Have you heard? Ajay to raid again

Ajay Devgn

Nothing succeeds like success. The frequent announcement of sequels after a film rakes in the moolah at the box office, proves this. Four years after Raid hit the theatres, a second instalment of the Ajay Devgn-starrer is in the works. Rajkumar Gupta's directorial venture was based on a real marathon Income Tax raid that was conducted on a political heavyweight of Uttar Pradesh in the 1980s. Now, reports are rife that producer Kumar Mangat is collating ideas, from which the team will choose for their second instalment. Ajay, who has Maidaan and Thank God ready for release next, is currently working on Drishyam 2, and Bholaa. The actor, who reunites with Rohit Shetty for Singham 3 this December, is likely to begin work on Raid 2 next year.

Vijay's cuppa with Ananya

Karan Johar has begun shooting for the next season of his popular chat show. This time around, instead of being aired on satellite television, Koffee with Karan will stream on OTT, with many more revelations from his celebrity guests. Recently, Vijay Deverakonda shot for an episode with his Liger heroine, Ananya Panday. The Arjun Reddy actor also flaunted online the coffee mug that he signed for the show. While an interesting line-up of stars is expected, one can't help but notice that the guest list consists of the stars who are featuring in KJo's productions. While he launched Ananya with Student Of The Year 2, he's also a producer of Vijay's Hindi debut, Liger. Hmmm.

Blast from the past!

Did you know that there was a time when Deepika Padukone didn't approve of Ranveer Singh's public display of affection? At a recent event, he revealed that she was mighty upset with him when he hugged her for the first time in front of the cameras during the promotions of Bajirao Mastani (2015). "Bhadak gayi thi ekdum Deepika uss time pe. Ussne bola, ‘Tu camera ke saamne mujhe aise hug karega kya?" he recalled. Interestingly, this year marks a decade of their togetherness since they started dating during the making of Goliyon Ki Raasleela:Ram-Leela (2013). The couple has been married for four years now.

Kartik ups his remuneration

Kartik Aaryan is riding high on the success of his latest release, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2. Since his Anees Bazmee-directed horror comedy ended Bollywood's dry spell at the ticket windows, the actor has reportedly hiked his fee. What makes this hit significant is that it is Kartik's first theatrical outing post the pandemic and his ouster from Karan Johar-produced Dostana 2, last year. The actor, who used to reportedly charge between R15 cr to R18 cr per movie, has apparently doubled his remuneration. Industry sources claim that his asking price now is about R35cr. Since Kartik's last theatrical outing, Love Aaj Kal (2020) didn't fare as well as expected and Dhamaaka released directly on an OTT platform, some industry insiders are wondering if the steep hike is justified?

Majorly overwhelmed!

Adivi Sesh, who is going all out for his upcoming release, Major, was touched by the fans' response during the team's recent trip to Vishakhapatnam. In a rare promotional move, the makers organised a jeep and bike rally with Adivi, Saiee Manjrekar and Shobita Dhulipala and were overwhelmed by the turnout as they drove through the city. The actor, who has also scripted the film based on Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan, who sacrificed his life in the line of duty during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks of 2008, said, "I'm truly moved by the reception we received on the streets of Vizag. I'm humbled for the love we received from the locals as they gathered to cheer for us."

New on-screen pair booked

Five years ago, filmmaker Nitesh Tiwari announced that he had acquired the rights of Varun Agarwal's 2012 book, How I Braved Anu Aunty & Co-Founded a Million Dollar Company. Back then, he was in talks with Varun Dhawan to lead the film adaptation. "I did speak to Varun and he is more than happy about it. But only time will tell if he can do the film or not as he has a busy schedule. So, I don't know what the future holds," Nitesh was quoted as saying in 2017. While he is teaming up with the actor on Bawaal, Nitesh and director-wife, Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari have now signed on Ishwak Singh and Mahima Makwana for the adaptation, titled Bas Karo Aunty! To be helmed by debutant Abhishek Sinha, the film is based on a true story of 20-something Varun who wants to set up his own company after getting an engineering degree in telecommunications, much to the dismay of his mother.

A rice portrait for Ram Charan

We've often heard of fans going an extra mile for their favourite stars. One of Ram Charan's admirers actually walked 264 kms recently to meet him. Moreover, he presented the RRR actor with his portrait made from rice grains and also gifted him two bags of rice grown in his fields. Currently working on his next film with director S Shankar, Ram took time to meet his admirer, who also explained to him how he created his portrait. The actor was moved by his fan's gesture.