Allu Arjun has reportedly locked a deal worth Rs 175 crore for his next with Jawan director Atlee; Prateik will address his change of surname from Babbar to Patil
Allu Arjun
India’s most paid starADVERTISEMENTAllu Arjun is undeniably one of the biggest stars in the Indian film industry today, especially after the mega success of Pushpa 2: The Rise (2024). He is now teaming up with Jawan (2023) director Atlee for a mega-budget film, touted as a “parallel universe” spectacle. Reports suggest that the makers are planning to launch the film with a special asset in the next two months. Arjun has reportedly locked a deal worth R175 crore with Sun Pictures, along with a 15 per cent stake in profits. “It’s the biggest front-end deal signed by an actor in the modern era,” a report quoted a source as saying. The film, temporarily titled A6, is expected to be high on VFX. We have heard that filming is slated to begin in August, with the actor allotting bulk dates to the makers.Family tension intensifies
Actor Prateik Babbar and his wife, Priya Banerjee, have addressed the controversy surrounding his family’s notable absence from their February wedding. According to Priya, Prateik’s father, Raj Babbar, “was never there in his life”, indicating a complex relationship. In 2023, Prateik had dropped his father’s surname, changing his name to Prateik Smita Patil. Raised by his maternal grandparents. Priya also hinted that Prateik may publicly discuss the matter further.
Good looks, good looks, good looks
Nawazuddin Siddiqui has shared his experience of being underestimated due to his appearance. At the second edition of the Cinevesture International Film Festival, he recalled being told he “didn’t look like an actor” during auditions, which would leave him frustrated. “They would say, ‘You are unconventional looking’,” he said. However, Nawazuddin argued, “How am I unconventional when crores of people look like me in India? I’m conventional, it’s Hrithik Roshan who looks unconventional.” Nawazuddin also shared that he was not allowed to enter the set of Talaash (2012) until he convinced the security guard that he was an actor in the film.
We are just friends!
Chum Darang has denied dating Bigg Boss 18 (2024) winner Karan Veer Mehra, despite their romantic gestures on social media. Chum, in a recent interview, clarified, “There’s nothing between us, it’s just friendship. [Our] relationship ka naam is friendship.” This comes after Karan Veer openly expressed his love for Chum in a video on Valentine’s Day, saying, “Roses are red, violets are blue, I don’t care about anybody because I love you.” Chum’s loving response to the video fuelled the rumours surrounding their romance.
Neta vs abhineta
Sharad Kelkar and Freddy Daruwala; (Right) Suniel Shetty, Anurag Thakur, and Sohail Khan. Pics/Satej Shinde, Ashish Raje, Instagram
A friendly T20 cricket match was organised by Anurag Singh Thakur, former Union minister and BJP MP, at Mumbai’s MCA Cricket Stadium on Saturday, as part of PM Modi’s TB-free awareness campaign. The match saw politicians and actors face off, with Leaders XI led by Thakur competing against Actors XI, captained by Suniel Shetty. Arjun Kapoor praised the initiative, saying, “Entertainment, politics, and sports are the pillars to get any kind of message across. So, it feels great that all of us can come together for such an important medical cause.”
The decline of super-stardom
Mohanlal, Malayalam cinema’s reigning superstar, has weighed in on the potential decline of superstar culture in the Indian film industry. He believes that terms like “megastar” and “superstar” are merely audience-endowed titles, given to actors after they’ve achieved a notable level of success. “It was a slow development,” he said. When asked about the future of super-stardom for the next generation of actors, he said, “There will definitely be great actors from the younger generation. They need good scripts. They have to get good directors and colleagues. I had the chance to work with amazing directors and brilliant co-stars. They created me.” On the work front, the actor’s L2: Empuraan, helmed by Prithviraj Sukumaran, is touted to be one of the most expensive Malayalam films. The political thriller is set to release in theatres on March 27.
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Allu Arjun is undeniably one of the biggest stars in the Indian film industry today, especially after the mega success of Pushpa 2: The Rise (2024). He is now teaming up with Jawan (2023) director Atlee for a mega-budget film, touted as a “parallel universe” spectacle. Reports suggest that the makers are planning to launch the film with a special asset in the next two months. Arjun has reportedly locked a deal worth R175 crore with Sun Pictures, along with a 15 per cent stake in profits. “It’s the biggest front-end deal signed by an actor in the modern era,” a report quoted a source as saying. The film, temporarily titled A6, is expected to be high on VFX. We have heard that filming is slated to begin in August, with the actor allotting bulk dates to the makers.
Actor Prateik Babbar and his wife, Priya Banerjee, have addressed the controversy surrounding his family’s notable absence from their February wedding. According to Priya, Prateik’s father, Raj Babbar, “was never there in his life”, indicating a complex relationship. In 2023, Prateik had dropped his father’s surname, changing his name to Prateik Smita Patil. Raised by his maternal grandparents. Priya also hinted that Prateik may publicly discuss the matter further.
Nawazuddin Siddiqui has shared his experience of being underestimated due to his appearance. At the second edition of the Cinevesture International Film Festival, he recalled being told he “didn’t look like an actor” during auditions, which would leave him frustrated. “They would say, ‘You are unconventional looking’,” he said. However, Nawazuddin argued, “How am I unconventional when crores of people look like me in India? I’m conventional, it’s Hrithik Roshan who looks unconventional.” Nawazuddin also shared that he was not allowed to enter the set of Talaash (2012) until he convinced the security guard that he was an actor in the film.
Chum Darang has denied dating Bigg Boss 18 (2024) winner Karan Veer Mehra, despite their romantic gestures on social media. Chum, in a recent interview, clarified, “There’s nothing between us, it’s just friendship. [Our] relationship ka naam is friendship.” This comes after Karan Veer openly expressed his love for Chum in a video on Valentine’s Day, saying, “Roses are red, violets are blue, I don’t care about anybody because I love you.” Chum’s loving response to the video fuelled the rumours surrounding their romance.
Sharad Kelkar and Freddy Daruwala; (Right) Suniel Shetty, Anurag Thakur, and Sohail Khan. Pics/Satej Shinde, Ashish Raje, Instagram
A friendly T20 cricket match was organised by Anurag Singh Thakur, former Union minister and BJP MP, at Mumbai’s MCA Cricket Stadium on Saturday, as part of PM Modi’s TB-free awareness campaign. The match saw politicians and actors face off, with Leaders XI led by Thakur competing against Actors XI, captained by Suniel Shetty. Arjun Kapoor praised the initiative, saying, “Entertainment, politics, and sports are the pillars to get any kind of message across. So, it feels great that all of us can come together for such an important medical cause.”
Mohanlal, Malayalam cinema’s reigning superstar, has weighed in on the potential decline of superstar culture in the Indian film industry. He believes that terms like “megastar” and “superstar” are merely audience-endowed titles, given to actors after they’ve achieved a notable level of success. “It was a slow development,” he said. When asked about the future of super-stardom for the next generation of actors, he said, “There will definitely be great actors from the younger generation. They need good scripts. They have to get good directors and colleagues. I had the chance to work with amazing directors and brilliant co-stars. They created me.” On the work front, the actor’s L2: Empuraan, helmed by Prithviraj Sukumaran, is touted to be one of the most expensive Malayalam films. The political thriller is set to release in theatres on March 27.
