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Beloved Bollywood Star Dharmendra Dies At 89

Bollywood star Dharmendra (pictured on his 88th birthday on December 8, 2023) appeared in more than 250 films over a remarkable six-decade career. SUJIT JAISWAL / AFP/File
Bollywood star Dharmendra (pictured on his 88th birthday on December 8, 2023) appeared in more than 250 films over a remarkable six-decade career. SUJIT JAISWAL / AFP/File
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Beloved Bollywood Star Dharmendra Dies At 89

Bollywood star Dharmendra (pictured on his 88th birthday on December 8, 2023) appeared in more than 250 films over a remarkable six-decade career. SUJIT JAISWAL / AFP/File
Bollywood star Dharmendra (pictured on his 88th birthday on December 8, 2023) appeared in more than 250 films over a remarkable six-decade career. SUJIT JAISWAL / AFP/File

India's hugely popular Bollywood star Dharmendra, who was equally at ease in romantic comedies and high-octane action blockbusters, died aged 89 on Monday.

"The passing of Dharmendra Ji marks the end of an era in Indian cinema," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a statement on social media.

"He was an iconic film personality, a phenomenal actor who brought charm and depth to every role he played."

The actor had not been well recently and was admitted to a hospital in Mumbai.

Over a remarkable six-decade career, Dharmendra appeared in more than 250 films, served as a member of parliament, and was honored with one of India's highest civilian awards.

In the 1980s, Dharmendra starred in a string of action movies, earning him the nickname "He-Man".

The most iconic role of his career was arguably the lovable rogue Veeru that he played in the 1975 classic "Sholay" ("Embers").

The father of six also dabbled in production, with movies starring his sons Sunny and Bobby Deol.

His last film will be Sriram Raghavan's "Ikkis" ("Twenty-one") which is set for release next month.

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Third ‘Avatar’ Film Passes the $1 Billion Mark Worldwide

"Fire and Ash" stars Zoe Saldana as Na'vi warrior Neytiri and Sam Worthington. (AFP)
"Fire and Ash" stars Zoe Saldana as Na'vi warrior Neytiri and Sam Worthington. (AFP)
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Third ‘Avatar’ Film Passes the $1 Billion Mark Worldwide

"Fire and Ash" stars Zoe Saldana as Na'vi warrior Neytiri and Sam Worthington. (AFP)
"Fire and Ash" stars Zoe Saldana as Na'vi warrior Neytiri and Sam Worthington. (AFP)

"Avatar: Fire and Ash" has surpassed the $1 billion mark at the global box office, as it kept the top spot in North American theaters with another $40 million in ticket sales, industry estimates showed Sunday.

The third installment in director James Cameron's blockbuster series has now earned $306 million in the United States and Canada, and another $777 million abroad, putting the total at $1.08 billion, Exhibitor Relations reported.

"Fire and Ash" stars Zoe Saldana as Na'vi warrior Neytiri and Sam Worthington as ex-Marine Jake Sully, who must battle a new foe threatening their family's life on the planet Pandora.

It is the fourth Cameron film to pass the $1 billion mark, with the first two "Avatar" films and "Titanic."

In second place in North America was "Zootopia 2," Disney's feel-good animated film and an Oscar contender, at $19 million. Its global total now stands at nearly $1.6 billion.

Coming in third at $14.9 million was Lionsgate's "The Housemaid," a film version of Freida McFadden's best-selling novel about a young woman (Sydney Sweeney) who is hired by a wealthy couple (Amanda Seyfried and Brandon Sklenar) with dark secrets.

"Marty Supreme," A24's period sports drama starring Timothee Chalamet, finished in fourth place with $12.6 million.

"Anaconda," the new meta comedy action flick starring Paul Rudd and Jack Black as friends trying to reboot the original 1997 horror film, finished in fifth place with $10 million.

