Have you heard? Will she, won’t she? 

Deepika Padukone

Last month, during the promotions of Fighter, director Siddharth Anand apparently confirmed that Deepika Padukone would be seen in the international series, The White Lotus. The series was globally feted after it premièred in July 2021. Subsequently, the anthology show was renewed for a second edition, which premièred in October 2022. The success of the two seasons ensured that The White Lotus was renewed for the third instalment, set to release next year. Deepika was said to join the cast, including Jennifer Coolidge, Natasha Rothwell, and Alexandra Daddario. While the first season was shot in Maui, the second instalment was filmed in Sicily. The upcoming edition, which also features Blackpink's Lisa aka Lalisa Manobal, is said to have been shot in Thailand. Now, rumours are rife that Deepika may opt out of the show for reasons yet unknown. Although there is no official word from the actor, it remains to be seen if she will head to the East Asian country for the shoot or give it a miss.

To sing more

Parineeti Chopra, who recently made her singing debut on stage, is said to be rendering her own tracks in her next film, Chamkila. Helmed by Imtiaz Ali, the film is a biopic on the late Punjabi singer Amar Singh Chamkila, to be essayed by Diljit Dosanjh. Interestingly, it was the Punjabi actor-singer who inspired her to go behind the mic. In a recent interview, Pari shared that, apart from fulfilling her wish of collaborating with Imtiaz, the film also gave her an opportunity to sing. The actor, who croons about 15 tracks in the movie, reportedly said, "When Diljit heard me sing for the film, he told me to pursue live performances. Everyone around me used to constantly put this thought in my head that I could be on stage." Excited about the challenge, the actor is sparing no effort in getting into the skin of a musician and learning more about the world of concerts.

Amitabh celebrating 55 with AI

It has been a while since our film industry has talked about AI (artificial intelligence) or shared their AI-enhanced avatars on social media. Amitabh Bachchan might be late to the party, but you can be sure he has done the best so far. And what better occasion than celebrating a career milestone? The Indian cinema legend marked his five-and-a-half decades in the movies with an interesting post on social media. Alongside an image reflecting his long and ongoing professional innings, Big B wrote, "55 years in this wondrous world of cinema... and AI gives me its interpretation (sic)." Naturally, his post was flooded with reactions from netizens. While daughter Shweta Bachchan Nanda commented, "Love it," a fan called it awesome, saying, "AI, for me, also means ‘Amitabh Incredible'."

Resolution better than separation

Last week, Esha Deol and Bharat Takhtani issued a statement about separating after 18 years of marriage. Now, we hear that father-veteran actor Dharmendra is not too pleased with them going their separate ways. It is being said that he wants them to reconsider the decision for the sake of their daughters, Radhya and Miraya. Sharing that the actor is saddened by the development, a source said, "Radhya and Miraya share a close bond with Dharamjj and Hema ji [Malini]. He feels that parental separation affects the children badly. He hopes that Esha and Bharat can resolve their issues and save the marriage, especially for their daughters."