Earlier this year, Bhumi Pednekar earned widespread acclaim for her riveting performance as an investigative journalist in the thriller “Bhakshak”. Now, the talented actor is all set to reunite with director Pulkit for yet another exciting cinematic project. What makes this announcement particularly captivating is that Shah Rukh Khan’s esteemed production house, Red Chillies Entertainment, is backing the film. This powerhouse collaboration already has fans eagerly anticipating what’s next.
While the specifics about the project remain under wraps, industry insiders have shared that Red Chillies Entertainment has given the green light to the subject. However, the project is still in its nascent stages, with the cast and crew yet to be finalized. Sources familiar with the development state, “Things are still in the initial stages and the cast and crew are yet to be finalised.”
Interestingly, Bhumi’s association with Shah Rukh Khan has long been a topic of interest among movie enthusiasts. The actress had previously expressed her desire to collaborate with the Bollywood superstar. During an interactive Q&A session on social media, a fan asked her to name an actor she dreams of working with in the future. Bhumi’s heartfelt response was clear and enthusiastic. In a video, she can be seen mentioning, “Yaar, honestly, an actor… Actor kya… superstar, childhood dream is SRK. I have come close because he has produced Bhakshak.” She further added with excitement, “Big shout out to Red Chillies. But mera dream hai, Shah Rukh sir. He is just the best.” This statement resonated with many of her fans, and her dream might just be on the brink of becoming a reality, as there is hope she will get to share screen space with the iconic actor soon.
Meanwhile, in other exciting news from Bollywood, actor Suriya, who is currently engrossed in working on his yet-untitled film with director Karthik Subbaraj, is also planning his next collaboration. Suriya is discussing a possible project with actor-filmmaker RJ Balaji. The two creative minds are delving deep into brainstorming sessions, exploring subjects they are keen to develop. The script is expected to be locked by Balaji by the time Suriya wraps up his ongoing movie with Karthik. Adding to the anticipation, it is reported that Dream Warriors, the production house behind Karthi’s notable films “Kaashmora” (2016) and “Kaithi” (2019), might come on board to support the new Suriya-Balaji venture. While Suriya’s fans look forward to these projects, they are also eagerly awaiting his pan-India offering “Kanguva”, which features Bobby Deol as the antagonist.
Shifting focus to another promising talent, Shreya Chaudhary, who is ecstatic about her role in Boman Irani’s directorial debut “The Mehta Boys”.
. The film premiered at the 15th edition of the Chicago South Asian Film Festival and received an overwhelmingly positive response. Shreya expressed, “It is incredibly fulfilling to receive this international recognition.” Speaking fondly of her experience, she added, “It is an honour to act with and be directed by Boman. With him around, every day on set was a masterclass. To have the opportunity to collaborate with the Oscar-winning writer Alexander Dinelaris at such an early stage of my career is also something I’m very grateful for.”
Amitabh Bachchan, who is currently hosting the 16th season of “Kaun Banega Crorepati”, recently walked down memory lane, reminiscing about the timeless song “Saara Zamana” from the film “Yaarana” (1981). During an episode, a contestant named Swapn Chaturvedi shared that “Yaarana” remains one of his favorite films, which sparked Bachchan’s nostalgic trip. The legendary actor revealed that during the filming of the energetic number, which took place in the then newly opened Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose stadium in Kolkata, nearly 60,000 fans turned up at a venue that could only seat 15,000. He also humorously recounted the technical challenges of those times, sharing that the iconic “bijli wala jacket” he wore was wired to electricity. “The moment the electricity flowed, I started dancing—not because I wanted to, but because I was getting electric shocks,” he quipped.
In another development, director Tarun Mansukhani has embarked on his latest venture, “Housefull 5” (HF5), produced by Sajid Nadiadwala. The much-anticipated comedy franchise began shooting in London. Franchise veterans Akshay Kumar and Riteish Deshmukh will be joined by an ensemble cast, including Abhishek Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt, Nana Patekar, Fardeen Khan, and Dino Morea, along with leading ladies Jacqueliene Fernandez, Chitrangda Singh, Nargis Fakhri, Sonam Bajwa, and Soundarya Sharma. Akshay recently took to social media, sharing a behind-the-scenes photo and captioning it, “Just another day with this incredible cast. Housefull of actors, one cruise, and endless stories to tell!” The team is set to continue the film’s action-packed narrative aboard a cruise liner in a marathon 45-day schedule.
Lastly, Bollywood veteran Zeenat Aman shared a nostalgic post from Dev Anand’s movie “Haré Rama Haré Krishna” (1971). Reflecting on the iconic song “Dum Maaro Dum”, she recalled how Anand cast real hippies to maintain authenticity. Zeenat revealed that to portray her character, Janice, as genuinely stoned, she had to partake in the hippy offerings. “By the time we wrapped the day’s work, I was high as a kite!” she recounted humorously. After the memorable experience, her mother reprimanded the senior crew for putting her in such a situation, though Zeenat escaped the brunt of her wrath.
Shahid Kapoor, who famously went bald for Vishal Bhardwaj’s “Haider” (2014), is now sporting a close crop for his role as a cop in “Deva”. With the filming completed, he eagerly awaits the regrowth of his signature locks. Shahid shared his impatience on social media with a humorous post, “Yeh baal aate kyon nahin… Deva re deva!” The action-thriller, directed by Rosshan Andrrews and starring Pooja Hegde and Pavail Gulati, is slated for a Valentine’s week release.
