Gaurav Dubey (MID-DAY; February 10, 2016)

If gossip mills are to be believed, Sridevi is set to star in a woman-centric project being made by none other than her producer-husband Boney Kapoor. The veteran actress was last seen in Gauri Shinde’s English Vinglish (2012), her Bollywood comeback vehicle after a 15-year hiatus.

Says a source, “Just like her last outing, Sridevi will be the hero of Boney’s next project titled Ma. However, the storyline is completely different; it is unusual, in fact. The film, which has been in the planning for at least two years, will go on floors by this year-end.” Sridevi has acted in a few Boney Kapoor productions including Mr India (1987), Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja (1993) and Judaai (1997), after which she went on a sabbatical.

When we contacted Boney, he denied the story, saying, “Not right.” Funnily, however, in an interview in 2014, he had been quoted as saying, “My immediate next film is with my wife. She will star in the movie. It will be a women-oriented subject but very different from English Vinglish. It will be of another genre.”

A source close to the project confirms the buzz and says, “Their next collaboration has an emotional story of a woman’s tense relationship with her step-daughter. It is currently in the pre-production stage and an official announcement will soon be made.”