2025 in review: Moments that put India’s celebrities under the scanner

Public debate around Indian celebrity culture sharpened through 2025, with high-profile rows extending well beyond box office numbers. Questions around workplace ethics, personal safety, artistic freedom and media accountability repeatedly dominated headlines, signalling a shift in how fame is negotiated in the public eye.

Work hours put under the spotlight

Actor Deepika Padukone triggered an industry-wide conversation after exiting Spirit, reportedly over working conditions that included an eight-hour workday. The development prompted peers to weigh in on structured schedules in filmmaking.
Soon after, producers Vyjayanthi Movies announced that Padukone would not return for the sequel to Kalki 2898 AD, citing the need for a higher level of “commitment”. The back-to-back developments kept labour norms in cinema firmly in focus.

Comedy show lands in legal and ethical trouble

Online outrage followed controversial remarks on India's Got Latent, hosted by Samay Raina. Comments by podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia went viral, leading to a public apology.

Earlier in the year, the Supreme Court reprimanded Raina and other comedians, including Vipul Goyal, Balraj Paramjeet Singh Ghai, Nishant Jagdish Tanwar and Sonali Thakkar, for insensitive jokes about persons with disabilities, directing unconditional apologies.

Cultural sensitivity row at IFFI

A viral clip from the International Film Festival of India 2025 showed Ranveer Singh mimicking Rishab Shetty’s character from Kantara: Chapter 1. A police complaint followed in Karnataka, alleging hurt religious sentiments. Singh later apologised, stating his “utmost admiration” for Shetty.

Court clears film release amid protests

The Taj Story faced a Public Interest Litigation in the Delhi High Court over claims it distorted history and threatened communal harmony. The court refused to halt its release, observing that the judiciary cannot function as a “super censor board”.

Hera Pheri scare ends in truce

Fans were startled when Paresh Rawal exited Hera Pheri 3, triggering reports of legal action by Akshay Kumar. Co-star Suniel Shetty called the development “heartbreaking”. Rawal later confirmed his return, ending speculation.

Privacy versus paparazzi

Veteran actor Jaya Bachchan renewed debate on consent and media ethics after criticising paparazzi culture, calling it “strange” and questioning the authority photographers assume simply by holding a phone.

Family dispute heads to court

Following industrialist Sunjay Kapur’s death, a legal battle unfolded between Karisma Kapoor’s children and Kapur’s widow Priya Sachdev Kapur over assets and the validity of his will. Kapur’s mother, Rani Kapur, also challenged the document. The Delhi High Court has reserved orders on the interim injunction plea.

Violent attack shocks Mumbai

In January, Saif Ali Khan was stabbed during an alleged robbery at his Bandra home. He suffered serious injuries, including damage to the thoracic spine, and was treated at Lilavati Hospital. Police later filed a 1,000-page chargesheet.

Wedding rumours end with clarification

Speculation around composer Palaash Muchhal and cricketer Smriti Mandhana intensified after their November ceremony was postponed due to a medical emergency involving Mandhana’s father, Shrinivas Mandhana. The couple later announced that the wedding had been called off.

Cross-border casting draws criticism

Singer-actor Diljit Dosanjh faced backlash for casting Hania Aamir in Sardaar Ji 3, amid heightened India–Pakistan tensions following the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor. Industry bodies, including the Federation of Western India Cine Employees, criticised the collaboration.

Web series lands in court

Legal trouble followed Aryan Khan’s directorial debut, The Ba**ds of Bollywood, after former NCB officer Sameer Dnyandev Wankhede alleged that the series, produced by Red Chillies Entertainment, carried defamatory content linked to the 2021 Cordelia cruise case involving Shah Rukh Khan’s son.

Together, these episodes underscored a defining theme of 2025: celebrity in India now sits at the intersection of influence and accountability, with public scrutiny shaping conversations on rights, responsibility and restraint.