When Taapsee Pannu shared that she was called ‘unlucky’ as her Telugu films didn't work

Actor Taapsee Pannu once revealed how she was considered an unlucky charm at a point in her career because her films weren't doing well at the box office. Taapsee, who has established herself as one of Hindi cinema's most bankable female actors, celebrates her birthday on Tuesday, August 1. 

Taapsee's journey in films

Taapsee Pannu made her debut with Tamil movie Aadukalam, which was directed by Vetrimaaran and starred Dhanush in the lead. The film got critical acclaim and went on to win several National Awards. She then went on star in many Telugu films, before garnering attention in Akshay Kumar-starrer Baby in 2015. She gained further acclaim for her lead performances in Pink, Thappad and Manmarziyaan.

On being called unlucky

In an old interview with Scroll a few years ago, Taapsee had opened up about the phase in her career when she was considered an unlucky factor for films. She said, "Everyone started calling me an unlucky girl and an unlucky charm because a couple of my films in Telugu did not work. Honestly, I would not say that I thought a lot about these films before signing these films, because I had no clue at the time."

On learning from mistakes

She further elaborated how she learnt from her mistakes. "I was signing films based on the credible names, which clearly did not work in my favour. Since I do not come a from a film background, I learned from my mistakes. What was a setback, according to me, was that I was blamed for a film not working, where all I had to do was three songs or five scenes. But I often used to think, why me? It was not so much that it bogged me down, but it made me take the control in my hands in terms of choosing what I wanted to do, rather than listening to everybody else," said the actor.

Taapsee took a much-needed break after delivering six releases last year, including Looop Lapeta, Mishan Impossible, Shabaash Mithu, Dobaaraa, Tadka and Blurr. She will be next seen with Shah Rukh Khan for Rajkumar Hirani's Dunki that is expected to release in December. She also has Woh Ladki Hai Kahaan, Phir Aayi Haseen Dillruba and Jana Gana Mana in the pipeline.

Deepika Padukone in bikini and sarong serves a jaw-dropping look, Ranveer Singh says 'A warning would've been nice'

Deepika Padukone set the internet on fire today after she posted a throwback picture from one of her photoshoots on social media. Deepika's post shows her dressed in a monochrome printed bikini set and sarong. Ranveer Singh and Deepika's followers were stunned by the sizzling picture. Scroll through to see the photo and what Ranveer commented on it.

Deepika Padukone's jaw-dropping look in a bikini

Today, Deepika Padukone drove away our Monday Blues with her jaw-dropping photoshoot in a beach-ready look. She shared the photo with the caption, "Once upon a time…Not so long ago." It shows Deepika in a black-and-white abstract-printed bikini top featuring noodle straps, a plunging neckline, an infinity-style short hem showing off her toned abs, and a fitted bust.

Deepika wore the bra top with matching bikini bottoms and a sarong. The sarong features a tie detail on the side, a low-rise waistline, and a risque thigh-high slit. A pulled-back sleek top bun, bold kohl-lined eyes, smoky eyes, nude lips, mascara on the lashes, and glowing skin rounded it off.

Ranveer Singh reacts to Deepika Padukone's picture

Deepika Padukone's photoshoot broke the internet. However, Ranveer Singh's reaction takes the cake. "A warning would've been nice," he wrote under the post. Meanwhile, Manish Malhotra, Shibani Akhtar, Bhumi Pednekar, and Falguni Shane Peacock dropped fire emojis. A fan commented, "Damn that body." Another wrote, "I am dying." A user wrote, "No one was ready for this today." Another remarked, "OH MY GOD! This is hot."

On the work front

Meanwhile, Deepika Padukone has several projects lined up in the future. She will be seen next in Kalki 2898 AD with Prabhas, Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan, Disha Patani, and more stars. The sci-fi film is being produced by Vyjayanthi Movies. She also has Fighter with Hrithik Roshan and Anil Kapoor.

