Talk of the Town

The casting of the female leads in Rohit Shetty’s next is fast becoming the most talked about subject in Bollywood. We know already that the film will star his Chennai Express leading man Shah Rukh Khan, and it appears that Varun Dhawan will play SRK’s younger sibling. But details about the heroines who will be paired opposite them are as still sketchy. Everyone from Kajol and Madhuri Dixit-Nene to Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has reportedly been considered for the part opposite Shah Rukh, but Rohit is remaining tight- lipped about who will eventually land the role. Meanwhile, he’s staying equally secretive about the second female lead, although reports had recently emerged that Heropanti discovery Kriti Sanon was in contention. Now one hears that Alia Bhatt got a narration from the director too, and she may be in the running as well.

Et tu, Aamir?

If the Bollywood grapevine is to be trusted, Aamir Khan has ‘seriously upset’ Karan Johar with his scathing remarks against the controversial AIB Knockout that the filmmaker was part of recently. Aamir took the mike at an event to say he was disappointed in the Roast event and that he had “scolded Karan and Arjun” (Kapoor) when he first heard about it.

The PK star has come under severe criticism for his ‘double standards’ from many, including funny-man Russell Peters, and also his former co-star Pooja Bhatt. But it’s Karan who is reportedly most upset. The filmmaker shares a close relationship with Aamir and particularly his wife Kiran Rao, and was apparently “completely taken aback” when he heard Aamir’s open takedown of the event.

One major Bollywood player requesting anonymity puts the matter into perspective. “There ought to be solidarity among members of the film industry. You can express yourself privately. But publicly, it’s best to put on a united front.” Our source further points out: “When Angelina Jolie was revealed to be the subject of a scathing email exchange between Sony boss Amy Pascal and producer Scott Rudin recently, she didn’t flare up or make a noise. Because you don’t do that. You just don’t.”

The Forbidden Tape

A long-in-the-making director who finally popped his Bollywood cherry recently is the subject of much chatter and gossip among film folk. But sadly it’s got nothing to do with his talents behind the camera… oh wait, maybe it does!

While operating out of the offices of a leading film studio that was committed to bankroll his film at one point, he was often in the habit of using their equipment for pre- production. According to legend, while he was in possession of one of the cameras, another technician at the office needed to borrow the camera for a test shoot, and the gentleman in question graciously offered the camera that he’d been using. On discovering after reaching home that there was already a tape inside the camera, the technician decided to check if there was anything of value on the tape or if it was one that might be reused. At which point, she was reportedly confronted with images she hadn’t expected to see.

Turns out the director-in-waiting had filmed an intimate encounter with his girlfriend and had forgotten to keep the tape in his custody. The technician decided she didn’t want to embarrass him, and returned the camera the following day saying she didn’t need it and hence hadn’t used it. She made no reference to the tape inside. But the day after, he approached her sheepishly to ask if she’d watched the tape . Although unconvinced when she said she hadn’t, he let the matter go, and the technician heaved a sigh of relief. But she has told friends he clearly hadn’t gotten over the embarrassment of having been discovered, and was evidently still suspicious. Because, months after he’d stopped visiting the studio, his project having fallen through, when he saw her again he broached the matter of a certain tape of his that had gone missing from the camera he’d once lent her. She feigned complete ignorance, and he finally seemed relieved.

The truth, however, is that the technician and her friends—all of whom knew him—had been laughing about the incident for months. From his persistent enquiries, she wasn’t quite sure if her receiving the tape was an accident, or something he might’ve planned. But she’s just glad she never let on.

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Rajeev Masand

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