Have you heard? Great at being bad

Saif Ali Khan, Priyadarshan and Bobby Deol

It appears that being bad on screen has never proven to be so good. Ask Bobby Deol, who made a huge impact with his small role as the antagonist opposite Ranbir Kapoor in Animal (2023). The actor, who is also playing baddie in Suriya's upcoming Tamil film, Kanguva, has been offered another negative role. This time around, by Priyadarshan, who is planning to make a thriller with Saif Ali Khan essaying a visually-challenged protagonist. We hear that Bobby loved the subject and the twists his character brings to the narrative. "So much so that despite his hectic schedule for the next seven months, Bobby has asked his team to accommodate a month for Priyan's yet-untitled film," says a source. He adds that Bobby's grey character is as good as the parallel lead in the film. The filmmaker is keen to begin shooting in July and wrap up the movie in a start-to-finish schedule. Interestingly, this will be the first time Bobby and Saif will share screen space. Previously, they
have only shared credits for their respective cameos in Shah Rukh Khan's Om Shanti Om (2007).

Prepping up

Pooja Hegde and Ahan Shetty, who are teaming up for Sajid Nadiadwala's Sanki, have begun prep for the movie. The two actors completed a series of intense workshops to absorb the complexities of their characters. In keeping with the drastic physical transformation required for his role, Ahan has also been undergoing extensive training. While high-octane action forms a key part of the narrative, the filmmaker wants his lead actors to focus solely on their performance for now. Directors Adnan Shaikh and Yasir Jah are slated to begin filming on June 6, with a week-long spell in Mumbai. Subsequently, they will head to Goa for a longer schedule. International action choreographer Kecha Khamphakdee has been roped in for the action romance that is planned as a Valentine's Day 2025 offering.

Cannes again

After nine years, Jacqueliene Fernandez is set to grace the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival. She first attended the festival in 2015, at the invitation of the Queen of Malaysia. This time around, she is representing a German automobile brand. Excited to make a splash at the French Riviera, Jackie said, "It feels great to represent the Southeast Asian diaspora at a global level. It is an honour to walk the prestigious red carpet where many legends have already walked. I can't wait for it."

Postponed once more

Uh on, Kangana Ranaut's Emergency, slated to release on June 14, has been delayed again. Reason: the actor-filmmaker is currently preoccupied with the Lok Sabha elections as she is contesting from Mandi, Himachal Pradesh. Her team shared the update on social media, stating, "Our hearts are filled with love pouring in for our queen Kangana Ranaut. As she prioritises her duty to the nation and her commitment to serve the country, the release date of our much-awaited film Emergency has been postponed. We promise to update you soon with a new release date. Thank you for your continued support." Kangana portrays the former Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, in the political drama based on the 1975 Emergency. She also serves as the producer-director. The film also stars Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhary, Shreyas Talpade, and Anupam Kher.

Readying for Take 3 too!

Even as the release of Kamal Haasan's Indian 2 has been moved from mid-June to mid-July, director S Shankar is planning to give audiences a dekko of the vigilante film franchise's third edition. It is known that the filmmaker shot for Indian 2 and Indian 3 simultaneously, completing the action thriller's trilogy. A source reveals, "Indian 2 ends on a cliffhanger. Shankar will attach the trailer of Indian 3, which will be shown as part of the end-credits, thus building anticipation and curiosity around the final edition." Reportedly, the final edit has been locked. The team hopes to replicate the pan-India success of the first Indian with the upcoming two editions too. With the upcoming instalments, the team hopes to replicate the pan-India success of the 1996 edition that saw Kamal essaying a double role - of the righteous father Veerasekharan Senapathy and his son Chandrabose.

Seeking new challenges

Alaya F shared that while she received love for her performances in Jawaani Jaaneman (2020) and Almost Pyaar with DJ Mohabbat (2023), she isn't satisfied as an actor. The Srikanth actor said, "I want to work on films that demand something out of me. I want to feel challenged and I want to grow as an actor. That's what I'm seeking from my new movies."

Fashion talk

Bhumi Pednekar recently shared how she turned to fashion as a form of self-discovery. "When I was growing up, I struggled with feeling confident, especially because of the pressure to fit into certain beauty ideals," the Bhakshak actor recalled. Conceding that playing a small-town woman in some of her films has given her a girl-next-door image, Bhumi added, "My fashion turn is to shatter that perception and show people who I really am and how I want to be seen. I'm a young, confident Indian woman who is expressing herself through fashion and I'm enjoying the love that my looks are getting!"