Preity Zinta channels her inner Barbie in photoshoot after watching Margot Robbie film

Actor Preity Zinta has shared a video from her recent photoshoot in which she channelled her inner Barbie. Taking to Instagram on Monday night, Preity posted the clip in which she gave different poses and expressions for the camera. 

Preity turns Barbie in new clip

The video started with Preity sitting on a bed in a pink theme room. It had everything coloured in pink from walls, bed sheets, table lamps, rugs, phone, and curtains. She held a pink phone while smiling and posing for the camera. In the clip, she also jumped and fell on the bed. Preity wore a pink dress with frills and silver heels. Preity added the song Barbie Girl by Aqua as the background track.

Preity pens note

Sharing the clip, Preity said, "Channeling my inner Barbie (sparkling heart emoji) Did this fun shoot some time ago & couldn’t resist posting it after seeing #Barbie this weekend. LOVED the movie & the fact that the theatre was mostly Pink (sparkling heart emoji). So much fun watching a movie after so long. #Barbiethemovie #Movieweekend #Ting." Reacting to the post, Iulia Vantur said, "@realpz u are the perfect Barbie: cute, playful, beautiful, amazing smile and those dimples."

Fans react to Preity as Barbie

A fan wrote, "Now we need an Indian Barbie starring you, and @hrithikroshan could be Ken." A person commented, "You look like Katy Perry." A comment read, "Let's go for a Bollywood version of Barbie." An Instagram user said, "The real Barbie in real life." Another comment read, "You just took the Barbie craze to another level." Another fan wrote, "You are a real Barbie doll... Your charm is forever Stay the way you are."

About Barbie

Barbie has been helmed by Greta Gerwig and released in theatres on July 21. The film stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling in the lead roles, as Barbie and Ken, respectively. They leave the world of Barbieland on a quest for self-discovery in the real world.

The cast also includes Issa Rae, Dua Lipa, Simu Liu, Michael Cera, Helen Mirren, John Cena and Will Ferrell. The box office collection of Barbie in India currently stands at ₹35.43 crore.

Chandramukhi 2 first look: Raghava Lawrence steps into Rajinikanth's Vettaiyan shoes

 Lyca Productions unveiled the first look poster of the much-anticipated movie Chandramukhi 2 on Monday. The poster featured Raghava Lawrence as the cold-hearted and ruthless king, Vettaiyan Raja, a role previously portrayed by Superstar Rajinikanth.

In the striking poster, Raghava Lawrence's Vettaiyan could be seen descending the grand staircase of his palace, exuding arrogance and an evil grin. The actor seems to have infused his own quirkiness into the iconic character, promising a fresh take on one of the most beloved roles in the history of Tamil cinema. Upon sharing the poster, Lawrence expressed his gratitude to Rajinikanth for his blessings and support in taking on this significant role.

However, the challenge for Lawrence is undeniable, as he steps into the shoes of Rajinikanth, whose performance as Vettaiyan was the highlight of the original Chandramukhi. The 2005 blockbuster's success rested largely on Rajinikanth's portrayal of the character, showcasing his signature style and energy, leaving audiences spellbound. The dynamic chemistry between Rajinikanth and Jyothika further elevated the film to iconic status.

Chandramukhi itself is a remake of the Kannada hit Apthamitra, which was originally inspired by the Malayalam classic Manichithrathazhu. Director P Vasu, who helmed the original and its sequel Aptharakshaka in 2010, returns to direct Chandramukhi 2. It remains unclear whether Chandramukhi 2 will follow the storyline of Aptharakshaka or present a completely new narrative for Tamil audiences.

Chandramukhi 2 is set to have a pan-Indian release during the festive season of Ganesh Chaturthi . Given that it stars Kangana Ranaut as the female lead, the film has an edge in the Hindi belt.

Apart from Raghava Lawrence and Kangana Ranaut, Chandramukhi 2 boasts a star-studded supporting cast, including Radhika Sarathkumar, Vadivelu, Lakshmi Menon, and Mahima Nambiar. 

