Have you heard? Announcement on auspicious date

Yash, Sai Pallavi and Ranbir Kapoor

Announcement on auspicious date

Undeterred by the debacle of Om Raut's Adipurush (2023), Nitesh Tiwari is set to begin filming his adaptation of the Ramayana this month. The filmmaker is said to have finalised Ranbir Kapoor to play Lord Ram, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as demon-king Raavan, Sunny Deol as Hanuman, Lara Dutta as Kaikeyi and Rakul Preet Singh as Shurpanakha for his three-part Ramayan. However, news is that the trilogy will only be announced around mid-April. Reason being that since Ram Navmi falls on April 17 this year, the makers have reportedly chosen the auspicious date to announce the mega-budget trilogy. "There couldn't be a more appropriate day than Ram Navmi for the announcement of Nitesh Tiwari's ambitious epic project," observed an industry insider, adding that the team has been preparing for the trilogy over the last few years. The actors have undergone multiple look tests, and participated in pre-visualisation and technical rehearsals to ensure that there's nothing out of place when Nitesh begins filming this month.

Returning with more masala

Rashmika Mandanna, who is working on director Sukumar's Pushpa 2: The Rule with Allu Arjun essaying the titular role, has opened up about the trajectory of her character, Srivalli. In a recent interaction, she said that after Srivalli's marriage to Pushpa, the role comes with more responsibilities. Sharing that the second instalment has a lot more drama and conflicts, the actor reportedly revealed that the narrative ‘has a lot more masala' this time around. Considering that the team bonded while working on Pushpa: The Rise (2021), reuniting for the sequel was akin to homecoming. "By end of the first film, you are really connected with the cast and crew. So when the second part begins, you're like ‘Hey, what's up?' and the atmosphere is like party time," she has been quoted as saying.

A quirky wish

Tiger Shroff turned a year wiser over the weekend. His Bade Miyan Chote Miyan co-star Akshay Kumar wished him with a behind-the-scenes clip from their action thriller. The funny video has Tiger trying different kicks to open a door, until Akki steps in to effortlessly open it and teases him, "Kya kar raha hai Chote?" Alongside, the Khiladi Kumar wrote, "On your birthday, I wish ki zindagi ke sab darwaaze tere liye apne aap khul jayein. You are a bright spark, Tiger. Keep shining forever."

Nora to ‘bring it on'

Even as the trailer of Kunal Kemmu's directorial debut, Madgaon Express releases today, we hear that Nora Fatehi has a special dance number in the Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidwani production starring Divyenndu, Pratik Gandhi and Avinash Tiwary. Sources claim that Nora is set to send pulses racing with her moves to the recreated version of the popular Marathi number, Bring it on. "Composer duo Ajay-Atul have given several chartbusters and their superhit number, Bring it on, only adds value as it comes at an important juncture in the narrative. Nora is known for her dance moves and she raises the bar with her energetic steps in this racy number," said an informer.

Being positive

Ileana D'Cruz, who welcomed her first child, Koa Phoenix, with husband Michael Dolan last August, recently opened up about post-partum depression. Calling it "very real and incredibly alienating," she shared on social media that she is navigating it one day at a time. She asserted that she doesn't want to come across as complaining "because this darling child has been the most beautiful thing to happen to me."

Nikitin fulfils tattoo promise

Nikitin Dheer has got himself inked again. The hunky actor, who previously got Lord Mahakaal tattooed, has got Goddess Kaali inked on himself this time around. Recalling the "fantastic experience", he said, "Having learnt a lot from the first tattoo, I knew what to expect, how my body would react, so I was better prepared mentally." Nikitin, whose first tattoo was Mahakaal with a trishul on fire, said, "I have always been attracted to the prachand form of the almighty. I wanted to complete the Adishakti, hence I wanted Maa Kali with fire raging behind her. For me, the fire symbolises the intensity of life of existence, an instinct, an attitude towards life." The actor, who plays Raavan in the television show, Shrimad Ramayan, also shared his experience on social media. Alongside a clip, he wrote, "Finally, it feels like a completion in many ways.. a promise kept…It has come a full circle now (sic)."

A busy 2024

Producer Ektaa R Kapoor and director Dibaker Banerjee recently shared that their collaboration Love Sex Dhokha 2 will now release on April 19. While the cast is being kept under wraps, Tusshar Kapoor and Mouni Roy reportedly have cameos in sequel to the 2010 hit. "The character Tusshar essays is something he hasn't attempted before. It is critical to the narrative and has been presented differently too," says a source. The actor is currently in the midst of shooting his black comedy, Dus June Ki Raat, with co-actor Priyanka Chahar Chaudhary. After wrapping up the Tabrez Khan-directed web series, Tusshar will reunite with the Welcome to the Jungle team, led by Akshay Kumar, for a marathon spell. Apart from the third instalment of the comedy franchise, he also has Sangeeth Sivan's Hindi adaptation of the 2023 Malayalam horror comedy, Romancham, with Shreyas Talpade.