Entertainment

K-pop Stars BTS to Release Album in March Ahead of World Tour

Fireworks light up the midnight sky over the Lotte World Tower, South Korea's tallest building in Seoul during New Year's Day celebrations on January 1, 2026. (Photo by Jung Yeon-je / AFP)
Fireworks light up the midnight sky over the Lotte World Tower, South Korea's tallest building in Seoul during New Year's Day celebrations on January 1, 2026. (Photo by Jung Yeon-je / AFP)
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K-pop Stars BTS to Release Album in March Ahead of World Tour

Fireworks light up the midnight sky over the Lotte World Tower, South Korea's tallest building in Seoul during New Year's Day celebrations on January 1, 2026. (Photo by Jung Yeon-je / AFP)
Fireworks light up the midnight sky over the Lotte World Tower, South Korea's tallest building in Seoul during New Year's Day celebrations on January 1, 2026. (Photo by Jung Yeon-je / AFP)

K-pop megastars BTS will release a new album in March ahead of a world tour, the group announced on Thursday.

South Korea's biggest musical act has been on self-described hiatus since 2022 as its members undertook national military service required of all men under the age of 30.

All seven members were discharged last year, and the group announced a comeback for the spring of 2026.

They confirmed on Thursday that they would release an album on March 20 before heading on tour, AFP reported.

The exact date was revealed in handwritten letters sent to paid members of the official BTS fan group, and later confirmed by their label Big Hit Music.

"I have been waiting more earnestly than anyone else," group leader RM wrote in the letter.

No further details about the album or tour were given.

The album will be BTS's first since the anthology "Proof" which became South Korea's bestselling record of 2022.

Before their military service, BTS generated more than 5.5 trillion won ($3.8 billion) in South Korea per year, according to the government-backed Korea Culture and Tourism Institute.

The figure is equivalent to roughly 0.2 percent of the country's total GDP.

BTS has expanded beyond their home nation to become a global musical phenomenon in recent years.

They hold the record as the most-streamed group on Spotify, and became the first K-pop act to top both the Billboard 200 and the Billboard Artist 100 charts in the United States.

Entertainment

‘Zootopia 2’ Breaks Record to Become Top-grossing Disney Animation Film

FILE PHOTO: Moviegoers hold character cutouts to pose for a photo at a movie theater on the release day of the movie Zootopia 2, in Shanghai, China, November 26, 2025. REUTERS/Go Nakamura/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Moviegoers hold character cutouts to pose for a photo at a movie theater on the release day of the movie Zootopia 2, in Shanghai, China, November 26, 2025. REUTERS/Go Nakamura/File Photo
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‘Zootopia 2’ Breaks Record to Become Top-grossing Disney Animation Film

FILE PHOTO: Moviegoers hold character cutouts to pose for a photo at a movie theater on the release day of the movie Zootopia 2, in Shanghai, China, November 26, 2025. REUTERS/Go Nakamura/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Moviegoers hold character cutouts to pose for a photo at a movie theater on the release day of the movie Zootopia 2, in Shanghai, China, November 26, 2025. REUTERS/Go Nakamura/File Photo

Walt Disney Animation Studios' "Zootopia 2" surpassed 2019's "Frozen 2" to become its highest-grossing film ever, the company said on Wednesday, marking a bright spot in a year when global box office continues to trail pre-pandemic levels.

The animated sequel is the fifth Walt Disney Animation Studios film to cross $1 billion globally, ⁠grossing around $1.46 billion at the box office after its strong US Thanksgiving weekend opening, Reuters reported.

The film's success has been fueled by an extraordinary reception in China, where "Zootopia 2" has grossed over $560 million. ⁠The sequel dominated its opening weekend in China, capturing approximately 95% of all movie ticket sales.

"Zootopia 2" launched Hollywood's crucial holiday season with an estimated $556 million in global ticket sales in the opening weekend. The film reunites rabbit police officer Judy Hopps and her fox ⁠partner Nick Wilde in a new adventure through the bustling animal metropolis.

With global box office still falling short of pre-pandemic 2019 levels, the sequel's success has been a welcome relief to the studio and theater owners banking on packed shows during the year's second-busiest moviegoing season.