A renowned filmmaker in the Malayalam film industry, Ranjith Balakrishnan, has been taken into custody over allegations of attempting to sexually harass an actress. According to police reports, the actress lodged a complaint against Balakrishnan, stating that he attempted to harass her into a vehicle during the shooting of a film.
Following the actress’s complaint, police registered a case against Balakrishnan under several sections, including disrespecting a woman, sexual harassment, unlawful confinement, and indecent behavior. After being taken into custody the previous day, Balakrishnan was presented before a magistrate, who sent him to 14 days of judicial remand.
This is not the first time Balakrishnan has faced such allegations. In 2024, a Bengali actress accused him of harassment, leading him to resign as the chairperson of the Kerala Chalachitra Academy. Balakrishnan’s lawyer stated that he would soon file a bail petition in court. During the hearing, the court raised questions about the inconsistencies in his statements, pointing out the difference between his earlier promises and current testimony.
Meanwhile, in unrelated news, Fiza Ali, a Pakistani television host and actress, has once again become the talk of the town. Fiza, who has over 300 million subscribers on YouTube, has been making headlines since her third marriage. Nida Yasir recently hosted a special program on plants and gardening, and Pakistani digital content creator and actress Saba Qamar revealed that her ex-husband, Samiul Raza, physically assaulted her when she was 8 months pregnant. Another popular Pakistani actress, Sadia Imam, has announced that she will release a new song soon, which was composed by renowned music director Jean-Jacques Goldman. Expectant singer Selena Gomez is also set to perform her new song in Paris.
Renowned Urdu songwriter Masroor Anwar has been away from the country for 30 years, having penned several hit songs for Urdu films and written patriotic lyrics. Actress Anita Advani has appealed to the court for legal recognition of her marriage to Rajesh Khanna. Bollywood superstar Salman Khan’s security arrangements have come under scrutiny. Pakistani television actor Ayesha Khan is currently playing the role of Lala in the popular drama series Humsafar, which is being aired on Geo TV.
The US and Israel launched a drone attack on the home of Iranian scientist Dr. Kamal Hosseni in Tehran, killing his wife and injuring him severely. Dr. Hosseni was later admitted to a hospital in a coma. Iranian President Amir Hatami has warned that any land-based attack on Iran will be met with a decisive response.
Pakistani cricketer Fawad Alam has appealed to the Technical Committee of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) against his two-match ban and the allegations of ball-tampering, which was rejected. According to a UK newspaper report, a new pipeline will be built across the Strait of Hormuz, bypassing a critical chokepoint under Iranian control.
