Have you heard? Kartik Aaryan in the eye of the storm

Kartik Aaryan

Controversies and Kartik Aaryan appear to go hand-in-hand. Last year, there had been a great deal of speculation surrounding the actor's exit from Karan Johar's Dostana 2. Aaryan now faces the heat after producer Manish Shah revealed that he "threatened to walk out" of Shehzada, the remake of the Telugu film Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo (2020) if the dubbed Hindi version of the Allu Arjun-starrer hit theatres. Shah of Goldmines Telefilms, who holds the rights to the Hindi version, reportedly said that Aaryan's "unprofessionalism" would have resulted in a loss of Rs 40 crore. Cashing in on the success of the dubbed Hindi version of Arjun's recent release, Pushpa: The Rise, the makers of Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo decided to do something similar. All their plans have now ground to a halt. Shehzada, directed by Rohit Dhawan, went on the floors last October. The makers of the upcoming film were quick to come out in support of Aaryan. Dhawan feels Aaryan's "intent and excitement for the film is unquestionable. It has been a joy working with him. As director and actor, we share a solid bond and nothing can come in the way of our love for the film." Producer Bhushan Kumar added, "We felt that Shehzada should release in theatres first and not the dubbed Hindi version of
Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo. A film's release is always the producer's decision."

Weather check

Shakun Batra, Ananya Panday, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Deepika Padukone. Pics/Yogen Shah

Deepika Padukone, Ananya Panday, Siddhant Chaturvedi and director Shakun Batra attended a promotional event for their film, Gehraiyaan, at a sea-facing suburban hotel. Batra and Chaturvedi seemed to be aware of the chill in the city and dressed accordingly. But Padukone and Panday were hellbent on making sartorial statements. As the cold winds lashed, Dippy could only grin and bear it, but Panday was freezing within minutes. A chivalrous Chaturvedi removed his jacket and wrapped it around Panday. In times of global warming, always check the weather before stepping out.

Ananya; Siddhant and Ananya

It finally happened

Ranveer Singh and Ronit Bose Roy got a chance to work together after "many hiccups" as Roy described it. While sharing a click from the set, the senior actor extended his gratitude to Singh for the "wonderful shoot day". He showered the 83 actor with love and blessings and added, "Babaji ka haath hamesha tere sir peh rahe". Roy did not mention what the two were shooting for. Blame it on the excitement, perhaps.

Conditions apply

On Tuesday, the Delhi high court proposed to reduce the fine imposed on Juhi Chawla while dismissing her plea against the 5G rollout, from Rs 20 lakh to Rs 2 lakh. The court added a condition that she work for a public cause. The actor's counsel consented to the suggestion. Last June, the court had described Chawla's lawsuit against the 5G rollout as filed for "gaining publicity".

The big day

On Tuesday, Mouni Roy took off for Goa ahead of her wedding celebrations, which kick off today. She ties the knot with Dubai-based entrepreneur Suraj Nambiar. Though the actor has been tightlipped about her plans, when the paparazzi wished her, she replied, "Thank you." Mentor Ekta Kapoor is among the guests. Roy began with Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi in 2006.

What made Shilpa cry?

Judge Shilpa Shetty Kundra got teary-eyed while watching sand artist Nitish Bharti's act on India's Got Talent. The contestant showcased his skills while depicting a mother-son relationship on the reality show. Nitish uses his mother's name Bharti instead of his father's. "You are very inspirational, Nitish, and so was your act," said the actor. Bharti will compete with the Top 16 talents in the semi-finals.

Celebration of patriotic zeal

The unit of Dhadkan Zindaggi Kii had a pre-Republic Day celebration on the set of the medical drama in Naigaon. The cast members, including Additi Gupta, Raghav Dhir, Sid Makkar, Vidyut Xavier, Alma Hussein, and producer Herumb Khot rendered patriotic numbers followed by cake-cutting. "We were keen to soak in the patriotic fervour and pay our respect to all those who guard the borders of our country," said the actors.