Have you heard? Singham to let Pushpa rule

Rohit Shetty with Ajay Devgn; (right) Allu Arjun in Pushpa 2: The Rise

On Monday, the makers of Pushpa 2: The Rise announced that the Allu Arjun-starrer will release on August 15, next year. Apparently, this has come as a shock for Rohit Shetty and Ajay Devgn, who had already announced that Singham Again will come on the Independence Day. Rumours are rife that the director-actor duo are now looking for an alternate date. While we hear that Rohit and Ajay are upset about being blindsided with the announcement of director Sukumar's sequel, they are not keen to engage in a clash. "They'd rather avoid the face-off for better business [and find] an open window as the Singham franchise has only gotten bigger with Rohit expanding his cop universe with Simmba and Sooryavanshi," says an industry insider, adding that the cast, content and scale of Singham Again will be enough to draw huge footfall even if it comes on a regular Friday. Let's see what release plans the director comes up with in the coming days as he gears up to begin filming next month.

Yash to team up with Geetu

After basking in the success of KGF: Chapter 2, Yash has finalised his next movie. He is set to team up with director Geetu Mohandas for a content rich movie with a blend of action and thrills. The actor has reportedly been involved in the project from the scripting stage. Pre-production is under way and Yash will soon begin the look test for his character as the yet-untitled movie features him in a new avatar. Rest of the cast and crew will be finalised before December when the film goes on floors.

Kay Kay fulfils Shujaat's dream

The web series Bambai Meri Jaan realises the dream of director and co-creator Shujaat Saudagar of working with Kay Kay Menon. The actor plays the role of Ismail Kadri, an honest cop torn between his duty and responsibilities. Shujaat, who had Kay Kay in mind for the policeman's part, says, "I've been trying to work with him for almost 20 years, and things have never materialised." Asserting that Kay Kay is the only actor who could do justice to this part, the director explains, "I needed somebody who has a certain personality, an aura that speaks volumes. I had a vision of people seeing the character and understanding his life and backstory in one shot. I am spellbound by how easy Kay Kay made this look."

Sunny, Dharam head to US

Even as Gadar 2: The Katha Continues is attracting audience in the face of the Jawan onslaught, Sunny Deol has reportedly taken off to the US for the next couple of weeks. The reason for his sudden travel plans is Dharmendra's health. The veteran actor posted a cryptic message about his health issues a few weeks ago. According to a source, ‘Dharamji is 87 and health issues aren't uncommon at this age. Though it is nothing major to worry about, Sunny decided to make this trip to the US to address his father's health concerns and get the necessary treatment done."

Khiladi returns as a challenger

The upcoming episode of Khatron Ke Khiladi 13, hosted by Rohit Shetty, will have a new entrant. Faisal Shaikh, the finalist of the last season, returns as a challenger in the current edition. "I'm going to bring an exciting twist to the game by challenging all the contestants to rise above the benchmarks I've set," he says. Sharing that his journey on the show changed is life, Faisal adds, "Returning to the show filled me with nostalgia. I was thrilled to have a chance to relive that experience as a challenger." He signs off, expressing "heartfelt gratitude to Rohit Shetty for his mentorship."