DNA (May 26, 2018)

Ranbir Kapoor, who will be hosting Cricket Final Party Toh Banti Hai, will be shooting on May 27, the day the Indian Premier League (IPL) culminates. The actor will be filming anchor links introducing various segments of the two-hour show.

Apart from Salman Khan, Jacqueline Fernandez, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Sonam Kapoor, Katrina Kaif is also part of it. She will be performing to her hit numbers. Sources say that while Ranbir will be shooting in Mehboob Studio between 4 pm to 7 pm, Katrina’s performance was scheduled between 1 pm to 2 pm on the same day there.

“The makers thought that in the time Ranbir arrives and starts prepping, they would finish shooting with Katrina. However, Ranbir apparently doesn’t want to cross paths with his ex and if her shoot is slotted at 1 pm, that is bound to happen. So, the makers have now decided to shoot with Katrina after 10 pm tonight,” added the source.

Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; May 22, 2018)

While speculation is rife that Salman Khan and Jacqueline Fernandez will perform on a new track from their upcoming film, Race 3, at the Indian Premier League (IPL) finale, industry insiders tell mid-day that the organisers have also roped in Katrina Kaif and Kartik Aaryan. “They will have separate acts. Kartik will perform on Bom Diggy Diggy and Dil Chori from Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety. Katrina will dance to her hits from Tiger Zinda Hai (2017). Though the songs are still being finalised, Swag Se Swagat is sure to be on Katrina’s playlist,” says a source.

Aaryan and Kaif are prepping hard for the their respective acts by clocking in five hours of rehearsal daily. “The practise sessions are over and above their shoot schedules and brand commitments. Each act will be 10 minutes long.,” says the source.

Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; May 22, 2018)

Ranbir Kapoor has been roped in to host Cricket Final Party Toh Banti Hai, which will be aired on a General Entertainment Channel just before the final IPL match is played on May 27. This will be the star’s first hosting gig for a television show though he has anchored awards in the past. Sources say that, apparently, the Brahmastra actor is being paid around a crore for his turn as a host.

The Kapoor scion shot for the promo yesterday. A source says that he was there for only two hours as he had to leave for a celebrity football match with Abhishek Bachchan! However, he will be shooting the entire segment on May 27. “He will be like the curator of the show who will shoot anchoring links. There will be various segments wherein Bollywood stars will appear to promote their films. Salman Khan, Jacqueline Fernandez and Anil Kapoor will promote Race 3, while Kareena Kapoor Khan and Sonam K Ahuja will promote Veere Di Wedding. They have already shot their part for the show. On Saturday, Ranbir will introduce the various segments. The show will be deferred live,” informs a source.

Apparently, before Ranbir was roped in as the host, a few other film stars were in contention to host the event, but it made sense for the actor to anchor as his film Sanju is coming up next. “It is an ideal platform for him to promote his movie. Also, the biopic is distributed by the international studio, which also owns the network that is airing the IPL matches,” says another source.

Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; May 21, 2018)

The Indian Premier League is in its last leg and will culminate this weekend with the final match being played on May 27. Interestingly, the finale for the first time will be aired on a General Entertainment Channel (GEC). So far, all the matches are being telecast on a sports channel, but for the finale, the broadcaster has decided to air it on Star Plus, too. What’s more, in a bid to make it more exciting, we hear the makers are creating a two-hour special segment — Cricket Final Party To Banti Hai — that will be aired before the match begins. 

Sources say that the entertainment extravaganza will be led by Salman Khan and his Race 3 co-star Jacqueline Fernandez. Says a source, “Salman and Jacqueline will host one segment on cricket where the superstar will talk about his love for the sport and how he often plays the game at his Panvel farmhouse. He will also talk about his favourite players and who he supports. Later, he and Jackie will shake a leg on Hiriye, their latest song from Race 3.” Anil Kapoor, too, will join the duo. 

We have learnt that John Abraham will also be a part of the event, where he will promote his upcoming film, Parmanu: The Story Of Pokhran. Sources say that John will be talking about the ‘bad and good boys of cricket'.

Besides the film stars, a bevy of TV actors whose shows are aired on the channel will also appear on the Final Party to support the cricketers and promote their serials.

