Anil Kapoor, Boney Kapoor and Sanjay Kapoor‘s mother Nirmal Kapoor who was 90 years of age has passed away on May 2. She was reportedly admitted to Kokilaben Dhirubai Ambani Hospital and has passed away due to age related issues.
According to a report by Film Information, she breathed her last at around 5:45 pm at the hospital. As of now, none of the members of the Kapoor family have yet confirmed this news.
As she passed away, paparazzo Viral Bhayani shared visuals from the Kapoor residence. One could see Boney Kapoor with daughter Anshula Kapoor gathered there. Janhvi Kapoor was also seen arriving with boyfriend Shikhar Pahariya.
Nirmal Kapoor celebrated her 90th birthday in September 2024. Anil Kapoor had shared pictures with his mother and wished her on Instagram with the caption, “90 years of love, strength, and endless sacrifices. Your presence fills our lives with joy and positivity every day. Blessed to be your child. Happy birthday, Mummy!”
Nirmal Kapoor was married to Surinder Kapoor who was a well-known film producer. They have four children – Anil Kapoor, Reena Kapoor, Boney Kapoor, Sanjay Kapoor.
Nirmal’s grandchildren include, Sonam Kapoor, Rhea Kapoor, Harshvardhan Kapoor, Janhvi, Khushi and Anshula, Arjun Kapoor, Shanaya Kapoor, Jahaan Kapoor. Meanhile, Nirmal’s daughter Reena Kapoor has a son, Mohit Marwah.
A while ago, when Anil Kapoor had appeared on a reality show during the promotions of his film ‘Jug Jugg Jeeyo’ with Kiara Advani, Varun Dhawan and Neetu Kapoor, he had gotten emotional remembering his mother. He had seen a contestant named Mani and his mother and looking at them, he was reminded of the time his mother would stitch clothes for him.
He had gotten emotional and said, “Mani ko dekh kar, unki mata ji ko dekh kar, mujhe mera bachpan yaad aagaya. Wo machine yaad aagayi. Sewing machine thi, haath se bhi chalti thi, paanv se bhi chalti thi. Jis tarah aap ye pant aur shirt banati hai, mere liye bhi meri mummy banati thi. Aaj main yaha baitha hoon. Aap bhi bohot bade banoge.”

Mumbai: Actor Nagarjuna during a session ‘Pan-Indian Cinema: Myth or Momentum?’ at the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) 2025, in Mumbai, Friday, May 2, 2025.
| Photo Credit: SHASHANK PARADE

Telugu superstar Nagarjuna Akkineni headlined a session on the rise and rise of Pan-India filmmaking at the World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit (WAVES) in BKC, Mumbai on Friday (May 2). He was joined in the panel by veteran Anupam Kher, Tamil actor Karthi and actor-politician Kushboo Sundar.

Anatomising the success of recent Pan-India juggernauts like Pushpa, Baahubali and KGF — all big-budget productions originating from the South — Nagarjuna argued that such films worked because audiences in India love larger-than-life heroes.

He pointed out that both the Pushpa films made more money in the North than in Telugu centres. “We have seen similar stories in Telugu before, like Pushpa, which has larger-than-life heroes. Whereas in the North — in Bihar, UP, and Punjab — they wanted to see their heroes like Pushpa Raj, Yash in KGF or Baahubali. For Indian people and culture, just living day to day is difficult, and when they want to overcome the stress by watching films, they want to see magic on screen,” Nagarjuna said.

Actors Nagarjuna, left, and Kushboo Sundar during a session ‘Pan-Indian Cinema: Myth or Momentum?’ at the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) 2025, in Mumbai, Friday, May 2, 2025.
| Photo Credit:
SHASHANK PARADE

The trailer for Allu Arjun-starrer Pushpa 2: The Rule was launched in Patna, Bihar, while Rocky bhai — the protagonist played by Yash in the megahit Kannada franchise KGF — became a pop-cultural phenomenon across the North. These films exude a rooted, rustic heroism that stands apart from Hollywood gloss, yet manage to transport viewers to a fantasy world.

“Allu Arjun was a star in the North for ten years before Pushpa happened. It wasn’t an overnight success,” Karthi said.

