Saptaparna Biswas (BOMBAY TIMES; January 19, 2020)

Back in 2016, Varun Badola made a small appearance as Kapil Dev in the Emraan Hashmi-starrer Azhar. A self-confessed cricket fan, Varun says he is now looking forward to ‘83, which will feature Ranveer Singh as the cricketer.

Though Varun maintains that he may not have been convincing in his look, he is sure that no other actor can nail Kapil Dev’s famous bowling action like he does. “I have had the same bowling action since childhood. In fact, in a friendly match in Mumbai, S Sreesanth pointed it out and said that my action is exactly like that of Kapil paaji,” says the Mere Dad Ki Dulhan actor, adding, “For Azhar, the makers called me a couple of days prior to the shoot so I didn’t have any time to prepare. But, no matter how good or bad I looked on screen, I knew one thing for sure that even at four in the morning if anyone told me to bowl like Kapil Dev, I would get his bowling action right.”

Ask him about Ranveer’s look in Kabir Khan’s ‘83 and Varun smiles, “He’s done a fabulous job with the look! I’m yet to see how he gets the mannerisms on screen, but one thing I can bet for sure — he can’t get Kapil paaji’s bowling action as perfectly as I can!”

Varun also shares that he is in touch with most members of the 1983 World Cup winning team. “I am personally in touch with most of the team. Jimmy paaji (Mohinder Amarnath), Ballu paaji (Balwinder Singh Sandhu) and Sandeep paaji (Sandeep Patil) are good friends and I have even played with Kapil paaji.”

The actor, a huge Kapil Dev fan, says that there can never be another cricketer like Kapil Dev. “For the longest time, everyone has tried to get into Kapil paaji’s shoes, but no one knows what size shoes he wears! Kapil paaji can win any game he plays. A sports club in Delhi had put up a billiards table. Kapil paaji ne waha 100 ke break maarne shuru kar diye. Toh baaki logon ne khelna band kar diya soch ke ki ye aadmi table pakdega toh chodega nahi. I played a tennis ball cricket tournament with him in Goa. He was 54 then and even at that age he ran and caught a flat catch! Kandha toh gaya, but what was commendable was that he was so agile at that age. He was born to be an athlete,” says Varun. 

Pooja Bhatt on her web movie Cabaret finally seeing the light of the day, why the film did not get a theatrical release, and on reuniting with dad Mahesh Bhatt for Sadak 2
Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; January 13, 2019)

Like filmmaker father Mahesh Bhatt, Pooja Bhatt minces no words in stating her opinions. She is an interviewer's delight. You don't need to ask too much. The actor-turned-filmmaker knows exactly what you are looking for. She's witty, entertaining and articulate. Right now, she feels akin to a mother who has just delivered a baby. Her production, Cabaret, which was stuck for over two years finally released on Zee5 on January 9. "All this while I was like a single mother, taking care of the project, I finally found a partner [the digital medium] with whom I can share my joy," she laughs.

About 14 years ago, Bhatt had announced Cabaret with Mallika Sherawat, who at that time, was her dad's protégé. This was after Sherawat had tasted stardom with Murder (2004). The project did not roll. But Bhatt is quick to point out that this Cabaret is different. "It is the writer-director Kaustav Narayan Niyogi's vision. Initially, I had thought of going along with my script, but he reworked it and made it his own. It's his debut and he, too, had to patiently wait for the film to release. The other day, he was driving past Juhu beach and saw a hoarding of Cabaret. He stopped the car and called me. There was a long pause, but we had said so much in those unspoken moments. We are relieved and hope to celebrate soon with the cast and crew."

Cabaret stars Richa Chadha, Gulshan Devaiah and cricketer S Sreesanth. "Richa has charted her own path, Sreesanth is still in the after-glow of Bigg Boss and Gulshan will find his way. The timing of Cabaret's release could not be better for me. Guess it was destined to release now."

Bhatt explains what went wrong. "Cabaret was complete and ready for release. Every film is allotted a budget for production and marketing. Budgets are written in stone. We live in a time where marketing is an important part of filmmaking. Whenever I make a film, I ensure that we don't lose money or that nobody wants to see it. Just before the release of the film, the producers [T-Series and Wave Film] slashed the promotion budget. The promos were on air and the buzz had been created. I had to take a painful decision: Whether to go ahead with the release with the truncated amount or pull the plug. I chose the latter. It was a tough decision but had to be taken."

