Have you heard? Another Hollywood outing for Deepika Padukone

Padukone will not only star in the untitled cross-cultural romantic comedy but will also co-produce it with STXFilms, and Wyck Godfrey and Marty Bowen’s Temple Hill Productions

After xXx: Return of Xander Cage (2017), Deepika Padukone has inked her second Hollywood outing. She will not only star in the untitled cross-cultural romantic comedy but will also co-produce it with STXFilms, and Wyck Godfrey and Marty Bowen’s Temple Hill Productions, who previously backed The Fault in our Stars (2014) and the Twilight franchise. On Tuesday, the announcement was made by STXFilms chief Adam Fogelson. “Deepika is enormously talented with an infectious personality and her profile continues to grow as an international superstar. We believe this project gives us the opportunity to tap into the spirit, voice, characters and vibrant settings of India and New York in ways that made Crazy Rich Asians [2018] feel so authentic and fresh,” said Fogelson.

Marathi treat

On Tuesday, Madhuri Dixit-Nene launched a Marathi OTT platform at an event held in Andheri. “This is something that global citizens of Maharashtrian origin were waiting for,” said the actor-producer. Mads added that she often binge-watches films and shows in the language. Perhaps she has something lined up on the Marathi digital front as well.

See you later

Saying farewell is never easy for Shefali Shah. On Tuesday, she finished shooting for Doctor G, co-starring Ayushmann Khurrana and Rakul Preet Singh. “Yet another journey comes to an end,” she posted and added that it was the beginning of new friendships. Shah began shooting for Anubhuti Kashyap’s campus comedy last month.

B-Town debut

Malayalam filmmaker Mahesh Narayanan ventures into Bollywood with Phantom Hospital. The film, about a scandal in the healthcare sector, is backed by Priti Shahani, who earlier produced Talvar (2015), Raazi (2018) and Badhaai Ho (2018). The thriller is the first project from her new banner. “My films have received so much love from the Hindi audience, now I am looking forward to direct my first Hindi film,” says Narayanan, who helmed the Fahadh Faasil-starrer C U Soon (2020) and Malik, which dropped digitally in July.

Film studies

Shweta Basu Prasad has fulfilled her dream of studying at the Film and Television Institute of India in Pune. She pursued a film appreciation course, which was conducted online due to the pandemic. As Prasad had not attended any acting school or pursued theatre, she was keen to learn the craft. “The quest for knowledge should never cease. I am a student for life,” said the actor. Prasad hopes to imbibe whatever she has learnt to better herself as an actor.

Animal love

John Abraham features in the new Mercy for Animals India ad in a bid to encourage people to be kind to animals. The campaign tagline reads, “In a world where you can be anything, be nice.” The actor, who has created an Instagram handle for his two pet pooches, Bailey and Sia, says, “Animals deserve our love, respect and freedom. I have, and always will stand up for animals in need.” Abraham is at the forefront of initiatives that help strays and abandoned animals.

First call

Even before her Bollywood debut, Sanjay and Maheep Kapoor’s daughter, Shanaya, has landed a brand endorsement. She is the face of a hair straightener brand. As soon as mentor Karan Johar shared the commercial on social media, a section of netizens rekindled the nepotism and favouritism debate. Others felt she was acting like buddy Ananya Panday.

Too difficult to digest?

The two new ads for a food delivery app, which feature Hrithik Roshan and Katrina Kaif, are facing the heat on social media for depicting “the sad working conditions of the delivery staff who have no time to rest between orders.” Some netizens also wondered why the company was “spending huge money on celebrities than pay their staff fair wages.” Responding to the criticism, the doorstep delivery app released a statement, which read, “The ads make delivery partners the hero and highlight that we should talk respectfully to them. It demonstrates the pride with which they serve customers and reiterate that every customer is a star for us.”

Slippery when wet

Rajveer Singh, who plays Neel in the romantic drama, Qurbaan Hua, injured himself on the set in Malad. “The scene required me to climb a tree and pluck a flower for Chahat [played by Pratibha Ranta] but I slipped and fell. My knee was badly bruised,” says the actor. As it is a daily, Singh continues to shoot with his bandaged foot. “I am on medication and might need to undergo a minor surgery,” he adds.

Another twist

Kumkum Bhagya, which has been on air for over seven years, will experience yet another twist in the tale with protagonists Abhi (Shabir Ahluwalia) and Pragya (Sriti Jha) tying the knot again. Post the two-year leap, Pragya has emerged to be a successful entrepreneur, while Abhi is a far cry from his rockstar image. Determined to take revenge, she agrees to the marriage, which she sees as a ‘contract’ to get even with him. “Abhi and Pragya’s union happens in the most unexpected scenario. Their destinies are going to change,” says Jha.

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