Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; June 1, 2017)

Like Carrie Bradshaw put it, the universe doesn’t always play fair, but it has one hell of a sense of humour. Tabu’s next project seems to echo that sentiment. The actress is set to play mother to Nagarjuna’s son Akhil Akkineni in an untitled Telugu film being produced by the South star himself. For the uninitiated, Tabu and Nag were romantically linked for over a decade.

Says a source, “Tabu was approached for the project a few months ago. After going through the script, she immediately gave her nod. Other cast members will be locked by this weekend. One can expect an official announcement within a fortnight. The film will roll next month with a 30-day schedule in Hyderabad.”

In the ’90s, the grapevine was abuzz with rumours of Tabu and Nagarjuna’s affair. Recent reports even suggest that they are still in touch. In fact, in an interview earlier this year, the veteran star had said Tabu is and will always remain a close friend. “Our friendship goes way back, since I was 21 or 22 and she was just 16. That’s like almost half a lifetime. About our friendship, whatever is said is less. I have nothing to hide about her. When you mention her name, my face lights up. She is a beautiful person, and a beautiful friend. She always will be,” he was quoted as saying.

Their alleged relationship eventually ended because of Nagarjuna’s unwillingness to commit. Nag’s elder son, Chaitanya, had reportedly stayed at her Mumbai house while undergoing an acting course here.