It doesn't take much to make news in the era of social media, especially when it comes to the world of entertainment. And yet, there were some celebrities (or celebs in the making) who made a splash in 2025 when people couldn't stop talking about them, be it on the Internet or off it.
From a fitting comeback, breaking new ground, a raging debate over work-life balance to the death of a veteran star, 2025 was buzzing with news from the entertainment circuit.
Here are this year's biggest newsmakers:
Akshaye Khanna In Dhurandhar
What was being pitched as Ranveer Singh's grand comeback actually became Akshaye Khanna's moment in the sun. While Dhurandhar remains Ranveer Singh's film for its story and plot of an Indian spy who goes deep undercover in Pakistan's Karachi to infiltrate the gangs of Lyari to get to the roots of terrorism, Akshaye Khanna made a meal out of his so-called supporting role of Rehman Dakait.
As Rehman Dakait, the Robinhood-esque Lyari gangster, Akshaye Khanna danced his way into our hearts as he strutted to the beats of Bahranian rapper Flipperachi's FA9LA as his irreverent and charming self. But it would be unfair to restrict the actor's performance in Dhurandhar to the now viral dance.
Akshaye Khanna owned each frame he featured in Dhurandhar, from the moment he walked in that ominous hospital scene to his very last appearance in what Ranveer Singh's Humza Ali Mazari imagines as his ghost after he is killed. The actor, who started 2025 with Chhaava's Aurangzeb with a bang, is also ending his year with a much higher high.
Shah Rukh Khan At Met Gala 2025
Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan dialled his stardom up a notch when the 'King' descended on the blue floral carpet of the Met Gala 2025, one of the biggest fashion extravaganzas of the year when creativity and celebrity come together to champion philanthropy.
Dressed in an all-black Sabyasachi ensemble, the actor made more headlines for humbly introducing himself at the gala than his costume.
In the video that went viral, Shah Rukh Khan is asked by a journalist to introduce himself. A surprised Shah Rukh Khan, however, replied, "Hi, I'm Shah Rukh."
For the global event, the superstar wore a floor-length elongated coat in Tasmanian superfine wool with monogrammed, Japanese horn buttons. He completed his look with a custom stack and complemented with The Bengal Tiger Head Cane crafted in 18k gold with different jewel stones.
Later, in the year, on what was his 60th birthday (November 2), Shah Rukh Khan revealed the title of his upcoming actioner King, in which he will be seen sporting grey hair in a never-seen-before avatar.
Deepika Padukone's 8-Hour Shift Demand
One debate that divided the whole film industry in 2025 was Bollywood star Deepika Padukone's demand for an 8-hour working shift in a bid to practise better work-life balance. This 'tough' demand even ended up in the actor, a new mother, parting ways with two high-profile films, Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Spirit and Kalki 2898 AD sequel from Nag Ashwin.
The beef between Sandeep Reddy Vanga and Deepika Padukone was out in the open, even though she never directly responded to the filmmaker's veiled attack on her. Within days of the feud going public, Deepika Padukone was replaced by Triptii Dimri, the breakout star of Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Animal.
Vyjayanthi Movies, the production banner behind Kalki 2898 AD part two, released an official statement saying that Deepika Padukone will not be part of the upcoming sequel. The makers said they were "unable to find a partnership" for a film like Kalki 2898 AD that "deserves that commitment and much more".
From Madhuri Dixit, Rashmika Mandanna, Smriti Irani, Hansal Mehta to Shoojit Sircar, many celebrities weighed in on the debate, with most of them backing Deepika Padukone, who will next be seen in King with Shah Rukh Khan.
Later in the year, the actor too broke her silence on her headline-making comments about the 8-hour working shifts in showbiz.
"By virtue of being a woman, if that's coming across as pushy or whatever, then so be it. But it is no secret that a lot of superstars, male superstars, in the Indian film industry, have been working for 8 hours for years and it's never made headlines!"
"I don't want to take names now and make this into a whole thing, but it is very commonly, publicly known that a lot of male actors have been working for 8 hours a day for years. A lot of them only work for 8 hours from Monday to Friday. They do not work on weekends," she said.
Saif Ali Khan's Stabbing
The new year didn't begin on a very happy note for Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan, who was stabbed six times by an unidentified person during a failed robbery attempt at his Mumbai residence in the early hours of January 16, 2025.
