Have you heard? Shah Rukh Khan is in Pune to shoot for south director Atlee's film

Shah Rukh Khan

On Friday, Shah Rukh Khan began shooting for South director Atlee's film in Pune. Though there has been no official announcement of the project, there had been speculation about their collaboration for a while.

South stars Nayanthara and Priyamani were spotted exiting Pune airport, lending credence to the rumours that they are part of the cast. King Khan was extended a warm welcome by fan groups (below), who stood patiently for a glimpse of their cine idol.

The unit is shooting at a newly-constructed Metro station, which is being guarded by security personnel. Late Thursday night, SRK's vanity van was seen cruising on the Expressway, which has been parked at the shoot location. The buzz is that the superstar is playing a double role in the film set against a military backdrop.

Deepika to the rescue

Deepika Padukone has extended a helping hand to acid attack survivor Bala Prajapati, who is suffering from a life-threatening kidney ailment. The actor donated Rs 15 lakh to the Save Bala campaign on a crowdfunding platform. The youngster, who is on dialysis, is in urgent need of financial aid for a kidney transplant. Prajapati featured in the Padukone-starrer Chhapaak (2020), which was based on the life of acid attack survivor Laxmi Agarwal, and was also seen on The Kapil Sharma Show as part of Meghna Gulzar's film's promotions.

In court

On Friday, Honey Singh appeared before a Delhi court for the hearing of the domestic violence case filed against him by wife Shalini Talwar. Last week, the court expressed displeasure when the rapper gave it a skip. Talwar was granted permission to collect her belongings from her matrimonial home. The next hearing is slated for September 28. Talwar, who has alleged physical, verbal and mental abuse, is seeking Rs 20 crore in compensation. During the previous hearing, she had broken down and told the court that Singh had "abandoned" her.

Ratnam lands in trouble

Mani Ratnam has run into trouble with the Animal Welfare Board of India. It is seeking an inquiry into the death of a horse during the shooting of his Tamil film, Ponniyin Selvan. On Thursday, a case was registered in Hyderabad after a PETA India volunteer complained that the animal died during the shooting of the Aishwarya Rai Bachchan-starrer in Hyderabad on August 11. It is alleged that due to the long shooting hours, the animals were ‘tired and dehydrated'. "Compassionate and forward-thinking filmmakers would never dream of hauling animals to a chaotic movie set and forcing them to ‘act'. We are calling on Mani Ratnam to stop the cruelty and switch to CGI," PETA India said.

Insta slam

Now, Kangana Ranaut is angry with Instagram for not allowing her to promote her film, Thalaivii, on her page. She called out the photo-sharing platform after she was unable to include a link to the film's trailer in her bio. The actor posted, "I need your permission to add anything to my own name or profile. Your team in India tells me that they need to take approvals of their international bosses. It's been a week... change your East India Company attitude... you morons." In May, Ranaut's Twitter account was indefinitely suspended for abusive posts. Will Instagram follow suit?

No more dad bod

R Madhavan is training like a beast to get the desired physique. The actor provided a glimpse into his exercise routine "to bid goodbye to dad bod" and added that "Maddy boy will be inching back" in the coming months. Madhavan, who is in the midst of post-production of his directorial venture, Rocketry: The Nambi Effect, is keen on a massive body transformation. Though he did not specify if it was for an upcoming film, fans encouraged him by telling him that at 51, he is ageing backwards.

Song of the old city

Mrunal Jain and Sara Khan are teaming up for the music video of the Sabri Brothers' track, Ajmer ki gali. This marks their first collaboration. The qawwali duo, who rendered the chartbuster, Tumse milke dil ka jo haal, in Main Hoon Na (2004), pay an ode to the city with their latest song. Director Rahat Kazmi says, "Ajmer is known for its spiritual significance but there is very little spoken about its rich cultural heritage. Through this composition, we hope to draw attention to its ancient and beautiful bylanes." The lyrics are written by Rupesh Dubey.

Taking on new roles

Actor and entrepreneur Sneha Namanandi turns producer with the chat show, Zindagi Reloaded. "It's something I always wanted to do," says the actor, who plays Shivina Kapoor in the Nakuul Mehta and Disha Parmar-starrer Bade Acche Lagte Hain 2. "Shivina is Ram's [Mehta] sister and their fun banter is going to set sibling goals," she says. Animal lover Namanandi has named her production house after pet dogs, Maui and Miguel. "They are my world," she adds.

Also read: Have you heard? Farah Khan reveals that she tested positive for COVID-19