The Hindi film industry gathered to celebrate Hema Malini’s sixty years in cinema. An evening of nostalgia featured candid conversations and musical performances. Industry legends shared behind-the-scenes stories and cherished memories. Hema Malini herself sang and reflected on her remarkable journey. The event celebrated an era of Hindi cinema through stories and songs.

It was an evening of nostalgia, music, laughter and heartfelt memories as the Hindi film industry gathered to celebrate 60 glorious years of Hema Malini in Indian cinema. Hosted and directed by Anirudh Chawla, the Diamond Jubilee celebration unfolded like a journey through the Dream Girl’s remarkable life and career, blending candid conversations, memorable anecdotes, live musical performances and specially curated audio-visual presentations that traced her evolution from a young debutante to one of Indian cinema’s most enduring icons.A WALK DOWN MEMORY LANEThe evening began on an emotional note as Hema Malini reflected on how the venue, Shanmukhanada Hall, held a special place in her life. “This is the same venue where my journey as an actress began. When I came to Mumbai to shoot Sapno Ka Saudagar, this is where I stayed. Every day, I would travel to Raj Kapoor’s studio in Chembur for the shoot. Later, I received my first Filmfare Award here. Over the years, I have performed on this stage so many times. Life has truly come full circle. Sixty years later, here I am again, celebrating this incredible journey.” The event was graced by Union Cabinet Minister Kiren Rijiju as the chief guest and Maharashtra Cabinet Minister Ashish Shelar as the guest of honour.DHARAM JI, BASANTI AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES STORIESOne of the most cherished segments of the evening was Hema Malini’s affectionate recollection of husband Dharmendra. Narrating the story behind Main Jat Yamla Pagla Deewana from Pratigya, she recalled how legendary Kathak maestro Gopi Krishna had initially been brought in to choreograph the actor. “I wondered, ‘Dharam ji Kathak karenge?’ Then I heard the song and thought, how did they think of Gopi Krishna ji for this? Dharam ji looked at the choreography and said, ‘Yeh kya hai?’ Then he told the director, ‘Mujhe choreographer nahi chahiye... aap camera ke peeche baithiye aur main camera ke saamne apna kaam karta hoon.’ He ended up choreographing and performing the song himself,” she said, leaving the audience in splits.THE DREAM GIRL’S BEAUTY MANTRASpeaking about the secret behind looking as radiant today as she did decades ago, Hema said, “It’s the grace of my Lord Krishna. Jab Bhagwan ne aapko sundarta di hai, use pehchanna bhi zaroori hai aur use maintain karna bhi hamara farz hai. I do that through yoga, meditation, dance, and regular workouts.”WHEN CINEMA LEGENDS REMINISCEDThe conversations brought forth several behind-the-scenes stories from some of Hindi cinema’s biggest classics. Director Ramesh Sippy reminisced about working with Hema from his first film Andaz (1971) to his last film Shimla Mirchi (2020). “I was only 25 when I first directed her and she would tease me saying, ‘Yeh toh baccha hai, kaise direct karega?’ She had a photographic memory. Sab dialogues pat pat bol deti thi.“He also revealed that convincing Hema to play Basanti in Sholay wasn’t easy. Hema laughed as she admitted, “After Seeta Aur Geeta, I asked him, ‘Film mein itne log hain aur mera sirf tange wali ka role hai?’ But he told me, ‘You must do this role in Sholay. Otherwise, you’ll regret it.'”SONGS THAT BROUGHT BACK AN ERAMusic flowed seamlessly through the evening, recreating some of Hema Malini’s most memorable songs. Kavita Krishnamurti and Suresh Wadkar’s rendition of Naam Gum Jayega drew loud applause before Kavita revealed a deeply personal connection with the actress. “The only reason I came to Bombay and became a playback singer was because of Hema ji and her mother Jaya Chakravarty, who were my neighbours in Delhi. I will remain eternally grateful to HemaJi.“Ever the humourist, Suresh Wadkar quipped, “There should always be four ambulances stationed outside any venue where Hema ji performs. Kyonki itni sundar ladki dekhkar toh waise hi log dher ho jayenge.”‘SHE’LL ALWAYS BE MY SISTER HEMU’Madhoo offered a glimpse of the Hema Malini few get to see. “She is the Dream Girl for all of you, but for me she will always be my sister Hemu. She took me to Disneyland for the first time when I was a child. There Dharam Uncle taught me to swim at the hotel’s pool. He would often say,’Bacche tumhe swimming kisne sikhaya.”Rakesh Roshan recalled how Hema had changed the course of his acting career. “Uss waqt ki jo leading ladies thi, unhone mere saath kaam karne se mana kar diya tha. Lekin Hema ji ne haan kaha. Aaj main unki wajah se unke saath iss stage par baitha hoon.”Watching a montage of his films with Hema prompted Jeetendra to joke, “Woh jawani dekh ke yeh budhapa sata raha hai. She is still so charming, but hum toh khatara ho gaye hain.” He also became emotional while remembering Dharmendra. “He always said exactly what was in his mind and heart. That’s a very rare quality.”Adding to the celebratory mood were live performances by Padmini Kolhapure and Anu Malik, who sang Gir Gaya Jhumka, while Anup Jalota, Sudesh Bhosle, Vijayta Pandit Shrivastava, Poornima Sushama Shreshtha, Shabbir Ahmed and several other singers paid tribute to Hema Malini through songs immortalised on screen by the Dream Girl.AN EVENING THAT ENDED ON A MUSICAL HIGHThrough the show, Hema took the microphone to sing a few lines from Kya Khoob Lagti Ho and Tum Haseen Main Jawaan. The evening concluded on a poignant note when Hema joined Kavita Krishnamurti for a soulful rendition of Aye Dil-e-Nadan. As the audience rose for a standing ovation, it was evident that the Diamond Jubilee celebration wasn’t merely a tribute to a legendary actress, it was a celebration of an era of Hindi cinema, brought alive through stories, songs and memories that continue to resonate across generations.

