Dino Morea summoned again by Mumbai Police EOW in Rs. 65.54 crores Mithi River desilting case; here's what we know

Actor Dino Morea has landed in the headlines for reasons far removed from the film set. The Mumbai Police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW) questioned him on Friday, for the second time, over alleged irregularities in the Mithi River desilting project. Dino and his brother, Santino Rocco Morea, had also been questioned in the case in May 2025.

According to a report by Hindustan Times, the fresh summons followed a lead from phone records. "We summoned Morea after investigators came across phone records indicating contact with some people linked to the case," a police officer, who did not wish to be named, told the publication.

The officer also said that the Morea brothers and Punita Kadam, wife of arrested accused Ketan Kadam, are directors in a private company, UBO Ridez Private Limited. Investigators are now verifying financial transactions between the Kadams and Santino Rocco Morea. They are also examining how Ketan Kadam's desilting firm, Woder India LLP, won civic contracts. It is worth noting that the report does not state that any wrongdoing has been established against the actor, and the questioning is part of the ongoing probe.

As for the ongoing case, Ketan Kadam was arrested on May 7 and is among 13 people booked for allegedly causing the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) a loss of Rs. 65.54 crores. The case involves alleged financial irregularities, inflated tenders and corrupt practices. The EOW has also arrested Jayesh Joshi, who is associated with Virgo Specialties Private Limited, a Mumbai-based industrial product manufacturer.

The EOW claims that some BMC officials travelled to Kochi in October 2020 to buy desilting equipment from Matprop Technical Services Private Limited and later, floated desilting tenders. The machine specifications reportedly matched Matprop's equipment, which effectively left contractors with no option but to use its machines. Under the tender terms, the BMC was to pay contractors based on the weight of the silt and dredge removed from the river.

Police allege that contractors who approached Matprop were sent to Joshi and Ketan Kadam, who, in alleged connivance with the company, rented out the equipment at inflated rates rather than selling it. EOW officers further claim that civic records were fudged to overstate the quantity of silt to be removed, which benefited contractors and the rates they were to be paid.

As the probe continues, all eyes will be on whether more names will come under the scanner.

Also Read: Dino Morea hails Dhurandhar The Revenge as ‘epic’, praises Ranveer Singh, Sanjay Dutt and Aditya Dhar’s vision

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Nushrratt Bharuccha to undergo spine surgery: Team issues official statement amid accident reports

Nushrratt Bharuccha’s team has issued an official statement addressing the actress’ health after she met with an accident during her work-cum-holiday trip to Bali, Indonesia. The statement, released on October 2, confirmed that the actress suffered a fracture in her spine and is currently hospitalised in Bali.

The actress had travelled to Bali a few days ago for a work-cum-pleasure trip. Reports of her hospitalisation surfaced subsequently, although details surrounding the incident had been kept private. Her team has now provided an official update, confirming that she remains under medical observation and is set to undergo spine surgery.

“Nushrratt Bharuccha, who was in Bali for a work-cum-holiday trip, met with an unfortunate accident and suffered a fracture in her spine. She is currently hospitalised in Bali and remains under medical observation. Following further evaluation by the doctors, Nushrratt will be undergoing spine surgery,” the statement read.

The team further revealed that arrangements are being made to bring Nushrratt Bharuccha back to Mumbai via an air ambulance, where she will undergo the surgery. Her health and immediate medical care remain the priority at present.

“At present, our immediate priority is her health and ensuring she receives the necessary medical care. We are currently making arrangements to bring Nushrratt back to Mumbai from Bali via an air ambulance, where she will undergo the surgery. Given the nature of the injury and the surgery, Nushrratt will need time to rest and recover, and her work commitments over the next few weeks are likely to be affected.”

The statement also requested fans and well-wishers to respect the actress’ privacy while she focuses on her treatment and recovery. Her team expressed gratitude for the concern and good wishes being extended towards her and said that further updates would be shared when appropriate.

“We request everyone to respect her privacy at this time and allow her the space to focus on her treatment and recovery. We are grateful for everyone’s concern and good wishes and will share further updates as and when appropriate,” it concluded.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Nushrratt Bharuccha is expected to feature in an upcoming film directed by Remo D’Souza. The project also stars Tiger Shroff, Pashmina Roshan, Elvish Yadav and Abhishek Banerjee in key roles. However, as confirmed by her team, her work commitments over the coming weeks are likely to be affected as she undergoes treatment and begins her recovery.

