After shooting across the UAE, Welcome To The Jungle has returned to India for its finishing touches — the final 20-day schedule of the ensemble comedy. In 2023, Akshay Kumar launched the franchise with a musical teaser before filming pivotal scenes in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Ras Al-Khaimah. Now, director Ahmed Khan’s venture is wrapping up its Mumbai schedule, which began on November 6.

“A few setbacks have happened, but the shooting has always been on track,” shares a source from the unit. “Ahmed shot two romantic songs in Dubai with Akshay and Disha [Patani] at the end of October. He returned on November 5 and resumed shooting the next day. Ahmed and producer Firoz A Nadiadwala are leaving no stone unturned to make the film look grand and larger-than-life with its 34-member star cast,” the source adds.

To shoot the scenes, Khan wanted specific plants and trees in the frame to enhance the film’s aesthetic. The source reveals that production designer Shailesh Mahadik created an expansive jungle in Film City, Goregaon, where “action and comic scenes are being shot. The area is so big that actors and units are using choppers to travel from one area to another.”

The director confirms, “Post [the shoot in Mumbai], we will head for a 20-day climax schedule featuring all the actors together followed by a song sequence.”

Khan is scouting for forest areas in North India for the last leg of the shoot, where action master Abbas Mogul will choreograph the sequences, including “chase sequences, gun fights, blasts, and a sequence with 300 horses in the climax.” Source adds, “The last schedule will begin from the first week of December, after which an introduction song with the entire cast will be shot in Dubai.”

Dec 2023 - Filming began.

Early 2024 - Delays due to scheduling conflicts.

August 2024 - Set of a Kashmir town was destroyed due to heavy rains and had to be rebuilt.

Mid-June 2025 - Kashmir schedule deferred due to unrest following the Pahalgam attack.

October 2025 - Production activity resumed in phases.

Actor Celina Jaitly is pinning her hopes on the Delhi High Court for the release of her brother, Maj (Retd) Vikrant Kumar Jaitly, who has been detained under unclear circumstances in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE) since September 6 last year. After retiring from the armed forces in 2016, Vikrant was running a cybersecurity firm in Dubai with his wife.

Narrating the details, Celina’s advocate Raghav Kacker tells us, “The incident occurred on September 6, 2024 when Vikrant went shopping with his wife Charul in Emirates Mall, Abu Dhabi. When Celina couldn’t reach her brother for 22 days, she contacted his wife who informed that he had been detained in the UAE. Charul said that they were in the parking lot where he was ‘abducted’ by two guys and later detained. Nothing has come on record till date. Charul has relocated to Bengaluru and is not responding to Celina.”

Following this, Celina approached the consulate but did not receive any response. Now, the court has asked the government to file a status report before the next hearing on December 4.

Meanwhile, Celina expresses her faith in the government: “I am feeling very hopeful. My brother suffers from lifelong injuries incurred as a Special Forces officer in the line of duty for our nation. Now, it’s time for the nation to stand behind him and bring our soldier back home safely.”

Atlee is going full throttle with his action-packed parallel universe film AA22xA6. After a 50-day schedule in Mumbai, the cast and crew are set to begin the second schedule in Abu Dhabi next month, where they will can high-octane action sequences.

A source close to the production reveals that the filmmaker has been “working with 15 reputed writers from across India for storyboarding and creative”.

“Atlee and Allu Arjun completed a marathon schedule, including a dance sequence, in Mumbai last month. The second schedule will be in October in the United Arab Emirates [UAE], where action scenes will be shot in the red dunes of the Liwa Oasis. Deepika Padukone is expected to join Atlee in this schedule,” adds the source, of the movie that also stars Rashmika Mandanna, Mrunal Thakur, Janhvi Kapoor, and Ramya Krishnan.

While Atlee is planning the action, he is also consulting renowned firms for the VFX, and scouting for marketing agencies to promote the film. The producers of AA22xA6, led by Kalanithi Maran of Sun Pictures, hope to find a global marketing partner. Alexandra E Visconti, executive vice president of creative content at Connekkt MobScene, was spotted in Mumbai last month.