MUMBAI: The ED on Friday initiated a probe under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) against a Mumbai-based film producer linked to actor Shekhar Suman over alleged violations involving undisclosed overseas assets and foreign exchange transactions.As part of the investigation, the agency carried out searches on Thursday at premises linked to Kalanee Impex Ltd. and its directors — Dharmesh Sangani, his wife Ranjeeta Sangani, and Narendra Sangani. Dharmesh Sangani is a co-founder of a film academy promoted by Shekhar Suman.Officials said the investigation is currently focused only on the Sanganis and their company.“During the course of search, evidences relating to undisclosed foreign companies and foreign bank accounts of Dharmesh Sangani were found. These companies and accounts have not been disclosed in the Income Tax Returns.“The source of funds, ownership structure and other aspects of these foreign entities and bank accounts are being examined,” the ED said in a statement.Neither Sangani nor Kalanee Impex could be reached for comment. A query sent to the film academy also remained unanswered.The ED alleged that during the searches, Dharmesh Sangani threw his mobile phone from the 13th floor of a building in an attempt to destroy evidence. Investigators later recovered the phone, following which the agency lodged a complaint with Mumbai Police alleging destruction of evidence.According to the ED, Kalanee Impex failed to realise export proceeds worth crores of rupees within the time limit prescribed under the Foreign Exchange Management (Export of Goods and Services) Regulations, 2015, and the Reserve Bank of India’s Master Direction on Export of Goods and Services.The agency further alleged that the company “did not” apply to the authorised dealer banks or the RBI for an extension to realise the export proceeds, as required under the applicable legal framework.The ED also said the Customs department had listed the company among “defaulting” exporters through a public notice issued in May 2026.During the searches, officials recovered documents relating to the seizure of jewellery worth about USD 3 million by the US Customs and Border Protection in June 2025. The seizure was linked to an alleged case involving “smuggled” merchandise and suspected counterfeit trademark goods.“The linkage between the seized consignment and exports from India by the company is being examined,” the agency said.The agency also claimed that Dharmesh Sangani was intercepted at Heathrow Airport in London in September 2016, where authorities seized 7.41 kg of “under-declared” gold jewellery from him.The ED said it is examining the documents and electronic devices seized during the searches to determine the extent of the alleged FEMA violations, trace overseas assets, establish the money trail and identify the role of all those involved.

