Entertainment Highlights: Ranbir Kapoor SLAYS In Lungi Pants At ICW 23; Sanjay Dutt Celebrates 64th Birthday

Popular TV actor Parth Samthaan is all geared up to venture into Bollywood with his debut film, Ghudchadi, in which he shares the screen with seasoned actors Sanjay Dutt and Raveena Tandon. Excitement surrounds Parth's new journey as he recently concluded shooting for the project and took the opportunity to reflect on his experience working on Ghudchadi. "Ghudchadi has been an incredible journey for me…I fell in love with the script the moment I read it. It’s a romantic comedy with a heart, and I believe the audience will connect with the story and the characters," as quoted by Bollywood Bubble. He recently wrapped-up the film's dubbing.

The anticipation for the third season of Mirzapur is already running high, and now, an exciting update has further fueled people's excitement. According to a recent report, the critically-acclaimed series is potentially being considered for a feature-length film adaptation. According to a source close to the entertainment portal PinkVilla, the makers are toying with the idea of creating a film on Mirzapur, considering the hype and popularity it has garnered over the years. The source shared, “The world of Mirzapur has fascinated the audience, and there is a lot of scope in terms of characters and parallel plots to be developed into other content formats besides the existing web series structure. The conversation to make Mirzapur into a film has recently begun among the makers, and are developing an idea that would entertain the audience. Once that is locked, they will get into the logistics. However, it is certain that they do want to present Mirzapur as a movie as well.”

Karan Johar's recent release, "Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani," has been well-received by the audience, and it appears that the filmmaker has more exciting projects in the pipeline for his fans. Earlier, there were reports about Karan signing Vasan Bala to direct an action-packed film, featuring the talented actress Alia Bhatt in a pivotal role. Now, as per the latest reports from Pinkvilla, Vedang Raina, who is all set to make his debut in Zoya Akhtar's "The Archies" series, has been roped in to play a lead role in Vasan's movie. According to the reports, the yet-to-be-titled project will mark Vedang's first appearance on the big screen. Both Karan and Vasan were thoroughly impressed with Vedang's performance in "The Archies" rushes, leading them to believe that he is a perfect fit for their upcoming film. The casting decision has generated excitement and anticipation among fans, and they eagerly await the unveiling of this promising collaboration.

Ever since the announcement by the makers, Sanju Weds Geetha 2 has been generating a lot of excitement and anticipation. Nagashekar will be directing this sequel to the first installment, which featured Srinagar Kitty and Ramya in the lead roles. For the upcoming sequel, talented actress Rachita Ram will be taking on the lead role, while Srinagar Kitty is set to reprise his character as Sanju. With its pre-production now completed, the film's team is gearing up to commence shooting. There are reports suggesting that Nagashekar is also considering casting the renowned actress Tamannaah Bhatia in the movie. Furthermore, the film is expected to boast a stellar ensemble cast, which includes the likes of Ramya Krishnan and Prakash Raj. As the excitement builds, fans eagerly await the unveiling of this much-anticipated sequel, which promises to be an enthralling cinematic experience.

Veteran actor Dharmendra, in a recent interview, reacted to the lip-lock scene with Shabana Azmi in Karan Johar’s Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani. He said the last time he had a kissing scene in Life In A Metro with Nafisa Ali, the audience had appreciated it. He further added, "When Karan narrated the scene to us, I did not get excited (laughs). We understood it and I realized that it was something that the film required and wasn’t forcefully put in and I said I will do it. Also, I believe there is no age for romance. Age is just a number and two people irrespective of age will show their love for each other by kissing. Shabana and I both did not feel any kind of awkwardness while doing it as it was very aesthetically shot."

Varun Dhawan and Janhvi Kapoor’s latest release, Bawaal, has been receiving huge backlash over its representation of Hitler and the Holocaust. After Jewish organisation The Simon Wiesenthal Centre called for the removal of the movie from the OTT platform, the Israeli embassy lashed out at Nitesh Tiwari directorial Bawaal. In a statement, the embassy said, "The Israeli embassy is disturbed by the trivialization of the significance of the Holocaust in the recent movie 'Bawaal'. There was a poor choice in the utilization of some terminology in the movie, and though we assume no malice was intended, we urge everyone who may not be fully aware of the horrors of the Holocaust to educate themselves about it."