Also Read: EXCLUSIVE: Nushrratt Bharuccha and Pashmina Roshan join Tiger Shroff, Abhishek Banerjee, Elvish Yadav in Remo D’Souza’s untitled action film

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Drishyam The Conclusion mania EXPLODES! Theatres add post-midnight shows BEFORE release; exhibitors asked to match Spider-Man, Dhurandhar The Revenge pricing

In November 2022, Drishyam 2 was among the first major films of the post-pandemic era to witness post-midnight and early morning shows, as theatres responded to the tremendous demand for the Ajay Devgn-led thriller. Four years later, history is repeating itself with Drishyam The Conclusion. The much-awaited third instalment of the franchise is all set for a historic opening today, October 2, and the unprecedented demand is already visible in the way exhibitors have opened up post-midnight shows even before release day.

Unlike Drishyam 2, where several post-midnight shows were added only in the second half of the opening day, exhibitors have acted much earlier this time. Realizing that the advances for Day 1 are exceptionally strong and anticipating historic collections, several theatres began opening bookings for post-midnight shows as early as October 1, a day before the film's release.

In Mumbai and the surrounding areas, post-midnight shows have been opened at PVR Lower Parel, Cinepolis Seawoods, Metro Inox, Inox R City Ghatkopar, Maxus Borivali, Inox Malad, PVR Oberoi Mall Goregaon, PVR Phoenix Market City Kurla, PVR Juhu, PVR Citi Mall Andheri, Inox Sky City Mall Borivali, PVR Chakala, PVR Orion Panvel, PVR Palava, Cinepolis Bhandup, Funcity Big Cinema Ulhasnagar, Inox Raghuleela Kandivali, Cinepolis Andheri, PVR Infiniti Andheri, PVR Infiniti Malad and Miraj Dombivali.

Interestingly, Maxus Bhayander has gone a step further and is showing Drishyam The Conclusion practically round the clock. The cinema has scheduled shows at 12:35 am, 1:05 am, 2:05 am, 3:05 am, 4:05 am and 5:05 am, making it a 24/7 affair for the film.

The trend isn't restricted to Mumbai. In Pune, post-midnight shows have been opened at Inox Megaplex Wakad, PVR Phoenix Market City, Cinepolis Seasons Mall, Inox Chinchwad, PVR Icon The Pavilion, PVR Hinjawadi, PVR Kumar Pacific, Inox Jai Ganesh Akurdi, Inox Royal Heritage Mall, Inox Royal Heritage Mall and Inox Bund Garden Road. In Ahmedabad, the film has also begun getting post-midnight shows at Connplex Prahladnagar, Classic Cinema Gandhinagar, PVR Motera, Connplex SBR, The Cinestar Miniplex SP Ring Road and CLEXA.

More cinemas across different cities are also expected to add post-midnight shows as the day progresses, especially given the strong advance booking response. The unprecedented demand for Drishyam The Conclusion has clearly prompted exhibitors to start adding shows much earlier than they did for Drishyam 2, setting the stage for a potentially historic opening for the franchise.

The other interesting aspect is the high-ticket pricing. Despite the steep rates, there is tremendous demand among audiences to watch Drishyam The Conclusion as soon as possible. As per exhibition sources, theatres have been asked to price tickets for the film on par with Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Dhurandhar The Revenge.

Also Read: EXCLUSIVE: CBFC clears Drishyam The Conclusion WITHOUT a single cut; is 8 minutes longer than Drishyam 2

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Bigg Boss 20: Rhiti Tiwari evicted in surprise mid-week exit after captaincy task? Here’s what we know!

Bigg Boss 20 has witnessed its first mid-week eviction of the season, with Rhiti Tiwari reportedly eliminated from the house. Unlike the regular elimination process based on audience voting, Rhiti's exit came as part of a captaincy task and involved the show's unique lifeline mechanism.

Rhiti, the daughter of actor-singer and politician Manoj Tiwari, entered Bigg Boss 20 alongside her father when the Salman Khan-hosted season premiered on September 6. Her journey initially saw her forming connections with several housemates, but her time on the reality show soon became marked by multiple confrontations and controversies. How was Rhiti Tiwari eliminated from Bigg Boss 20? The latest captaincy task gave contenders Yung DSA, Mahhi Vij and Uditi Singh a special "vardaan". As part of the twist, the contenders were given the power to take away a lifeline from another contestant. Rhiti had already been left with only one life. When the power was used against her, she lost her final lifeline and her journey in the Bigg Boss house came to an end.

Reports describe the development as the season's first mid-week eviction and not an elimination decided through the usual public voting process.