The digital world is a whole new medium. "I may be an old school filmmaker and actor but I have got the maverick streak from dad. He made films like Daddy (1989) and Janam (1985) for Doordarshan, these were the days when no new film would release on the small screen. Filmmakers felt he was crazy to do it, but now, three decades later, films are being made specially for the small screen."

Bhatt says she is used to battling roadblocks. "Filmmaking involves a lot of people and there are differences. Obstacles do not bother me. I emerge stronger. It is a learning experience. At the end, all is well that ends well. I only need to head to my farmhouse in Kalote, a two-hour drive from Mumbai and I am recharged. It is another planet where I spend time with my dogs and get recharged to face new challenges."



'It's homecoming for all of us'
Pooja Bhatt begins work on her next, Sadak 2, in April. The romantic thriller is a sequel to her father's 1991 film, which starred Sanjay Dutt and her. The film is also remembered for the late Sadashiv Amrapurkar's performance as the villain, Maharani. Sadak 2 marks Bhatt senior's return to direction after a hiatus. It is also the first time Pooja is teaming up with sister Alia.

"It's homecoming for all of us. I am acting after ages. My last film as an actor was Everybody Says I'm Fine in 2001. I am working with my dad after long and so is Alia. I am reuniting with Sanju after ages. So, there will be a lot of bonhomie on the set." She also terms it as payback time for dad from whom she has learnt the craft. "I will be working in front as well as behind the camera. It is a matter of pride for me as I have never assisted him. We plan to roll in April."

Pooja also accompanied her dad for the location hunt in Uttarakhand. "We have already begun work on the music, it is heartwrenching. Aditya Roy Kapur is already on board. We will soon cast the rest."

Neha Maheshwri (BOMBAY TIMES; January 1, 2019)

Dipika Kakar Ibrahim joined the list of television ‘bahus’ winning Bigg Boss, by lifting the trophy this season. While she was constantly accused of being fake and resembling her screen character (Simar of Sasural Simar Ka), the actress has always maintained that her reactions were pure and honest. Basking in the winning glory, the actress takes us through her equation with S Sreesanth, taking a stand (or not) during the show and how she wishes to spend the prize money. Excerpts…

People usually take up a show like Bigg Boss at a later stage in their career. What were your reasons for participating in it so early on?
My reason was definitely the money. Besides, it is the biggest reality show, and it could do wonders to my career. However, during the course of the show, I realised that I had to prove myself. A lot of questions were raised on the way I conducted myself inside the house.

I just want to say that whichever way I reacted, I didn’t do it with a wrong intention or to put anyone down. I must have definitely made mistakes, but I had the guts to own up to them. I was confident that the audience would make me win the show if I am right. That was my only focus throughout the show.

At what stage did you realise that you could win the show, despite having a tough competitor in Sreesanth?
I think it was after Shoaib (Ibrahim, husband) visited me inside the house. He held me and said, ‘People tell you things because they cannot reach where you are today or become like you’. That gave me the strength, because his words mean the world to me. I broke down on a many occasions, but I sailed through it all, thinking about Shoaib and my sister-in-law, Saba. I wanted to break the notion that Bigg Boss is all about fighting, putting each other down and abusing each other. That’s not true. It’s about being yourself, being good and honest. That is the only thing that kept me going.

TV bahus are always targeted for being fake or restricting themselves to the kitchen, which is often looked at a strategy to win the show...
I feel other contestants come with the agenda to put celebs down. Also, what’s wrong if I have inculcated some positive traits from a character that I have played? How can I be fake for three-and-a-half months? I can never fake and don’t need anyone’s approval on that. I was also accused of not performing tasks. I had clearly said it that I can’t get physical. I would have gone to Khatron Ke Khiladi if I had to do that. I have done tasks with whatever capabilities I had. The way I was on the show is how I am in real life — I don’t use bad language. Honestly, only bhai (Sreesanth) and I were our real selves on the show.

Many felt that you benefitted from your friendship with Sreesanth on the show...
People are free to say what they feel, because when you are shining, there is more criticism than appreciation. That makes you brighter and stronger. I took all the accusations head on. I have never planned anything in this house, including building a connect with somebody just because he was Sreesanth. It was very clear that bhai and I were very close and were there for each other throughout. I have been consistent in my behaviour on the show. I would always help everyone. Main tailor bhi bann gayi thi, main Surbhi (Rana) ke kapde alter karti thi.