A source adds, “The pan-Indian, high-budget sci-fi action film has a massive budget of Rs 600 crore, and the makers are looking to collaborate with a US-based creative agency to craft a strategic plan targeting international audiences. Currently, discussions with leading Hollywood agency Connekkt MobScene are underway. Allu will also go to the US this month to wrap up the VFX portions of the shoot.”

Celebrity photographer Rohan Shrestha, who has shot popular international celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey, Ryan Reynolds, and Lionel Messi, has added actors Chris Hemsworth and Jason Statham to his repertoire. While exclusively sharing the pictures with BT, Rohan calls the experience “easy”.

“Both were unbelievably accessible and very easy to work with. They were just the nicest guys, they were just down to earth. They give you this aura of being free around them, allowing you to also just express yourself as an artist. Manasvi Gosalia, my partner in this endeavor helped me through this entire process,” the Mumbai-based lensman shares.

Rohan's shoot with Chris was a family affair, with the actor's wife Elsa and kids joining in on the fun. "It was a privilege to see Chris in a personal way, being a father and a husband and not playing any characters. Working with him and his family on set was a learning experience,” Rohan adds. 

Reminiscing his shoot with the Avengers star, he recalls, “We were shooting in various locations within Abu Dhabi itself. Somedays we had to shoot outdoors, and it was 48 degrees or 50 degrees, but he was just braving it all. He was an absolute trooper, keeping the crew entertained, laughing, and joking with just everybody. It was a grueling schedule, but he stood there and took photos with just about everybody - group pictures, individual selfies. He's just a dream guy to work with.”

He further talks about shooting the Avengers star in Mumbai. “Shooting Chris Hemsworth is a dream photo shoot. The guy is a freaking God to shoot with. I don't think he has a bad angle. I think if any of my photographs were bad, I would be a terrible photographer because the guy is sculpted for a shoot. I would love to shoot him on the streets of Mumbai,” he states.

As for Jason Statham, Rohan was surprised by the actor's quiet and down-to-earth nature. "He's really quiet. He doesn't say much. He just sits in a corner, and is very friendly, but he keeps to himself. And that's very cool. When a guy just sits alone on a very busy set just by himself, chilling, I find that very cool," Rohan reveals.

It is a classic pinch-me moment for Rohan, who has shot multiple Indian celebrities, but he admits to suffering from imposter syndrome. "I do sit down and think about the achievements. I feel I still want to do a lot more. But every time I do sit down, it's always gratitude. Sometimes I do feel like I suffer from imposter syndrome – how the hell did I get here? I'm still having holy shit moments. I'm living my life through holy shit moments, and I can't imagine living a better life right now,” he signs off.

How do you bring three of Bollywood’s biggest heroines on screen together? Get a solid story, and rope in a director who can pull it off.

Result: Rajesh Krishnan’s Crew, starring Tabu, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Kriti Sanon. But the director is wary of bracketing it as a female-centric movie. To him, it’s a humorous story told well. He begins, “Nothing convinces harder than good humour. I don’t have it in me to sell a movie as female-centric. I don’t know what that genre is. Everyone wants to know the story, and a story like this is gender-agnostic. To me, Kareena, Tabu and Kriti are no different from Shah Rukh [Khan], Salman [Khan] and Aamir [Khan]. The story is about three underdogs.”

In this underdog story, three flight attendants, who have not been paid for months as the airline is on the verge of bankruptcy, devise their own means to make money. He gleefully says, “Three meek air-hostesses go from hum kya hi kar lenge to maloom hai, hum kya kar sakte hai?”