Court flags police inaction in Baba Siddique case; Anmol Bishnoi named.

MUMBAI: Observing that police inaction and failure to adopt the remedies available under the law are clear from the records in the murder case of former minister Baba Siddiqui, a special MCOCA court Friday directed the crime branch to “scrupulously follow the law” to secure the presence of the absconding accused, including Anmol Bishnoi.Bishnoi, alleged to be the main accused at whose behest Siddiqui was shot dead in Oct 2024, is lodged in Delhi’s Tihar Jail following his deportation from the US last Nov, reports Rebecca Samervel.Calling it unfortunate that the court has to issue directions to ensure compliance with procedure, special judge Satyanaran R Navander said: “Securing the custody of an accused, conducting investigation, interrogating the accused and placing him on trial are the exclusive responsibilities of the investigating agency and the law enforcement authorities.” It sought a compliance report after 2 weeks.Stating that inaction has the potential to prejudice the prosecution itself, the judge directed the investigating agency to submit a compliance report on or before the next date of hearing on July 24.After his deportation, Bishnoi was taken into custody in a 2022 case over an alleged nexus between criminal gangs in India and Babbar Khalsa International, a terrorist organisation, to raise funds, recruit youths and carry out terror strikes.In a seven-page order, the judge further said that the investigating agency has admittedly made no efforts whatsoever to secure the presence of the absconding accused. “Neither has any requisition been made seeking his custody…. Once these facts (Bishnoi’s presence in Tihar jail) are within the knowledge of the investigating agency, it becomes its legal obligation to take appropriate steps for procuring his custody in accordance with law,” the judge said.The prosecution submitted that physical custody was essential for effective interrogation and that proceeding without it would delay the trial for the already arrested accused. Rejecting the prosecution’s stand, the judge said, “We are living in an era of advanced digital technology. Video conferencing has become an integral part of the judicial process and is being regularly utilised by trial courts as well as correctional institutions throughout the country.”The order came on a plea filed by Siddiqui’s wife Shehzeen Siddique, who alleged that the prosecution was deliberately avoiding taking the principal accused into custody.Advocates Pradip Gharat and Trivankumar Karnani, appearing for Shehzeen, argued that the police must take immediate steps to arrest Bishnoi and put him on trial alongside the 27 other accused who have already been chargesheeted under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act. The plea alleged that police were avoiding taking his custody to prevent the names of the “actual” conspirators from coming out.The judge refuted the defence submissions and said, “The investigating agency cannot, merely on that ground, indefinitely postpone proceedings against the principal accused and thereby compromise the larger interests of justice.”

The accident trapped 13 children inside a school van, with one, Vihaan, succumbing to his injuries.

MUMBAI: The Chembur tree that collapsed and killed 11-year-old Vihaan Srivastav had extensive internal decay and damaged roadside roots, which compromised its stability and led to its fall, the BMC’s panel inquiring into the tragedy has said in a preliminary report.The panel noted that the tree had been visually inspected in May and found to be healthy, with no prior complaints regarding its condition.According to the report, submitted on Friday, while the roots on one side remained intact, the roadside roots were blunt and damaged, leaving the tree imbalanced and eventually causing it to collapse. The committee noted visible signs of decay inside the trunk.“The uprooted tree was estimated to be 60 to 70 years old, and no official complaints had been received regarding its condition. The tree underwent a visual inspection on May 12, during which it was found to be healthy and structurally sound, and was pruned on May 29 as part of the annual premonsoon tree maintenance drive,” an official said.

