SCOOPS: Hrithik Roshan's 'Super 30' look in hall of fame, Virushka prove they're just like us

(Clockwise from left) Hrithik Roshan; The actor in Super 30; The artwork in Kolkata

Hrithik Roshan’s rugged look for his upcoming film Super 30 won a lot of notices when its poster released. Now, a restaurant has created a themed wall based on the B-Town’s superstar appearance. The eatery we are talking about is called Mirch Masala, which is in Kolkata, West Bengal.

The Kaabil actor has always looked debonair on and off screen. However, for this film, he has slipped into the character of a small-town mathematics teacher and sports a scruffy guise with messy hair. He got a big thumbs up for the same from his fans. In fact, many even sketched pictures of it and shared them online.

Hrithik, who has been named as the sexiest B-Town actor in many polls, enjoys a massive fan following on social media, as well. We won’t be surprised to see Instagrammers heading to this restaurant to get a picture with this avatar of their screen idol.

― Harshada Rege

Actor-producer Anushka Sharma recently returned from Down Under. She was there to visit her husband, Virat Kohli, the captain of the Indian Cricket Team. Virat, as we all know, led the Indian team to historic wins against Australia and New Zealand. But what is not known is that this young couple, who is popularly known as Virushka, won hearts in both the foreign countries by being chilled out about their stardom. An eyewitness from Oz told us, “Virat and Anushka travelled by public transport during their entire stay in Australia as well as New Zealand before they headed for their mini vacation. They took local cabs without any security and were clear that they didn’t want to use swanky cars. Locals were pleasantly surprised to see them being so casual about their celebrityhood. The couple simply wanted to explore the countries and meet new people. Their simple approach gave others couple goals on how to have a good vacation without being trapped by the fringes of stardom.”

The upcoming romantic drama, Notebook, helmed by National Award-winning director Nitin Kakkar, presents not only two debutantes but also six exceptionally-talented child artistes. Ahead of the trailer, the makers had shared an intriguing poster with the leads — Zaheer Iqbal and Pranutan Bahl — posing with six young kids.

The trailer further revealed their significance in this unique and interesting love story, gaining appreciation for not just the hero and heroine, but also the innocent and charming child actors. The film revolves around Kabir (Zaheer) and Firdaus (Pranutan), who are connected yet apart, with the kids acting as catalysts. Shot against the picturesque locations of Kashmir, Notebook is an unusual romantic tale that poses the question — can you fall in love with someone you have never met?

Producer Salman Khan has presented Bollywood with two new talents, who have been getting a phenomenal response since the trailer launch. Pranutan is the granddaughter of legendary actress Nutan and the daughter of Mohnish Bahl while Zaheer hails from a non-film background.

Notebook, presented by Salman Khan Films, is a Cine1 Studios Production. The film, produced by Salma Khan, Murad Khetani and Ashwin Varde, releases on March 29, 2019.

Arjun Rampal has made his digital debut with the web series The Final Call that has him playing a pilot grappling with personal demons. “The show is layered with a lot of suspense, it’s a psychological thriller with a strong message in it. It also deals with the spiritual side of a person. It makes you think. When we get onto a plane, we assume we are in safe hands, but what if the pilot is suffering from a mental illness that nobody knows about? That’s what interested me,” says Arjun, who feels the web series has given him the freedom to push the envelope. “I can spend a lot of time on the character and make it nuanced. The most refreshing part is you don’t get bogged down by external pressures,” he says.

Having shot a part of the series in Kashmir, Arjun is bowled over by the picturesque beauty of the valley. “It’s truly Heaven on earth, but one feels bad that the place is isolated. When we were casting for the series, we had shortlisted someone to play a Kashmiri boy, but the minute his father heard we will shoot in the valley, he backed out. That’s how isolated it is. From my interactions with the locals there, it’s obvious that they seek peace and want people to  explore Kashmir so that their business thrives. But attacks like the recent one cause a huge setback and takes people’s effort towards peace ten steps back,” he says ruefully.

While it’s natural for a younger actor to be in awe of and be intimidated by a much senior and revered actor, Taapsee Pannu feels differently. The actress, who shares screen space with Amitabh Bachchan for the second time in the upcoming release Badla, after Pink (2016), says that treating the Hindi cinema icon as a co-star helped in working with him. “On the first day, I was a little intimidated. During my growing up years, I didn’t see too many films in the theatres, so I’ve seen him more on television. After the first day, I switched off the button in my head that he is 'the' Amitabh Bachchan,” she says, adding, “If I have to be there with him in one frame, I can’t be a sore thumb and not match up. I think he’s also happy that I don’t have that attitude with him. I don’t keep him on an inaccessible pedestal.” Of course, she has high regard for him as a senior actor. As Taapsee says, “The respect is very much there, but not like you can’t talk to him. In fact, we spent more time interacting during this film as most of his sequences with me are in one house sitting across the table.” So, in between shots and during breaks, they would often sit and chat. “We would even talk about random stuff. Sometimes, I would even take the liberty of giving him gyaan about food, workout etc, and he would be patient during our conversations. So, yes, that bonding developed a little more this time around,” she sums up.

(Clockwise from left) Amitabh Bachchan; The appreciation letter; and Vijay Varma

Vijay Varma aka Moeen Bhai, Ranveer Singh’s best friend in Gully Boy received the most coveted letter of appreciation from Amitabh Bachchan for his role in the film. In his letter, Big B has written, “I observed you in Pink, I have lauded you in Gully Boy, the ease of your performance, in a complex role how wonderfully you have played it. So proud of you. Love and wishes ever.” An elated Vijay says, “It is truly a blessing to receive words of appreciation from Mr Bachchan. I am very touched with his kind gesture. I will hold this moment and this memory very close to my heart. I had the honour of working with him in Pink and cannot wait to work with him again.”