On Saturday, actress Sushmita Sen shared the teaser for her upcoming web series, Taali. It is based on the life of transgender activist Shreegauri Sawant. The forty-six-second clip shows Sushmita in a new and bold avatar. Sharing the teaser on her Instagram, Sushmita captioned it, "Gaali se Taali tak ke safar ki yeh kahaani. Presenting the story of Shreegauri Sawant’s fight for India’s third gender." The series will be released on August 15, on the occasion of Independence Day. The teaser gives a glimpse of Shreegauri's life and her struggles. Sawant is the founder of the Sakhi Char Chowghi Trust, an NGO that promotes safe sex and provides counselling to transgender people.

On Friday, the Delhi High Court dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by a "hardcore fan" who expressed displeasure over "derogatory letters" sent by Sukesh Chandrasekhar to actors Jacqueline Fernandez and Nora Fatehi. Sukesh Chandrasekhar is currently involved in criminal proceedings along with the two actresses. The petitioner sought action against government authorities, alleging collusion with Chandrasekhar to tarnish the reputation of the two women. However, the court, presided over by Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sanjeev Narula, deemed the PIL filed by Nishant Singh an attempt for mere publicity and dismissed it, imposing costs on the petitioner. The court deemed the PIL "vague and baseless allegations". The petitioner also stated that Chandrasekhar’s "false public love stories are heavily impacting on the psychology of our teenagers" and his "public antics" need to be stopped. A detailed copy relating to the order is awaited.

Vijay Deverakonda and Samantha Ruth Prabhu’s upcoming romantic movie Kushi’s title track has finally been released. The track is composed, arranged, sung, and programmed by Hesham Abdul Wahab, while the lyrics are written by Raqueeb Alam. The song shows Vijay Deverakonda and Samantha Ruth Prabhu dressed as groom and bride, respectively, and romancing each other. In less than 24 hours of its release, the Kushi title track is already inching closer to the 2 million views mark on YouTube. The Telugu movie is directed by Shiva Nirvana and will be released on September 1.

Actor Sanjay Dutt, on his 64th birthday, unveiled his first look at his character 'Big Bull' from the upcoming science fiction film Double iSmart. Headlined by Ram Pothineni, the Telugu movie is directed by Puri Jagannadh. Taking to his social media handles, Sanjay Dutt shared his first look poster and captioned, "It takes me immense pride to be working with the director of the masses #PuriJagannadh ji and the young energetic Ustaad @ram_pothineni. Glad to be Playing the #BIGBULL in this sci-fi mass entertainer #DoubleISMART. Excited to be teaming up with this super-talented team and Looking forward to the film hitting the screens on MARCH 8th, 2024".

On Friday, July 28, SAB TV’s popular sitcom Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah completed its 15th anniversary. Actress Munmun Dutta, who plays Babita Krishnan Iyer in the show, took to her Instagram and shared a slew of snaps with the cast and crew. She also penned a heartfelt note showing gratitude to the team and how it has changed her life. "Gratitude! Gratitude and only gratitude is what I can express today! I am so grateful and thankful for the way my life has taken a turn for the better in the past 15 years, grateful for the love that’s showered on me/us by everyone that has seen the show and has made us a part of their lives", she wrote.

Sanjay Dutt is celebrating his 64th birthday today, July 29. To make the occasion more special, his wife Maanayata took to social media to penned a sweet birthday note to wish him. She shared a video that featured their family and some special moments spent together. She wrote, "Happy birthday my bestest half. Words are not enough to appreciate all the things that you do for me….thank you for being so amazing…thank you for being you…wishing you nothing but the best ever in your life!! May you have an amazing year ahead and wish you create many more inspiring benchmarks! Feel incredibly blessed to be a part of your beautiful life♥️ stay blessed #love #grace #positivity #dutts #beautifullife #thankyougod".

Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh starrer romantic family drama "Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani," released in theatres on Friday, started off on a decent note. The film is directed by Karan Johar and is touted as the quintessential Bollywood masala movie. The film, as per Sacnilk.com, earned ₹11.50 crore nett in India on its first day. The film also stars Dharmendra, Jaya Bachchan, Shabana Azmi, Tota Roy Choudhury, Churni Ganguly, and Aamir Bashir, among others.

Bollywood heartthrob Ranbir Kapoor made heads turn as he turned a showstopper for Kunal Rawal at the India Couture Week 2023 that was held on Friday. Day 4 of the event kicked off with Kunal’s 'Dhup Chao' collection. Ranbir walked the ramp with the utmost pride and grace and rocked the lungi-style pants that caught everyone's attention on special media. Ranbir looked dapper in a black jacket with bandhgala, full sleeves, silver buttons, and sequin detailing all over. It was paired with a fusion of black lungi-esque pants featuring a lungi on one side. Skipping accessories, Ranbir’s look was completed by shiny black shoes, gelled-up hair, and a perfectly groomed beard.