SCOOPS: Deepika Padukone's FIRST LOOK as acid attack survivor in 'Chhapaak' REVEALED, Madhuri wants to work with Ranbir

Ever since it was announced that Deepika Padukone and Meghna Gulzar were joining hands for their next, titled Chhapaak, there has been a lot of anticipation among film buffs. Audiences are curious to see the collaborative effort between the powerhouse performer and talented filmmaker.

Chhapaak is about the indomitable human spirit. The celebrated actor, who is known for her choice of roles, will be seen as Malti. Here’s presenting the first look of Deepika from the film. Chhapaak is about determination and the undying human spirit of not giving up despite adversities at every step. The movie is close to the actress’ heart as it marks her foray into production under her banner KA Entertainment.

Meghna, who has directed true-life stories such as Talvar (2015) and Raazi (2018) with authentic grit, will be helming Chhapaak. Over the last six months, the actress and filmmaker have had various look tests, readings and have been busy with the casting. Deepika gave her nod to the film instantly when Meghna approached her with the subject. The shoot of the film begins today in New Delhi.

Chhapaak, produced by Fox Star Studios, Deepika Padukone’s KA Entertainment and Meghna Gulzar’s Mriga Films, is all set to hit the theatres on January 10, 2020.

Last week, a big announcement was made when the makers of Bhuj: The Pride of India revealed their star cast. Toplined by Ajay Devgn, who plays the lead role, the period saga revolves around a true story and features prominent faces like Sonakshi Sinha, Parineeti Chopra, Sanjay Dutt, Rana Daggubati and Ammy Virk. Ajay will be seen as Squadron leader Vijay Karnik, who was in charge of the Bhuj airport during the 1971 Indo-Pak war. Sonakshi Sinha will portray the role of a social worker Sunderben Jetha Madharparya who was instrumental in motivating other women during the crisis. Parineeti plays an Indian spy named Heena Rehman. We have heard that even though the two female leads have prominent roles in the project, Sonakshi’s the one with more screen time. Says a source, “Sonakshi is the main heroine in the entire set-up. She has a slightly meatier role than Pari in Bhuj.”

Varun Dhawan recently released his song titled First Class from Kalank. While the fast-paced dance track has him and Kiara Advani grooving to the beats, the actor greeted a sea of fans and the media at the launch event and had interesting insights to share. Speaking about it, VD said, “This is my biggest song till date. It’s a very peppy dance number and I’m happy I got to do a song like this. The way we have designed it was grand and the sets were huge. There were at least 1,000 back-up dancers in it, which again is a first for me.” Right after this, the October actor did a little jig on the same number, while the crowd cheered him on.

After wrapping up her next film Hrithik vs Tiger (tentative title) in which she is paired opposite the Kaabil actor, Vaani Kapoor has started shooting for Shamshera. She will share screen space with Ranbir Kapoor in the dacoit drama. Vaani will be seen playing a desirable and sought-after travelling performer from the heartland of India.

The actress proved that she is a great dancer in Befikre, but for this Karan Malhotra directorial, she has to push her limits. Says a source, “Vaani needs to be proficient in several classical dancing styles to be able to pull off the choreography. She has been learning Kathak for the past few months to hone her dancing skills further. In fact, she has been practising for hours every day to perfect her moves and body postures.”

Vaani says, “Since Shamshera is set in a particular time, the dance sequences require me to have a classical body language. I started taking Kathak lessons to learn the nuances and imbibe the grace. Karan wanted me to adapt to a more traditional Indian dance form and break away from the western style to do justice to the choreography.”

Tusshar, who had his first born Laksshya through surrogacy around three years ago, is definitely one of the most hands-on fathers from the industry. The Golmaal Again actor makes sure his schedules are planned in such a way that he gets enough time to be with his son. The doting daddy has taken off to Dubai for a short trip with his tiny tot. Says a source, “Laksshya got a 10-day spring break from his playschool. Tusshar usually plans his time keeping Laksshya’s holidays in mind. So, when he saw that there was no school for his baby boy from March 15-25, he zoomed off to Dubai for a holiday.” Now, we know why Tusshar was absent from the family’s Holi celebrations this year!

Buzz is that Bhoot Police, which is touted to be a horror comedy, is on the lines of the Hollywood hit Ghostbusters (1984). The English movie is about four parapsychologists starting a ghost-catching business in New York. It was remade in 2016, albeit with a gender reversal. While the original had four men playing para enthusiasts, the reboot had four women essaying the roles. Bhoot Police, we hear, will be about two brothers hunting for ghosts. Saif Ali Khan and Ali Fazal are tipped to play brothers who will go searching for the bhoots!

Madhuri Dixit has got a new lease in her career. With Total Dhamaal still running at plexes and her next film Kalank already racing up anticipation levels, the senior Bollywood diva is on a roll. For the Abhishek Varman directorial, she will share screen space not only with her former co-star Sanjay Dutt, but also with a few top actors from the younger generation like Varun Dhawan, Alia Bhatt, Sonakshi Sinha and Aditya Roy Kapur. When we coaxed her to name one Gen-Y hero, apart from her Kalank co-actors whom she’d like to do a film with, she immediately responded, “Ranbir (Kapoor). I have seen him as a child and I see him now. He’s an amazing artiste and truly the best we have today. We have done one song (Ghagra from Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani) together, and he’s an extremely professional and dedicated performer. It will be great to work on an entire film with him.”