Have you heard? Five months later

Om Raut; (right) Prabhas

After much mulling over and internal discussions, the release of Adipurush has been deferred by five months. Initially slated to arrive on January 12, 2023, the Prabhas, Kriti Sanon and Saif Ali Khan starrer will now open in cinemas on June 16. Based on the mythological epic, the Ramayana, Om Raut's directorial venture has been making news since its announcement over two years ago. In recent times, it has been making headlines for its VFX, which hasn't exactly got glowing reviews. While buzz was that the costume drama's date with cinemas would be deferred, to rework on the special effects, the makers made it official yesterday. Om issued a statement saying, "Adipurush is not a film, but a representation of our devotion to Prabhu Shri Ram and commitment towards our sanskriti and history. In order to give a complete visual experience to the viewers, we need to give more time to the teams working on the film." Sharing the new release date, he added, "We are committed to make a film that India will be proud of. Your support, love and blessings is what keeps us going."

Deva re deva!

Even as Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt-starrer Brahmastra: Part One - Shiva began streaming on OTT last Friday, rumours are now rife that Vijay Deverakonda is being considered to play Dev, the protagonist in the second instalment of director Ayan Mukerji's trilogy. It's another thing that producer Karan Johar recently stated that the script of the sequel will be completed before the makers approach any actor. Previously, Hrithik Roshan and then Ranveer Singh were said to have been offered the film. However, both expressed their inability to take it up. Talk in tinsel town is that KJo and Vijay are looking to team up again despite the debacle of Liger. It remains to be seen which film they will finally team up for.

To Russia, with love

Even as the country continues its war against Ukraine, Russia is likely to witness the release of Allu Arjun and Rashmika Mandanna's Pushpa: The Rise next month. In August, Sukumar's directorial venture was screened at the Moscow International Film Festival in the Blockbuster Hits Around the World category. The release date of the movie in Russian cinemas will be decided in the coming days, after the makers take stock of Arjun's dates. The actor has reportedly begun filming the sequel, Pushpa: The Rule, which also sees Fahadh Faasil reprise his cop character.

Also Read: Have you heard? Ranveer working with wife's agency

Suriya or Ranveer?

Even as director S Shankar is juggling to complete Indian 2 with Kamal Haasan and RC 15 with Ram Charan, there is plenty of curiosity around his next. Earlier, it was being said that the filmmaker would team up with Suriya for a screen adaptation of Su Venkatesan's much-acclaimed book, Velpari. However, recent reports claim that Shankar is considering casting Ranveer Singh in the movie. If that's not enough, the director is planning to make a three-part film on the subject, as against the single-part movie he was said to be making with Suriya. Sources claim that the filmmaker feels the narrative is too vast to be contained in two-odd hours. Moreover, Shankar is looking to target the pan-India audience by making a magnum opus of the Velpari trilogy. Apparently, the director's adaptation of his hit psychological thriller, Anniyan (2005) is said to have been called off. As a result of which, he's keen to make Velpari with Ranveer. It remains to be seen whether he teams up with Suriya for another subject.

Also Read: Have you heard? Priyanka leads the way

Grab the date!

In keeping with the industry norm, the makers of Kuttey grabbed the release date soon after the makers of Adipurush vacated it. Helmed by composer-filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj's son Aasmaan, the thriller stars Tabu, Naseeruddin Shah, Arjun Kapoor, Konkona Sensharma and Radhika Madan. Sharing the news, Arjun wrote, "Usher in the New Year with Kuttey, releasing in cinemas on January 13, 2023." Interestingly, one netizen wanted to know why his name came before actors like Tabu and Naseeruddin Shah.

The last spell

Over the weekend, Anushka Sharma celebrated cricketer-husband Virat Kohli's 34th birthday. On Monday, the actor was back to work, resuming the shoot of Chakda Xpress. Incidentally, this is the last spell of director Prosit Sen's biopic on Indian women's cricket icon, Jhulan Goswami. They recently shot a schedule in Kolkata. The ongoing shoot in Mumbai is said to be quite rigourous and gruelling. With the completion of this shoot, it will be a wrap on Chakda Xpress. Incidentally, the Netflix-backed movie also marks Anushka's acting debut in OTT entertainment. The actor-producer's idea is to make the most definitive biopic ever on an Indian sports icon.

Reunion after 35 years

Over three-and-a-half decades years since their gangster drama, Nayakan, Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam are set to team up again. Tentatively titled KH 234, the movie is being written by the acclaimed filmmaker, while Oscar-winning composer AR Rahman will create the soundtrack. The film is being produced by the iconic actor, the auteur, and producer Udhayanidhi Stalin (who is also a producer of Vikram and Indian 2). Pleased with the reunion, Kamal said, "I was equally excited 35 years before when I was about to start work with Mr Mani Ratnam. Collaborating with a similar mindset is stimulating. This stimulation includes Mr Rahman as well." Ratnam said, "Happy, honoured and excited to collaborate with Kamal sir again." Interestingly, the filmmaker had first wanted to make Ponniyin Selvan with Kamal around the mid '90s, but the logistics didn't work out.