Have you heard? Bobby Deol to play a villain again in Thalapathy 69

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Box office battle begins

The fireworks at the box-office are getting increasingly exciting as Diwali nears. The makers of the two festival releases, Singham Again and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 (BB3), are sparing no effort in striking the most lucrative deals. Recently, Rohit Shetty and Jio Studios finalized PVR-INOX Pictures for all-India distribution of the action drama starring Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Akshay Kumar, Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh, Tiger Shroff and Arjun Kapoor. Now, talk in the trade is that producer Bhushan Kumar and distributor Anil Thadani are going all out for their horror comedy starring Kartik Aaryan, Madhuri Dixit-Nene, Vidya Balan and Triptii Dimri. Sources claim that Anil is offering Allu Arjun's Pushpa 2: The Rule in a joint deal with BB3 to single screen and non-national cinema chains to ensure huge footfall in the mass centres. Having struck hard deals to secure his releases like Salaar: Part One - Ceasefire during the clash with Dunki last year, Anil is said to be offering reasonable terms to the exhibitors to ensure the best showcasing for BB3. Things are expected to heat up in the coming days.

Prequel coming soon

Vidhu Vinod Chopra recently announced that his next, Zero Se Shuruwat, will release on December 13. A prequel to 12th Fail (2023), it features the same cast, led by Vikrant Massey, who played the lead role in the screen adaptation of Anurag. . Pathak's book of the same name. The movie also bagged the number one position on IMDB's Top 250 Indian Movies of All Time. For Vikrant, the most touching scene was the champi sequence between Manoj and his mother, played by Geeta Aggarwal Sharma, when the protagonist realizes that his grandmother has passed away. He recalls, "Geetaji and I chose not to use glycerin for this emotionally taxing scene, opting instead to feel as close to the moment as possible. It was a scene where we were required not to cry, but weep. It took several rehearsals, but we managed to pull it off."

Rajini is fine

Rajinikanth , who was admitted to a Chennai hospital on Monday, is said to be doing well now. He reportedly had a swelling in a major blood vessel connecting to his heart. The hospital yesterday issued a medical bulletin stating that the doctors performed a non-surgical procedure to address the issue, placing a stent in his aorta to seal off the swelling and ensure his stable recovery. The superstar's wife, Latha Rajinikanth stated that "all is well" and requested privacy, emphasizing that Rajini's well-being was the family's priority. The actor is likely to be discharged from the hospital later this week.

Being bad was never so good

Bobby Deol is going negative again. His antagonist act in Animal (2023) proved to be a major boost to his career. The actor is getting ready for his Tamil debut, Kanguva, which releases next month. The latest is that he has been signed on to play Vijay's nemesis in his swan song. Tentatively titled Thalapathy 69, H Vinoth's directorial venture marks the last release of the south superstar, who is foraying into politics. Anirudh Ravichander will compose music for the film that releases in October 2025. The production house announced the news on social media with a picture of the actor yesterday. Besides he wrote, "100% official now. Super happy and excited to announce that Bobby Deol joins the Thalapathy 69 cast (sic)."

Not without Huma

Filming for Delhi Crime season 3 began recently in Greater Noida under the direction of Tanuj Chopra. While Shefali Shah returns as top cop DCP Vartika Chaturvedi and Rasika Dugal as ACP Neeti Singh, this time around Huma Qureshi has joined the cast. Initially slated to go on floors early last month, we hear the makers waited a few days so they could begin filming with Huma. Though nothing is known about her role yet, we hear she bonded with the team from the word go. Richie is currently filming a multitude of sequences, from inside the police stations and havelis of Greater Noida to various locations in Delhi over the next couple of months. The third season is said to release in two parts.

Double Trouble

It is known that Kajol plays a cop in debutant director Shashanka Chaturvedi's Do Patti. Now, we hear that Kriti Sanon, who is also producing the thriller with writer Kanika Dhillon, plays a double role, of twin sisters harboring deep secrets in the twisted narrative. How the case unfolds when love, betrayal and vengeance create a tumult of intrigue and deception forms the crux of the story. Do Patti also marks the movie debut of Shaheer Sheikh of Kuch Rang Pyar Ke Aise Bhi fame. He essays the character of a lover caught in a dangerous game of one-upmanship.