Have you heard? Aamir Khan to relaunch nephew Imran Khan

Aamir Khan and Imran Khan

Leading ladies in the house

Akshay Kumar and producer Sajid Nadiadwala are sparing no effort in taking their Housefull 5 (HF5) a few notches higher than its last instalment. To be helmed by Tarun Mansukhani, the comic caper boasts of a starry ensemble cast. Joining the franchise regulars Akki and Riteish Deshmukh are Abhishek Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt, Fardeen Khan, Nana Patekar, Jackie Shroff and Chunky Panday, who reprises the character of Aakhri Pasta. After much consideration, the makers have finalised the leading ladies. Jacqueliene Fernandez, Chitrangda Singh, Nargis Fakhri, Sonam Bajwa and Soundarya Sharma have been signed on for the mega entertainer that goes on floors in the coming days. Most of the action takes place aboard a cruise liner. The HF5 team will kick off the shoot in London, followed by a marathon 45-day spell on the cruise. Like the previous editions, Akshay's character will have a unique trait that is bound to add more madness to the chaos and confusion on board.

Dino joins comic caper

Dino Morea is the latest addition to the male cast of Sajid Nadiadwala's Housefull 5. The actor had been in talks for Tarun Mansukhani's directorial venture and recently came on board the laugh ride. Details of his role are being kept under wraps, but we hear that he has a pivotal part in the narrative. Dino, who has been exploring diverse roles in south cinema, is naturally excited about his new project, and can't wait to begin filming.

Past imperfect

Rakul Preet Singh recently shared that she was ousted from a Telugu film. "Before I made my debut, I was replaced from the film after shooting with Prabhas for four days," she recalled. The actor, who got a breakthrough in Telugu cinema with Venkatadri Express (2013), added, "Sometimes, when you don't know much about the industry or its way of functioning, you don't take it to your heart. There is beauty in innocence and naivety. I was so naive, I thought, ‘Oh, ok they have removed me? No problem, maybe this wasn't meant for me, I will do something else.'"

Comeback plans

Rumours are rife that Aamir Khan will relaunch nephew Imran Khan with a film that will release directly on OTT. The project is a romantic comedy to be helmed by Danish Aslam, who previously directed Imran in Break Ke Baad (2010). The breezy narrative will see Imran explore the rom-com genre, something he fared well in during his first innings. Last seen in Katti Batti (2015), Imran was said to begin his second innings with director Abbas Tyrewala's spy thriller. However, the film was aborted in the wake of the JioCinema and Disney+Hotstar merger.

All set for a new ride

Priya Bapat is exploring new ground with her upcoming series, Raat Jawan. Helmed by Sumeet Vyas, the dramedy revolves around three besties, Avinash (Barun Sobti), Radhika (Anjali Anand) and Suman (Priya), as they embark on the new phase of their life, raising kids. "Comedy isn't my strength, and I haven't performed such roles on screen before," said Priya. Talking about her introvert character, she added, "Suman doesn't express much. This role is quite different from the commanding roles I usually play. Balancing a character who faces bullying and becomes a target for jokes requires maintaining her innocence and honesty."

Another epic collaboration

After playing a double role in Shamshera (2022) and Animal (2023), buzz is that Ranbir Kapoor is getting third time lucky. This time around, the actor will essay different roles in Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayan. Ranbir, who plays Lord Ram in the three-part mythological adaptation, will also double up as Parashuram for a brief part. Reportedly, the two will face each other when Ram breaks Shiva's bow during Sita's swayamvar, incurring the wrath of Parshuram. The latter calms down when he learns that the former is an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Ranbir will have a distinct look when portraying Parashuram in the magnum opus. Amitabh Bachchan, who mentored Ranbir's protagonist in Brahmastra, too has joined the mythological venture. He will lend his voice to the vulture king Jatayu, who tries to save Sita when she is abducted by the demon king Raavan.