But the director promptly points out that it’s more than a crime film. At a time when there have been multiple instances of airline staff being treated disrespectfully by entitled passengers, he hopes Crew will make viewers rethink their behaviour before they get on their next flight. “They say namaste, wear a smile, and have to be nice to you. That doesn’t mean they should be snapped at and asked, ‘Where is my alcohol?’ I have been surrounded by so many sassy women, and they’ve raised me well. I don’t take basic human dignity for granted. Here is a story of three mature people fighting [the odds] with their brains. These three women are done taking nonsense.”

If Krishnan got a sharply written comedy, he also got actors who would elevate it further. Crew’s trailer shines bright with the easy chemistry between Kapoor, Tabu and Sanon. “They have inherent chemistry. What united them was they all thought my jokes were funny. They understood the intent of the film. Each had their own devices and made the material on paper land. Sometimes, they would do a brilliant take, then at some point they would start laughing because it was so funny and spoil the take. In comedy, we do our best work when we don’t take pressure, make some mistakes and don’t take ourselves too seriously. So, I didn’t interfere with their process. I would get the technical bits out of the way first and then do extensive readings of what they are to shoot that day.”

The director considers himself lucky that he got immense support for the comedy—be it from actors Diljit Dosanjh and Kapil Sharma who agreed to play pivotal roles, or producers Anil Kapoor and Rhea Kapoor who pulled out all stops.

“We shot on tarmacs that civilians haven’t even seen—be it in Goa airport or Abu Dhabi airport. Anil Kapoor and Rhea Kapoor got us the necessary permissions. Once we were shooting in Goa, and a mob of 50 came to see Tabu, Kareena and Kriti. I almost panicked, but thankfully, our producers knew the on-ground challenges and had put the best people on the job.”

Will Shah Rukh Khan get a third blockbuster in a row after Pathaan and Jawan? That’s what everyone is wondering as Dunki is nearing its release date. With less than a fortnight to go before the Rajkumar Hirani-directed dramedy hits the marquee, we hear the superstar has added a new element to it. Sources say that late last week, Khan headed to the United Arab Emirates to film a special song.

The dance number has been carefully crafted for promotional purposes. A source says, “Shah Rukh and Raju had planned it in such a way that he shot the song in three days and made it back in time for Suhana’s film première on Tuesday night. The number was filmed on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi with a limited crew. The superstar is known to bring his energy to the dance floor and this one will be high on novelty.” 

Considering Khan’s popularity in the UAE, it is heard that news of the song shoot created a buzz among his local fans. While Dunki’s trailer has received mixed reactions, sources say the cast will begin the promotional blitzkrieg with the new track.

Inarguably among the most anticipated offerings of Indian cinema, Ayan Mukerji-directed War 2 is set to bring two of the finest stars in the same frame. Shooting for the Hrithik Roshan and NTR Jr film, mid-day hears, is expected to kick off in February 2024.

A source reveals, “NTR Jr is currently shooting for his 30th film, directed by Koratala Siva, and will then begin his first schedule for War 2. Aditya Chopra and Ayan have planned a massive action entry shot for him in the film. Shooting for the portions involving Hrithik and him will commence in February in Mumbai over a month-long schedule. The dramatic portions will be canned first, and will be followed with action sequences.”

South African stunt director Franz Spilhaus, and stuntman Spiro Razatos are expected to hop aboard the project along with an Indian action director.

The source adds that while Mukerji has completed the first schedule of the film in Spain last month, the second one will begin in Abu Dhabi, in December. “Like he did for the Spain leg, he is likely to use stunt doubles for the actors in Abu Dhabi too for the scenes that are to be filmed in the absence of the main cast members. Ayan shot high-octane car chase sequences in Spain over two weeks.”

While Roshan will reprise his role as RAW agent Major Kabir Dhaliwal in this offering, NTR Jr is expected to play a “dark and ruthless character”.

A video has been doing the rounds of actor Lakshmi Manchu pushing a man who interrupts her interview on the red carpet of the recently held South Indian International Movie Awards (SIIMA) in Abu Dhabi. In the same clip, she can be heard saying to another passer-by, “Go behind the camera dude. Basic.”

