Mid-day recently reported that after several delays, Farhan Akhtar’s next directorial venture, Jee Le Zaraa, is set to roll in summer 2023 (Get the car out of the driveway, October 25). Priyanka Chopra Jonas, who stars in the heroine-centric road-trip movie with Katrina Kaif and Alia Bhatt recently revealed how she initiated the talks for it. Having spent a major part of her career where female actors have always been secondary to men, she shared that it was boring to let the heroes decide where the film is shot, who is cast and what is happening. “We are living in a time where women need to be able to have agency in their lives,” said Priyanka, adding that she wanted to do a Hindi film for long, “but on the terms of women”. “I called up Alia and Katrina, this is before Farhan or anybody came [on board]. I called the girls first. My generation of female actors opened the doors for the next generation so their faces [could be on] the posters, [and are] able to sell movies. So, I wanted to bring together my friends and create a movie that will do well at the box office and be ours. The stars aligned and we decided to do it.” Yeh hui na baat!
Pandemic ke after-effects
Sometimes pushing oneself can have its disadvantages. Ask Varun Dhawan, who, at an event, revealed shutting down after being diagnosed with vestibular hypofunction. Noticing post-pandemic changes in himself, he said, “I started pushing harder [with] my film JugJugg Jeeyo, it felt like I was running for an election. I don’t know why, but I put [too] much pressure on myself. I didn’t know what had happened to me. I had this thing called vestibular hypofunction, [where] your balance goes off.” Located in the inner ear, the vestibular system works with the eyes and muscles to maintain the balance. When it doesn’t function normally, it sends error messages to the brain as a result of which the person may experience a bout of dizziness.
Role regret?
While Radhika Apte hoped to have a more screen space in the Hrithik Roshan-starrer Vikram Vedha, the actor accepted that she came on board to collaborate with director-duo Pushkar-Gayatrhi. Despite being unhappy with her role, the overall experience mattered most to her. “I have rejected many films that had my role at the centre because I did not like the script. But I did wish for a bigger role in that film,” she said. Then why complain now?
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Adding salt and spice
It seems that the debacle of Raksha Bandhan hasn’t affected the onscreen pairing of Akshay Kumar and Bhumi Pednekar. The two actors, who first collaborated on Toilet: Ek Prem Katha (2017), have been brought on board for the new marketing campaign of a salt and spices brand. “We Indians not just enjoy food, we relish it. Food for me, has always held a larger meaning. It is a delight to portray this emotion on screen,” said the Khiladi Kumar who is cautious of what he eats to maintain his physique. Bhumi added, “I believe that the way to someone’s heart is through food and hence, I resonate with the idea that food is not just food.”
Pictures speak a thousand words
Virat Kohli turned 34 yesterday. To mark the occasion, actor-wife Anushka Sharma shared a post of some of his goofy and fun pictures on social media. While one image is a close-up of the Indian cricket captain wearing a helmet, another one has him holding daughter Vamika in his arms. Along with the pictures, Anushka wrote, “It’s your birthday, my love. So obviously, I chose your best angles and photos for this post. Love you in every state and form and way.” Predictably, her post was flooded with reactions. South African cricketer AB DeVillers commented, “That face”, along with an emoji of tears of laughter.
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