ALSO READ: Opinion: Pan-Indian cinema — A plague of tiring sequels, buzzkill cliffhangers, ineffective cameos and half-films 

Pan-Indian films are offering big-screen escapism without moving away from their native roots, observed Nagarjuna. “That’s what the larger-than-life stories are doing, without losing the fundamentals of Indian storytelling. They are not going away from that, which is why they have been successful. Rajamouli shot Baahubali, frame to frame, thinking it was a Telugu film. He was very proud of his roots and language, and he shot it like a Telugu film, and people loved it across the world! If you are rooted to your storytelling, it will resonate,” Nagarjuna said.

Anupam Kher held forth on the universality of compelling storytelling. “Ingrid Bergman, the famous Swedish actress, said it amazingly,” Kher commented. “She said that any film, any story, which is from the heart will touch the audience, not the craft. Craft never touches the audience but the truth.”

In this image released by PIB on May 2, 2025, Bollywood actor Anupam Kher speaks during a session ‘Pan-Indian Cinema: Myth or Momentum?’ at the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) 2025, in Mumbai.
| Photo Credit:
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Kher gave the example of James Cameron’s Titanic and how Hollywood attempted to turn it into a formula, but failed. “He (Cameron) made a love story set against a disaster. So American producers thought, let’s make another love story set against a bigger disaster. So they made Pearl Harbour. But that film became a disaster in itself.”

Nagarjuna stressed that mass filmmaking in India operates within its own logic. “You might say, ‘A guy raises his fist and 20 people fall, it looks abnormal!’ But if you like Marvel or DC films, Superman does the same thing, but they give the logic of them having ‘super powers’. But we don’t need those special powers! The common man, the ticket-paying audience, including me, wants to watch my heroes larger than life.”

A still from ‘Another Simple Favor’

I wish it were as easy as saying, “it is not worth your time,” and going on about my day. But I am told that a movie review warrants critical analysis and a subjective response. So let’s get into it, shall we?

Five years after downing dirty martinis together, spilling dirty secrets, pulling a Gone Girl, committing a cold-blooded murder, and serving time in jail, Emily Nelson (Blake Lively) comes face-to-face with Stephanie Smothers (Anna Kendrick). Once believed to be partners in crime, the duo meet at the latter’s book signing, where Emily asks (read: threatens) Stephanie to be the maid of honour at her wedding. 

Their lives in half a decade since the events that made up A Simple Favor have changed, mostly for the better. Stephanie is a famous social media influencer who is cashing in on the true-crime craze and consulting on real-life cases. Emily, while having skirted her jail time, has an Italian mob boss by her side proposing a wedding. 

From their first meeting to their journey to Capri, the characters, like the audience, seem unsure of the equation they now share, and this does not feel intentional. From the dialogue delivery to the body language of the actors, confusion is writ large, and this is a telling sign of what we are in for in the next hour and a half. 

Once they reach the shores of Capri, they are welcomed by Emily’s fiancé, Dante Versano (Michele Morrone), who boasts of a wealthy business empire, the kind of rich that does not warrant a digital presence.

Just when you think you have something to look for in Capri’s beautiful shorelines, scenic cliffs, and old-money castles, Emily’s suffocating wardrobe dispels your myths. In an attempt to make a fashion statement, the gigantic accessories embellished with gaudy charms, extra-large hats, and eccentric jumpsuits only serve as distractions. The slightly over-exposed glossy colour contrast keeps you from investing in the world of mob rivalry and scheming frenemies.

This sequel to A Simple Favor overestimates the audience’s capacity to remember the finer details of the plot from the first instalment. Going in without a revision will only add to your confusion.

On the island, as the women get on mysterious missions to further their self-interests, we are forced to face a lazy book agent in Vicky (Alex Newell), a conniving but convincing mother-in-law, a clumsy FBI agent, and long-lost siblings. There is murder, suspicious drugs, and a twist at every turn. It gets overwhelming halfway into the film, and the motives behind the characters’ schemes get lost along the way. Trailing them on the roads of a beautiful island is bound to make one motion sick. 

Another Simple Favor struggles to justify its existence. Not only is it unnecessary, or irrelevant, it also goes on to dilute the established character dynamics. You can do yourself a simple favour and pass on this sequel for now.

Another Simple Favor is currently streaming on Prime Video