When writer-director Aasmaan Bhardwaj had finished the first draft of Kuttey, he did not consider Tabu for the role of a cop. The part was initially written for a male actor. His filmmaker-composer father Vishal Bhardwaj revealed it was Luv Ranjan — with whom he joined hands to produce his son’s directorial debut — who suggested the actor’s name. “When we narrated the script to Luv, he suggested changing the gender, and getting Tabu on board to play it. That’s how she came to be an important part of the film.” Interestingly, this is not the first time the gender of a character has been altered to accommodate the National Award-winning actor. Tabu recently finished shooting one such role in Bholaa, Ajay Devgn’s next directorial venture that is an adaptation of the Tamil hit, Kaithi. In Lokesh Kanagaraj’s movie, Narain played the police officer who seeks help from Karthi’s ex-convict Dilli to nab a criminal gang. The role has been rewritten for Tabu in Ajay’s Hindi remake.

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Romantic track ahead

Shirley Setia is earning acclaim for her acting abilities and vocal skills. While she has had a busy January with performances lined up in Udaipur and other cities across India, she is most excited about her new song in Rakul Preet Singh’s upcoming film, Chhatriwali. What makes this number interesting is that it marks Shirley’s first collaboration with Akhil Sachdeva, who is known for his romantic renditions. The romantic ballad talks about the emotions that a person encounters when they are in love. Shirley is looking forward to the response it garners.

On road to recovery

Naagin 6 actor Mahekk Chahal, who was admitted to the hospital in the first week of January after she complained of severe chest pain, has returned home. The actor shared that a bout of cough led to lung infection and pneumonia. “I was travelling a lot in December. I went to the US and was having a slight cold and cough. After coming back, I went to Delhi and despite [being ill], I kept travelling. But, I never realised the seriousness of my deteriorating health,” she said. Her symptoms were aligned with those seen in patients suffering from Covid-19. But, after she collapsed, she received her pneumonia diagnosis at a city hospital.

All ready to shoot

Harsh Varrdhan Kapoor was recently spotted spending time with India’s Olympic gold medallist, Abhinav Bindra. The actor, who plays the country’s global shooting champion in his next, has been reading extensively about his journey. The buzz around town is that he is all set to begin filming the biopic. What makes it interesting is that the movie will not only see him play a real-life hero, but will also reunite him with actor-father, Anil Kapoor, after last year’s Thar.

Rakhi at it, again?

Pictures of Rakhi Sawant and long-time boyfriend and Mysore-based businessman Adil Khan Durrani have gone viral on social media. The duo is seen sporting garlands and signing papers in what appear to be ceremonies from their wedding. Going by the pictures that are going viral online, they opted for a court marriage. However, no official announcement has been made by the couple. Rakhi was previously married to Ritesh Panday.

‘Travel is therapeutic’

Bhumi Pednekar, who is back from her New Year holiday in Mexico with her friends, finds travel to be “extremely therapeutic”. The actor, who takes some time off after every film, wants to promote the idea of travel as she believes it can do wonders for one’s mental well-being as well. She says, “I love to make new memories with my loved ones and also learn about culture, traditions and food of the places I travel to. I feel, I have grown as a human being because of my experiences. These trips have enriched me and rejuvenated my mind.”