Have you heard? Another mytho role for Prabhas

Prabhas and Vishnu Manchu

The talk is that Prabhas will feature in another mythological fantasy film in the near future. The actor, who played Raghav in Adipurush earlier this year, will reportedly play Lord Shiva in actor-producer Vishnu Manchu's ambitious pan-India venture, Kannappa. It is being said that Prabhas won't exactly have a full-fledged role, as it will be more of a special part. And despite having a screen time of about 20 minutes, his character of Lord Shiva is crucial to the narrative. The plot is being kept under wraps, and so are the other and other details relating to the casting process. Recently, Vishnu participated in an elaborate puja at the Sri Kalahasti temple, Tirupati, to mark the commencement of the movie. For the uninitiated, Prabhas has previously collaborated with Vishnu when he lent his voice to the latter's 2012 film Denikaina Ready, which was a remake of the 1999 Malayalam film Udayapuram Sulthan (1999).

Why Aamir skipped OSO?

Nearly 16 years since Om Shanti Om's release, Farah Khan revisited the title track that saw several Bollywood celebrities shake a leg with the protagonist, essayed by Shah Rukh Khan. On the flip side, few actors like Aamir Khan were conspicuous by their absence. During a recent interview, the director said, "Aamir kept me hanging and in the end he gave the reason that he was editing Taare Zameen Par. I said, ‘Just come, I will get it done in two hours'." However, it didn't materialise. Farah added, "Then, Aamir called me and said, ‘Farah I am editing, if I leave the editing for two hours and come for the shoot, my film will be delayed for six months.' Later when I asked him about this reason, he said, ‘I did not want to come.'"

From cricket stadium to screen

While Jawan is setting the cash registers ringing, few know that the idea of Shah Rukh Khan's collaboration with Atlee began in a cricket stadium. Over five years ago (in 2018), during the match between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Tamil Nadu capital, the actor-producer and the director first discussed teaming up to make a no-holds-barred, massy and masala entertainer. Dinesh Karthik, who began playing for KKR around then, shared the little-known aspect of the movie on social media. He wrote, "After so many discussions, script tweaks and so much has happened in this time... and to put everything in perspective and bring it out so well in a proper commercial manner... and to make every frame so much fun, filled with style and oomph, it was all worth the wait (sic)."

Nurturing film students

Tahir Raj Bhasin makes it a point to take time off to interact with film students across the country every year. He recently conducted a session for students of an FTII course in Ladakh. Tahir says, "I've been blessed to have found seniors who guided me in this industry. I want to do the same for those looking to work in our beautiful film fraternity. Who knows, they might end up directing me or working with me! That would be really special!"

Richa knows how to keep a secret

In a way, life has come full circle for Richa Chadha with Fukrey 3. The comic franchise that released 10 years ago not only introduced her character, Bholi Punjaban, but also marked the onset of her relationship with Ali Fazal. In a recent interaction, she reminisced the commencement of their journey together, saying, "We would meet one way or the other, be it at screenings or over meals at our friends' homes. After hanging out so much, we soon realised that we can go out on a date or two and see what happens next." The actor, who kept her relationship with Ali under wraps even from their co-actors Pulkit Samrat, Varun Sharma and Manjot Singh, added, "I didn't tell anyone about Ali and myself." When probed if Ali, who couldn't be a part of Fukrey 3 due to date issues, will still have a cameo, Richa reportedly stated, "In the last film, he gets married to a character named Neetu ma'am and is on his honeymoon in Goa. So, I don't know if he has a cameo in the film. I haven't seen it yet."

Bowling like Muthiah

The biggest challenge in essaying a real-life part is doing it organically, without making it appear an imitation. For Madhur Mittal, playing Muthiah Muralidaran in his biopic, 800, was tough as the iconic Sri Lankan spinner has a peculiar bowling style. While he suffered multiple injuries in a road accident in 2015, it seems an arm injury played a key role in his training to bowl like Muthiah. According to a source, "At one time, Murali was accused of chucking, but, it was later proved that he was bowling genuinely. Though Madhur has long recovered from his injuries, the moment of his arm since then seems to have helped him adapt Murali's bowling style organically."

Batting for Morocco

Even though Nora Fatehi was born in Canada and works in India now, she hasn't forgotten her Moroccan roots. When an earthquake wrecked havoc in the North African country recently, she posted on social media, "Pray for Morocco." She also re-shared Prime Minister Narendra Modi's social media post saying that India is ready to offer all possible assistance to Morocco in this difficult time. Nora wrote, "Thank you, Prime Minister Narendra Modi for this big support. You were one of the first countries to raise awareness and extend a helping hand! The Moroccan people are very thankful and grateful. Jai Hind!."