Her exit follows Rohed Khan and Isha Rikhi, who were previously eliminated from the season. Rohed was the first contestant to leave the house, while Isha became the second eviction before Rhiti's unexpected mid-week exit. Rhiti Tiwari's controversial stint inside the house Rhiti's time on Bigg Boss 20 had already attracted considerable attention following her clashes with fellow contestants. One of the major controversies involved Qazi Touqeer.

After Salman Khan addressed a separate controversy involving Qazi's alleged illness, Rhiti confronted him and questioned his conduct. Their equation subsequently became increasingly strained.

The situation escalated during a diss battle that formed part of a captaincy task. Rhiti directed abusive and derogatory remarks towards Qazi and Uditi Singh, leading to a confrontation inside the house. The incident later became a major subject of discussion during Weekend Ka Vaar.

Salman Khan subsequently confronted Rhiti over her language. Calling her performance during the task "the worst diss ever", he told her that there were limits to what could be said in the name of a diss battle and questioned the language she had used.

The host also drew attention to Rhiti's connection with Manoj Tiwari and her identity as a star kid. Salman questioned her conduct in the context of her father's public image and compared her behaviour with that of former Bigg Boss contestant Dolly Bindra.

Also Read: Bigg Boss 20: Yung DSA says he will “maintain a boundary” with Love Gill after latter calls out his remark for dancing with Gullu

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Microdramas CRASH the OTT party! Short-drama apps occupy 6 of India’s Top 12 free entertainment apps; one BEATS Netflix and Prime Video

India's rapidly expanding microdrama ecosystem has just thrown up another striking indicator of how quickly the format is gaining ground. Short-drama apps are no longer merely competing with each other for attention. They are now rubbing shoulders with some of the biggest OTT and entertainment platforms in the country.

As per AppBrain's September 30 ranking of the top free Entertainment apps in India, VibeShort: AI Short Dramas occupied the No. 1 position, ahead of streaming giants Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, which were ranked No. 2 and No. 3 respectively. MX Player stood at No. 4, while BookMyShow rounded off the top five. But VibeShort topping the chart is only part of the story.

A closer look at the rankings reveals the sheer concentration of microdrama and short-fiction platforms within the upper reaches of the chart. StoryReel: Drama Shorts & TV was placed at No. 6, NetShort - Popular Dramas & TV at No. 7, DramaBox - Stream Drama Shorts at No. 9, FlickReels - AI Story & Drama at No. 10 and MVShort at No. 11.

In other words, including VibeShort at No. 1, six of the Top 12 free Entertainment apps on AppBrain's September 30 chart were platforms explicitly built around short dramas, drama shorts or AI-driven fictional content.

That means an astonishing 50% of the Top 12 positions were occupied by apps belonging broadly to the short-drama ecosystem.

The development is significant because the apps are competing for the same valuable smartphone attention presently commanded by long-established entertainment brands such as Netflix, Prime Video, ZEE5, MX Player and BookMyShow.

The rankings, of course, need to be viewed in the right context. Daily app charts can fluctuate significantly and are primarily an indicator of download momentum and app-store performance at a particular point in time. VibeShort ranking ahead of Netflix or Prime Video, therefore, does not mean that the platform has overtaken either streaming giant in terms of total subscribers, active users, viewing hours or revenue.

Nevertheless, the sheer number of short-drama apps appearing near the top simultaneously makes the trend difficult to ignore.

And there is another data point which reinforces the story.

According to The Ormax OTT Audience Report: 2026, microdramas emerged as the fastest-growing among the major emerging content formats highlighted in the report. The audience for microdramas grew by a staggering 50% over 2025, marginally ahead of K-Dramas, which registered 48% growth, while anime audiences expanded by 32%.

The larger Indian online-video universe itself has expanded considerably. Ormax estimates that India now has 664.9 million OTT viewers, up 11% from 601.2 million in 2025. The report defines an OTT viewer as somebody who has watched online video at least once in the previous month.

For microdrama companies, however, the next battle could prove more important than simply generating downloads.

As more platforms enter the category and acquisition spending intensifies, the real test will be whether these apps can convert their installation momentum into repeat viewing, strong retention and, crucially, paying consumers.

For now, though, the September 30 chart offers a revealing snapshot of just how dramatically India's mobile entertainment landscape is changing.

Also Read: Microdramas get STAR POWER! Kusha Kapila, Sheeba Chadha, Nikki Tamboli, Vishal Aditya Singh join the vertical wave

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Alia Bhatt joins Rami Malek, Sachin Tendulkar and Simone Ashley for a star-studded Earthshot Prize 2026 night in Mumbai

Mumbai is gearing up for a glittering global night, and Alia Bhatt will be right at the heart of it. The actor, producer and entrepreneur will be among the leading names from the worlds of film, music, sport and entertainment at The Earthshot Prize 2026 Awards Night, where she will present one of the five Earthshot Prize awards.