The actor, who was in Delhi recently to witness the passing of the Women’s Reservation Bill in the new Parliament, tells us: “That person knew very well that I was on a red carpet. It was not some random person taking a video. But he was so nonchalant and just walked through the camera. Never do that with any artiste. I smacked him because he deserved it.”

The 45-year-old says the host did ask the cameraperson not to record this bit. “I asked her to keep it. I can protect myself. I don’t care if it gets out,” says the Monster (2022) actor, daughter of veteran actor-producer Mohan Babu.

She acknowledges that everyone may not understand or agree with her actions. “I am not here to prove myself. I’m just here to live my life unapologetically,” Manchu signs off.

Over the past few months, War 2 has been hitting headlines for various reasons— from Jr NTR and Kiara Advani joining Hrithik Roshan, to Ayan Mukerji taking up the directorial baton from Siddharth Anand. Now, it’s time for Roshan’s character Kabir, one of the pillars of YRF’s spy universe along with Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan and Salman Khan’s Tiger, to get into action mode. mid-day has learnt that the director has begun pre-production and plans to take the project on floors in October.

So, what’s on the agenda for Roshan’s R&AW agent-gone-rogue character? For starters, Europe. “Ayan will conduct the first schedule in the picturesque locations of Europe with the lead pair. For now, a few Mediterranean countries are being considered. Obviously, it all depends on the team procuring visa, and other travel logistics. Hrithik and Kiara will shoot several action set-pieces during the two-week stint,” reveals a source.

Simultaneously, the production design team will construct elaborate sets in a Mumbai studio for the next leg. “War [2019] was one of Bollywood’s hyper-stylised spy thrillers. Producer Aditya Chopra and Ayan want to up the ante with the sequel. They will have huge sets erected, which will serve as backdrops for high-octane action sequences.”

It will be a relentless stretch for leading man Roshan, who will focus on War 2 from October to January next year, squeezing in a patchwork shoot for Fighter in between. Jr NTR will join the team in the second schedule. While little is known about his role, one can assume, going by the two actors’ social media posts, that his character locks horns with Roshan’s Kabir. As soon as the Mumbai stint is wrapped up, the cast and crew will head to Abu Dhabi in November.

The source adds, “Jr NTR will begin filming portions from November, going on till January. If things go as per Adi and Ayan’s plan, a chunk of the espionage thriller will be completed by early next year.”

Actor Jasmin Bhasin recently visited the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, wearing a teal-green abaya. When she posted a reel of her trip, she was trolled on social media for wearing the attire despite being a non-Muslim. However, the Bigg Boss 14 contestant asserts she simply “paid respect and followed the rules”. “It was a sacred place. It’s a rule [at the mosque] to wear a certain attire, and that’s what I did,” she shares.

Bhasin, who turns 33 today and is currently holidaying in Italy with her boyfriend, actor Aly Goni, says she has learned to ignore trolls and not get bogged down by negativity. “I choose what to wear and where I go. When I go on a beach vacation, I wear swimsuits. If I put up a picture of that tomorrow, I might be trolled again. So, I choose to ignore all this negativity,” she says, adding, “If you give certain things more energy and importance, they increase. And I don’t want that in my life.” 

Bhasin, who has spent over a decade in the entertainment industry, addresses the constant scrutiny celebs go through. She says after a point, one just comes to terms with how things are in the virtual world and “choose to look at only the positive comments”.

Recently, the Naagin 4 actor had to drop out of a Vikram Bhatt film, which could have marked her Bollywood debut, due to issues with dates. When asked if she regrets this, she replies, “Of course, you feel bad about it, but I shall wait for a new opportunity to come my way.”

Bhasin, who made her acting debut in 2011 with the Tamil film Vaanam, has only featured in a handful of regional films since then. Is that a conscious decision? “I want to make sure that whenever I do [a film], it has a strong script and a character that leaves a mark,” reasons the actor, adding, “So, I’m waiting for the right script and the people to work with in Bollywood.”