What would you like to tell your detractors, who felt that you have won the trophy because of Sreesanth?
(Laughs!) I would just want to laugh it off and thank them. I feel that I have lived my journey. It has been more beautiful because bhai was there and I have some beautiful memories because I don’t have a biological brother. Itne saare viewers jinhone mujhe support kiya hai and jitaaya hai, it means mujh me hi kuchh khaas tha. Agar main unko (Sreesanth) pakad kar chal rahi hoti, toh viewers ko woh dikhaayi deta aur woh mujhe nahi, unko support karte.

Who is the one contestant you would not want to meet outside the house?
Romil Chaudhary, for sure. He would pretend to be extremely innocent at one point, and then he would show that he knows everything. I could never connect with him or like him. He wants to do things his way and is egoistic. I am allergic to such people.

What’s the plan now?
I would be visiting Ajmer Sharif with Shoaib. Woh meri mannat thi ki if I win... I want to go home and talk at length with ammi and Saba. I want to buy a home for Shoaib's parents, something that I had mentioned while entering the Bigg Boss house. It’s time to pay them back for whatever they have done for us. We have a lot of responsibilities on us and jitni jaldi hum kaafi cheezein settle kar paayenge, utni jaldi hum life mein aagey badh paayenge.

Tanvi Trivedi (BOMBAY TIMES; December 9, 2018)

Singer Jasleen Matharu has just been evicted from Bigg Boss. She entered the reality show with bhajan maestro Anup Jalota, giving everyone the impression that they were a couple. But now, she has denied all of it. In an interview with BT, she reveals why she faked a relationship with Anup in the house. Excerpts...

How was your experience in the Bigg Boss house?
It was a great journey, but it wasn’t easy being in the house. Some of the inmates were aggressive and so, there were many tough situations to handle.

Are you in a relationship with Anup Jalota? He denied it, soon after he was evicted from the house...
I will tell you what actually happened. My father has known Anup ji even before I was born. I started learning music from him as a child and we share a beautiful guru-shishya relationship. When the Bigg Boss offer came to me, I convinced him to do the show together as a guru-shishya jodi. Just before entering the house, when I was on stage, I thought of playing a prank and announced that we were in a relationship. He did not react to it. I thought he would react, but since he didn’t, we entered the house as a couple and played along.

You thought of playing a prank on national television before taking him into confidence?
Yes, I never thought it would become so serious and people would react in such a manner. I did not bother to clarify because after we entered the house, we needed to discuss many things. But nothing was pre planned. Even the channel did not know that I had planned to play such a prank on Anup ji. But woh prank mujhe bhari pad gaya.

So all those romantic moments in the house were not real?
We were just playing along.

In the house, it was also mentioned that you were in a relationship with playback singer Sukhwinder Singh. Is this true?
Sukhwinder is a family friend and Anup ji has misunderstood our equation if he said that we were in a relationship then or now. Sukhwinder has been a friend for the last six years and we will continue to be friends. These are all baseless rumours. In fact, the other day I heard that Honey Singh and I were having an affair, which is again totally false.

Rohit Suchanti and you had issues in the house ...
God bless Rohit. And even Deepak (Thakur). They were extremely rude and crossed their limits when they spoke to me. I feel Sreesanth is a good player and he should win the show.

Did you know that your father was upset with all that was happening inside the house?
Obviously, he would be. He was not aware that Anup ji and I would be entering the house like a couple. I am really scared of his reaction now that I am out of the house.

Are you planning to get married anytime soon? Would you marry a man twice your age?
I don’t want to get married now. I will never marry a man twice my age, he has to be a few years older than me.

Shilpi Sampad (MID-DAY; July 8, 2016)

The sequel to Emraan Hashmi-starrer Aksar (2006) went on the floors yesterday, albeit after a month- long delay, with a fresh story and star cast in place. We hear, beleaguered ex cricketer S Sreesanth has a bit role in the film starring Zareen Khan, in what will be his second Bollywood outing.

Sreesanth, who used to be popular as much for his fast bowling as dancing chops until he was embroiled in the 2013 spotfixing scandal, forayed into B-Town with Pooja Bhatt’s next, Cabaret. He will shortly begin shooting for Aksar 2, which rolled out yesterday. Incidentally, Aksar had gone on floors on the same day (July 7) 11 years ago.