Ananya Panday asks father Chunky Panday to pull some strings against Ayushmann Khurrana in new Dream Girl 2 promo. Watch

 Raaj Shaandilyaa's comedy Dream Girl 2 has been slowly and surely building a star-studded promotional campaign ahead of the film's release in cinemas on August 25. Ayushmann Khurrana's cross-dressed character Pooja has been seen talking to hunks on the phone, from Shah Rukh Khan's Pathaan to most recently, Ranveer Singh's Rocky. 

But the latest promo of Dream Girl 2 features none other than Chunky Panday, the real-life father of Ananya Panday, who is the leading lady in the film. She is a new addition to the Dream Girl franchise, the first part of which opened to great box-office numbers in 2019, and starred Ayushmann in the lead role.

New Dream Girl 2 promo

Ananya posted the new promo of Dream Girl 2 on Instagram on Saturday. In the video, Ananya is seen complaining to her father and actor Chunky Panday that Ayushmann's character of Pooja is hogging all the limelight in the promotions of the film. She demands he talk to the production house, Balaji Telefilms, owned by Ekta Kapoor and her mother Shobha Kapoor.

He promises to talk to Balaji and pretends dialling a number as Ananya exits the room. But Chunky ends up mouthing his popular dialogue “I'm joking” from the Housefull franchise and ends up dialling Pooja herself. He flirts with Pooja, who reminds Chunky when the film is releasing in cinemas.

The promo is titled ‘Pooja ka Funky Aashiq,’ referring to Chunky Panday. Ananya shared the video on Instagram and wrote in the caption, “Papa?? Really?? I thought you were speaking to Balaji!”

About Dream Girl 2

Dream Girl 2 is the sequel of Raaj Shaandilyaa's 2019 blockbuster comedy that starred Ayushmann as a Mathura guy doubling up as a professional late night caller. He talks to lonely people on the phone in his female avatar of Pooja. However, in Dream Girl 2, he will also appear in a cross-dressed avatar as Pooja. In an exclusive interview with Social Media, Ayushmann said, “This time, we're going to the next level with Dream Girl. It's not just the voice, it's also the visual, as you see in the teasers. It's going to be a 2.0 version literally in Dream Girl 2 and I really look forward to that.”

Tamannaah Bhatia, Vijay Varma hold hands on a date in Mumbai, fans ask them to 'get married soon’. Watch

 Actor-couple Tamannaah Bhatia and Vijay Varma stepped out in Mumbai for a date. After several pictures and videos of the two surfaced on social media platforms, fans showered love on them, with some even telling them to marry soon. 

Tamannaah and Vijay seen on a date

In a video collage shared by a paparazzo account on Instagram, Tamannaah Bhatia and Vijay Varma held hands as they walked together. They also smiled at each other and at the people around them. Tamannaah and Vijay left the venue in a car together.

Fans react to the couple's pics

For the date, both of them opted for casual outfits. Tamannaah wore a white T-Shirt, black denims and heels. Vijay was seen in a sweatshirt, blue denims and sneakers. He also carried a bag with him. Reacting to the pictures, a fan wrote, "They are so perfect. Please guys get married soon." A person commented, "They are madly in love." "They look so good together," an Instagram user said.

Tamannaah and Vijay spoke about each other

Tamannaah and Vijay have been dating for quite some time now. The duo was seen together on screen for the first time in Lust Stories 2. They featured in Sujoy Ghosh's short in the Netflix anthology.

They also spoke about their relationship recently. Vijay told GQ India, "I think it’s fairly understood now that we are dating each other. I am happy and madly in love with her. I call this my ‘I’ve ended my villain era and gotten into the romance era’ phase of life.”

During an interview with Film Companion, Tamannaah had said, “I don't think you can get attracted to someone just because they are your co-star. I have had so many co-stars. I think if one has to fall for someone, feel something for someone it’s definitely more personal, it’s nothing to do with what they do for a living, I mean that's not the reason why this would happen.”

