In April 2014, reports suggested that filmmaker Shekhar Kapur was finally ready to begin work on his long-delayed futuristic film ‘Paani’, a project that had remained stuck in development for more than a decade. At the time, Sushant Singh Rajput had replaced Hrithik Roshan as the male lead, raising hopes that the ambitious film, set in a dystopian 2050 where the world is grappling with an extreme water crisis, would soon enter production. However, nearly 12 years later, and more than five years after Sushant’s death, the film is still yet to be made.Kapur recently opened up on the project and shed light on why Yash Raj Films ultimately stepped away from the film. In a conversation, he revealed that the production was halted before it could even begin.

“I couldn’t even start Paani’s production (unlike some other films of Kapur that were shelved midway). By the time YRF decided that they wouldn’t cast Sushant, I had already been rehearsing with him for six months. After hearing their decision, I went back to the West. I had only come to India to do Paani. However, I haven’t abandoned the project,” he said in an interview with The Lallantop. Kapur also recalled a conversation with Aditya Chopra, the head of YRF, explaining how their creative arrangement eventually led to the film being dropped by the studio.“The agreement Aditya Chopra (YRF’s head) and I had was that he would wield the business control while I would have the creative control over the movie. Then one day, he called me for breakfast and said, ‘Shekhar, what I have seen at YRF is that, if I don’t stand behind the director all the time, things don’t run well and the film doesn’t turn out well. Hence, it has become my habit. But I can’t stand behind you like that.’ He was right, because our agreement was that we were making my film. ‘I probably won’t be able to do that,’ he said. That’s how we decided that YRF wouldn’t go ahead with the project.”Kapur explained that the decision wasn’t the result of any conflict, but rather a natural difference in creative approaches between two established filmmakers.“It’s a simple matter. Since we couldn’t stay together creatively, it was decided that YRF would not make it. That’s how Paani hit a roadblock. But I haven’t abandoned it totally,” he said.Reflecting on Sushant, who passed away in 2020 at his home in Mumbai, Kapur shared that he was in Bhimtal, Uttarakhand when he heard the tragic news. The director described the late actor as deeply dedicated to his craft, though he admitted he did not know him well on a personal level.“He was very obsessive about the role. I didn’t notice anything different in him. He was an obsessive actor. As a director, that’s what I needed. I didn’t notice anything else abnormal about him. That may also be because I didn’t know him personally,” he said.

Just days after celebrating India’s historic T20 World Cup 2026 triumph, star spinner Kuldeep Yadav is preparing to begin a new chapter in his personal life. The 31-year-old left-arm wrist spinner will marry his childhood friend Vanshika Chadha this month in Uttarakhand.

For Kuldeep, the timing of the wedding could hardly be more special. Fresh from helping India defend their T20 World Cup title, the cricketer now steps into what many describe as the most important “second innings” of his life.

Kuldeep Yadav and Vanshika Chadha’s wedding plans

Kuldeep and Vanshika, both originally from Kanpur, have known each other since childhood. Their relationship took a formal step forward when the couple got engaged on June 4, 2025, during a private ceremony at a hotel in Lucknow. The engagement was attended by close friends and family, including Rinku Singh and his fiancee Priya Saroj.

Initially, the wedding had been scheduled for November 2025, but the plans had to be postponed due to Kuldeep’s busy international schedule and India’s preparations for the T20 World Cup. With the tournament now successfully concluded, the couple has finally set a new date.

The celebrations will unfold over several days, beginning with traditional pre-wedding ceremonies in Mussoorie before concluding with a grand reception in Lucknow.

The Mussoorie wedding is expected to be an intimate affair attended by close family members and relatives. The scenic hill station, known for its peaceful atmosphere and breathtaking views, will provide a beautiful backdrop for the couple’s special day.

The reception in Lucknow, however, is expected to be a much larger celebration. Sources suggest that several BCCI officials, current and former Indian cricketers, Bollywood personalities and prominent political figures could be present for the event.

Kuldeep’s father, Ram Singh Yadav, has already begun extending invitations. On March 8, he personally visited the state secretariat in Lucknow to invite Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, reflecting the family’s deep connection to the region.

Kuldeep Yadav’s journey: From small-town dreams to World Cup glory

Kuldeep’s journey to the top of international cricket has been nothing short of inspiring. Born in a village in Uttar Pradesh’s Unnao district, he grew up in modest surroundings. His father ran a brick kiln but always supported his son’s ambitions of becoming a cricketer.

