Producer-actor-director Sachin Pilgaonkar, who essayed the role of Rahim chacha's son in the iconic film ‘Sholay’, has spoken up about an important sequence in the film, which director Ramesh Sippy left out in the lock edit.

Sachin spoke recently, as he celebrated 50 years of ‘Sholay’, and said that although director Ramesh Sippy had edited out the part, there were multiple reasons that led to the decision.

Ben Shelton continued his red-hot streak at the Cincinnati Open, where he ousted Czech Jiri Lehecka 6-4, 6-4 to reach the quarterfinals.

The 22-year-old became the first American man to reach the last eight in Canada and Cincinnati in the same season since Mardy Fish in 2012.

In a warm conditions in Cincy, Shelton’s booming serve raced through the court. The lefty dropped just six points behind his first delivery, including a 141 mph ace when serving out the match. He crucially broke Lehecka’s serve at 4-4 in each set and the fifth seed advanced after one hour, 21 minutes, ATP reports.

The Indian benchmark indices closed higher this week and gained 1 per cent despite geo-political uncertainties, ending a six-week losing streak.

Investors are now focused on the US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin’s meeting in Alaska, in hopes that it may result in a Russia-Ukraine ceasefire and the lifting of the additional 25 per cent tariff on India.

The Nifty IT index led gains during the week, with Nifty Metal and Nifty FMCG closing lower. Broader markets underperformed, with the Nifty Midcap and Nifty Smallcap indices ending in the red.

As the June quarter (Q1 FY26) earnings are out, the revenue moderation took average net profit expansion YoY for the benchmark Nifty 50 companies (excluding financials and oil and gas) to mid-single digits.

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan shared that it is difficult for him to face the emotional pain of contestants who lose in his quiz-based show “Kaun Banega Crorepati.”

“We sit on the hot seat and meet and confront the contestants that have ambitious hopes of winning during the week of their stay on the floor .. and when they cannot make it , it's the hardest to control the frustration of defeat and lost opportunity for them, yes. (sic.)”

“But for me as well .. it is emotionally shattering to (see) their tears swell up as they find the week over, the Hooter played and the need to come and play , for whatever personal reasons, goes missing (sic.)”

He feels that while he tries to console them, the loss of a life-changing opportunity is heartbreaking.

World No. 1 Jannik Sinner earned a a dominant 6-0, 6-2 victory over Felix Auger-Aliassime to reach the semifinals at the Cincinnati Open.

Auger-Aliassime struggled to hang with Sinner in the opening set, committing 13 unforced errors. The 23rd seed did lead 2-0 at the start of the second but quickly faded. He struck eight double faults and could not find his rhythm from the baseline, with the 23-year-old too consistent to storm to victory, ATP reports.

With his triumph, Sinner extended his winning streak on hard courts to 25 matches. The Italian is just the fifth man this century to record 25 consecutive victories on the surface alongside Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal Andy Murray.

On the occasion of 79th Independence Day on Friday, the makers of Sunny Deol, Diljit Dosanjh, Varun Dhawan and Ahan Shetty-starrer “Border 2” unveiled its maiden poster and announced that the film will release on January 22 next year.

The makers shared the poster, which features Sunny dressed in military gear and gripping a bazooka with fierce intensity, Sunny stands tall as the embodiment of patriotism and raw emotion.

The poster was captioned: “Hindustan ke liye ladenge....phir ek baar! #Border2 hits theatres on Jan 22, 2026 #HappyIndependenceDay!.”

Director Anurag Singh shared: “Announcing the date on Independence Day is symbolic. This day reminds us of the sacrifices made by our soldiers for India’s freedom and so does our film. It’s an honour and a privilege to honour their undying spirit through this story.”

New Zealand men's cricket team selector Sam Wells will step down from his role to concentrate on his work commitments, NZC said on Friday.

NZC said that Wells, who is a dispute resolution specialist, was made partner of Dunedin law firm Gallaway Cook Allan late last year, a responsibility that has prompted him to step down from the selection position he’s filled since September 2023.

Wells oversaw a successful period of transition for the BlackCaps, as players such as Rachin Ravindra, Muhammad Abbas, Will O’Rourke, Nathan Smith, Ben Sears, Mitch Hay, and Zak Foulkes, found their feet at international level.

During his tenure Wells saw New Zealand made the final of the 2024 ICC Champions Trophy and scored a historic three-nil Test series win in India – the first time the New Zealand men’s team had won a series in India.

Major battery makers reported a continued decrease in factory utilisation rates in the first half due to waning global demand for electric vehicles (EVs), data showed on Friday.

In its semiannual report, industry leader LG Energy Solution Ltd. (LGES) said its production capacity stood at 20.1 trillion won (US$14.5 billion) in the first six months of this year, with an average plant capacity utilisation rate of 51.3 percent.

The figure has steadily declined from 73.6 percent in 2022 to 69.3 percent in 2023 and 57.8 percent last year, reports news agency.