Have you heard? Comedy interrupted

A still from Welcome to the Jungle

Uh oh! It appears that Firoz Nadiadwallah's Welcome to the Jungle has run into a hurdle even before going on floors. On the occasion of Akshay Kumar's birthday (September 9), the producer announced the third instalment of the Welcome franchise, helmed by Ahmed Khan. Now, the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) have written to Jyoti Deshpande, the head of Jio Studios, that is backing the multi-starrer laugh riot, to apprise them that Firoz still owes money to Anees Bazmee for the second instalment, Welcome Back (2015). The FWICE, which comprises 33 bodies representing various departments of filmmaking, has appealed to the studio to act upon the producer to clear the balance payment due to Bazmee. Reportedly, the cheques issued by Firoz to the director, who also helmed the first Welcome film, have bounced. Consequently, the FWICE had issued a non-cooperation directive against Firoz. They have also appealed to the actors and technicians of Welcome to the Jungle to prevail upon the producer to clear pending dues before beginning the next film.

Reunion after a decade

Over 10 years since the release of Jatt & Juliet 2, Diljit Dosanjh and Neeru Bajwa are reuniting. The two actors, who became a hit rom-com jodi in Punjabi cinema after the success of Jatt & Juliet (2012), will be seen together in the third instalment. Sharing the update of their comedy franchise on social media, Diljit wrote, "Oye shotu… hatt piche… Punjab Police di koi rees ni aa oye.. Jatt & Juliet 3 releasing worldwide - June 28, 2014. (sic)" He also has The Crew and Chamkila, besides Punjab '95 lined up for release next.

The Boys head to Bombay

Chart-topping Irish music sensation Westlife is set to captivate fans across India with their much-anticipated The Wild Dreams Tour. Ticketing platform BookMyShow is set to bring the band, best known for songs like My love, Seasons in the sun, and World of our own to India for a three-city tour. The tour will kick-off at Mahalaxmi Racecourse in Mumbai on November 24, and will head to Bengaluru and New Delhi subsequently. The band-members shared, "India has always held a special place in our hearts. We are excited to share The Wild Dreams tour with all of our fans in India."

Booking children's future

Some weeks ago, Pankaj Tripathi completed the renovation of the higher secondary school in Belsand, in Bihar's Gopalganj district, where he studied. Recently, the actor inaugurated the new library at his alma mater, which he and his elder brother have built through the Pandit Banaras Tiwari Foundation Trust, established in the name of their parents. On the occasion, Pankaj said, "I hope to instil a lifelong love for knowledge and literature in the hearts of the students. Education is the greatest gift we can give to our future generations, and I'm honoured to contribute to their journey of learning."

Bonding over music

Preity Zinta and Priyanka Chopra Jonas' friendship goes back over 20 years. They first worked together on Hero: Love Story of a Spy (2003), which also marked PCJ's maiden Hindi release. The two actors,who bond over movies and music, recently got together for the Jonas Brothers's concert in the US. Sharing videos from the show on social media, Preity wrote, "What a fun night and what a fun way to be introduced to all the music of the Jonas Brothers! Thank you so much Priyanka for being such an amazing host." Praising the musician trio, she added, "Nick Jonas, you guys killed it last night. It was an amazing performance. All the best for the rest of the tour. Last night, I officially became a fan."

Rajini, Lokesh to team up

After the stupendous success of Jailer, producer Kalanithi Maran is teaming up with Rajinikanth for yet another film. This time around, Lokesh Kanagaraj has been signed on to helm the action thriller, tentatively titled Thalaivar 171. Jailer composer Anirudh has been retained for the new film too.