Says a source, “The makers are yet to sign Zareen’s love interest in the film, but want to complete a few portions with the other actors, including telly star Gautam Rode, who is one of the three main characters, Lillete Dubey and Sreesanth.” Varun Bajaj, the film’s producer, says, “Sreesanth has a small part. We are in the process of finalising the actor who Zareen will romance on screen.”

Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 22, 2016)

Cricketer S Sreesanth who flagged off his Bollywood debut, Pooja Bhatt's Cabaret, in October, is currently filming the last schedule in Mumbai. He plays mentor to Richa Chadha's lead character. "I am like a brother figure who guides her through difficult times. My character is called Chetta which means elder brother in Malayalam," he reveals.

He recalls how on the first day he was supposed to play chess with Gulshan Devaiah. When Pooja called 'Action', he was trembling and couldn't deliver his lines. "I've played cricket in front of thousands, but this was a completely different ball game," says the 33-yearold who spent two years prepping up, including a crash course in acting and learning mix martial arts. "I would also go on film sets and observe and speak to actor friends. Despite this there were still times when I couldn't get a shot right. My director, Kaustav Narayan Niyogi, and Pooja and Mahesh Bhatt helped me understand and deliver."

The schedule ends on March 24 after which Sreesanth will move on to two new films down South. "I play a bike stuntman in a Malayalam film with lots of action scenes. The other is a Tamil-Telugu bilingual in which I will be seen as an aspiring cricketer who falls in love with a superstar actress," he reveals.

He admits cricket is his first love still and when not shooting, he is working on improving his batting skills. "I am waiting for the day when BCCI will lift the ban on me. I'm just 33 and have a few more years to play international cricket. Playing for the 2019 World cup is a dream," he signs off.

Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 13, 2015)

Richa Chadha, whose Masaan got a standing ovation and bagged two awards at Cannes, is presently shooting for Pooja Bhatt's Cabaret in Jaipur. She plays a small town girl in the film who moves to a big city and becomes the most famous cabaret dancer.

Gulshan Devaiah plays a cop while cricketer-turned-actor S Sreesanth will be seen in a negative role in his acting debut.

Richa has reportedly undergone body toning training to get the perfect look for the film.

Happy with Richa's performance Pooja says, "People who called Richa non-glamorous will be eating their words once they see Cabaret."

Vickey Lalwani (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 22, 2014)

Fast bowler S.Sreesanth has put the spot-fixing controversy behind him and has moved on to a new pitch. Mirror has it that the cricketer is foraying into Bollywood. Sreesanth will have a significant role in Kaustav Narayan Niyogi's upcoming film Cabaret, produced by Pooja Bhatt.

The film revolves around a dancer, played by Richa Chadha, and Sreesanth will play her Malayali mentor. The cricketer who hails from Kerala, has accepted a signing amount of Rs 5 lakh.

Sonu Lakhwani, the film's executive producer, suggested Sreesanth's name and showed Pooja a picture of the cricketer, taken on his wedding day. A few minutes later, Pooja dropped Sonu at Sreesanth's residence. He was celebrating his birthday (Nov 7) and his wife Nayan asked Sonu to invite Pooja too. She took a U-turn.

A few minutes later, Sreesanth was showing them his wedding video. Fifteen minutes into the video, Pooja clapped her hands and said, "That's my Chetta!"

Chetta, a term which translates as elder brother in Malayalam, is based in Dubai. He meets Richa at a crucial juncture in her life and turns it around.

When contacted, Pooja justified her choice, saying, "Sreesanth speaks Hindi with a slight Malayali accent and that's just what I was looking for. Initially, we had thought of casting an elderly actor as Richa's mentor but once I met Sreesanth, the dynamics changed. His look in the film is the same as that in his wedding picture which Sonu showed me. Having Sreesanth in the film is a win-win situation--those who love him will watch the film, those who hate him will also come to see him. He is at a interesting phase in his life."

Cabaret, which also stars Gulshan Devaiah, will kick off in January 2015 in Mumbai.

Vickey Lalwani & Nazia Sayed (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 28, 2014)

Actress Sana Khaan is mired in a fresh controversy as her alleged beau, Ismail Khan, is on the run after assaulting actor-director Sahil Khan at the 48 Fitness Gym in Andheri West. The three were about to enter into a protein supplement business, but Sahil's delay in signing the contract, allegedly angered Ismail fueling the row.

