Have you heard? Alia goes the OTT way

Vijay Varma, Jasmeet K Reen and Alia Bhatt

Thanks to the pandemic, gone are the days when films were made primarily for the big screen. Satellite rights and streaming rights were considered additional sources of revenue for the filmmakers. While most actors would prefer their movies to open in cinemas, it looks like Alia Bhatt has no such hang-ups. Following reports that her maiden production venture, Darlings, with Shah Rukh Khan's Red Chillies Entertainment, is set to release directly on OTT, the news has now been confirmed. The actor-producer shared a fun video with Shefali Shah, Vijay Varma and Roshan Matthew, revealing that Jasmeet K Reen's directorial venture is indeed releasing on Netflix. Alia is currently in London, shooting for director Tom Harper's Heart of Stone, with Jamie Doman and Gal Gadot, who is also a producer of the spy thriller.

SRK's tech talk

Shah Rukh Khan, who began shooting Dunki with Rajkumar Hirani last month, has been cautious about not revealing his look for the movie. So much so that when he was flying to Delhi recently for a brand event, his staff held an umbrella to cover him from prying lensmen. In the capital, the actor not only regaled the gathering with his tech talk, but also shared that wife Gauri Khan's rules are to be followed by all at home. Revealing that his begum doesn't permit him to disturb the design of their home, SRK said, "One of the few things that I'm allowed to do, maybe because there is an understanding that I know technology the best in the house, plus the aesthetics are so amazing, is that whenever I go and buy a television, I can put it any room that I want or any place I wish to."

The new scamster on screen

After the success of Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story (2020), based on the stock market's ‘Big Bull' of that time, the makers of the web series announced the second instalment last March. Titled Scam 2003, the show is based on the stamp paper scam that was spearheaded by mastermind Abdul Karim Telgi. Now, over a year since the announcement, the makers have signed on theatre actor Gagandev Riar to portray the protagonist, Telgi. Adapted from a book authored by a journalist who reported about the stamp paper scam about 20 years ago, the narrative traces the life of Telgi, a fruit-seller born in Khanapur in Karnataka, who went on to mastermind the counterfeit racket that spread across multiple states and made national headlines. A theatre actor for over 15 years, Gagandev has worked with several theatre personalities, including the late Satyadev Dubey, Sunil Shanbag, Rajit Kapur, Purva Naresh and Atul Kumar.

Malavika joins Salman's next

Yesterday, mid-day reported that Jassie Gill and Siddharth Nigam had been signed on to play Salman Khan's brothers in his next, Kabhi Eid Kabhi Diwali (New reel brothers enter, May 24). Now, we hear that Malavika Mohanan has been roped in for a pivotal part opposite Siddharth. The Beyond The Clouds actor is scheduled to start shooting her portions for the family entertainer soon. Slated to release on December 30 this year, Farhad Samji's directorial venture also stars Pooja Hegde, Shehnaaz Gill and south star Venkatesh. While Pooja is cast opposite Salman, Shehnaaz is apparently paired with Jassie in the movie.

That's a relief!

Three years after De De Pyaar De released, Ajay Devgn has got respite from a consumer court in Ajmer. A local resident had filed a complaint against the production house, Luv Films, Ajay and Maya Mandir cinema, stating that the stunt on the poster - of the actor astride two cars - was not shown in the actual movie. Moreover, he claimed compensation of Rs 4.51 lakh for financial and mental damages and another Rs 11,000 for litigation costs. Ajay, through his lawyers, sought the removal of his name, as he only acted in the film and can't be held responsible for the promotions. Accepting the actor's request, the bench, comprising Justices Dinesh Chaturvedi and Ramesh Kumar Sharma, reportedly said that "an actor has nothing to do with hoardings, posters or deciding on the parts to be edited out of a film."

A temple for Nagarjuna

After 22 long years, a temple for Nagarjuna is finally ready. Way back in 1997, an ardent fan from Guntur had laid the foundation to build an Annamacharya temple for the actor. He recently completed it, after spending about R1 crore over the years. Reportedly, the experimental and diverse roles essayed on screen by the versatile actor motivated him to build a temple for his idol.

Food for thought

Karan Johar is leaving no stone unturned in ensuring that his 50th birthday bash is as grand as his movies. The filmmaker has entrusted chefs Marut Sikka and Harsha Kilachand to create the best delicacies and yummy desserts respectively for the grand party that he is hosting at YRF Studios tonight. That's not all, we hear the entrance will be decked up like the red carpet of international film festivals. After all, it's not every day that all the who's who of Bollywood get together under one roof.

Teaming up?

Going by the expectations from Prabhas's next, Salaar, the makers are sparing no effort in ensuring that it spins magic at the box office. Now, we hear that Prithviraj Sukumaran has been approached for a key role in Prashanth Neel's directorial venture. Producer Vijay Kiragandur reportedly said that the actor will be on board if his dates match their schedules. Shruti Haasan, who plays Prabhas's leading lady, recently resumed shooting her portions for the movie.