Have you heard? Superstars on Atlee’s wish list

Kamal Haasan, Atlee and Salman Khan

Superstars on Atlee's wish list

It is known that after Jawan (2023) with Shah Rukh Khan, director Atlee is looking to up the ante with his next. After his collaboration with Allu Arjun didn't materialise, the filmmaker is in talks with Salman Khan for an action thriller. What makes the project interesting is that it is a two-hero subject and Atlee is keen on casting a south superstar along with Salman. Chatter is that the filmmaker has approached Kamal Haasan for the big-budget extravaganza. Popularly known as Ulganayagan, the legendary actor too is said to have given his nod to the subject. However, things will be finalised after Kamal and Salman hear the final screenplay, work on which is underway. Incidentally, a couple of weeks ago, it was being said that Atlee had discussed the concept with Rajinikanth. Considering the director is now in talks with Kamal, it appears that things didn't pan out with Rajini.

A new venture

Rhea Chakraborty is set to begin a new phase of her life with an inspiring podcast titled Chapter 2. The first episode of her new venture features Sushmita Sen. Sharing a teaser, Rhea wrote, "I just turned 32 yesterday, and what a journey it has been! The past four years have been all about change, growth, and becoming a version of myself that I'm finally feeling good about." Comparing her podcast to a celebration, the actor added about her first guest, saying, "I've looked up to her ever since I was a kid, and I'm still in awe of how she keeps challenging life and winning at it. We had such a great chat about all things life, love and evolution." Rhea concluded her post, saying, "Sequels are usually boring, but not this one!"

Thrice as nice

Sharvari is on a high. After Munjya crossed the R100-crore mark at the domestic box office, she earned praise for her performance in Maharaj, which released on OTT in June. Now, the actor has bagged the top spot in IMDb's latest Popular Indian Celebrities list. Excited with the news, Sharvari promises, "I'm going to put in a lot of hard work because I want to be a part of the best films and hopefully become one of the best actresses of my country. My mind is set on that goal."

On a hat-trick

Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal's maiden production venture, Girls Will Be Girls, continues its winning spree. Shuchi Talati's directorial venture has won the Grand Jury Prize at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA). Starting this year with two wins at the Sundance Film Festival, the Kani Kusruti and Preeti Panigrahi-starrer also won Grand Jury prizes at Transilvania International Film Festival in Romania and Biarritz Film Festival in France. Calling their latest win "an incredible honour", Richa said, "It is gratifying to see the hard work and dedication of our entire team being recognised on such a prestigious platform. This is a third win for the film this month which is huge." Calling their journey nothing short of magical, Ali added, "Each accolade reaffirms our belief in the power of authentic storytelling. We are grateful for the support and love we've received, and we're excited to see where Girls Will Be Girls will go next."

Hollywood remake of desi actioner on cards

It's not often that one hears of a Bollwood production inspiring a Hollywood remake. That's where director Nikhil Nagesh Bhat's upcoming actioner Kill comes as a pleasant surprise. Reportedly, Lionsgate and 87Eleven Entertainment, which has produced the popular John Wick franchise, are joining hands to make an adaptation of the Lakshya, Raghav Juyal and Tanya Maniktala-starrer. Kill, produced by Guneet Monga Kapoor and Karan Johar, premièred at the Toronto International Film Festival 2023 and has been earning accolades on the festival circuit ever since. Chad Stahelski, producer for 87Eleven Entertainment, has called it "one of the most vivid, wild, and creative action movies I've seen recently," and lauded director Nikhil's relentless action sequences. What makes the remake important is that it will be a joint venture between the international production house and KJo's Dharma Productions and Guneet's Sikhya Entertainment. The two producers called this development "a big win for Indian cinema" and a testament to Kill's potential for international appeal. Details of the adaptation, like the director and cast are yet to be finalised.

Director's actor

Ever since his debut film, Laila Majnu (2018), Avinash Tiwary has been impressing audiences with his acting chops. The Madgaon Express actor will next be seen in Sikandar Ka Muqqaddar. The upcoming movie reunites him with director Neeraj Pandey, after the web series, Khakee: The Bihar Chapter (2022). Recently, when the filmmaker was asked to share his opinion on Avinash, he replied, "Avinash was so good that we decided to work again on Sikandar Ka Muqqaddar on Netflix."

Change in release plans?

Talk in the trade is that Ajay Devgn and Tabu's Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha will not release this Friday. Sources claim that director Neeraj Pandey's musical romance has been deferred due to the unprecedented success of Kalki 2898 AD. Opening to full houses, director Nag Ashwin's futuristic thriller starring Prabhas, Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan and Deepika Padukone is holding well during the week and is expected to continue its run in its second weekend too. In such a scenario, there could be screen-sharing issues as Kill and the Hollywood film Despicable Me 4 are also releasing this Friday. So, to avoid affecting the exhibitors and in the larger interest of film trade, Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha makers are considering arriving on either July 12 or August 2.