All is finally well in the world of Hera Pheri, after months of casting issues. Fans of the hit comedy franchise were heartbroken last year when Akshay Kumar announced that he would not reprise his role of the street-smart Raju in the third instalment. The news also came as a blow to co-stars Suniel Shetty and Paresh Rawal, who then, along with producer Firoz Nadiadwala, tried convincing Kumar to join the project. And convince they did. On Wednesday, the three actors had a reunion of sorts as they shot for the teaser of Hera Pheri 3 at a Mumbai studio. 

Rawal, who plays the bumbling Babu bhaiyya — a character that has gained cult status over the years — in the franchise, is thrilled to reunite with his partners-in-crime on screen. “Meeting them felt like ghar wapsi. It’s always a joy shooting with Akshay and Suniel. They are talented actors who are not insecure about their work. We have mutual respect. Our off-screen camaraderie reflects in our on-screen chemistry,” he shares.

In 2000, Priyadarshan’s Hera Pheri became a sleeper hit, as it told the hilarious story of a landlord and his two broke tenants who hatch a flawed plan to make quick money. The late Neeraj Vora took the franchise ahead by helming Phir Hera Pheri (2006).

This time around, as Farhad Samji takes on the directorial responsibility, Rawal hints that the three good-for-nothing characters will pull off a scam on an international scale. “We’ll begin shooting in three months. It will be a [long] schedule in Mumbai. The movie will also be shot in international locations like Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Los Angeles, as Babu bhaiyya, Raju and Shyam go abroad. They’ll do hera pheri globally,” he laughs.

Last year, Kartik Aaryan was roped in to play a new character in Hera Pheri 3. So, as the three original actors reprise their roles, where does that leave Aaryan? “As far as I know, initially, both Kartik and Akshay were to do the film, but it didn’t work out. I don’t know what happened,” says Rawal.

At its heart, Vikram Vedha is a story of morals, of the fine line that divides good and evil. The most interesting character then is Vedha, a dreaded gangster who had his own reasons to turn to a life of crime. When Hrithik Roshan came on board as the antagonist to Saif Ali Khan’s cop character, the actor had to take extensive weapon training to do justice to the role.

In keeping with the noir thriller’s mood, writer-director duo Pushkar-Gayathri wanted the action sequences to be gritty. Action director Parvez Shaikh and his team worked closely with Roshan for the stunts, particularly two elaborate sequences.

A source reveals, “In the film, there are several gang wars and gun fights, leading to the final face-off between Saif and Hrithik’s characters. Hrithik shot a major portion of the action scenes in the back-lot of Khalifa Industrial Zone in Abu Dhabi, on a set that resembled the streets of Lucknow and Kanpur. One sequence, which sees him wielding a sword, came easy to the actor as he had previously trained in sword-fighting for Jodhaa Akbar [2008]. However, he had to train for almost three weeks before he shot the remaining two set-pieces. While one sees him in a hand-to-hand combat with Saif, the other has him taking on an entire gang single-handedly with a pistol and an AK-47. Since Hrithik knew how to operate a pistol, the focus was on making him adept at handling the rifle.”

The director duo, who had helmed the 2017 Tamil original of the same name, believe it will be a treat to see Roshan in a ruthless avatar. “Vedha starts off as an amateur, and develops into a gangster who is feared by all. Hrithik learnt the finer details of handling multiple kinds of weaponry. As Vedha grows [older], the weapons he uses get an upgrade too,” explains Pushkar.

Gayathri adds, “The attraction for us, as directors, is the way Hrithik emotes through his eyes. There can be a lot going on in the frame, but when Hrithik acts, his eyes speak louder than words.”

Mumbai Sessions Court on Wednesday permitted actor Rhea Chakraborty — an accused in a drugs case related to actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death — to travel to Abu Dhabi for four days to attend the IIFA Awards 2022. But, Chakraborty told the court on Thursday that she will not travel as planned, as she has a lookout notice issued against her by an investigating agency.

