Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 29, 2019)

Former Bigg Boss contestant, Mandana Karimi has signed on for a horror comedy, Coca Cola, in which she plays a character with shades of grey. The Prasad Tatineni-directorial features Sunny Leone in the lead. “I bagged the film after several rounds of auditions. I haven’t done a film for almost a year and a half,” says a relieved Mandana.

Produced by Mahendra Dhariwal and Paramdeep Singh Sandhu, the film rolls with a start-to-finish schedule in Noida in June. “I can’t tell you much except to say I’ve never done anything like this before. I’ve lost a lot of weight and will have short hair,” she informs, saying she met Sunny on Bigg Boss and has done a couple of events with her. “She’s lovely, we both have a huge surprise for you guys.”

After films like Kya Kool Hai Hum 3, Main Aur Charles and Roy, Mandana took a break from acting due to personal issues. “At the peak of my career, when everything was going great, I got married and my husband (Gaurav Gupta) didn’t want me to work. Things didn’t work out and we split. Now, I’m back to work and can’t wait to start shooting. I’ve missed this,” she exults.

Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; April 30, 2019)

The success of Golmaal Again (2017) and Stree (2018) has made Bollywood wake up to the genre of horror comedy. mid-day has now learnt that Sunny Leone is ready to try her hand at the genre with her next, Coca Cola. After a string of special appearances and dance numbers, this will mark Leone's first feature film in Bollywood since Tera Intezaar (2017).

Confirming the news, producer Mahindra Dhariwal says, "We have signed Sunny Leone for the horror comedy. I thought this is the right time to explore the genre since the audience has taken a shine to it. We have already registered the title so that there is no copyright issue in the future."

Refusing to divulge details about the film's premise, the producer — who has previously backed Bhaiaji Superhit (2018) and Maa Tujhe Salaam (2002) — intends to take the project on floors by June. "Most portions will be shot in Dehradun, Mussoorie and Haridwar in a start-to-finish schedule. We are in the process of finalising rest of the cast."