Have you heard? Date’s the problem

Director Siddharth Anand’s yet-untitled film with Prabhas has been put on hold as the two have packed date diaries

Uh oh! After a series of meetings, discussing monies, etal, director Siddharth Anand’s yet-untitled film with Prabhas has been put on hold. Which is a polite way of saying that the film is not happening. This new development is attributed to the filmmaker and the Bahubali star’s dates not matching. Apparently, both Siddharth and Prabhas have packed date diaries. There were high stakes on the action entertainer as the filmmaker was reportedly getting about R60 crore as his remuneration. Siddharth, who is currently working on Fighter with Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone, and has Tiger vs Pathaan next, is said to have lined up Fighter 2 later. On the other hand, Prabhas, who is gearing up for the release of Adipursh and Salaar in the coming months, also has Nag Ashwin’s Project K, Maruthi’s Raja Deluxe and Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Spirit lined up for 2024. Since Prabhas and Siddharth are unable to get common dates for their collaboration, the former returned the signing amount to the producers. Of course, they parted on an amicable note, with the understanding that they will team up when things work out. And when will that happen? Your guess is as good as ours.

Dial a dost

After much speculation, Shah Rukh Khan finally locked the release date of his next, Jawan, with south director Atlee. Apparently, it took a couple of calls before deciding on September 7 for his action entertainer co-starring Nayanthara, Vijay Sethupathi, Sanya Malhotra, and Deepika Padukone in a special role. Sources claim that the actor-producer was contemplating August 11 and checked with Bhushan Kumar, whose Animal with Ranbir Kapoor and director Sandeep Reddy Vanga had long announced the date. Understanding that they couldn’t move, SRK also called good friend Karan Johar to check if his Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani is coming on July 28 or is there any change in plans. After being told that they’re on schedule, SRK opted to finalise September 7 as Jawan’s date with cinemas. 

Wings to fly

Saiyami Kher has pledged to support young female athletes, and wishes to do her bit for girls who want to pursue sports. Glad that much is being done for women in sport now, she says, “Even if my involvement is in a small way, I believe every drop in the ocean counts. Kavita Raut [India’s long-distance runner] was first sponsored by my parents’ NGO in Nashik. I feel proud to see all that she has achieved. If I can help these athletes achieve their dreams, I’ll be happy.”

Also Read: Have you heard? Owning the part

Big B’s advance warning

Amitabh Bachchan is known to greet fans gathering outside Jalsa every Sunday evening. However, knowing that professional commitments would keep him busy, he informed his followers in advance to not crowd outside his landmark Juhu home. On his blog, Big B wrote, “There is work on location which can only be given permission for on a Sunday. There shall be effort of course to return in time for the 5:45 pm [meet] at Jalsa… but there could be a delay or a non-appearance. So, a warning in advance to keep away.” The Indian cinema legend is currently filming director Ribhu Dasgupta’s legal drama, Section 84, co-starring Diana Penty and Nimrat Kaur.

Also Read: Have you heard? John to the rescue

Revisiting bachpan ke din

Shrenu Parikh first formed a sisterly bond with Bhaweeka Chaudhary, who plays her sibling in the serial, Maitree. Now, thanks to six-year old co-actor Gantavya Sharma, she has got an opportunity to relive her childhood. Seeing him spend his time in between shots on his books, Shrenu ensures that his schooling is not disturbed. Sharing that they have become good friends since the time the child actor joined the show, she says, “Gantavya is a hard-working kid and pulls off every scene effortlessly. What I love the most about him is that he tries to learn something new every day, and with him, we get to learn a lot.” When she is not helping him with his studies, she shares with him memories of her school days. She adds, “It is fun to relive the old school days with him. He reminds us to keep the child within us alive and liberate ourselves from any form of control.”

Actor turns DoP

Karanvir Sharma, who is currently working on the show, Rabb Se Hai Dua, recently doubled up as the cinematographer. He recalls, “We were shooting outdoors in scorching heat, and I thought of giving some rest to our DoP Suhas Rao and taking charge of the camera to shoot an interesting sequence.” Admitting to being curious about how cinematographers shoot crucial scenes, he adds, “[Initially] I wasn’t sure if I’d get it right. But with the help of crew members, and guidance of the original DoP Suhas ji, I think I did a pretty good job.” While being in front of the camera is his passion, operating one is something he always wanted to try. Karanvir, who has directed a music video, Jo tera howega, in the past, sums it up, saying, “Shooting a sequence of my own show was an experience in itself.”

A new journey begins

Pankaj Tripathi embarked on a new journey yesterday, by beginning the shoot of Main Atal Hoon. He portrays the late Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee in the biopic helmed by Ravi Jadhav. Calling it an “honour to play our great leader”, Pankaj shares, “We went through rigorous reading sessions, to understand the dialect, his lifestyle and his vision for India.” All praise for his lead actor’s prep and conviction in playing his roles, Ravi adds, “Pankaj ji is super involved in the process of knowing and understanding Atal ji. I am sure no one else would have been a better fit than him to essay such a proficient personality. We are hoping to create the same magic with our film that Atal ji created with his life.” The makers are aiming a December 2023 release in keeping with Vajpayee’s 99th birth anniversary.

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