The ceremony will bring together 5,000 guests to celebrate people and organisations working on solutions to some of the world's most pressing environmental challenges. Alia will share the stage with Oscar-winning actor Rami Malek, cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar and British actress and musician Simone Ashley, among other presenters and special guests. The evening will be hosted by Karan Johar, with more names expected to join the celebrations.

For Alia, the night is a chance to applaud the people behind the ideas and solutions driving environmental action around the world. Speaking about the occasion, she said: "The Earthshot Prize is really about hope… but hope that comes with ideas, action and people who are finding new ways forward. That's what makes it so inspiring to be a part of. There are people across the world doing incredible work to protect and repair our planet, often in ways we may never have imagined. And to have Mumbai bring all these people together feels very special. I'm proud that India gets to be part of this moment, and I'm really looking forward to celebrating the people behind these solutions and the work they're doing for all of us."

The 2026 Awards Night will also mark the first time the event is streamed globally on Prime Video, with audiences in more than 240 countries and territories able to watch the celebration in more than 40 languages.

On the work front, Alia is preparing for the release of the highly anticipated Love & War, in which she stars alongside real-life husband Ranbir Kapoor and Vicky Kaushal. Directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, the film will hit cinemas in January 2027. The actress also has Tumbbad 2 in the pipeline, where she will play a key role.

Speaking about The Earthshot Prize, founded by Prince William, it is the world's most prestigious environmental award, created to identify, back and celebrate groundbreaking environmental leadership. Built around five challenges, it aims to discover 50 winners over 10 years with the power to repair the planet.

Also Read: Daughter’s Day 2026: Alia Bhatt quips daughter Raha “bosses everybody around,” as she talks about women’s empowerment at the Mijwan fundraiser

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Microdramas get STAR POWER! Kusha Kapila, Sheeba Chadha, Nikki Tamboli, Vishal Aditya Singh join the vertical wave

India’s microdrama boom seems to be entering an interesting new phase. A format that was, until recently, largely populated by emerging actors, influencers and digital-first creators is now beginning to attract increasingly familiar faces from films, television and the creator ecosystem.

The latest names to jump onto the vertical bandwagon are Kusha Kapila and Sheeba Chadha, who have teamed up for Likhe Jo Khat Tujhe. The 14-episode microdrama marks Kusha’s debut in the format and will premiere on her Instagram page on September 30.

Created and written by Namrata Wadhwani and directed by Raashi Priya Nahata, Likhe Jo Khat Tujhe revolves around an accidental pen-pal relationship between two women dealing with heartbreak, grief and major changes in their lives. Kusha plays Anisha, a Mumbai-based woman trying to move on from a broken relationship, while acclaimed actress Sheeba Chadha essays Charu, a widow living in Lucknow who is navigating grief and a new phase of life.

Interestingly, Kusha’s entry into microdramas also highlights another potential evolution of the format. Unlike conventional shows that need a television channel or OTT platform, Likhe Jo Khat Tujhe will drop on Kusha’s own Instagram page. In other words, a creator with a sizeable audience can now effectively turn her social-media handle into a distribution platform for an original fiction series.

Another prominent television and reality-show face, Nikki Tamboli, has also entered the vertical fiction space with Ex vs Wife, in which she stars opposite Vishal Aditya Singh. Nikki has taken up the challenge of playing two contrasting shades in the series – one positive and the other negative.

Taken individually, these might simply appear to be two new microdrama announcements. But taken together, they point towards a larger shift taking place within India's rapidly growing short-form fiction ecosystem.

Actors traditionally had broadly defined options – television serials, films, OTT shows, music videos and advertisements. Vertical fiction is now emerging as another avenue, sitting somewhere between social-media content and conventional scripted entertainment. For established performers, it potentially offers an interesting middle ground. Unlike reels, microdramas give actors an opportunity to play actual characters with conflicts, emotions and narrative arcs. At the same time, they potentially require a significantly different production and viewing ecosystem compared to a daily television serial or a long-form streaming show. That could make the format attractive not merely to aspiring talent looking for visibility, but also to established actors looking to experiment without necessarily committing to a conventional long-form project.

Also Read: From 90-second fad to MEGA BUSINESS: Microdramas get a dedicated spotlight at FICCI FRAMES alongside cinema, OTT, AI and reality TV

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