In novel move, biopic makers to launch teaser at the Wankhede on April 24, with Dutt, Hirani and Kapoor chatting about the movie for 30 minutes
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; April 19, 2018)

Since last week, rumours have been rife that the teaser of Sanju, the Rajkumar Hirani-directed biopic on Bollywood's 'bad boy' Sanjay Dutt, would be launched on April 24. Considering the Ranbir Kapoor starrer is one of the most anticipated releases of the year, the makers are understandably going beyond the norm of launching the first look at a theatre in the presence of the press.

In a country that celebrates films and cricket to the point of feverish obsession, Hirani plans to combine the two forces for his next - the team is aiming to release the first glimpse at the T20 match on Tuesday, in the run-up to the scheduled game between Mumbai and Hyderabad.

Fox Star Studios, the producers of the biopic, have pretty much inked the deal to launch the teaser on Cricket Live, the pre-T20 show, on Star Sports. The source adds the filmmakers are also eyeing the possibility of the trio launching the teaser at the Wankhede Stadium, the venue of the match, amidst spectators. A formal approval is on its way.

If all works out as planned, the talk show will see Kapoor, Dutt and Hirani speak at length about their labour of love. "The 30-minute chat will be moderated by Hirani. While Ranbir will talk about slipping into the character and the challenges they faced while shooting, Sanjay will speak about how he was surprised to see Ranbir's transformation. Hirani will also shed light on how difficult it was to pen an engrossing script, especially since Sanjay's life has been widely covered by the press. The officials at Fox Star have already started a dialogue with the channel for this. The idea is to ensure that the teaser reaches as many people across the country as possible, which explains the launch on the cricket pitch as well," says the source.

After its digital release on April 24, the sneak peek will also be attached to the Hollywood big-ticket, Avengers: Infinity War that hits theatres on April 27, owing to the merger of 21st Century Fox and Disney.

Besides the teaser, the next few weeks will apparently also see the makers release a series of video snippets as a run-up to the final trailer launch. Also featuring Anushka Sharma, Sonam Kapoor, Dia Mirza, Karishma Tanna, Manisha Koirala and Paresh Rawal, the biopic is scheduled to hit theatres on June 29.

DNA (April 11, 2018)

Hrithik Roshan, who is one of the best dancers in Bollywood, sets the stage on fire each time he performs. On April 7, he left everyone wanting more of his dance moves at the opening ceremony of the Indian Premier League (IPL), which was held at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. His fans had all the more reason to rejoice as he was performing live after a long time.

According to sources, his adrenaline-filled act not only garnered maximum TRPs but also created a huge buzz on social media. The viewership witnessed a significant rise in ratings when the Bollywood superstar took stage. The actor, who is known for his Greek God looks, performed on chartbusters like Dhoom Again (Dhoom 2), Senorita (Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara), Baawre (Luck By Chance) and Ek Pal Ka Jeena (Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai).

Hrithik is currently gearing up for his upcoming release, Super 30, in which he will be seen as a maths professor.

Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; March 29, 2018)

It’s that time of the year when the new season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is about to kick off. With this year’s edition starting on April 7, the opening ceremony will see the who’s who of Bollywood gracing the stage with some high-octane performances. This time, a bevy of Gen-Y stars, which includes names like Varun Dhawan, Ranveer Singh, Jacqueline Fernandez, and Parineeti Chopra, are part of the starry line-up for the opening night’s glittering affair.

VARUN MARCHES AHEAD OF RANVEER
Among the actors who are performing this time, the Judwaa 2 star has got the highest remuneration. Reveals a source, “Recently, there were reports that Ranveer has been given around Rs 5 crore for his IPL act. But the organisers have paid Varun much more and he’s the highest paid of the lot this year. His fee is somewhere close to Rs 6 crore, although the exact figure isn’t known.”

WHY THE DIFFERENCE?
The organisers decided to pay Varun more than everyone else for a simple reason — his connect and popularity with the junta. Adds the source, “Varun has a great connect with the masses and among all the actors from the younger generation, he has the maximum number of chartbusters in his kitty. He will be dancing to his recent hits from Badrinath Ki Dulhania and Judwaa 2, as well as other films. Jacqueline and he might also perform a few songs together.”

THE BALANCING ACT
Varun is currently shooting for Sui Dhaaga and simultaneously promoting October, which releases in April. A source close to the actor tells us, “Varun has taken two days off from the schedule to rehearse for his IPL performance.”