Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; February 23, 2019)

Een as Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari is busy with the shooting of Panga featuring Kangana Ranaut, the director has begun work on another project. We hear the director met Karan Johar's protege Janhvi Kapoor at a popular Bandra eatery earlier this month to discuss the concept of her next.

A source reveals, "Though Ashwiny has just started the second schedule of Panga in Bhopal on February 21, she is already in talks with actors for her next. True to her signature style, it will be a slice-of-life film set in the heartland of India. Nitesh [Tiwari, husband] and she have already finalised the concept; the scripting is underway. Janhvi is amongst the first actors she has considered for the lead. It was an elaborate meeting.

Since both Ashwiny and Janhvi are busy with Panga and the Gunjan Saxena biopic respectively, they will resume talks once the final draft of the script is ready by June."

The source adds that Iyer intends to take the film on floors later this year. If Kapoor gives her nod, it will be her first assignment outside Johar's banner. We reached out to Iyer, who didn't respond till the time of going to press.