STREAMING AHEAD

ilm stars aren’t as luminous as they once were. With theatres largely shut due to the pandemic or otherwise running at 50 per cent occupancy in the first half of 2021, and big-ticket releases largely on hold, film actors had little opportunity to be seen, let alone make an impact. This year, both Amitabh Bachchan and are still awaiting a release, as are the Akshay Kumarled and . Those who did manage to have a film out—like former Mood of the Nation (MOTN) poll hero No. 1 Salman Khan, whose ZEE 5 release was more a source of unwarranted amusement than entertainment—saw their fan base dwindle. Rajinikanth was a new addition to the list with his exit from politics (due to health reasons) making more headlines than his films.