Have you heard? Our favourite spy gets a new handler

But now, the buzz is that the director may not helm Pathaan 2. Nope, don’t speculate about a falling-out. It’s much simpler, really. Producer Aditya Chopra doesn’t like to repeat directors in the YRF spy universe. Case in point: the Tiger and the War franchises. So, it is heard that the producer wants Siddharth to pass the baton to another director who can bring his own perspective to the SRK and Deepika Padukone-led sequel. So, who will it be? Well, we know one thing for certain—it’s going to be a coveted job.

Coming not so soon

We’ve heard about how Shah Rukh Khan’s films inspired actor to make his maiden directorial venture, Monkey Man. We’ve also heard about how the action fare got a standing ovation at its première at South by Southwest Film Festival. Now, when do we get to see it? That’s a bit fuzzy. While Monkey Man was slated to release in India on April 19, Universal Pictures India recently removed the film’s release date from its social media assets, replacing it with a vague ‘Coming soon’. Even ticketing platforms have removed any mention of its release date. What’s caused this change? Considering the film is quite violent, the makers are apparently expecting it to be a long-drawn-out process with the Censor Board. So guess it’s a waiting game for all those who were excited by the stylised trailer.

Daddy duties

Neetu Kapoor, Ranbir Kapoor and Riddhima Kapoor Sahni featured in the opening episode of The Great Indian Kapil Show. What was their favourite subject of discussion? Little Raha, of course. Speaking about how Ranbir is a hands-on dad, Neetu said, “When Raha enters [the room], you should see Ranbir’s face. It’s full of expression. He gets excited… I’ve seen many fathers, but I have seen none like him. He is the opposite of his father [Rishi Kapoor].”

My love for you, etched forever

Nothing says enduring love like a tattoo. Or at least, that’s what the folks in Bollywood believe. Vikrant Massey, who embraced fatherhood in February, got his son Vardaan’s name and date of birth inked on his hand. The 12th Fail (2023) actor posted a picture of his tattooed hand on Instagram and wrote, “Addition or addiction? I love them both (sic).” Vikrant and Sheetal Thakur, who tied the knot in February 2022, welcomed their little bundle of joy on February 7 this year. The actor’s next release is The Sabarmati Report.

Music star not from films

Musicians today don’t have to depend on films to become popular, believes singer Shaan. The artiste made his case by noting that Arijit Singh has been the “last big exponent” of film music. “All the big names today in music, they are either rappers or they have their own brand of music styles. Arijit Singh was probably the last big exponent who came in from film music. But a lot of them first got popular doing their own non-film music, like Guru Randhawa, Honey Singh, Badshah, and King. Today, film music is hardly giving you the big singing star,” said the singer.

The long and short of it

Rajkummar Rao’s next, which was earlier titled Sri, has now been rechristened Srikanth, named after the visually-challenged entrepreneur Srikanth Bolla.

In the Tushar Hiranandani-directed biopic, Rao will showcase the inspiring journey of Bolla as he rose against the odds to become a successful industrialist. The leading man took to social media to announce that the film, also starring Jyotika and Alaya F, will release on May 10.

First is fulfilling

Meanwhile, another first-time director is having a good time behind the camera. Actor Sonu Sood, who has turned director with Fateh, shared how his desire to create an action franchise led to the making of the cyber thriller. He posted two stills from the film on X, and wrote, “I have been doing films since so many years. I was fortunate enough to work with the best. But [I] always felt like creating an action franchise, which we will all be proud of; an action [film] that will raise the bar. Fateh has been one of the most fulfilling experiences ever as an actor and director.”