Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 28, 2017)

Deepika Padukone spent Tuesday evening at fashion designer Manish Malhotra’s suburban home with Karan Johar and Sidharth Malhotra. While the subject of fashion came up — Manish is working on his upcoming fashion show in Dubai and reports suggest Sidharth could be walking for him — buzz is, KJo is keen to bring the two actors together in a film.

“Karan has been keen to direct Sidharth again, five years after launching him with Student Of The Year. The four friends discussed films, even talking about collaborating on a film together. Everyone agreed that Deepika and Sid would make a great couple onscreen,” a source close to the development told Mirror.

After the release of his last directorial, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, which featured Ranbir Kapoor, Anushka Sharma and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, KJo had revealed that he may have left a mark on popular culture but is yet to make a notable contribution to Indian cinema. “I’m yet to make my Lagaan or a Rang De Basanti or Lage Raho Munna Bhai, which I believe are defining iconic films. My cinema has always been an extension of my state of mind, whether it was My Name Is Khan or Ae Dil Hai Mushkil and there will be many such layers in my next film too,” he was quoted as saying.

Meanwhile, the 45-year-old filmmaker was in for a bit of legpulling when he shared the Hindi translation of his biography, An Unsuitable Boy. It is amusingly titled, Ek Anokha Ladka.

Deepika, who features in Padmavati, in the titular role, has not signed any other film for 2018, while Sidharth is presently filming the Ittefaq remake with Sonakshi Sinha.