Stargazer: Kritika Kamra, Pratik Gandhi and Imaad Shah

 Winning Streak

Kritika Kamra is having a good run. A few months earlier, she played Bani, the lead role in the film, The Great Shamsuddin Family. She now stars as Gulrukh, a rich Parsi woman in the Prime Video series, Matka King. The Delhi-born Kamra who began in television, is developing a body of work she can be proud of, which aligns with her values, and with con­versations she hopes the work will spark. It’s tough, given that good parts in cinema are few and far between but she sees hope in indie cinema and in streaming where women’s roles are better written and more clearly visu­alised. As of now, Kamra, who just married TV host and former Delhiite Gaurav Kapoor, is shooting non-stop for her yet-to-named next movie.

 Comic Timing

The recently released Netflix film, Toaster, starring Rajkummar Rao as a miser, is sprinkled with cameos. Among the many appearances, Pratik Gandhi may have clinched the best role—a man appears at the hero’s shop and turns out to be an even bigger miser. The actor’s lighter performances in movies like Do Aur Do Pyaar (2024) and Dhoom Dhaam (2025) show his potential for a full-fledged comedy.

 Reel Turn

Actor and musician Imaad Shah is now making movies. His first short film, Tuesday’s Women, recently premiered in the International Competition at the Buenos Aires Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente (BAFICI). Adapted from Haruki Murakami’s short fiction, it stars Neil Bhoopalam as a man at the centre of a very strange day. Also featuring Saba Azad, Shah’s former partner and his fellow performer in the band Madboy/Mink.