Have you heard? End of a long association

Aditya Chopra and Arjun Kapoor

After over 12 years since his launch by YRF with Ishaqzaade (2012), Arjun Kapoor has parted ways with the studio's talent management division. Stating that the two parties ended their association on an amicable note, a source explained, "Arjun wanted to explore newer avenues. The studio boss, Aditya Chopra understood his predicament. They have high regard for each other and will work together when a suitable project comes up." Incidentally, Arjun marked his 12-year journey as an actor on Saturday with a video paying tribute to his maiden movie. Besides launching the actor, the studio's talent division managed his movies, endorsements and PR. He has reportedly signed Matrix, co-founded by Reshma Shetty, to manage his work henceforth.

Borrowing inspiration

Janhvi Kapoor did a Q-&-A session on social media yesterday, and a follower asked her if she was "copying Zendaya". The Mr & Mrs Mahi actor conceded, "Yes, I think I'm very heavily inspired by what she did for her Challengers movie promotions. I feel as actors, we're all encouraged to dress similar to your characters when you're promoting a film." Janhvi, who recently sported an outfit that took inspiration from her sports drama and incorporated tiny cricket balls in the design, added, "When I saw her dress in accordance to the theme of the film, I realised that as actors there is a good amount of attention put on how we look and how we dress. If I can use that to bring attention back to my film, then why not? So yes, definitely inspired by that and trying to follow her footsteps."

Who will be the Boss?

On the one hand, celebrity contestants are being finalised for Big Boss OTT 3, and on the other hand, buzz is that Salman Khan might not return as the host. Reason: the superstar, who recently began filming Sikandar with director AR Murugadoss' Sikandar, is suddenly facing date issues. Even as efforts are being made to adjust as per Salman's schedule, other celebrities like Sanjay Dutt, Karan Johar and even Anil Kapoor have apparently been approached to host the digital version of the reality show. Sources claim that KJo is preoccupied with prior commitments and hence, is yet to sit down with the show producers. Anil's meeting is also said to be pending, while Sanju is likely to meet them in the coming days.

Courting controversy

Over two years ago, Kareena Kapoor Khan launched her book on pregnancy. Now, she has been issued a notice by the Madhya Pradesh High Court after advocate Christopher Anthony filed a petition expressing his angst over the use of the word ‘Bible' in the title, Kareena Kapoor Khan's Pregnancy Bible. He issued a statement, saying, "Bible is the holy book of Christianity all over the world and it is wrong to compare Kareena Kapoor Khan's pregnancy with the Bible." Justice Gurpal Singh Ahluwalia has summoned Bebo to provide an explanation for her decision to incorporate ‘Bible' in the title, and also served a notice to the sellers.

Stay alert

Anup Soni is the latest celebrity whose deep fake videos are being used to promote betting and some Telegram group. Alerting everyone about the fraud, the actor says, "We all have to be alert about how things can be manipulated, because the way the voice has been used, it sounds like it is really me talking. The clips have been sourced from the Crime Patrol series. I'd like to warn everyone out there to beware of such fraudulent videos."

Of publicity stunts

A video of Vikrant Massey in a heated argument with a cab driver went viral recently. In the episode that has been shot by the cabbie, the 12th Fail actor can be seen asking, "I was abusing? Why are you using the camera? Are you threatening me? I'm only asking logical questions. How did the fare increase suddenly? This won't do." Not to be taken in by the content of the video, netizens were sceptical that it was another ad campaign. One user commented, "Script achhi hai," while another observed, "Yeah, this seems like some publicity gimmick for his upcoming series/film. And where did he get violent? That's not visible." Yet another social media subscriber wrote, "One minute's silence for those who think it's real."

A dramatic wrap-up

Vicky Kaushal has wrapped up the shoot of his historical drama, Chhaava. He plays Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj in director Laxman Utekar's biopic on the Maratha warrior king. Sharing a picture from the location on social media, Vicky wrote, "The incredibly passionate and dramatic journey of filming Chhaava couldn't have ended without some drama. The rain gods really put up a show today, immediately after we rolled our final shot." Admitting that there is so much he wishes to say, and so little he is able to convey about his journey right now, the actor added, "Maybe in a few days when it all sinks in. All I can say now with a heart full of gratitude, love and contentment is that it's a wrap!" The period action drama is slated to arrive in theatres on December 6 this year.