On Wednesday, the court issued an order to hand over Chakraborty’s passport to her and permitted her to travel to Abu Dhabi from June 2 to 5. This came after her lawyer appealed to the court that the actor had to go to Abu Dhabi for the awards ceremony, for which she should be given her passport. The court accepted the application and ordered that her passport be handed over.

On Thursday, Chakraborty told the court that she will not travel abroad for the show. She said she was unaware that a lookout notice had been issued against her, at the time of filing the earlier application, reports India Today. The court then passed an order stating her passport should not be returned.

The actor was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in September 2020 in the drugs case and her passport was deposited then.

From mid-May, Salman Khan has been giving his undivided attention to Kabhi Eid Kabhi Diwali. The superstar was to take three days’ break from the shoot to front Da-Bangg The Tour Reloaded in Nepal. However, with the show getting postponed due to the local elections and poor weather, he will devote the time to Farhad Samji’s directorial venture. It is heard that Khan has lined up a non-stop month-long schedule in Mumbai and Telangana.

A source from the creative team says, “Salman was to fly to Kathmandu yesterday to perform at Da-Bangg The Tour. But, after the show got postponed, Salman sat down with Farhad and reworked the dates. He will film his portions over the week at Mehboob Studios in Bandra, before leaving for an awards gala in Abu Dhabi on June 3. While he does his hosting duties in the UAE, Farhad will continue filming with the rest of the cast in Mumbai, only to be joined by Salman by June 5. After a week-long stint in the city, the team will go south in mid-June. A massive set of a village has been built in Kokapet, where the director will can two crucial tracks — one focusing on Salman’s character and his on-screen brothers, and the other dedicated to leading lady Pooja Hegde. The entire cast, including south star Venkatesh, will be present during the month-long spell.”

Khan is supervising every aspect of the film that is slated to hit the marquee on December 30.  “The action sequences have been designed by Anbu-Arivu, while Prabhudheva is handling the choreography,” adds the source. 

Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, one of the world’s leading leisure and entertainment destinations, recently unveiled its latest marketing campaign, ‘Yas Hai Khaas’, with Ranveer Singh, which targets consumers from India. The video follows Ranveer on a fun journey across the island, showcasing the destination’s plethora of attractions, diversity of offerings and the warm welcome that guests receive.

A visual treat, the campaign draws you into Ranveer’s action-packed holiday as he visits Yas Island’s most iconic landmarks, from interacting with Batman at Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, to chasing waves at Yas Waterworld, to riding the fastest roller-coaster in the world at Ferrari World Abu Dhabi. The video shows what an elevated holiday experience the destination can offer discerning travellers as Ranveer literally flies through the air at adventure hub CLYMB Abu Dhabi.

The colourful Bollywood campaign is styled in the format of a music video, with Ranveer singing and dancing his way across the island. Away from the high-speed adventures of driving racing cars on the Formula 1 track, Ranveer also has time to enjoy a shopping spree at Yas Mall, dine at trendy restaurant Iris and summersault at Yas Marina Circuit, before squeezing in a round of golf at Yas Links.

Liam Findlay, CEO of Experience Hub, Yas Island said, “We are proud of our partnership with Ranveer Singh as a brand ambassador as he exudes the dynamic attitude of Yas Island which we believe comes across in the ‘Yas Hai Khaas’ video. Our collaboration enables us to highlight Yas Island as one of the world’s leading leisure and entertainment destinations, full of vibrancy and non-stop energy. With its entertaining depiction of the island’s award-winning theme-parks, unique attractions and hospitality across hotels, dining and retail, we hope this campaign inspires viewers to visit with family and friends because Yas truly is khaas, just like Ranveer Singh.”

Ranveer said, “This is a spectacular destination and I had a great time shooting the video. I am delighted to be the destination’s brand ambassador and hope vacationers get to enjoy Yas Island as much as I have. Whether you travel as a family, with your friends or a significant other, get ready for an exhilarating trip.”

