💰 Big finance groups are eyeing gold loans

Major corporations like Tata, Godrej, and Birla are aggressively moving into the gold loan sector. Tata Capital bought Yogloans, Godrej Capital acquired Kanakadurga Finance's business, and Aditya Birla Capital plans 1,000 new branches. Outstanding gold loans reached around Rs 3.3 lakh crore by May 2026, showing 50% growth in FY26. This shift is strategic, as secured lending is more attractive amid tighter rules on unsecured loans. The sector is now seen as a mainstream, scalable lending category. 💰

🚀 Yash's Toxic film blows up in advance bookings

The action thriller film, Toxic, has generated massive hype in advance ticket sales for its Hindi version. The movie, starring Yash and Geethu Mohandas, saw 30,000 tickets sold across PVRInox and Cinepolis in under six hours. This early trend suggests a Hindi opening day collection between Rs. 45 crore and Rs. 55 crore. The film is priced in the super blockbuster slab, rivaling major releases like Dhurandhar 2. Toxic is currently the second-biggest advance booking of 2026, coming from an original Kannada film. 🚀

💍 Kerala wedding features six sets of twins

A dream wedding took place in the last week of July at the Changanassery Metropolitan Church in Kerala. Twin brothers married twin sisters from Kulathoor, Pathanamthitta, in this unique event. The ceremony featured twin priests, Fr Anto Pezhumkattil and Fr Ajo Pezhumkattil, and twin altar boys, Jeron James and Johon James. This celebration fulfilled a childhood dream for the families involved. The wedding attracted hundreds of guests who witnessed this extraordinary gathering of multiples. 💍

👠 Margaret Qualley rocks Chanel's barefoot shoes

Margaret Qualley attended the premiere of The Dog Stars wearing Chanel's controversial barefoot shoes. The designer footwear made a statement at the high-profile event. There were no specific dates or numbers mentioned regarding her attendance or the shoes. The shoes have drawn attention for their unconventional design choice. It is expected that fashion commentary on this look will continue following the premiere.

🎬 Veteran actor 'Sowcar' Janaki passes away at 94

Veteran actor Sankaramanchi Janaki, known as ‘Sowcar’ Janaki, passed away at a private hospital in Chennai on Friday, August 21. She was 94 years old, having worked in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada cinema. Her prolific career spanned seven decades, encompassing over 400 films since her 1950 debut. The Government of India honoured her lifelong contributions by awarding her the Padma Shri in 2022. Janaki is survived by three children, four grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.

🎬 Veteran actress Sowcar Janaki passes away at 94

Veteran actor Sankaramanchi Janaki, known as ‘Sowcar’ Janaki, passed away at a private hospital in Chennai on Friday, August 21. Her extensive filmography spans over 400 films across Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada cinema. Janaki made her film debut in the 1950 Telugu film Shavukaru and was last seen in 2023's Telugu film Anni Manchi Sakunamule. She was honored with the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 2022 for her contributions to art. She is survived by three children, four grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.

📱 Zomato Founder's Temple Wearable Gets Smaller

Deepinder Goyal's wearable tech, inspired by temple designs, has been significantly miniaturized for better portability. This new version is now roughly half the size of its previous iteration, making it more discreet for users. Pre-orders for this upgraded device are scheduled to open sometime in the near future. The development aims to blend traditional aesthetics with modern, cutting-edge technology. Customers can expect further details regarding the launch dates very soon.

📸 Canon owns the camera market in 2025

Canon solidified its dominance in the global digital camera market for 2025. The company sold 4.5 million cameras, achieving a 45.7% market share worldwide. This represents a 2.5% increase from 2024, with 1 million more units shipped. FujiFilm entered the top 3 with almost 12% share, challenging the long reign of Canon. Looking ahead, Canon continues its strategy of strong volume sales across various price points. 📸

🏏 Gill praises Prasidh Krishna's bowling form

Shubman Gill gave a high praise to Prasidh Krishna just before the Galle Test match. This assessment was made while discussing the choice between Krishna and Gurnoor Brar in the lineup. The latest performance showed Krishna bowling exceptionally well, leading to a significant opportunity for him. This praise puts Krishna in contention to challenge for a spot among India's fast bowling reserves. He now has another Test to solidify his place ahead of other hopefuls. 🏏

📱 5 phones to cop instead of Pixel 11 Pro XL

The Pixel 11 Pro XL is facing some scrutiny due to price hikes and downgrades, making buyers look for alternatives. Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is a prime option, starting at $1,300, boasting Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 performance and a 200MP camera. For something different, the Motorola Razr Ultra (2026) is available for $1,500, offering a flip design and two-day battery life. Budget-wise, the Pixel 10a costs $500, giving users similar Pixel perks with six years of software support. These alternatives present different trade-offs in features versus value. 📱

🎬 Sunny Deol & Santoshi back for action sequel

Sunny Deol and Rajkumar Santoshi are set to collaborate again after Batwara 1947 on a new action film. The actor-director duo will reunite for their fifth project, possibly a sequel to Ghatak, starting next year. This collaboration follows their previous hits like Ghayal in 1990 and Damini in 1993. Makers plan an official announcement within three months before production begins next year. Deol is also preparing for Lord Hanuman in Ramayana by Diwali 2026.