The altercation occurred on Diwali when Sahil Khan, of Xcuse me and Style fame, was unexpectedly attacked while he was talking to cricketer Sreesanth at the gym. "I waved at Sahil when he entered. I have known him and Sana for long and was, in fact, about to enter into a business deal with them. Later in the gym, when I was chatting with Sreesanth, Ismail unexpectedly hit me from behind. I was initially taken aback, but soon I started defending myself," said Sahil. The two were finally pulled apart by the gym staff and bouncers, who were forced to intervene.

Sahil, who has registered a non-cognizable complaint with the Amboli police station on the same day, also claims that he was threatened for his life by Ismail. "He said that he has a gun and he will kill me. He threatened to throw acid on my face saying that he already has 20 police cases against him and that another one won't make a difference," said Sahil. "He thinks that I am spreading rumours about Sana and him. But it's all wrong."

Police investigations however revealed that Sahil was supposed to launch a protein supplement 'BB Boss' with Sana and Ismail. While Ismail had sent the contract to Sahil few days before Diwali, Sahil delayed signing the contract as he disapproved of certain clauses. The cops suspect that Sahil postponing the deal could have angered Ismail, since the project had already seen many delays.

Senior Inspector Ramesh Kadhtare of Amboli police station confirming the story said, "We have received the complaint and enquiry in going on. Action will be taken accordingly."

Asira Tarannum (MID-DAY; September 8, 2014)

Celebrities often court controversy and get entangled in a legal imbroglio but some of them, fortunately, receive immense support from the industry.

Recently, actress Shweta Basu Prasad was arrested in connection with a high- profile sex racket, but the industry came to her support and director Hansal Mehta even said that he would cast the young starlet in his next film.

The Shahid director, who is currently in the US, wrote on a social networking website: “ Stop posting pictures of Shweta. Put out the pictures of her wealthy clients and the pimp. Expose the scumbags not the soft target. I intend to offer Shweta Prasad a role in my next film. She was so good in Makdee.”

He’s not the only one. Other film personalities like Vishal Bharadwaj, Karan Johar, Imtiaz Ali, Abhishek Kapoor, Rensil D'Silva, Amole Gupte, Abbas Tyrewala, Shreyas Talpade and other have released a statement in solidarity with Shweta requesting the film industry to “empathise rather than judge or label her”.

hitlist takes a look at a few other celebrities who were accused — but not convicted by law — and have been accepted again after a break.


Shiney Ahuja
Shiney Ahuja, who was away from films after getting embroiled in an alleged rape case, is now making a steady comeback on the silver screen with Anees Bazmee’s comedy-drama Welcome Back. In June 2009, the actor’s domestic help had lodged a police complaint against him alleging rape at his residence. Shiney was arrested and subsequently sentenced to seven years imprisonment. He is currently out on bail. The actor had started his career with the critically-acclaimed Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi in 2005, later joined mainstream and gave hit films like Gangster, Woh Lamhe, Life in a Metro, among others.


Monica Bedi
The former girlfriend of the underworld don Abu Salem was behind bars in connection with a case of passport forgery. After coming out of jail, she featured in quite a few reality television shows like Bigg Boss, Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa and Desi Girl. She was offered the second season of Swayamvar, but declined it citing that she wanted to focus on work. Monica returned to the small screen with filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s TV show Saraswatichandra in which she essayed the on- screen mother of actor Gautam Rode.


Subhash Kapoor
Subhash Kapoor was arrested after he was allegedly accused of molestation by an actress and was later released on bail. In February, the controversy emerged when Geetika Tyagi posted a video online suggesting the Jolly LLB director sexually abused her during a confrontation in presence of his wife, Dimple Kharbanda, and director Atul Sabharwal, (who happened to be Tyagi’s boyfriend). The incident created a furore. Kapoor is currently shooting for his film Guddu Rangeela.


Ajay Jadeja
Ajay Jadeja was one of the most loved players of the Indian team The findings of a CBI inquiry got him guilty of match-fixing following which he was banned by the the BCCI for five years. Ajay acted in Khel (2003) alongside Sunny Deol and Suniel Shetty and was a lead actor in Pal Pal Dil Ke Saat (2009). He has made constant appearances on news channels as a cricket anchor/analyst. Ajay even participated in the celebrity dance show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa in its first season and appeared on Comedy Circus as well. He also did a cameo in Abhishek Kapoor’s cricket-centric Kai Po Che.


