Have you heard? Aamir’s new move

Aamir Khan and Aparna Purohit

It appears that Aamir Khan is revamping his production house. The actor-filmmaker currently has his next, Sitaare Zameen Par and director Rajkumar Santoshi's Lahore: 1947 with Sunny Deol, in various stages of production. Rumour has it that he is in advanced talks with Aparna Purohit, Head of India and SEA (South-East Asia) Originals at Amazon Prime Video, to join him in expanding his banner. Insiders claim that the actor-filmmaker has grand plans for his production house and wants to onboard someone he can rely on while he is busy with acting commitments. Reportedly, Aparna has put in her papers at the OTT platform. It will be known in the coming days if she will move from a global OTT player to one of B-Town's most successful production houses.

Spilling the beans on SLB

The team of Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar recently got together to answer some burning questions and also spilled the beans on filmmaker and creator Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Asked to share a lesser-known aspect of the director, Aditi Rao Hydari said, "His greatest loves are his four-legged babies." While Taha Shah Badussha shared the director's favourite dog's name, Jaanu, Fardeen Khan revealed, "Whenever he used to get into a fluster about something, the assistant directors would send these 25 dogs that Mr Bhansali had at the location. The minute they sauntered into the set, he used to be calm." Revealing another aspect of the filmmaker, Sanjeeda Shaikh said, "He changes his kurta three-to-four times a day. After every change, there would be a new thought in his mind."

Birthday for a cause

Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao Jr is set to turn a year wiser on May 20. However, his fan clubs decided to celebrate his 40th birthday in advance with a cause. They organised a special blood donation drive in Hyderabad, supporting the Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Society Vuppala Venkaiah Memorial Blood Bank. Over 300 individuals turned up to show their love for the RRR actor in a meaningful way. The organisers were initially sceptical about the response due to the scorching heat. "We anticipated about 100 to 150 units. But we had a very good footfall and collected over 300 units," said Mohammed Jali from the Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Society. Stating that all the blood collected will be donated to the society, he added, "This camp will help 300 Thalassemia patients." On his part, NTR Jr is currently working on War 2 with Hrithik Roshan, while his next, Devara: Part 1 is being readied for release on October 10.

Nature beckons

It appears that Nargis Fakhri is taking a break to soak in the sights of nature. Sharing a video from her trek in the wilderness, she wrote, "I want to live in the woods, there is nothing better than waking up to this and spending your days in nature. I feel so grateful and blessed, nature heals us." Nargis, who last featured in Shiv Shastri Balboa (2023), will next be seen in Hari Hara Veera Mallu Part 1: Sword vs Spirit. Helmed by Krish Jagarlamudi, the period action drama stars Pawan Kalyan as Veera Mallu, who is tasked with stealing the Kohinoor from the Mughals. Nargis plays the role of Roshanara, while Bobby Deol essays the antagonist, Aurangzeb.

Back in the house

About eight years since Housefull 3 (2016), Abhishek Bachchan has returned to the comedy franchise. It appears that the actor has sorted his date diary to join the team of Housefull 5. Expressing his delight, producer Sajid Nadiadwala said, "Abhishek's dedication, comic timing and sincerity will only elevate our film." Calling it one of his favourite franchises, Abhishek shared that coming back to the franchise felt like returning home. He added, "It has always been a great pleasure to work with Sajid Nadiadwala. I am looking forward to having mad fun on the sets with my fellow actors Akshay Kumar and Riteish Deshmukh. I'm also excited to collaborate again with my dear friend Tarun Mansukhani. I'm really looking forward to working with him again after Dostana [2008]. This is going to be a lot of fun."

Adieu to music

Singer-songwriter Ananya Birla forayed into Bollywood playback singing with Do Aur Do Pyaar, which stars Vidya Balan and Pratik Gandhi. But now, she has decided to quit her musical journey. She wrote, "I've reached a stage where balancing both the businesses I run and am building, plus music is becoming near impossible and it's taking a toll on me in ways that I can't express. Thank you again. It is time I focus all my energies in the business world."