Have you heard? Yash's Toxic faces backlash over tree cutting

Yash

Caught in controversy

Yash's next film, Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups, seems to have got caught into an environmental controversy. Karnataka Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre recently directed officials to take disciplinary action against those who permitted cutting of trees in the forest land where a set was erected for director Geetu Mohandas' Kannada movie shoot. Addressing the allegations in a formal letter to the state's Additional Chief Secretary, Khandre expressed his concerns regarding the tree-cutting incident, stating, "This is a serious violation. Hundreds of trees have been removed without permission, and we are seeking strict legal repercussions." In response, KVN Productions, which is producing Toxic, issued a statement refuting the accusations. Clarifying that the land used for the set is privately owned and that all necessary permissions had been secured, a spokesperson for the production house said, "We conducted a comprehensive survey in February 2024 and have submitted relevant documents. We await the Forest Department's report and will challenge these claims if necessary." The film also stars Kiara Advani, Nayanthara and Huma Qureshi.

Spreading festive cheer

Sidhant Gupta, who plays former Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru in Nikkhil Advani's web series Freedom at Midnight, joined hands with an NGO to brighten the Diwali celebrations for the under-privileged children in Juhu. He turned the distribution of gifts into a dance party as he shook a leg with the kids. Calling it a joy, the actor said, "Watching their faces light up with smiles, hearing their laughter, and joining them in their little dance party - it was all so heart-warming. Amid the typical festive rush and grandeur, this simple gathering reminded me of the true spirit of this festival of lights - spreading happiness and connecting through kindness."

Screen sharing resolved

The exhibition sector, which had been breaking into a sweat over the sharing of screens and shows between Singham Again and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, was in for early relief. The resolution between the two festive releases was arrived at late Tuesday night, with Rohit Shetty's multi-starrer negotiating 60 per cent showcasing in most multiplexes, while the Kartik Aaryan-starrer agreed to the remaining 40 per cent. Single-screen theatres that were initially planning only four shows daily have expanded their programming for three shows of the supercop extravaganza, and two of the horror comedy. The full-fledged advance booking for the two movies finally opened yesterday.

New man in Annie's life!

Ananya Panday turned a year wiser yesterday. And it seemed that rumoured beau Walker Blanco chose the special occasion to make their relationship social media official. Alongside a picture of the birthday girl, the model wrote, "Happy Birthday, beautiful. You are so special. I love you, Annie." Expectedly, his post triggered a frenzy among Ananya's followers, who viewed it as an official declaration of his love for her. Walter has expressed his admiration for Ananya on social media several times in the past. Previously, when her film CTRL premièred on OTT, he shared a trailer, saying, "Can't wait, Annie!" Reportedly, the two first met on a cruise party during Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant's pre-wedding festivities. And since then, they seem to have gotten pretty close.

Govinda recovering well

Earlier this month, Govinda accidentally shot himself in the leg while preparing to leave for Kolkata. His son Yashvardhan shared an update on his recovery while attending a Diwali party recently. He said, "[Dad] is much better now. The stitches have been removed. So, there is no more tension now." On a lighter note, Yash added, "He is doing great. In another week or two, he will be able to start dancing too."

Arshad indulges in jolly talk

Arshad Warsi, who played Jagdish Tyagi aka Jolly in Jolly LLB (2013), recently spoke about opting out of the sequel. Admitting that he would have done Jolly LLB 2 (2017) as director Subhash Kapoor is a friend even though he wasn't too excited by the script, the actor revealed that he suggested Akshay Kumar's name. "With me, you would get a crowd of 500 people. With him [Akshay], you will get a crowd of 5000 people," he recalled telling Subhash. The filmmaker is readying Jolly LLB 3 with both the actors playing Jolly. One of the highlights of the movie is an action scene featuring both the actors. Arshad said, "It was insane. We did a fight sequence in one take. I got cut, I was bleeding, but that's what should happen."

Sequel annoucement

After wowing audiences with Hanu-Man earlier this year, filmmaker Prasanth Varma is getting ready for its sequel, Jai Hanuman. Sharing the first poster of his next on social media, he wrote, "This Diwali, bringing the legends to life with a tale that rekindles the flames of valour and honours our Indian itihas." Talk in Tollywood is that Rishab Shetty has been cast as the monkey-God this time around.

Meet the real Nayanthara

On the special occasion of Nayanthara's 40th birthday on November 18, Netflix will drop the documentary on her life. Nayanthara: Beyond the Fairytale will give an insight into the actor's journey - from modest beginnings to becoming one of the most acclaimed stars in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Hindi cinema. The documentary will also give a dekko of Nayanthara's relationship with director Vignesh Shivan, with whom she tied the knot in June 2022. The makers shared that the intention was to also take audiences on a journey through how these two souls found each other, how they love and support each other, and how they gear up for the next step in their lives.