Asira Tarannum (MID-DAY; January 24, 2014)

When Ranveer Singh’s mother recently called Ali Abbas Zafar, the director of Gunday, concern for her son was the topmost thing on her mind. It seems that the actor’s mother wanted the director to chop out Singh’s shirtless scenes from the film.

Says a source close to the actor, “Ranveer’s mother feels that her son is the unwitting victim of black magic and that going shirtless brings him bad luck. The first time Ranveer went shirtless for Gunday, he met with an accident during a dance sequence, which in turn left him with a gash on his cheek. Then came another shirtless scene that he shot in a mud pit, and soon after, he was hurt by a stray piece of glass that cut into his leg.”

The source adds that these incidents have continued unabated with Ranveer suffering from a skin allergy and a sore back after shooting bare-chested for a mud-wrestling scene. “In fact, her mother can’t seem to ignore the fact that it all started with his shirtless look in Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-leela, after which he fell prey to a bout of dengue,” says the source.

When we contacted, Ranveer Singh laughed and replied, “I am not sure why this keeps happening to me again and again... ( it) must be some spell.”