Tamannaah and Vijay's projects

Fans will see Tamannaah in Jailer alongside Rajinikanth. Helmed by Nelson Dilipkumar, the film also stars Priyanka Mohan, Shiva Rajkumar, Jackie Shroff, Ramya Krishnan, Yogi Babu, Vasanth Ravi, Vinayakan in prominent roles. Tamannaah also has Nikkhil Advani’s next directorial venture Vedaa alongside John Abraham and Sharvari Wagh.

Vijay was recently seen in Kaalkoot opposite Shweta Tripathi Sharma. Directed by Sumit Saxena, Kaalkoot also stars Yashpal Sharma, Gopal Datt, and Seema Biswas. It started streaming on Jio Cinema on July 27. He will be next seen in Sujoy Ghosh's thriller which is based on the book The Devotion of Suspect X. It also stars Kareena Kapoor Khan and Jaideep Ahlawat. Apart from that, he also has Homi Adjania's Murder Mubarak in the pipeline.

Jawan first song Zinda Banda: Shah Rukh Khan dances his heart out in foot-tapping track, fans love his swag. Watch

 Actor Shah Rukh Khan on Monday dropped the music video for Zinda Banda, the first song of his upcoming action thriller Jawan. Taking to Instagram, Shah Rukh posted a clip, and wrote, "When principles are at stake, one must fight, This battle is what makes you alive! I thank Wasim Barelvi sahab (sir) with all my heart for letting us use this beautiful couplet with a minor change. The song is written by Irshad Kamil Sir, and the music is by my dear friend Anirudh Ravichander. Presenting Zinda Banda!" 

Jawan song Zinda Banda

In the nearly four-minute-long song, Shah Rukh Khan (SRK) made a grand entry wearing a red shirt and black pants. He is welcomed by a crowd of girls wearing green and white outfits as they cheer for him. Apart from Shah Rukh, the song also features Sanya Malhotra and Priyamani, among others.

The song is a fun and groovy one as it makes you want to dance to its beats. T-Series shared the music video of the song on its YouTube channel. The song is out in three languages – Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. While the Hindi version has been titled Zinda Banda, it is Vandha Edam in Tamil and Dhumme Dhulipelaa in Telugu. Anirudh Ravichander has composed the music of Jawan.

Fans react to Zinda Banda

Reacting to the song a fan said, "Our superstar, our king, our emotion, our favourite actor one and only SRK. You can ignore Bollywood but you can't ignore SRK." A comment read, "Anirudh's music and Shah Rukh Khan's swag are things you can't ignore, literally GOOSEBUMPS guaranteed!"

"There is no competition for SRK, but the era of his romantic movies is something else," wrote another person. A social media user said, "My body literally started dancing." Another comment read, “SRK is not a name, it's an emotion for billions of people all around the world!”

More about Zinda Banda

Earlier, he had unveiled a new poster of the first song on Instagram. Sharing it, he wrote, “The Sound of Jawan! Song out today at 12:50 pm! #ZindaBanda (Hindi) #VandhaEdam (Tamil) #DhummeDhulipelaa (Telugu) #Jawan releasing worldwide on 7th September 2023, in Hindi, Tamil & Telugu.”

Earlier, news agency ANI, had quoted a source as saying about the song, "It was shot on a grand scale in Chennai, over five days, with over 1000 dancers from all across Indian cities like Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Madurai, Mumbai and more. Produced at an impressive budget of over ₹15 crores, Zinda Banda will showcase the spectacular visual of SRK dancing like never before with thousands of girls. With Anirudh composing and helming the vocals as well and the moves are choreographed by Shobi, this track is all set to get the nation grooving."

About Atlee's Jawan

Directed by Atlee, Jawan will release worldwide in theatres on September 7 in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu languages. Apart from Shah Rukh, Nayanthara and Vijay Sethupathi will also be seen in the film. Deepika Padukone also has a special appearance in the movie. In Jawan, fans will also see Priyamani, Sanya Malhotra and Ridhi Dogra in important roles.