Have you heard? It’s a girl for Varun and Natasha!

Varun Dhawan with wife Natasha

Monday marked a new milestone for Varun Dhawan and wife Natasha. The couple welcomed their first child at a suburban hospital. The Baby John actor broke the news last morning on social media with an animated post. The post revealed that the newborn arrived on Monday night. It further read, "We are overjoyed with this new blessing in our lives. During this special time, we request the media to give us our privacy. Thank you for your support and understanding." Alongside, Varun wrote, "Our baby girl is here. Thank you for all the good wishes for the mama and the baby." Soon enough, his post was flooded with congratulatory messages. While Janhvi Kapoor and Kiara Advani reacted with heart emojis, Shraddha Kapoor commented, "Congratulations Babdu and Nat!" Rakul Preet Singh conveyed, "So much love for three of you," and Kareena Kapoor Khan wrote, "Wonderful news! God bless all of you." Interestingly, during his appearance on Koffee with Karan season 5 with Alia Bhatt, Varun had expressed his wish of having a baby girl in the future. During the rapid-fire round, when Karan asked him to name one thing that Shahid Kapoor had and he didn't, Varun replied, "He has a baby girl. I don't want his baby girl, I want my own." He also promptly clarified, "Shahid, your child is yours. I don't want your child."

Ranbir-Alia's new ride

Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt have added a new set of hot wheels to their garage. The couple, who along with daughter Raha, returned to Mumbai after the week-long pre-wedding celebrations of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant, reportedly spent about Rs 2.5 crore on their Lexus LM. The silver multi-purpose vehicle has premium features like reclining seats with massage functions, a refrigerator and even an entertainment system for the rear passengers. A couple of months ago, the Animal star was spotted in a Bentley said to cost about R6 crore. On the work front, Ranbir will begin filming Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Love & War with Alia and Vicky Kaushal in November this year.

Prank call

Karan Vohra, Ulka Gupta and child artiste Nihan Jain, who play Aryaman, Janvi and Kian respectively in the television show, Main Hoon Saath Tere, have forged a strong bond. So much so that Nihan and Karan often get together to pull a fast one on Ulka. She reveals, "Once, they locked me inside my make-up room. They even involved the crew members in their plan and tried to scare me." Talking about their bond, she adds, "That has also helped add a layer of authenticity to our scenes. Karan and Nihan make each day on set enjoyable and memorable."

A family drama next

Over a year after Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway's release, Rani Mukerji is set to finalise her next movie. The actor is said to be in advanced talks with The Sky is Pink (2019) director Shonali Bose for a family drama, backed by Junglee Pictures. The makers are looking to cast an A-list actor for the lead role. Casting for the supporting characters is underway. If things are locked in the coming weeks, the makers will take the yet-untitled movie on floors in September. While this film will arrive in cinemas only next year, Rani has another project lined up. The actor will reprise her super cop character, Shivani Shivaji Roy in Mardaani 3, which is currently in the scripting stage.

French honour for Ashutosh

Ashutosh Gowariker has become the first Indian filmmaker to be honoured with the Medal of Saint Tropez. The Lagaan (2001) and Jodhaa Akbar (2008) director expressed his heartfelt gratitude after he felicitation at the Nirvana Cultural Cinema Festival recently in France. He said, "I thank Ms Sylvie Siri, Mayor of Saint Tropez, for this honour, and I look forward to contributing towards strengthening the bond between the cultural and cinema industries of France and India." Ashutosh's Swades (2004) was also showcased at Nirvana to cinema enthusiasts in the picturesque seaside town of Saint Tropez.

The ultimate '90s number

The soulful track, Tujhe dekha toh yeh jana sanam, from Aditya Chopra's Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ, 1995) has been voted as UK's favourite '90s Bollywood song. BBC's Asian Network invited listeners to choose the ultimate 90s Bollywood song from a list of 50 contenders, including dance tracks like Ole ole from Yeh Dillagi (1994) and ballads like Baahon ke darmiyaan, from Khamoshi: The Musical (1996). The panel of presenters including Haroon Rashid, Nikita Kanda, Gagan Grewal, and Nadia Ali, and industry experts Asim Burney, Amrita Tanna, and Karan Pangali unanimously picked the Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol number as the winner. Penned by Anand Bakshi, composed by Jatin-Lalit, and rendered by Lata Mangeshkar and Kumar Sanu, the track featured the lead actors against the backdrop of mustard fields, a visual that is iconic to India's pop culture of the '90s.