Have you heard? Manushi Chillar, not Kareena Kapoor Khan, was first choice for 'Laal Singh Chaddha'?

Manushi Chhillar and Kareena Kapoor Khan

Even as Laal Singh Chaddha nears its date with cinemas, it is now learnt that Kareena Kapoor Khan wasn't the first choice for the female lead opposite Aamir Khan. The actor-producer of the Forrest Gump remake revealed on Karan Johar's chat show that the casting director suggested a new girl and also shared her ad with the makers. Talking about the commercial, Aamir said that director Advait Chandan and he viewed the ad to gauge the newcomer's potential. "The girl was very good. But when we saw Kareena, we were lost in her," the actor-filmmaker recalled. So, who was the newcomer who lost the role to Kareena? Buzz is that the girl was former Miss World Manushi Chhillar, who shared screen space with Bebo for a jewellery brand campaign. Interestingly, Manushi has considerable screen time in the commercial and played her part perfectly. However, it looks like with just a scene in the ad, a more experienced Kareena caught Aamir and Advait's eye, becoming their choice for the role of Rupa. And Manushi went on to make her debut opposite Akshay Kumar in Samrat Prithviraj.

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Will Ranveer strip for a cause now?

Even as the noise around Ranveer Singh's nude photoshoot appears to have reduced, he has got an offer to bare again. This time around, for a cause. PETA (People for Ethical Treatment of Animals) has approached the Gully Boy actor to strip for their new ‘Go Vegan' campaign. Requesting him to join them in their movement to promote veganism, the organisation has sent a letter to him, saying, "To promote compassion for animals, will you consider appearing in a nude PETA, India advertisement with the tagline - "All Animals Have the Same Parts - Try Vegan?" Let's wait for his reply.

Courting controversy

Kangana Ranaut has blamed Aamir Khan for the netizens' call for boycott of Laal Singh Chaddha. She stated that "all the negativity surrounding Laal Singh Chaddha has been skillfully curated by the mastermind" actor-filmmaker himself. "This year, no Hindi films have worked (barring one exception of a comedy sequel)," she pointed out. Kangana added, "Only south films deeply rooted in Indian culture have worked. A Hollywood remake would have not worked anyway. But now, they will call India intolerant." Asserting that "Hindi films need to understand the pulse of the audiences", Kangana concluded by saying, "Please stop making it about religion or ideology, it takes away from their bad acting and bad films."

Also Read: Have you heard? Birthday getaway for Kiara Advani

Priyamani in Pushpa sequel

The makers of Pushpa: The Rise are leaving no stone unturned in taking the sequel a few notches higher. News from the south is that Priyamani has been signed on for Pushpa: The Rule, which sees Allu Arjun and Rashmika Mandanna reprise their characters from the first instalment. Sources say Priyamani has been signed on for a pivotal part opposite Vijay Sethupathi. The Vikram actor has been brought on board to essay a key character in the film.

All set for the grand welcome

With Sonam K Ahuja and Anand Ahuja set to become parents later this month, the Kapoor clan is preparing to welcome the youngest family member. The Veere Di Wedding actor, who has a home in Delhi and London with her businessman husband, is currently staying at her parents' Juhu home. Anil Kapoor is most excited about his new role - that of a grandfather. He is ensuring that Sonam has everything at her beck and call, as the D-day nears. After the baby's arrival, Sonam will be staying put at the Juhu home for the next six months before she decides to juggle her professional and personal commitments.

Huma is on a role

It appears that ‘take it easy' is definitely not Huma Qureshi's policy. Even as her maiden production venture, Double XL, a slice-of-life story helmed by Santram Ramani is being readied for an OTT release, she has moved on to her next, Single Salma. Pre-production for the comedy drama co-starring Shreyas Talpade and Sunny Singh, and helmed by Nachiket Samant is underway. What's more, the actor-producer is taking it on floors later this month, with a schedule in London. Huma plays the titular role of a small-town unmarried girl in this quirky story about relationships.

Aparshakti's fitness fundas

Aparshakti Khurana believes that there is no investment richer than time invested in yourself. So, he is sparing no effort in upping his fitness level with a special exercise regime under the supervision of fitness coach and choreographer Ravinder Singh Devlas. He is balancing stability training with pilates and mobility training for the hips and thoracic reaction (upper body). He has also added yoga postures like halasana and eka padasana shoulder stand to his intense routine, which he ends with yoga trapeze for passive stretches against gravity. A firm believer that one's health should be their top priority, the actor says, "Ever since I started this routine, I have felt a drastic difference in my body and an overall mindfulness. There is nothing that can't be achieved with a disciplined approach."