Have you heard? New kids on the block

Shanaya Kapoor and Zahrah S Khan

After a couple of false starts, Shanaya Kapoor is finally making her much-awaited film debut with Vrushabha. Sanjay Kapoor's daughter plays the lead opposite Telugu actor Roshan Meka. Her character is said to bridge the gap between the past and present timelines in the action entertainer. She will be joined by Salma Agha's daughter, Zahrah S Khan, who plays the role of a warrior princess in the Malayalam superstar Mohanlal-led pan-Indian epic action film. Helmed by Nanda Kishore, the film also marks Ekta and Shobha Kapoor's foray into the journey of pan-India distribution. Excited to begin filming her maiden movie, Shanaya says, "There will be so much to learn and explore from this film. It has a fascinating storyline that has hooked me. It's the kind of role any young actor would be excited and inspired to play, especially so early in their career. With Mohanlal sir on board, I feel honoured and grateful to be a part of Vrushabha." Zahrah, who returns to the movies after Aurangzeb (2013), says, "I've always wanted to be a part of a film with such high-level performers. To share screen space with Mohanlal sir is a treat for me as an actor. I'm excited to be paired with Roshan, as I feel he's got a striking screen presence."

A rebel once again

Three years after Baaghi 3, Tiger Shroff is teaming up with producer Sajid Nadiadwala for the fourth instalment of the action franchise. Reportedly, the producer and his writers have developed a new subject for Baaghi 4. While the plot will retain the soul of the high-octane franchise, it is being said that the narrative and treatment will be in tandem with the post-pandemic sensibilities of the audience. To take the new film some notches higher, Sajid is looking to rope in a big star to play the antagonist opposite Tiger.

No offense

Ignoring the debacle of Om Raut's Adipurush, Nitesh Tiwari is set to adapt the epic, Ramayana, on screen. Addressing concerns regarding potential controversies that continue to plague the Prabhas-starrer, Nitesh said his perspective is straightforward. "As a creator and a consumer of content, if I can ensure that I won't offend my own sensibilities, I am confident that I can avoid offending anyone else," he said. Rumours are rife that Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt have been offered the lead roles, after Hrithik Roshan opted out of playing Lord Ram.

Gashmeer Mahajani bereaved

Ravindra Mahajani, a yesteryear Marathi actor-filmmaker and father of Tere Ishq Mein Ghayal actor Gashmeer Mahajani, was found dead at his rented apartment in Pune on Friday afternoon. It is believed that Ravindra lived alone for about eight months. The neighbours contacted the police after finding a foul smell coming from the apartment. A senior police inspector reportedly shared that doctors estimated that Ravindra had died about three days ago. The cops also added that Gashmeer had been trying to contact his father but didn't get any response to his calls. While the family has been informed, the body has been sent to a hospital for a post-mortem to ascertain the cause of death.