A widespread outage in Airtel’s mobile and broadband services has affected users across several cities in India, with many reporting connectivity issues this morning. According to Downdetector, a website that tracks service disruptions, numerous complaints have surfaced regarding service failures in cities including Delhi, Jaipur, Nagpur, Ahmedabad, Surat, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru.

Users have flocked to social media platforms, posting SOS messages in an attempt to draw the attention of the telecom provider. The complaints highlight both mobile network and internet connectivity issues, with some users reporting problems lasting up to 24 hours, yet receiving no resolution.

In addition to complaints about service outages in neighborhoods, many users have shared their frustration over the prolonged disruptions, which have left them without reliable mobile and internet access.

Despite the growing number of reports, Airtel has not issued any official statement or response to address the ongoing outage. As the issue persists, users are calling for swift action to restore services and resolve the connectivity problems.

This incident marks another major disruption for the telecom industry, with service outages often leading to customer dissatisfaction and calls for better network reliability. Airtel is yet to comment on the cause of the outage or provide an estimated time for the restoration of services.

Bollywood actor Arjun Kapoor recently took to social media to alert his fans about an online scam involving an individual impersonating his manager. He posted on Instagram to warn his followers about a fraudulent account that had been reaching out to people, falsely claiming to offer opportunities to connect with him. This scammer targeted unsuspecting fans, using Arjun’s name to gain credibility and deceive them into sharing personal information or clicking on harmful links.

In his post, Arjun stated, “It’s come to my attention that a random account is reaching out to people claiming to be my manager and offering opportunities to connect with me. Please know that these messages are not legitimate, and I have no association with them. I would never ask anyone to click on links or share personal details through such means. Please don’t fall for these scams—stay safe and alert. If you come across such messages, kindly report the account immediately. Have a safe and merry Christmas.”

Additionally, the Gunday actor extended his best wishes to the team of Baby John on Instagram, sharing the film’s poster featuring Varun Dhawan. He wrote, “Wishing the entire team massive success!!! Are you going to reflect on the year or deflect from reflection?” Dhawan responded with heart emojis.

On the professional front, Arjun Kapoor recently portrayed a modern-day version of Raavan, known as Danger Lanka, in Rohit Shetty’s Singham Again. This film, the fifth installment in the popular Cop Universe, also boasts an ensemble cast that includes Ajay Devgn, Tiger Shroff, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, and Kareena Kapoor Khan, and was released on November 1.

Arjun expressed his gratitude in a heartfelt note to Rohit Shetty, thanking him for making every moment on set unforgettable. He wrote, “The perfect role, at the right time, with a director who believes in you – sometimes, that’s all it takes.

Grateful beyond words for the trust he’s shown in me when not many were willing to, and for creating a character so close to his vision that the audiences have loved. This journey of becoming Danger Lanka has been nothing short of amazing. Thank you, @itsrohitshetty sir and team, for making every moment on set unforgettable. I’d do this all over again in a heartbeat!”

December 25, Christmas Day, presented a varied landscape for Bollywood, as Varun Dhawan’s highly anticipated film, Baby John, debuted to relatively modest earnings. Tracking website Sacnilk reported that the film generated approximately Rs 12.5 crore on its opening day in India.

Despite being released during the holiday season, Baby John could not surpass the impressive performance of Allu Arjun’s Pushpa 2: The Rule, which garnered Rs 19.75 crore on its 21st day in theaters. The ongoing success of Pushpa 2, along with the favorable reception of Mufasa, significantly overshadowed Baby John’s box office performance.

In this action-oriented film, Varun Dhawan was initially projected to collect Rs 13 crore on its first day, but ultimately fell short of expectations, partly due to mixed critical reviews.

On its release day, Baby John, which features Keerthy Suresh, Wamiqa Gabbi, and Jackie Shroff, achieved a Hindi occupancy rate of 24.97%, with evening shows reaching a higher occupancy of 30.89%.

Despite facing negative critiques, Baby John achieved Varun Dhawan’s highest opening in five years at the box office. For context, Bhediya opened with Rs 7.48 crore, while Jugjugg Jeeyo netted Rs 9.28 crore on its premiere day.

The competitive landscape sharpened with Christmas releases such as Pushpa 2, Mufasa, and the Kannada action thriller Max, featuring Kichcha Sudeep. Remarkably, Max emerged as a sleeper hit, recording a historic Rs 10 crore opening for a Kannada film in 2024. Bolstered by strong word-of-mouth, it is expected to enjoy a thriving extended weekend.

Notably, Baby John signifies Varun Dhawan’s return to the big screen after his digital project Citadel: Honey Bunny, aired in October. As the competition heats up, the forthcoming days will be pivotal for Baby John to establish its box office credentials.

Directed by Kalees and co-produced by Atlee and Priya Atlee, Baby John is the Hindi remake of the Tamil blockbuster Theri, which starred Vijay in the leading role.