Interestingly, Kuldeep was not initially drawn to cricket. However, once he began training seriously under coach Kapil Dev Pandey, his talent as a left-arm wrist spinner quickly stood out.

Over the years, Kuldeep has developed into one of India’s most reliable bowlers across formats. So far in his international career, he has played 191 matches for India, taking 365 wickets with an impressive average of 22.50 and an economy rate of 4.84. His ability to deliver match-winning spells has made him a crucial part of the national team.

Also READ: Explained – Virat Kohli’s absence from the T20 World Cup 2026 Final while MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma were in attendance

Kuldeep was also part of India’s successful campaign in the T20 World Cup 2026, which concluded on March 8 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. India defeated New Zealand in the final to become the first team to successfully defend the title and the first host nation to win the tournament.

During the competition, Kuldeep contributed with disciplined bowling performances, including a notable spell of 1/14 in three overs during the high-pressure group-stage match against Pakistan.

Reflecting on the victory, Kuldeep also expressed happiness for teammate Sanju Samson, who played a key role in India’s success.

“I have shared my cricketing journey with him since the Under-12s, and I am very happy to see him get the rewards of his hard work over the years,” he told NDTV.

Beyond cricketing achievements, what makes Kuldeep and Vanshika’s story particularly touching is its simplicity. In an era where the personal lives of sportspersons often dominate headlines, their relationship represents a genuine, grounded bond – two people from the same city who grew up just a few kilometres apart and eventually found their way to each other.

Also WATCH: Ishan Kishan reacts after Kirti Azad questions Indian team’s temple visit following T20 World Cup 2026 triumph

NEW DELHI: Air India and Air India Express will operate a total of 58 scheduled and non-scheduled flights to and from West Asia on Wednesday, as the ministry of civil aviation said it was closely monitoring the situation in West Asia and its impact on flights between India and the region.Amid the escalating conflict in the region involving the US, Israel and Iran, airlines are operating services in a calibrated manner as there are airspace restrictions and closures.

Air India said it will operate eight flights between Delhi and Mumbai to Jeddah, and 14 flights to and from Muscat on Air India Express. Additional non-scheduled flights to the UAE will operate depending on slot availability and regulatory permissions, the airline said.Passengers have been advised to stay in touch with their respective airlines for the latest updates regarding flight schedules and travel arrangements.Indigo will also begin its Mumbai–Riyadh–Mumbai services on Thursday. SpiceJet has secured approvals for alternate airports, while Akasa Air has been advised to start its Mumbai–Riyadh–Mumbai flights according to operational conditions.The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has coordinated additional arrival and departure slots and approved Muscat International Airport as an alternate route for flights to and from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah, Al Ain, Fujairah, Jeddah, and Medina.Air India and Air India Express also said they will start levying a fuel surcharge of Rs 399 on each domestic flight ticket from March 12, as airlines face rising operating costs following a sharp increase in aviation turbine fuel (ATF) prices amid tensions in Middle East.The airline group said the surcharge will be implemented in phases across domestic and international routes due to the steep rise in jet fuel prices linked to the geopolitical situation in the Gulf region.Ministry of civil aviation has meanwhile assured that ticket prices were being monitored to prevent any undue surge during this period of regional tensions.Following military strikes and retaliatory actions between Iran and its adversaries, several countries temporarily closed or restricted their airspace. This forced airlines worldwide to cancel flights, reroute aircraft, or suspend services. Some planes were diverted mid‑flight, while others were held on the ground before departure. The disruptions led to thousands of flight cancellations and delays, leaving travellers stranded at major airports worldwide.

File Pic: Image from the historic India vs Australia Test in 2001 at Eden Gardens.

