Have you heard? (Don)’t mess with us

Ranveer Singh and Shah Rukh Khan

Don ka intezar toh 11 mulko ki police kar rahi hai, bas, fans intezar nahi kar rahe! A wave of disappointment has spread across social media as news of Shah Rukh Khan's departure from the franchise came to the fore days ago. "Isliliye wait nahi kar rahe the," said fans on social media as reports of Ranveer Singh stepping in to play the coveted role in Farhan Akhtar's venture hit headlines. One fan wrote: "I [will] become [the] death, and destroyer of the entire franchise - Ranveer Singh." Another said: "No hate for Ranveer, but I think SRK knew that the script is bad, and that's why he refused to play Don again." Yet another fan made a reference to Singh's previous character and shared, "It looks like Simmba has gone rogue." The character of Don was written by Akhtar's father Javed Akhtar along with his then-creative partner Salim Khan, the father of Bollywood superstar Salman Khan. The original Don featured Amitabh Bachchan in the titular role, and released in 1978. Years later the film was remade by Farhan in 2006, and another edition followed in 2011. Both featured Khan in the titular role.

What's in the body?

In a recent interview, Abhishek Bachchan lamented the obsession that actors have with their physique. "Look at Aamir Khan - he was so fit in Dhoom 3 and he looked fat in Dangal," said Bachchan when asked about the subject. He added, "Young actors these days believe they can become actors just by getting six-pack abs. Bro, focus on your language, work on your acting skills. That is what makes actors, not [well-built] bodies."

Girls just wanna have fun

The finest talents of cinema let their hair down as they came together for a night of celebration. Shabana Azmi, along with Konkona Sensharma, Dia Mirza, Vidya Balan, and Divya Dutta, among others, turned up at a city restaurant recently. Azmi said, "We did not discuss work, movies, or acting. We simply spoke nonsense; nobody listened to the other because everyone was talking at the same time! This girls' group that we have created meets often. I've been trying to teach them how to do Aadab, but have never succeeded!" Will someone bring them together on screen?

Read between the lines

Content creator Prajakta Koli will be marking her maiden innings as an author with her fiction title, Too Good To Be True. Talking about the brand-new chapter of her life, she shared: "I've forever been a fan of love stories and romance. Be it in films or in all my favourite books. They have always been more to me than just stories. They've helped me get over heartbreaks, believe in the wonder of life and even love myself a little more every day. This is a fictional piece of my heart that is special to me. I've always enjoyed the process of storytelling but scripting this novel has opened up a whole new dimension." Koli was last seen in the web show, Mismatched 2.

Time to celebrate

Actor Amit Sadh's upcoming short film, Ghuspaith Between Borders, inspired by thelife of Pulitzer prize-winning photojournalist Danish Siddiqui, will be screened at the Rhode Island International Film Festival 2023. Written and directed by Mihir Kalpana Lath, the short sheds light on the hidden complexities of the illegal cattle trade, cow smuggling, human trafficking, the refugee crisis, and ethnic cleansing, a press release stated. "Revolving around the life of an Indian photojournalist named Manav [played by Sadh] the short raises a poignant question: ‘Where do we draw the borders between humanity?'" the official plotline read.

All things love

Ahead of the release of his multilingual film, Kushi, Vijay Deverakonda spoke about love and relationships in a recent interview. The actor will be seen as Samantha Prabhu's husband on screen. Prabhu plays the titular character. When asked what is important for him in a relationship, the actor shared, "I think, when in a relationship, it is important to love each other first. They have to stand with each other, have each other's back. Love is all about partnership and companionship." Deverakonda, who is rumoured to be dating actor Rashmika Mandanna, also referenced his "imminent" marriage.

No child's play

Shooting a wedding on screen is as "intense" as shooting action, says director Reema Kagti about the second season of her web series, Made in Heaven, which follows the journey of two friends who run a wedding planning agency. COVID-19 pandemic or not, the scale of production and number of actors on set made the process all the more demanding, she said. "Shooting was challenging. Made in Heaven is like a beast. It had a huge ensemble cast, and every episode had a wedding [scene]. Shooting a wedding is like shooting action, it is pretty intense," said Kagti. The show, a drama, stars Arjun Mathur and Sobhita Dhulipala in lead roles.

Mohit's a man on a mission

The trailer of Neeraj Pandey's thriller series The Freelancer, which was released on Wednesday, follows an extraction mission where a girl, who is held captive in war-torn Syria, escapes death. It features Mohit Raina as a "mercenary" who is determined to rescue her. Based on the book, A Ticket to Syria, by Shirish Thorat, the Bhav Dhulia-directed venture also stars Sushant Singh, John Kokken, Gauri Balaji and Sarah Jane Dias. Dhulia said: "We wanted to showcase a conventional story that makes viewers question the things that are happening around them. Beyond the story of a girl in a hostile environment, this is also a tale of parents' love, courage, and hope." The Freelancer will air on September 1 on Disney+ Hotstar.