Sreesanth
Disgraced ex-cricketer Sreesanth emerged as a proven dancer on the tube in the dance show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa. As per reports, Sreesanth will debut in a Bollywood movie soon which is a remake of a Malayalam film. Post the spot-fixing episode at the Indian Premier League in 2013, he has been a regular face on television. The infamous cricketer is all set to star in a Telugu film too. He is also a part of a musical band called 9’s and also writes lyrics

Elina Nayak (BOMBAY TIMES; August 11, 2014)

Roshni K Olivera (BOMBAY TIMES; July 13, 2014)

You were rude to the judges and even walked out in a huff from the set after you were eliminated from Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa...
It was just a bad day. I had got hit on my head some time before that and was in deep pain. I was not all there and really didn't mean to behave that way or upset anybody. I respect all the three judges very much. It's because of the pain that I wanted to get out of the set. In fact, once I got into the vanity and got some medication, I immediately sent a text to Remo Sir. I told him I didn't mean to behave that way and asked him to convey my message to Karan sir and Madhuri ma'am too.

On field, you have been known for your aggressive behaviour. Was this too another anger bout?
Not at all. This wasn't an anger bout, but an outburst of disappointment. And I have changed a lot since 2009. Even on the field, I have been composed.

One of the reasons for your elimination, the channel says, is lack of votes from the public. What do you have to say about that?
Ah... what do I say to that? I really have nothing to say. When you started on the show, you said you were looking at this as a platform to connect with people for the first time after the cricket spot-fixing controversy.

Post this incident, do you feel you've almost lost that opportunity?
No, because what happened was just a passionate outburst. I'm sure people will understand my passion. I really wanted to win this show or at least be in the top three. Despite injuries, I performed and I never spoke about my injuries because I believe I wasn't there to complain. I'm thankful I got the opportunity to show my acting and dancing skills. Even now, I hope I get a chance through wild-card entry.

You are gearing up for a Bollywood film now?
(Smiles) That's for later

Sonali Joshi Pitale (MID-DAY; July 11, 2014)

Tainted cricketer Sreesanth, who is said to be starting afresh with a new career in the entertainment world, is already making news for the wrong reasons. He apparently walked out of a shoot for Jhalak Dikhlaa Jaa when he couldn’t get positive feedback from the judges.

A source says, “Sreesanth was supposed to perform a little later but the crew decided to shoot his act first as they wanted to complete the elimination procedure and he was in the face-off round along with Puja Banerjee. But it turns out that he was not prepared for this change of plan and he was annoyed that he had to shoot earlier on. He finished shooting his portion but it was clear that he was not keen to complete his act. ”

When the judges failed to be impressed by his act, he is said to have become angrier. A crewmember says, “Remo D’souza said that it wasn’t his best performance but Sreesanth shot back that he had given it his best. Madhuri too said that this was not a great act. He again showed his displeasure over this, and Karan Johar too lost his cool. But KJo didn’t say anything as he didn’t want things to get ugly. After this, Sreesanth just walked out of the sets. The production team tried to convince him to return to the show, as he was supposed to sit through the rest of the performances. But he left the venue in a huff.”

The channel’s spokesperson confirmed the news.

Sonali Joshi Pitale (MID-DAY; April 25, 2014)

The seventh season of dance reality show, Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, will kick off in June and its makers have already finalised a bunch of celebrities from various fields. A source says, “As of now, its judges will remain the same as the last season (Madhuri Dixit, Karan Johar and Remo D’Souza). But some of the celebrities who have agreed to be a part of the show are TV personalities VJ Andy, Purab Kohli, Pooja Bose, Kritika Kamra, Kiku Sharda and Mouni Roy. Tainted cricketer Sreesanth has also been confirmed. This apart, the production team is in talks with Evelyn Sharma and Sophie Choudry, but they are yet to give them a nod.” 

Meanwhile, Ashish Sharma, who is part of the TV show, Rangrasiya, will now be shaking a leg in this reality show instead of his co-star, Sanaya Irani. “The team was keen to have Sanaya on board but she had to turn it down, and Ashish has agreed to do the show. The production team wants to sign on a Punjabi singer as well. Besides Sanaya, Kunal Karan Kapoor and Rajneesh Duggal have also refused to be a part of the show,” says the source.

Evelyn and Sophie remained unavailable for comment, but a channel spokesperson confirmed the rest of the names.