Veteran actor Mithun Chakraborty says he was sceptical about starring in Bengali film Kabuliwala, the latest adaptation of Rabindranath Tagore’s famous story, as he was not convinced he would do justice to a role already immortalised by Balraj Sahni and Chhabi Biswas. He decided to board the project on one condition—the makers must audition him. “It’s a big challenge because the two actors who did this part before, in different films, are two immortal actors. I had initially said no. I wanted the director and producer to audition me,” he had said.

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On flop films

Addressing a subject he has long been trolled for, Arjun Kapoor took on questions about his box-office failures. After his last film, The Lady Killer—reportedly made on a whopping budget of Rs 45 crore—earned only Rs 1 lakh at the box office, the actor discussed the subject on a chat show. “I am the first actor in my generation to deliver a Rs 100 crore film with 2 States. I have done a film like Ki & Ka that did well; I have done all kinds of work. Akshay Kumar has spoken openly about considering leaving the profession at one point of time, [after] 12 flops. If my audience has loved me, they are not going to disconnect if I give them a good film.”

Baingan kha, Bhidu

Union Minister Smriti Irani humoured her social media followers by sharing what could be perceived as diet advice from Jackie Shroff and Khichdi actor, JD Majethia. Taking to social media, Irani shared some candid pictures of her with them, and wrote. “Diet ki salah ke do prakaar— Ek, bhidu, wazan kam kar, fit reh, fat mat ho re, anda kha, baingan kha, bread mat kha re,” she wrote, referencing Shroff, and then added for Majethia, “Dusra, ben, wazan kam kar, diet kar, kissi ko pata nahi chalega.” Fans encouraged her by sharing: “You have a wacky sense of humour.”

The green light

Akshay Kumar said he has started shooting for the third part of the comedy film franchise Welcome. Directed by Ahmed Khan, the upcoming movie in the series is titled Welcome to the Jungle. It is scheduled to released in theatres on December 20, 2024. Kumar shared the film update on the microblogging site X.

Dad being dad

Never one to shy away from extending support to his son-in-law, Suniel Shetty says he was hurt upon noticing the hatred shown to cricketer KL Rahul after the Indian team’s World Cup 2023 defeat. “He doesn’t talk, and lets his bat do the talking. The faith of the people, captain and selectors in him said it all. The trolling hurts me 100 times more than it hurts Rahul and Athiya [Shetty, daughter],” he shared.

No messing with ’em

The Mumbai Police offered its followers some mid-week giggles by poking fun at the team behind Hrithik Roshan’s upcoming film, Fighter. As part of the teaser that was unveiled on December 8, the makers used the following text to amp up anticipation: To find us? You must be good. To catch us, you must be fast. To beat us? You must be joking! The Mumbai Police employed the phrases while recreating a video that appeared to feature its officers. “In this journey called life, some ‘battles’ are best left to experts to fight,” it wrote alongside the video.

Recovering

Weeks after he was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of a private hospital in Gurugram for cardiac issues, renowned fashion designer Rohit Bal said he is healing. The designer, 62, took to Instagram to share, “Dear friends, family and supporters, I am deeply touched by your outpouring of love and prayers during my illness. Your support has been a beacon of hope and strength, helping me on my journey to recovery. As I heal, I am reminded of the resilience of our bond and our shared dreams (sic).”