Stargazer: Sonam Bajwa, Lakshmipriya Devi and Kani Kusruti

 Sonam Bajwa, who spent her early career in Punjabi films, is mak­ing it big in Mumbai. She has a string of hits in the last two years, from Housefull 5 and Ek Deewane ki Deewaniyat to Border 2 where she plays Diljit Dosanjh’s wife. All in all, Bajwa is having a good run.

 BAFTA Bound

In Lakshmipriya Devi’s Boong (2024) a schoolboy makes a perilous journey in strike-torn Manipur to find his missing father. Now the BAFTA Awards 2026 has listed it as a nomi­nee in the Best Children’s and Family Film category. Boong is the only Indian entry this year. Devi has come a long way since her days as a first assis­tant director in films like Farhan Akhtar’s Lakshya in 2004) and Raju Hirani’s PK in 2014.

 Casting Coup

Kani Kusruti is making waves in the upcoming movie ‘Assi’, where she plays a rape survivor who braves family pressure and social scorn to come out and speak up against her accusers. The film looks like a hard-hitting drama from Anubhav Sinha. It also features Taapsee Pannu as a lawyer and the venerable Revathy as a judge.