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One of the world’s leading leisure and entertainment destinations, Yas Island Abu Dhabi, has launched yet another viral marketing campaign, Yas Hai Khaas, featuring Bollywood’s most boundary-pushing star, Ranveer Singh, targeting consumers in India. Translated as Yas is ‘Special’, the video follows Singh on an electrifying journey through Yas Island, showcasing the destination’s plethora of attractions and the warm Yas Island welcome. An epic visual treat, the campaign draws the audience into Singh’s action-packed holiday as he visits its iconic landmarks — from interacting with Batman at Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, chasing waves at Yas Waterworld to riding the fastest rollercoaster in the world at Ferrari World Abu Dhabi.

The colourful campaign is styled in the format of a music video, with Singh singing and dancing his way across the island. Besides the high-speed adventures of driving racing cars on the Formula 1 track, Singh can also be seen on a shopping spree at Yas Mall, dining at the Iris, doing a somersault at Yas Marina Circuit and playing golf at Yas Links. Singh also flies through the air at adventure hub CLYMB™ Abu Dhabi.

Liam Findlay, Yas Island CEO, said, “We are proud of our partnership with Singh as a brand ambassador as he exudes the dynamic attitude of Yas Island, which we believe comes across in the Yas Hai Khaas video. Our collaboration with the Bollywood star enables us to highlight Yas Island as one of the world’s leading leisure and entertainment destinations, full of vibrancy and non-stop energy. We hope this campaign inspires viewers to visit with family and friends soon, because Yas truly is Khaas, just like Ranveer Singh.”

Singh said, “Yas Island is such a spectacular destination! I had a great time shooting the video. I am delighted to be the destination’s brand ambassador and I hope vacationers get to enjoy Yas Island as much as I have. Whether you travel as a family, with friends, or with your significant other, get ready for one of the most exhilarating trips, only at Yas Island.”

Returning after a two-year hiatus imposed due to the pandemic, the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) will see Salman Khan take the stage as host of the 22nd edition. Khan tells mid-day, “A lot of hard-work goes into the making of the show by artistes, performers, and hosts. It takes a lot of preparation, but sometimes, being spontaneous also helps.”

The show, which will see Riteish Deshmukh as co-host, will be held at Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, on May 20 and 21. Ask Khan how the desi film industry benefits from an Indian gala being held on international turf, and he says, “Our fans from across the globe get the chance to watch our films when this happens. Hindi cinema is appreciated, and well received. It helps strengthen ties between countries, and spread love among cinema watchers.”

With the Coronavirus pandemic having forced the awards to head online for two years, he is also glad that the fraternity will mingle, in-person, yet again. “Some great performances are lined-up this year. It will be more exciting to watch them as the industry will reunite on-ground after a long time.”

Harbhajan Singh might be juggling multiple roles—one of an off-spinner slaying it at the ongoing IPL season in Dubai with the Kolkata Knight Riders, another of a doting father to his newborn, but today, he is most excited about the release of his first acting venture—the Tamil film called Friendship directed by John Paul Raj and Sham Surya. Why did Singh, a proud Punjabi, choose a Tamil film as his first?

He laughs when we ask him this over a call. “I was offered a Punjabi film before this, but I didn’t have the time to pursue a movie while playing cricket,” says Singh, who is enjoying the surge of love from his fan base since playing with the Chennai Super Kings until 2020. “Initially, I declined the film. Tamil is a tough language to master, but they were persistent. I heard the script and took four months to get back to them.”

Singh accepts that his knowledge of Tamil is restricted to pleasantries, but he ensured he mastered the dialogues. “I didn’t dub the film because I had to come to Abu Dhabi for the IPL. Someone else dubbed for me,” explained the cricketer, who says that he was sold on the movie for its strong message of women empowerment. Apparently, the language was the least of his worries. He says emoting is hard. 