This week, twenty-five years ago, few were giving Indian cricket any hope. Bruised, sullied from the match-fixing scandal barely a year before and fighting to save face, here was a rudderless team hosting Steve Waugh’s ‘Invincibles’. What unfolded would change Indian cricket forever. TOI revisits a watershed moment…Eyes twinkling, she was bounding down the stairs when she suddenly stopped. The Eden Gardens ground floor lobby was swarming with journalists, officials and hangerson as the Indian cricket captain, just a year into the job, walked out of the dressing-room, opened the glass door and waded into the delirious pool. Sourav Ganguly, yet to change out of his whites, looked up, gave Mrs Ganguly a beaming smile and said, rather loudly, “After the press conference…”Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!But his liquid gaze conveyed a deepseated yet effusive joy that can never be lost in translation — even after 25 long summers. “Yes, we did it, love,” he simply conveyed.Memories bring diamonds and rust and that 30-second vignette and what preceded at the Eden Gardens remains the shining light in Indian cricket after the dust settled down long after Steve Waugh’s “Invincibles” returned from the final frontier.It was the summer of 2001. Indian cricket was gasping for fresh air to clear away the stench of the match-fixing scandal that refused to leave the white flannel. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had censured former captain Mohammed Azharuddin with a lifetime ban and Ajay Jadeja with a five-year banishment. Sachin Tendulkar spurned captaincy leaving a dangerous void that needed immediate attention. Under such undesirable circumstances, Ganguly was given the charge of a rudderless ship, a decision that would go on to pay a multi-fold dividend.

The team hit the ground running with a 3-2 One-day win over South Africa, and in came Steve Waugh’s Australia for a three-Test series on the back of 15 consecutive Test victories. Comparisons with Donald Bradman’s Invincibles of 1948 were part of the dinner table conversations and the Australians were on the Waugh-path in Mumbai. Finishing off the first Test match within three days, the Australians lived up to their reputation that preceded them taking their tally to 16.Kolkata, just renamed two months before, was their next stop. Captain Waugh scored a century – his lone one in India — and his bowlers including the irrepressible Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne bared open India’s usual failings, reducing them to a hard, long chase in the match.A small blip or a bump on the road shook the Australians in the first innings. A sprightly young off-spinner, who grew up to become Bhajji, trapped Ricky Ponting and Adam Gilchrist in front off two successive balls and then scalped Shane Warne with the third to become the first ever Indian to notch up a Test cricket hat-trick. Harbhjahan Singh’s youthful impudence (7/123) was rather unscripted allowing the packed audience to dance in the prospect of a fight.The visitors failed to read the writing on the wall. So did the scribes in the press box who were mostly convinced of an Australian victory.Ganguly’s team wasn’t up for a hiding without hitting back.

Waugh enforced a follow-on after India succumbed in the first innings and he rued his decision long after the last ball was bowled by none other than Harbhajan as the shadows lengthened on the Eden pitch three days on. Scoring a fighting half century amid the crumbling edifice of the Indian batting in the first innings, VVS Laxman earned a promotion to bat at No 3 when Waugh forced the follow-on.Through Day Four Laxman and Rahul Dravid batted and chiselled a sporting sculpture that can draw parallels with Michelangelo’s David if you are an art buff. If political history is your calling, you can think of Stalingrad.The match turned on its head. The magnitude of the fall may be grasped by the fact that it was the Australian wicket-keeper, Adam Gilchrist’s first taste of defeat in Test cricket since his debut in Nov ’99, 15 Tests prior.The match turned, so did the fortunes of Indian cricket led by the redoubtable Ganguly who had left the visiting captain waiting pitchside before the toss, just to make a point. Taking the fight to the opposition, psychologically and tactically, was his brainchild, unheard of in Indian cricket annals.Asked about the fallout of the reversal, the Australian captain said, “The sun will rise tomorrow.” It really shone on Ganguly’s India.The third Test in Chennai was another streetfight and young Harbhajan ended up with 32 wickets helping India wrap up a Test series against the high and mighty. Though the impact of the series win wasn’t felt immediately.The Eden Test was the inflection point where Ganguly’s team turned the corner. From the unflushed, odorous path to the tree-lined avenue of sporting greatness.Twenty-five years on, the Eden Test match remains a dangling conversation without the superficial sighs.

