Is Deepika finalised as Ranbir's love interest for Luv Ranjan's film?

Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone. Pic/AFP

There have been a lot of speculations and rumours about Luv Ranjan's next directorial, starring Ajay Devgn and Ranbir Kapoor. The film was announced all the way back at the beginning of 2018 and ever since then, it continues to be in the news. The latest reports that have surfaced on the internet are that Deepika Padukone has been finalised to play Kapoor's love interest. A report by Bollywood Hungama says the makers will make an official announcement at the right time.

A trade source told the portal, "Deepika is doing Luv Ranjan's untitled next but everybody wants to keep it under wraps till the whole noise about Me Too dies down completely. Deepika had signed the movie much earlier this year and had started discussions regarding the script with Luv. In July, she and Ranbir were even spotted coming out of the filmmaker's office but Deepika's fans took offense to that and #NotMyDeepika started trending online. Many felt on social media that given her strong stance against sexual harassment she shouldn't do the movie and ask her to rethink her choice. In a magazine interview, Deepika had denied that she would be willing to work with a person accused of sexual misconduct. Her fans were appeased by that but now that she has signed the film it will be interesting to see their reactions."

The source adds, "Apparently, they meet at Luv's home and office but make sure the media doesn't get a whiff of it. It's a very different kind of role for Deepika and a well-scripted romance. The actress had loved the script and given her nod months ago. Also, she and Ranbir share great on-screen chemistry and with Luv's it will be their fourth movie together after Bachna Ae Haseeno, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani and Tamasha. Once the prep and workshops are done, they will make the announcement at the right time. MeToo is a sensitive subject and the makers and the actors don't want to hurt anybody's feelings. Ranbir is currently shooting for Shamshera and will join in preps soon. The movie will roll next year after Ajay and Ranbir complete their current quota of movies."

As stated by the source above, Padukone stated in an interview how she would never work with someone accused of sexual assault. But if the reports by Bollywood Hungama are indeed true, reactions from the fans are likely to be volatile. Kapoor and Padukone have always shared crackling chemistry on the celluloid in Bachna Ae Haseeno, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani and Tamasha, with their fourth outing together, it will be intriguing to see what more they can offer the audiences.

As of now, the actress is busy with Meghna Gulzar's Chhapaak and Kabir Khan's '83 with Ranveer Singh.

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