After Hrs was the first to tell you that Kareena Kapoor Khan has given her nod to Karan Johar’s upcoming venture, which will be directed by Raj Mehta. Bebo plays a mother in the relationship drama and now, the producers have locked their leading man, too. Our source reveals, “The makers have roped in Akshay Kumar to play the male lead. The story is about two couples and they were looking for a senior actor opposite Bebo. Akshay was their first choice and he loved the script. He discussed the film with Karan, and the modalities were worked out immediately.”
ON SCREEN AFTER NINE YEARS
Although, in the last few years, Kareena has done special appearances in two of Akshay’s films (as his wife in Gabbar Is Back and in an item song in Brothers), they have not been paired on screen in a full- fledged film, since Kambakkht Ishq that released nine years ago. Our source informs us, “When Karan told Bebo they were casting Akshay opposite her, she was extremely happy. Both of them have been great friends and their reunion on screen was only a matter of time.”
Kareena and Akshay play a married couple in the film who are trying to have a baby. The yet-to-be-titled movie is a unique take on love and marriage and also features another younger couple. The producers are still hunting for the other two leads.
DHARMA FAVOURITES
It was 24 years into his prolific career when Akshay starred in his first-ever Dharma film (Brothers) in 2015. But he’s become a Dharma favourite, much like Bebo who Karan has repeated several times in his production ventures. Akshay’s upcoming movie Kesari is also backed by KJo and Raj’s directorial debut will be his third association with the banner. On the other hand, Kareena’s last full-fledged film with Dharma was Gori Tere Pyaar Mein, which released five years ago. Our source adds, “Filming begins in November, after Akshay wraps up work on Housefull 4. Bebo also wanted a few months break in between to spend some time with her son Taimur. So, the team has worked out everything already.”