Residents in Tehran have described one of the most intense nights of bombing since the start of the war between Iran, the United States and Israel, recalling how explosions shook buildings and lit up the night sky as waves of strikes hit the capital.The conflict, which began with US–Israeli attacks on Iranian targets on February 28, has entered its second week with both sides escalating military operations across the region. In Tehran, civilians said the bombardment overnight into Tuesday was among the heaviest they had experienced since the fighting began.Israel-US-Iran war – follow live updatesSima, a 38-year-old resident of western Tehran, described the moment the strikes began. Speaking anonymously to Al Jazeera, she said the noise of aircraft and explosions lasted for long stretches.“It felt like tens of fighter jets were flying right above our heads for 15 minutes straight at first, then a few minutes of pause before the next rounds of strikes came in,” she said.“The ground and the windows and our hearts were shaking, but we took shelter in our bathroom and got through it.”According to reports, multiple Iranian cities were hit during the same wave of attacks, including Isfahan and Karaj. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth had earlier warned that Tuesday would be “our most intense day of strikes inside Iran”.Several residents said the bombardment briefly turned night into day. Bright flashes from the aerial attacks illuminated large parts of the city, prompting some people to rush to rooftops or balconies to record the strikes despite the danger.Others focused on finding somewhere safe in a city that lacks formal air raid shelters.Alireza, a 25-year-old living in central Tehran, said he kept the front door of his apartment unlocked throughout the night in case he needed to run quickly to the building’s underground parking area.“I’m going crazy with how many times I’ve had to communicate with friends and family in Tehran and other cities through endless phone calls and text messages to see where and what was hit,” he said.“There’s hardly any information in this internet shutdown.”Tehran residents say the absence of early warning systems has made the situation more frightening. Iran’s capital, like much of the country, does not have extensive civilian shelters or siren systems comparable to those in Israel. Many residents instead rely on basements, parking garages or interior rooms of their homes.The strikes in Tehran came as the war expanded across the wider Middle East. Iranian forces launched what state broadcaster IRIB described as the “most intense and heaviest” missile barrage of the conflict, targeting Israeli cities including Tel Aviv and Haifa.Iranian missiles and drones were also reported heading towards American and allied facilities across the Gulf. Air defences were activated in several countries, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which said it intercepted multiple incoming threats.Meanwhile, the US military reported destroying 16 Iranian mine-laying boats near the Strait of Hormuz after warnings that Tehran could attempt to block the critical oil shipping route.

Oil prices fell to around $88 per barrel after a report said that the International Energy Agency (IEA) is considering a record release of emergency oil reserves to stabilise global markets amid the escalating conflict in the Middle East, according to Bloomberg.According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, the proposed release could exceed 182 million barrels of oil. This was the amount that IEA member countries released in February 2022 after Russia launched its full-scale war on Ukraine. The proposal was discussed during an emergency meeting of energy officials from the organisation’s 32 member countries on Tuesday. Officials familiar with the matter stated that the countries are expected to decide on the proposal on Wednesday.The report resulted in triggering volatility in global oil markets. Brent crude slipped after earlier rising by as much as 3.7%, while US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) fell near $84 per barrel. Prices have been moving sharply this week as traders respond to developments related to the ongoing conflict and possible disruptions to global supply.

Oil prices surged above $100 amid Middle East conflict

Oil prices had surged earlier this week, briefly crossing $100 per barrel for the first time in more than three and a half years. The spike came after the disruptions caused by the near-total closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The narrow waterway lies between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, connecting the region’s oil exports to global markets. Brent crude rose above $101 per barrel soon after markets opened, while WTI crude climbed to around $107 per barrel.A major concern for markets is the Strait of Hormuz. It is a critical shipping route for the global oil trade. Around one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passes through the Strait every day. Due to the escalating Middle East conflict involving threats of missile and drone attacks, the tanker traffic has been disrupted on the waterway.US President Donald Trump had called it a “very small price to pay for world peace”.In a post on Truth Social he wrote, “Short term oil prices, which will drop rapidly when the destruction of the Iran nuclear threat is over, is a very small price to pay for USA, and World, Safety and Peace. ONLY FOOLS WOULD THINK DIFFERENTLY!”Major oil producers in the Gulf region, including Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates have also cut production as export shipments slowed. Strikes on energy infrastructure in the region have further increased concerns about tightening global supply.

IEA reserve release aims to stabilise markets

The proposed IEA reserve release is aimed at easing supply concerns and stabilising markets during the ongoing crisis. Officials said that the plan would be adopted if none of the member countries objected, although even if a single nation protests then the proposal could be delayed.IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said that member countries collectively hold about 1.2 billion barrels of public oil stocks, along with another 600 million barrels in mandatory commercial reserves. According to him, these combined reserves could cover roughly 124 days of lost supply from the Gulf region.Analysts said that such a release could temporarily increase supply and help reduce panic in the market. However, they also warn that the move signals the seriousness of the disruption caused by the ongoing conflict.