhi Minister Ashish Sood. According to the official re ...Read More >
Gross Goods and Services Tax (GST) collections rose 7.5 per cent year-on-year to Rs 1.96 lakh crore in July (for sales in June), data released by the government on Friday showed. Even though the pace of growth in gross GST collections picked up to 7.5 per cent in July from 6.2 per cent, this is the second consecutive month wherein the growth rate has been in single digits and much lower after posting double-digit growth in the first two months of the ongoing financial year. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW VIDEO Net GST collections, after accounting for refunds, took a hit by growing by just 1.7 per ...Read More >
Being denominated in US dollars in the international market, gold's price in India is highly sensitive to movements in the rupee-dollar exchange rate.Source : PTI Gold prices in Chennai softened marginally on Thursday, with 22-karat gold now retailing at Rs 9,290 per gram and 24-karat gold at Rs 10,135 per gram. The minor drop comes in line with price trends observed in other parts of the country, influenced by fluctuations in global bullion markets and currency exchange rates. India's reliance ...Read More >
Ahmedabad - GREW Solar, India's youngest and fastest-growing solar PV manufacturers, showcased its latest range of advanced photovoltaic (PV) modules at RE+ 2025, North America's largest clean energy trade show. The launch underlines India's rising prominence in delivering high-quality, reliable, and globally compliant solar solutions. At the event, GREW Solar launched the ALL-BLACK Series, specially designed for the U.S. rooftop market, these modules combine a sleek, modern aesthetic with proven performance across diverse weather conditions -- including sun, cloud, rain, snow, and hailstorms ...Read More >
Explore India's FTA with EFTA: USD 100 billion investment, 1 million jobs, tariff reductions, and benefits for key sectors. New Delhi, Oct 1 (PTI) India's free trade agreement (FTA) with four European nation bloc European Free Trade Association (EFTA) comes into effect. It is aimed at boosting two-way commerce and investments. The EFTA members are Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland. It was signed on March 10, 2024. * What is an FTA? It is an arrangement between two or more countries where they agree either to eliminate or reduce customs or import duties on the maximum number o ...Read More >
Happy Birthday Prithviraj Sukumaran: From winning a National Award to directing one of Malayalam Cinema's highest-grossing films, here's a look at his journey and achievements. Prithviraj Sukumaran Birthday: Malayalam actor Prithviraj Sukumaran celebrates his 43rd birthday today, on October 16. Over the past two decades, he has built a remarkable career in Indian cinema, earning acclaim not only as an actor but also as a director. His journey began in 2002 with Ranjith Balakrishnan's romantic d ...Read More >