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BEYOND BOLLYWOOD
THE ALTBOLLYWOOD ZINE — OCTOBER 2026 EDITION
This month's cover star is
PAPPTASTICALLY
The Most PAPPTASTIC Celebrity of the month, picked not by publicists, but by real, raw organic data from AltBollywood's Instagram.
PUMPED.
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Pop Culture Prachaaran
Ramayana Wants to Be India's Marvel. Here's What It Will Take to Pull That Off
Games, merch, spin-offs, theme parks, a Broadway musical. Namit Malhotra's Ramayana plan is huge. India is a hard market for it. Here's the playbook.
Vishal waghela
19 hours ago4 min read
Ramayana's Wedding Song Is Soulful, and Ranbir and Sai Pallavi Finally Feel Like Ram and Sita
AR Rahman, Arijit Singh, Shreya Ghoshal, and the first time the film's Ram and Sita feel divine instead of cast. Ten days to go.
Vishal waghela
23 hours ago3 min read
Nicki Minaj Is Now on Trump's Tour, and the 'Press Secretary' Joke Is Somehow the Least Weird Part
She once said she wasn't getting on the Trump bandwagon. Now she's on Air Force One, and his team is joking about giving her a job.
Vishal waghela
23 hours ago3 min read
Why Satish Kaushik Was a Legend: The Roles, the Films and the Friend Bollywood Still Misses
Calendar. Pappu Pager. Muthu Swamy. Tere Naam. Satish Kaushik made the side character the best part of the film, and then went and directed hits.
Vishal waghela
23 hours ago4 min read
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B-TOWN BAWAAL
Merlin D'Souza at Jodhpur RIFF 2026: Mumbai's Piano Queen Plays for Mick Jagger
Merlin D'Souza played a curated set at Jodhpur RIFF 2026 with Sir Mick Jagger in the audience. Here's why Mumbai has known for decades that she belongs on that stage.
Kenneth Hopkins
18 hours ago4 min read
Aditi Rao Hydari Plays 'Helen' in Parivarik ManuRanjan, a Nod to the Golden-Era Icon
Aditi Rao Hydari's character in Parivarik ManuRanjan is named Helen, a playful hat-tip to the legendary star of Hindi cinema's golden era.
Kenneth Hopkins
20 hours ago2 min read
Anupam Kher to Star in Swedish-Belgian Film 'Out of Fashion', Directed by Jens Jonsson
Anupam Kher joins Sunil Munshi in Jens Jonsson's Out of Fashion, a story of a Paris fashion designer, his father's final wish and a journey to the Himalayas.
Vishal waghela
20 hours ago3 min read
Halloween 2026 in Mumbai: Every Party, Haunted Ride and Kids' Event Worth Your Weekend
From a haunted heritage bungalow in Bandra to a midnight cycle ride past South Mumbai's 'haunted' buildings, here's how Mumbai is doing Halloween this year.
Vishal waghela
23 hours ago3 min read
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Culture Curry
Kidulting Is Reshaping the $46 Billion Toy Industry, and Honestly, I Get It
Adult-only households bought 55% of US toys in the first half of 2026. Blind boxes, Lego, trading cards. Here's why grown-ups are playing again.
Vishal waghela
19 hours ago4 min read
Godrej Literature Live 2026: AI Anxiety, Literary Elitism, and the Courage to Think Differently
An afternoon among Mumbai's literati offered stimulating conversations, an unexpectedly delightful encounter with an Irish author, and some uncomfortable questions about artificial intelligence, inherited privilege, and the cultural establishment's commitment to inclusivity. There is something reassuring about seeing Mumbai turn out for literature. On Sunday, October 25th, I attended the final day of Godrej Literature Live, The Mumbai LitFest 2026, held at the National Centre
Kenneth Hopkins
22 hours ago5 min read
Karishma Kaa Karishma Cast Then and Now: India's Robot Girl Is All Grown Up
Before Marvel put Small Wonder back on our screens, India had its own robot girl. Here's what happened to the cast of Karishma Kaa Karishma.
Kenneth Hopkins
22 hours ago5 min read
YouTube Is the New TV: How India Stopped Scrolling and Started Sitting Down Again
India's biggest screen is quietly becoming YouTube's. Here's what the numbers say about the living room, the creators filling it, and why brands should care about trust.
Vishal waghela
22 hours ago6 min read
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