Have you heard? Bypassing cinemas

Varun Dhawan and Janhvi Kapoor

Tinsel town is abuzz with rumours of Varun Dhawan and Janhvi Kapoor's maiden collaboration, Bawaal, releasing directly on OTT. Apparently, producer Sajid Nadiadwala, director Nitesh Tiwari and the lead actors have opted to bypass the cinemas. Sources attribute this development to the film's novel subject and treatment that doesn't succumb to the trappings of masala fare with song and dance. We hear Sajid felt the digital release would reach a wider audience instead of risking the ambitious film to a limited audience theatrically. Moreover, he is also said to have got a lucrative deal from Amazon Prime Video that further reaffirmed his decision of skipping the theatres. The streaming date of Bawaal, which is set against the backdrop of World War II, is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

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For the love of Shah Rukh

During the shoot of I Love You, Pavail Gulati learnt that like him, director Nikhil Mahajan is also a huge fan of Shah Rukh Khan. One day, the director revealed to Pavail that every year on SRK's and his birthdays, he'd head to Bandstand, Bandra, to hang around outside the superstar's landmark bungalow for a while. Pavail, who accompanied the director recently, shares, "It was a sight to see his eyes light up when he went outside SRK's home. So, we decided that we're going to shoot outside Mannat." Eventually, Nikhil canned some shots of Pavail and Rakul for the song Hai tu. The actor adds, "In the last shot of the song, we have [given] an ode to Shah Rukh Khan."

Tammy's happy space

Tamannaah Bhatia and Vijay Varma have been rumoured to be dating for several months. However, whenever asked about the relationship, she would maintain that she didn't need to clarify reports, while he remained non-committal. Now, Tamannaah has confirmed the development. In a recent interview, she said that Vijay is someone she really looks up to. She shared, "He is someone with whom I bonded organically. He is someone who came to me with all his guards down." Calling him a person who understood the world she has created for herself, she reportedly added, "He's a person who I care about deeply and yeah, he is my happy place."

Ticket to Bollywood

Adivi Sesh, who made his Bollywood debut with Major last year, is said to have finalised his second Hindi film. Last seen in the thriller, HIT 2, the actor-writer is currently working on the spy thriller titled G2. Yesterday, he announced that he is exploring the romance genre soon. "Next one [other than G2] will be a love story. Will announce in the coming months (sic)," he tweeted, piquing the curiosity of his followers. We hear that the movie in question is an action romance to be made in Hindi. Moreover, the leading lady of the yet-untitled film will be a Bollywood face. Details of the project are being kept under wraps.

Question time

Zeishan Quadri, who got a big breakthrough with his performance in Gangs of Wasseypur, is pleased with the response to Bloody Daddy. He plays a negative role in director Ali Abbas Zafar's action thriller starring Shahid Kapoor, which premiered on OTT recently. Zeishan shares that since they didn't have any pre-shoot workshops or reading sessions, he met Sasha directly on the set. Though he was meeting his co-actors for the first time, they all made him feel welcome and comfortable. While he broke the ice with everyone, he got along the best with Shahid. So much so that he was always curious and asked him several questions about his journey and craft. "Between Delhi and Abu Dhabi schedules, it became an inside joke that here comes Zeishan with a lot of questions," he recalls.

Same same but different

Kiara Advani recently shared a behind-the-scenes picture with Kartik Aaryan from the song, Aaj ke baad, from their upcoming romance musical, Satyaprem Ki Katha. Little did she know that it would create a furore. Netizens pointed out that it beared an uncanny resemblance to her picture with actor-husband Sidharth Malhotra from their wedding in Jaisalmer ealier this February. If that wasn't enough, fans of Sidharth and Kiara also expressed their protest against the movie still. Not to upset their fans any more, Kiara deleted the post from her social media handles.

A new sunrise

It appears that Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's plans of signing Yash for his magnum opus, Karna, have come to nought. The filmmaker is now said to be in talks with Suriya to lead the two-part film based on one of the great warriors of the mythological epic, Mahabharat. From the onset, Rakeysh has been keen to onboard a powerhouse performer for his next, as Karna is said to be one of the most complex characters ever. The National Award-winning actor is reportedly keen on exploring a role like this with a filmmaker like Rakeysh. The filmmaker and his production partners are looking to make it a pan-India offering in multiple languages. If all goes well, Karna will mark Suriya's return to Hindi cinema, about 13 years since Ram Gopal Varma's Rakht Charitra 2 (2010).