Have you heard? Getting ready to hiss…

Shraddha Kapoor

Over a-year-and-a half since she announced that she has signed Naagin, Shraddha Kapoor will begin shooting for the Vishal Furia directorial venture. The actor is currently pre-occupied with Luv Ranjan's yet-untitled movie with Ranbir Kapoor. After wrapping it up, she will begin filming the Nikhil Dwivedi production. In keeping with the subject rooted in traditional Indian folklore, the film will have extensive VFX. Sources tell us that work on the visual effects modelling is slated to start next month. When she first broke the news on taking up this film, Shraddha had said that having grown up watching, admiring and idolising the Sridevi's Nagina and Nigahen, she had been keen to play a similar role - of an ichhadaari naagin who can change her form at will.

Second time unlucky

Akshay Kumar was to head to France, to represent India at the 75th Cannes Film Festival. However, he had to cancel his plans as he has contracted the virus. The Prithviraj actor shared the news on social media, saying, "I was really looking forward to rooting for our cinema at the India Pavilion at Cannes 2022, but have sadly tested positive for COVID. I will rest it out." Tagging the I&B Minister, Anurag Thakur, Akshay added, "Loads of best wishes to you and your entire team. Will really miss being there." Incidentally, this is the second time the actor has tested positive. The first time was in April 2021, when he had got hospitalised under medical advice.

A Telugu remake of Ajay's Raid

Four years after Ajay Devgn's Raid hit the box office, a Telugu remake is in the works. South director Harish Shankar, who remade Salman Khan's 2010 hit, Dabangg, as Gabbar Singh (2012) with Pawan Kalyan, was in Mumbai recently to finalise the terms with Kumar Mangat Pathak, who produced the Hindi original. Rajkumar Gupta's directorial venture, also starring Ilena D'Cruz as Ajay's wife, was based on a major Income Tax raid in Uttar Pradesh in the early 1980s. We hear Kumar Mangat will also be a producer of the Telugu adaptation, for which the lead actor is yet to be cast. Meanwhile, Harish is working on completing his next, Bhavadeeyudu Bhagatsingh, which marks his reunion with Kalyan after a decade.

Khoon pasina, anyone?

It's not unusual to suffer some cuts and bruises when shooting an action film or a show. Sidharth Malhotra, who is filming his maiden web series, Indian Police Force with Rohit Shetty in Goa, took to social media to share how he was injured on the set. He wrote, "Rohit Shetty's action hero equals to real sweat, real blood! Rohit sir working the camera for some crazy action sequences in Goa." Now imagine if social media existed in the 1990s and actors like Ajay Devgn, Akshay Kumar and Suniel Shetty would show off such injuries every other day. Really now!

Aamir's kind gesture for TV team

Aamir Khan recently surprised the team of the TV show, Shubh Laabh - Aapkey Ghar Mein by dropping in at the set in a Malad studio. When Nasirr Khan heard that the actor-filmmaker was shooting his next, Pritam Pyare, on the adjacent floor, he went over to meet him as their families have been friends for decades. He requested Aamir to meet the show's team. The perfectionist actor not only met everyone but also clicked pictures with them. Nasirr, who plays Niranjan Toshniwal in the show, recalls, "While the entire team still thanks me, it is Aamir's greatness and humility that won our hearts. The icing on the cake was when he agreed to do his Laal Singh Chaddha #featherchallenge reels with me."

A surprise for Mouni

Mouni Roy was in for a surprise during the shoot of an upcoming episode of DID L'il Masters, on which serves as one of the judges. Her husband Suraj Nambiar shared a special video message for his actor-wife. Recalling that it was love at first sight for him and how they took their relationship to the next level, he said, "It's been three months since we got married, and I must say that it has been a lot of fun being with her." Conceding that she was a little lost before she met Suraj, Mouni said, "He mentioned to me that I need to broaden my mind, be present in the current scheme of things, and look for the magic." She called him her ‘soul mate' who introduced her to the true magic of life.

A new direction

Pic/Instagram

After producing movies like Sarbjit, Bhoomi and Jhund, Sandeep Singh is gearing up for his directorial debut. Titled Safed, the film, featuring Abhay Verma and Meera Chopra in the lead, was shot in 11 days in Varanasi. Sandeep, who is looking forward to share the first look at Cannes, said, "It is humbling and encouraging that I begin with a story that comes from a world that most of us know so little about; a story that pains my heart in a way that gives me happiness."