What BMC found

Among the panel’s key recommendations is the launch of a ‘Vrikshmitr’ initiative aimed at encouraging housing societies, resident associations and NGOs to monitor the health of trees in their neighbourhoods and alert the civic body about potentially hazardous trees before they pose a threat to public safety.Following the June 30 incident, the BMC suspended three officials pending a departmental inquiry over alleged negligence: Jagdish Bhoir, assistant garden superintendent of M-West ward; Yogesh Parte, assistant engineer of M-East ward; and Arun Mundhe, sub-engineer (roads), M-West ward.Of the three, the panel has reportedly recommended revoking the suspension of one, who had issued at least two written notices to the road repair contractor and the roads department, warning that excavation around tree bases was damaging roots and could lead to tree crashes.The accident trapped 13 children inside a school van, with one, Vihaan, succumbing to his injuries. Four other children sustained minor injuries.The panel comprised deputy municipal commissioners P Malavde (special engineering) and Shashank Bhore (engineering). The report was submitted to additional municipal commissioner Avinash Dhakane.

The CAG report also pointed to an overestimation of the scheme’s coverage. It said the state’s reported achievement of 85.1% Functional Household Tap Connections by March 2024 was misleading as it included 27.7 lakh households with private or own-source tap connections that were yet to be covered under the mission

Mumbai: A performance audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has criticised the implementation of the Centre’s flagship Jal Jeevan Mission in Maharashtra, pointing out that there were deficiencies in the coverage, implementation and funding of the scheme. During the five-year audit period of 2019-24, only 12,703 or 24.6% of 51,560 water supply schemes initiated in the state were completed and 38,857 or 75.3% were ongoing, it said.The CAG report also pointed to an overestimation of the scheme’s coverage. It said the state’s reported achievement of 85.1 per cent Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTCs) by March 2024 was misleading as it included 27.7 lakh households with private or own-source tap connections that were yet to be covered under the mission. Excluding these, the actual achievement under the JJM stood at 101.3 lakh connections, or only 69% by December 2024, the audit said.The Jal Jeevan Mission is the Centre’s flagship programme launched in August 2019 to provide functional household tap connections (FHTC) to every rural household. The funds for the programme are shared between the Centre and state in a 50:50 ratio.The audit was conducted between July and October 2024 and covered the period 2019-20 to 2023-24. The CAG report for 2024 was tabled in the state legislature on Friday.The report also pointed to the delay in the release of funds, pointing out that the state’s schemes received only 46.3% of the funds they were entitled to in the 5-year period. “Maharashtra was admissible for Rs 59,740.9 crore but the total releases from the Centre and state were Rs 27,657.5 crore,” the report pointed out.The delays in the implementation of the project caused a cost-escalation, the CAG report said. The initial estimated expenditure in 2020 was Rs 13,668.5 crore. However, a sum of Rs 26,410.5 crore was incurred by March 2024 without achieving the target of providing FHTC to every household, it said.The audit was deeply critical of the poor planning in the programme. “The cost of implementation increased due to inadequate initial planning, deficient surveys, delays in execution and frequent revision of schemes,” it said. It said that schemes were planned without assured water sources, there was no baseline survey, the village action plan was deficient and the district action plan was not prepared for the whole scheme period.For instance, the audit found that 13 water supply schemes were sanctioned for augmenting the water supply but the water source was not ensured which delayed the completion of the schemes. Two water supply schemes were sanctioned without the provision of a water treatment plant, resulting in the supply of non-potable water.

