Have you heard? Now, FK in the house

Akshay Kumar, Riteish Deshmukh, Fardeen Khan and Sajid Nadiadwala

It appears that Fardeen Khan is back in the groove. The actor, who was to make a comeback with Sanjay Gupta's Visfot, eventually returned to the screens with Sanjay Leela Bhansali's OTT debut, Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar. Even as the actor is gearing up for the release of Khel Khel Mein with Akshay Kumar, he is said to have finalised his next. Fardeen is the latest addition to the cast of director Tarun Mansukhani's Housefull 5. Interestingly, the comic entertainer reunites him with Akki, Riteish Deshmukh and producer Sajid Nadiadwala almost 17 years after Heyy Babby (2007). Apparently, a few known actors were in the reckoning for the role, but FK bagged it. Not to forget, he is equally excited to reunite with his Heyy Babyy co-stars and producer. Slated to go on floors later this month, the movie also stars Sanjay Dutt, Abhishek Bachchan and Nana Patekar in pivotal parts. The leading ladies are being finalised and the complete cast will be announced before the team flies out for the international schedule next month. Most of the narrative takes place aboard a cruise liner.

Breaking out

Sharvari is on a high after being presented with the IMDb Breakout Star STARmeter award for retaining the top position in the popular Indian celebrities list for four straight weeks. Grateful to the audiences for appreciating her work in Munjya and Maharaj, the actor is gearing up for Vedaa, which releases on August 15. She trained extensively for the Nikkhil Advani-directed action thriller. Sharvari, who also learnt boxing for her film with John Abraham, shared a picture from one of her sessions, on social media. Alongside, she wrote, "Beast mode on for Vedaa! Took up boxing to become Vedaa. Now, I'm ready to pack a punch or be strong enough to take a brutal beating."

In festive spirits

Vikrant Massey, Rasika Dugal and Adarsh Gourav have been named by the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne as the panel to represent young voices of Indian cinema. They will talk about the future of Indian cinema, its global impact and the role of young actors in shaping its narrative. Rasika, who looks forward to being part of film fests, said, "It is a privilege to be a part of stories, which are constantly pushing boundaries, while still being true to themselves. Indian cinema has always been home to diverse storytelling and it is important to celebrate that."

Money matters

Salman Khan and Sanjay Dutt shared the introductory clip of AP Dhillon's upcoming song on their social media handles yesterday. Alongside, they wrote, "Old money out on August 9." The clip shows the singer being woken up by his friend and on stepping out, they are met by the Dabangg Khan. AP broke the news of collaborating with the two Bollywood superstars a couple of days ago, as he revealed their look in the track, saying, "I know you didn't see this one coming." This song is the first of AP's collaboration after he inked a deal with Republic Records in alliance with Universal Music Canada. He is the first Indian singer-songwriter to join the prestigious label's roster.

Blame it on the rain

The shoot of Welcome to the Jungle has run into rough weather literally. Director Ahmed Khan had got a huge set built in suburban Mumbai for a schedule with 34 actors, led by Akshay Kumar. However, the recent torrential rains damaged a portion of the set. Addressing the unplanned delay, Ahmed said, "It is unfortunate that a portion of the set got damaged due to the heavy rainfall in Mumbai. So, as a creative call, I've decided to begin the shoot once the set is reconstructed. The crew is endlessly working on rebuilding the set. Hopefully, we will begin the shoot soon."

Courting controversy

Pakistani actors Fawad Khan and Sanam Saeed's latest collaboration, Barzakh, is facing an unexpected obstacle, that too in their own country. The series, which has received attention and acclaim since its release last month, will be taken down from YouTube in Pakistan starting Friday, August 9. This decision follows increasing backlash over the show's depiction of queer love and pre-marital sex. In a statement issued yesterday, the teams of Zindagi and Barzakh thanked the global audience for their support. Recognising the difficulties posed by the current situation in Pakistan, they opted to withdraw the show to avoid further alienation. "We, at Zindagi and Team Barzakh, extend our heartfelt gratitude to our global audience for their unwavering support for our show that was created to bring people together everywhere. But in light of the current public sentiment in Pakistan, we have made the decision to voluntarily withdraw Barzakh from YouTube Pakistan, effective August 9, 2024. This decision underscores our dedication to honouring our audiences without causing alienation," the statement read.