The actor was injured in his spine, neck, and hands after a scuffle broke out between him and the assailant. Somehow, Saif Ali Khan was able to fight off the armed intruder along with his house help. In what could be a dramatic action sequence in a movie, the actor was taken to Lilavati Hospital by his eight-year-old son Taimur in an autorickshaw while it was still dark.
At the hospital, Saif Ali Khan underwent 2.5 hours of neurosurgery, along with plastic surgery.
The actor was also subject to suspicion and trolling on social media after he was seen walking out of the hospital when he was discharged.
Dharmendra's Death
2025 leaves the film industry a bit poorer after film icon Dharmendra's death. The actor, a constant presence on social media with his heartfelt and uncurated videos sometimes breaking into shayari with unmatched ease, was admitted to Mumbai's Breach Candy Hospital for a few weeks after he complained of breathlessness. Dharmendra, a farmer, a poet, and an entrepreneur, died days shy of his 90th birthday.
There was no or little information from the Deol family about Dharmendra's health condition in the run-up to his death after he was discharged from the hospital, with the doctors saying that his recovery would continue at home on ventilator support and that he was critical.
Twelve days after he was released from the hospital, Dharmendra died at his Bandra home on November 24 surrounded by family and close friends.
The actor, who would have turned 90 on December 8, was cremated at the Pawan Hans crematorium, with several prominent celebrities, including Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Sanjay Dutt, and Aamir Khan, in attendance to pay their last respects to the veteran star.
Dharmendra's swansong Ikkis, a war drama directed by Sriram Raghavan, is set to be released on January 1.
Aryan Khan's Much Awaited Directorial Debut
It was the most awaited debut of a star kid and yet it was unique in all possible terms. Aryan Khan, the eldest child of Bollywood power couple Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri Khan, made his debut not in front of the camera but behind it, calling all the shots and making veteran superstars, including his father, dance to his tunes as the creator and director of The Ba***ds of Bollywood.
Unlike other star children launches, Aryan Khan felt more at home in the OTT space than at the cinema hall. While The Ba***ds of Bollywood is a web series on Netflix, it was as cinematic and engaging as a quintessential Bollywood masala movie that kept the filmy buff in you hooked.
From references to old Hindi cinema, paying homage to Shah Rukh Khan's journey from an outsider to the King of Bollywood, to a banging jukebox with songs such as Gafoor and Sajna Tu Baimaan while staying true to bold emotions and its grain as a satirical series, The Ba***ds of Bollywood was worth the wait and gets more interesting on a second (or third) viewing.
Diljit Dosanjh's Sardaar Ji 3 Row, Featuring Pakistani Star Hania Aamir
Diljit Dosanjh opened a Pandora's box when he shared the trailer of Sardaar Ji 3, a Punjabi film which he also co-produced. The cat was officially out of the bag when viewers saw Pakistani star Hania Aamir feature in Sardaar Ji 3 in a key role opposite Diljit Dosanjh.
What made matters worse was that the announcement came months after the April 22 Pahalgam attack, at a time when Pakistani artistes had been banned from working in the Indian film industry. Knowing that the film will face hurdles with theatrical release in India, the Sardaar Ji 3 makers never released the film in the country. Sardaar Ji 3, however, was released in Pakistan and to much fan frenzy.
There were calls by Indian film bodies to ban Diljit Dosanjh from working in India, with some even asking the government of India to revoke his passport and citizenship. He was called anti-national too. They even asked the makers of Border 2 to drop Diljit Dosanjh from the film, but none of that ever happened.
A calm and composed Diljit Dosanjh gave a clarification once, and that too to an international outlet. He will next be seen in Border 2, playing the role of Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon, the only member of the Indian Air Force to be Awarded the Param Vir Chakra. A patriot.
Saiyaara: The Birth Of New Stars Ahaan Panday And Aneet Padda
No one really knew what Mohit Suri had been up to until Yash Raj Films dropped the trailer of Saiyaara, featuring new actors Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda. While the first glimpse looked like every other quintessential Mohit Suri film, Saiyaara surprised both critics and trade experts when it was released in theatres.
With an emotional soundtrack and intense chemistry between the two unassuming leads Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda, Saiyaara gave a shot in the arm for musical romance dramas that had almost disappeared from Bollywood amid the sea of larger-than-life actioners fronted by solo male leads.
In Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda, Gen Z viewers got a love story for ages where the man, a rockstar, was not a manchild and the woman had more to her life than just a man; she had an ambition to write. What also helped was that unlike many Mohit Suri films, Saiyaara -- however tough to believe -- had a happy ending.
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