Residents said modifications were made to the structure over the years

Thane: A 12-year-old boy was crushed to death, while his mother and his nine-year-old brother sustained head injuries after a portion of their nearly 30-year-old one-storey tenement collapsed on them in a chawl in Thane’s Azad Nagar on Friday.The mother, Urmila Jaiswar (35), and her younger son, Vinit, were rushed to hospital and were reported to be stable.The boys—Jaykumar and Vinit—had returned home from school and were resting after lunch while Urmila was on her phone when they heard a creak. Within seconds, the ceiling collapsed, trapping the trio beneath the debris. Their father was away at work at a sweet shop.Local Shiv Sena corporator Meenakshi Shinde, who was among the first to reach the spot, said a section of the tenement’s extended cantilever balcony crashed onto the rented room occupied by the Jaiswar family. A few residents alleged that structural modifications had been carried out to the building a few years ago and some repairs were undertaken recently. The structure may not have been able to withstand the extensions and must have weakened during the rains, said residents. Civic officials said the exact cause of the collapse is under investigation.Urmila and Vinit, recovering in hospital, remained unaware of Jaykumar’s death and repeatedly asked neighbours about his condition. “We haven’t told them yet,” a neighbour said.Mayor Sharmila Pimpalolkar, who visited the site and the family, directed civic officials to immediately evacuate adjoining structures as a precautionary measure and ensure that the medical expenses of the injured are borne by the civic body.The death came two days after deputy CM Eknath Shinde declared “zero tolerance” towards rain-related mishaps in Thane and directed civic authorities to take immediate corrective measures wherever required. With the Friday tragedy, the toll from rain-related incidents in Thane rose to three in the last 10 days. A teenage girl from Mumbra was electrocuted during heavy rain last week, while a 64-year-old plumber died on Thursday after a tree fell on him.

Mumbai: Two MBA students arrested in connection with the suspected drug overdose case at a music concert in Goregaon in April, which left two of their batchmates dead, told fellow students over a WhatsApp group that “pills” would be available at the concert, the chargesheet has revealed. A 3,500-page-long chargesheet was filed before a magistrate court at Borivali on Thursday, even as police arrested one more person in the matter.Nitesh Khemlani became the 14th individual to be arrested in the case. He is related to the prime accused, Mahesh Khemlani, who has been accused of supplying the drugs, along with another key accused, Ayush Sahitya.The chargesheet has been filed against 12 of the 14 accused persons. Those named in the chargesheet include Mahesh, Sahitya, three others accused of delivering drugs — Anand Patel, Shubh Agarwal and Vineet Gerelani — besides two MBA students, the event organiser, a security guard at the venue, two employees of the venue management company and Khemlani’s partner, Jiya Jacob.The police have stated in the chargesheet that the drugs were sent from Germany via courier by Khemlani’s friend. Police also said that despite being alerted by bouncers at the venue that drugs were being supplied and consumed, the organisers took no action. Police have alleged that the organisers and the drug suppliers connived to facilitate the supply of narcotic substances for financial gain.Investigators have banked on monetary transactions and WhatsApp chat conversations to establish a link between different accused persons.The chargesheet contains statements of 110 witnesses, including other MBA students who attended the event.Nitesh and Deepak Hemwani, who was held on June 29, have not been named in the chargesheet. Hemwani is accused of receiving the drug parcel at his residence.Advocates Surendra Landge and Azad Gupta, who earlier represented Patel, said they are yet to receive a copy of the chargesheet.The incident dates back to April 11, when three MBA students — part of a larger group of students from the same college — popped Ecstasy pills while attending a techno music concert at an exhibition ground in Goregaon East. They fell ill and two of them — a 28-year-old male and a 24-year-old female — died the next day. The third student — a 25-year-old female — survived.In her statement, the survivor said that she and her friends reached the music concert at 9.30 pm. She popped a yellow-coloured pill with water that one of her classmates, Raunak, gave her. Around midnight, her 24-year-old friend, who later died, popped a similar pill. “We were dancing together and my friend seemed OK. I had taken the same pill during another event in Oct last year,” she said, adding that she did not remember what happened thereafter at the music concert and woke up directly in hospital.