Many Faces of Reincarnation

Govinda’s Comeback Mantra • The Secret Couch Unveiled

Finding Fanny helmer Homi Adajania will more than likely direct Deepika Padukone again in his The Fault In Our Stars official remake for Fox. Homi reportedly conducted a look test with Deepika and Varun Dhawan last Sunday, and has set a March start date for filming.

He’s also bailing out his Cocktail and Fanny producer Dinesh Vijan by agreeing to co-direct the reincarnation film that Dino had intended to make with Saif Ali Khan and Parineeti Chopra. According to sources, Dino’s credibility took a bit of a beating when Saif left the film and called off their producing partnership. Homi has apparently stepped in so Dino can make the film after all. The project will now go on the floors in October next year, with Kai Po Che star Sushant Singh Rajput and Alia Bhatt stepping in as leads.

The only hitch now is Karan Johar’s Shuddhi, also a reincarnation story, and one that’s likely to go into production around the same time. However, Shuddhi, a bigger project both in terms of budget and scale, is expected to have a longer production schedule. Certainly with the very busy and ummm… erratic Salman Khan attached, the makers would be wise not to get into any race towards completion. Besides, Dino and Homi’s film is a reincarnation love story, while Shuddhi is an action movie, so it’s not like both films will be carbon copies of each other even if they do arrive in cinemas around the same time.

Govinda’s Comeback Mantra

Like it or not, we’re going to be seeing a lot of Govinda in the months ahead. Out of work until recently, the Saajan Chale Sasural star is enjoying something of a career revival, having landed significant roles in major upcoming releases. In Yash Raj Films’ Kill Dil, he plays “an unconventional negative role” opposite Ranveer Singh, Ali Zafar and Parineeti Chopra, and in Happy Ending he has “an interesting cameo” alongside Saif Ali Khan and Ileana D’Cruz. He’s also playing the lead (yes!) in a film that he’s producing himself titled, Abhinay Chakra.

Industry insiders are saying the famously unprofessional star has finally cleaned up his act. “There was a time he didn’t show up on set until after lunch for a 9 am shift,” a longtime producer reveals. “He was also an incredibly expensive actor to work with, because he travelled with an entourage of nine to 10 people including his family members. And the costs always had to be borne by the producer.” It was that very work ethic (or the lack of it) that saw the immensely talented actor’s career end prematurely in the early noughties.

While Govinda may have become more punctual and less unprofessional, there are still some things he remains stubborn about. The star won’t work in any movie that he thinks isn’t ‘commercial’. His old friend and Partner co-star Salman Khan is reportedly peeved that Govinda turned down the Hindi remake of the acclaimed Marathi film Shikshanachya Aaicha Gho, which Salman is producing. “That seemed like an art film, and I don’t do art films,” Govinda told the press when he was asked why he opted out of the film. “I believe in the Rajinikanth school of cinema,” he added with a smile.

The Secret Couch Unveiled

A respected senior filmmaker, with a reputation for experimenting with new genres and different subjects, recently went red in the face out of embarrassment during a meeting in his office with a media-person. This is the sort of story you’ll wish you were there to witness in person!

The female journo, who was meeting with the veteran to talk shop, reportedly became privy to one of his closely guarded secrets that particular afternoon by sheer accident. Turns out that when the filmmaker pressed a bell to summon an office help to order refreshments for his guest, what he actually ended up doing inadvertently was hitting the wrong button. As a result, a seemingly innocuous ‘wall’ at the opposite end of the room rotated to reveal—wait for it—a concealed cozy queen-size bed!

The lady was visibly shocked. The filmmaker apparently didn’t know where to look. He nervously sputtered something about having created that little nook for himself—to retire when he needed a nap at work. The lady was not convinced but tried not to let it show. It is perhaps unfair to draw a sleazy conclusion from what she saw, but the gentleman’s discomfort was a telling sign, she insists. You make up your own mind with the facts at hand!

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Rajeev Masand

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