Have you heard? Not just another cameo

Shah Rukh Khan and Yash

Following recent reports of a possible collaboration in the future, it appears that, for starters, Shah Rukh Khan might make a special appearance in KGF actor Yash's next. Apparently, Yash, director Geetu Mohandas and the producers of Toxic have approached the Jawan superstar for a pivotal role in the action thriller. Sources claim that it is not a run-of-the-mill special appearance or a publicity gimmick, but an author-backed role that is critical to the narrative. Insiders claim that it is a strong character and hence requires a superstar to essay it. Though SRK has liked and is intrigued by what has been narrated to him, he will mull over the offer before conveying his decision to the Toxic makers in a couple of weeks. Interestingly, just last December, SRK is said to have declined an extended cameo in Lokesh Kanagaraj's Thalaivar 171, starring Rajinikanth, even though he has high regard for the filmmaker and the veteran superstar. His reason: after brief roles in films like Brahmāstra: Part One - Shiva, Rocketry: The Nambi Effect, Laal Singh Chaddha (2022) and Tiger 3 (2023), he'd much rather do standalone movies. So, it remains to be seen if he agrees to essay the special role in Toxic, or lets it pass.

Get ready for murder

Director Homi Adajania is gearing up for the direct-to-OTT release of his next, Murder Mubarak. Based on Anuja Chauhan's novel, Club You To Death, the suspense saga, featuring Sara Ali Khan, Vijay Varma, Dimple Kapadia, Karisma Kapoor, Sanjay Kapoor, Tisca Chopra and Pankaj Tripathi, drops on Netflix on March 15. Calling it a "cinematic concoction of actors", Homi shares that the movie "has that binge-worthy magic which lends itself to a compulsive watch." He elaborates, "It is a colourful murder mystery that will make you want to rewind and watch it over again, when you wonder how you missed all the clues in this breadcrumb-laden whodunnit."

Family first

Anshuman Jha, who was initially planning to begin filming his Lakadbaggha sequel in April, has rescheduled it to June. The actor, who is also producing the animal-lover vigilante movie, is taking a nine-week paternity leave to welcome his first child with wife Sierra. Admitting that he wants to prioritise being with her at this time, Anshuman says, "Being with Sierra through the last few weeks and at least a month after delivery feels like the right thing to do. Initially, I was to return in two weeks. But, it is an important moment in our lives and being by her side takes precedence over all else."

Learning from legends

Pavail Gulati is grateful to industry stalwarts, particularly Naseeruddin Shah and Amitabh Bachchan, for their pivotal part in shaping his acting journey. Having trained under Shah, Pavail said, "I owe my career to Naseer saab who taught me in a film school.

He is like a father-figure to me, and being with him feels like a constant learning experience." The actor, who shared screen space with Big B in the television series Yudh (2014), added, "Bachchan saab has been a significant influence. Playing his son in Goodbye [2022[ was the opportunity of a lifetime for me."

Marital learnings

Parineeti Chopra and Raghav Chadha, who recently attended a young leaders' forum together, shared their learnings from their marriage. "Very early in our married life, I realised that the wife is always right," the politician conceded, much to his actor-wife's amusement. He added, "If you get that right, there are no disagreements. Of course, when there are disagreements, the one thing that we do or try to do usually is do not sleep over a fight." Parineeti, who made her singing debut on stage last week, revealed that Raghav has taught her to be fearless. She added, "He is working in a space where you can't have any fears. I think all these things finally pushed me to the edge and made me do this."

Snowfall, no problem

We know that Aamir Khan, who is producing actor-son Junaid's next yet-untitled film helmed by Sunil Pandey, had flown to Japan to check the prep. Now, we hear that shooting for the film, that also features Sai Pallavi as the leading lady, didn't exactly begin smoothly. "Unexpected snowfall slowed the progress on the very first day of the shoot," reveals our source. However, the team remained resilient and despite the sudden change in the weather, was determined to stick to the schedule as planned. As the days progressed, our informer adds, "The dedicated team invested extended hours, putting in 12 to 14 hours every day, in ensuring that they capture the breathtaking beauty of Sapporo in every frame of the narrative."