It appears that despite the runaway success of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, Kartik Aaryan is no longer Murad Khetani’s first choice for his next venture. The producer, who acquired the rights to remake the 1988 blockbuster, Tezaab, over a year ago, was keen to team up with Kartik again. However, he seems to have had a change of heart of late.
Ranveer Singh, Shraddha Kapoor and Kartik Aaryan
Kartik losing to Ranveer
It appears that despite the runaway success of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, Kartik Aaryan is no longer Murad Khetani’s first choice for his next venture. The producer, who acquired the rights to remake the 1988 blockbuster, Tezaab, over a year ago, was keen to team up with Kartik again. However, he seems to have had a change of heart of late. Apparently, now Ranveer Singh is his top priority to play Mahesh Deshmukh aka Munna, essayed brilliantly by Anil Kapoor in the original. That Ranveer’s past few releases have tanked at the box-office hasn’t been a deterrent. Incidentally, Murad is no longer keen on roping in Shraddha Kapoor to step into Madhuri Dixit-Nene’s dancing shoes to essay Mohini either. Instead, he reportedly wants to cast Janhvi Kapoor. Interestingly, Ranveer and Janhvi were to first pair up on screen for Karan Johar’s Takht, before the magnum opus was put on hold in the wake of the pandemic. Let’s see if Murad indeed becomes the first producer to cast Ranveer and Janhvi together.
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Khans reunite
About two decades after Kal Ho Naa Ho, Shah Rukh Khan and Saif Ali Khan are set to collaborate again. However, this time around, they won’t be sharing screen space, as Saif has been signed for SRK’s next production venture, Kartavya. Director Pulkit (of Bose: Dead or Alive fame) has begun pre-production and plans to take the film on floors early next month. Apart from Saif, who plays a cop investigating a gruesome murder, the movie also features Sanjay Mishra and Geetika Vidya Ohylan (seen in the web series, Soni). Last seen as the righteous police officer in Vikram Vedha (2022), Saif has previously played the role of a troubled cop in the web series, Sacred Games. It was among his best performing works.
Sorry Homi, hello Tarak
Talking of Janhvi Kapoor, she is said to have opted out of Homi Adajania’s next, Murder Mubarak. Also starring Aditya Roy Kapur, Pankaj Tripathi and Dimple Kapadia in lead roles, the Dinesh Vijan production is based on Anuja Chauhan’s book, Club You To Death. Janhvi has instead opted for Junior NTR’s next pan-India offering, NTR 30, with director Koratala Siva. The Mili actor, who had been keen to team up with the RRR actor, had been in talks with the makers of the Telugu film since the last couple of months. She is said to have signed up for it recently, and has allotted her dates for the shoot. She will begin filming with Tarak, as the actor is also known, after wrapping up Mr and Mrs Mahi with Rajkummar Rao for Karan Johar’s production house.
Inspired by Madhubala
Chitrangda Singh is currently shooting Goutam Ghose’s Indo-Italian film, with Italian actor Marco Leonardi. When she’s not too busy working, she experiments with reels that she shares on social media. Recently, Chitrangda succumbed to the ‘Ghodey pe sawar’ trend, and responded with her take. However, going by the black and white video, the actor seems to have borrowed inspiration from yesteryear actor, Madhubhala. Not surprisingly, her post was flooded with reactions from netizens who commented that she reminded them of the Mughal-e-Azam beauty. Chitrangda will next be seen in Gaslight, with Sara Ali Khan and Vikrant Massey.
Looking UP-wards
Suniel Shetty, Madhur Bhandarkar, Boney Kapoor among several B-Town folk met Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to discuss exploring his state as a filmmaking destination. The UP CM, who was is in Mumbai to promote an investor summit in Lucknow next month, spoke about how movie-friendly the state has emerged, in recent years. Yogi Adityanath also shared that under his government’s film policy, a web series shot in UP will be given 50 per cent subsidy, while setting up studios and film labs would yield them 25 per cent subsidy. Also present for the meeting were Dr Chandraprakash Dwivedi, Rajkumar Santoshi, Sonu Nigam, Kailash Kher, and Ravi Kishen, who is also an MP from Gorakhpur.
Wedding soon?
Even as everyone is looking forward to Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani’s wedding, it appears that Athiya Shetty and KL Rahul will take the pheras first. The actor and her cricketer beau, who have been in a relationship for over three years, are set to tie the knot between January 21 and January 23. Reportedly, the couple will get married at Athiya’s father Suniel Shetty’s Khandala home, Jahaan. Located in the midst of hills and plush greenery, the place is said to be perfect for guests to mingle, and also to keep the paparazzi at bay. Athiya and Rahul recently brought in the New Year together in Dubai, and shared pictures from their vacation on social media.
All is not well
Looks like all is not well between Shahid Kapoor and director duo Raj-DK. Apparently, the actor is miffed that the focus on their upcoming web series Farzi is on south actor Vijay Sethupathi, even though he plays the lead and the makers promoted it as his show. It is being said that Sasha wants to see all promotional material before anything is sent out. It’s another thing that Raj and DK are not too pleased with their hero’s diktat. As the situation between the director duo and the lead actor becomes tense, an international streaming giant is stepping in to resolve the issues amicably between the two parties.
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