“When someone dies in a scene, you have to live that. Scenes like that were unnerving and demanding. Much like cricket, it is something that you get better at with practice.” Having embarked on this journey, he is still unsure where it will take his career.

Given his calibre as a sportsman, biopic offers often flood in, but the cricketer is focused on writing his memoir. “Harbhajan Singh is much more than the cricket he played on the field. My story is about where I come from and the difficulties I have powered through in the cricketing universe,” he says, adding  that he doesn’t plan on playing safe. “I want to tell everyone what happened to me along the way. I have had many supporters and roadblocks. I know my story is more than just scoreboards.” Hoping that his journey “inspires people to follow their passion”, Singh confirms that the book will hit the stands by January 2022.

Vijay Deverakonda enjoys the rare privilege of having a wide fan base in Mumbai even before he has made his Bollywood debut. The South star has been working on Liger, the multilingual that marks his foray into Hindi cinema. While the Coronavirus pandemic had put the brakes on the shoot of the Karan Johar and Puri Jagannadh production last March, the team resumed work in Mumbai last month with renewed zeal. 

“Before the pandemic, I was working such long hours that I used to look forward to pack-up so that I could go home and sleep. But [when we resumed work], I only wanted to be on set. On the first day [of resumption], I wanted the shoot to go on. We filmed some portions in Mumbai, followed by a song in Goa,” says Deverakonda, who is currently on a short break as the production team is erecting a set at Film City in Goregaon for the next schedule. The actor, an ambassador for Breezer Vivid Shuffle, adds, “We will also have a schedule abroad. The location is uncertain yet; we were considering Europe initially, but now Abu Dhabi is an option.”

The Jagannadh-directed venture, also starring Ananya Panday, sees the Arjun Reddy star as a boxer. Tell Deverakonda it’s impressive that he has maintained the ripped physique throughout the lockdown, and he quips that it has less to do with discipline and more with the prevailing uncertainty. “I worked out every single day through the lockdown. Initially, we felt the [stay-at-home] period will end in three months; then we assumed it would be six months. So, the uncertainty helped in [being shoot-ready]. Had I known the lockdown would last for a year, I would have stopped working out,” he laughs.

With the Bollywood debut vehicle comes the responsibility of brushing up on his Hindi. The actor is unfazed about the task at hand. “I did a film in Tamil [NOTA] despite not knowing the language. I have grown up in Hyderabad where everyone speaks [a smattering] of Hindi, so mouthing Hindi dialogues wasn’t too hard. My character offers me the chance to play around with the language.”

Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone can put their feet up, having wrapped up the second schedule of Pathan earlier this week. However, director Siddharth Anand has little time to rest. The filmmaker will head to Dubai to join the 10-member team that has begun a recce for the upcoming schedule. mid-day has heard that the team will spend the next 25 days in the Middle East, scouting for locations where they can shoot high-octane action scenes featuring Khan, Padukone and John Abraham.

“Shah Rukh and Deepika play RAW [Research & Analysis Wing] agents, with Dimple Kapadia slipping into the role of the department’s head. The leads filmed emotional scenes during the last two schedules at Yash Raj Studios in Mumbai. Now, the stage is being set for the action scenes, which will be the highlight of the spy thriller.

A stylised chase sequence with Shah Rukh and John will be shot in Abu Dhabi. The team started their recce from the UAE capital, where they visited Liwa Oasis and Ferrari World, the first Ferrari-themed park in the world. In Dubai, they will visit the Business Bay, which is the modern financial district. They are also planning an elaborate sequence at the architectural landmark, Meydan Bridge. The site served as a backdrop in Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol [2011],” reveals a trade source.  

If all goes as planned, the unit will kick off its Middle East schedule in mid-February. Once the locations are finalised, the team will make arrangements to shoot in a bio-bubble. The source adds, “This will be John’s first schedule of Pathan; he plays the antagonist.”

mid-day reached out to Yash Raj Films, which remained unavailable for comment.