Although Bhansali had a roller-coaster journey when it came to casting his male lead, he has remained firm in his resolve that Deepika and only Deepika would be his Mastani. He reportedly resisted overtures from Kareena Kapoor and at least two other actresses who were keen to nab the part.

Now that casting is locked—Ranveer Singh will play Bajirao, Deepika his younger second wife Mastani, while Priyanka Chopra might play his older wife—it is learnt that Deepika will be rewarded handsomely for sticking to Bhansali’s project. Notorious for demanding that his stars take a pay cut in exchange for the opportunity to work with him, the filmmaker, in an unusually generous mood, has reportedly signed the actress at a whopping fee of Rs 8 crore. This possibly makes DP the highest paid female star right now, and one who can boast all the major projects currently in production—she toplines everything from Farah Khan’s SRK-starrer Happy New Year and Imtiaz Ali’s Ranbir Kapoor vehicle to Bhansali’s passion project. The true test of her box-office clout, however, will come with September’s Finding Fanny Fernandes, an English-language drama she filmed with Arjun Kapoor for her Cocktail director Homi Adajania. If Deepika can turn that niche film into a money- spinner, they’ll probably just have to concede that she’s got the Midas touch.

Who says ego issues and one-upmanship exist between superstars only? A talented young actor, recently in the spotlight for having won a major award, dropped in at the home of another powerhouse performer recently for a casual meeting. Both actors—very popular among filmmakers who make realistic, meaningful, modest-budget movies—even had small roles in the same star-driven thriller two years ago. If a list of the best actors currently working in the movies were to be drawn up, both gentlemen are likely to feature on it, the senior one occupying a higher place perhaps. But both men get along perfectly, insiders reveal, possibly because they aren’t exactly positioned as rivals just yet.

As the younger actor was leaving his host’s home after a friendly chat, the older actor took a quick glimpse at his ride, and was surprised to discover that his guest had an Audi Q7. Revealing a hint of envy, he reportedly said to his brother who was at his home at the time: “Main bhi leta hoon. Tu mera [Ford] Endeavor rakh le.”

No confirmation yet on whetherhe did end up buying a new car, but enquiries were apparently being made immediately after.

Amitabh BachchanDeepika PadukoneKareena Kapoor