Like Father, Like Son

Saif Ali Khan can say what he likes about his kids not showing much inclination towards a career in the movies, but it does seem like his son Ibrahim could grow up to be quite the charmer. The teenager’s Instagram feed is packed with dubsmash videos that he’s recorded (many with his friend Nirvaan Khan, son of actor-producer Sohail Khan) lip-synching to popular Shah Rukh Khan songs. The title track of Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi appears to be especially popular with the boys, who’ve filmed multiple versions of themselves enacting it.

Ibrahim—whose friend circle comprises other second- generation film kids like Nirvaan, Khushi Kapoor (daughter of Sridevi and Boney Kapoor), Aaliyah Kashyap (daughter of Anurag Kashyap) and Arhaan Khan (son of Arbaaz Khan and Malaika Arora)—is a spitting image of his dad, many would agree. Ibrahim’s sister Sara, on the other hand, evidently owes her features to her mum Amrita Singh.

As a kid, Ibrahim was the perfect companion to take along to previews of his films, Saif has often said. “He likes every movie. That can be quite encouraging when you’re watching an unreleased film of yours. Although I realised with time, that his enthusiasm over my films wasn’t often matched by the audience’s.”

Durga Rani Makes Peace

Amidst all the news of break-ups, splits, friendships coming apart, and partnerships going kaput in Bollywood, one came across a reassuring piece of information earlier this week—a reminder that all hope needn’t be lost on filmwalas. Turns out that Vidya Balan and her Kahaani director Sujoy Ghosh—who had a falling out last year when she left his film Durga Rani Singh just weeks before production began, citing health issues—have put their differences behind them, and will be working together again.

Vidya will join Amitabh Bachchan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui in Teen, a new film that Sujoy is producing, with first-timer Ribhu Dasgupta in the director’s chair. The actress shot a look test for the film last week, and Sujoy broke the news when he put out a picture from the set on Twitter, accompanied by the line: “worked with an old friend yesterday…”

If the grapevine is to be believed, Sujoy and Vidya have also decided to revive Durga Rani Singh, which will likely film in March next year. It may feel like a homecoming for Vidya, given that Sujoy wants to shoot in West Bengal again (although in Chandanpur, not Kolkata). The director has reportedly told friends that the entire chain of events surrounding this film has convinced him that Vidya alone was destined to be his leading lady.

It’s no secret that Sujoy approached everyone from Kangana Ranaut and Kareena Kapoor to Priyanka Chopra and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan for the film after Vidya’s exit. For reasons ranging from “no dates” to salary issues, the project didn’t materialise with any of the other leading ladies, and now it appears that his original leading lady may well eventually play the part.

Sex and the Failed Actor

It’s one of Bollywood’s oldest clichés—when an actress’ career goes south, her hemline inevitably goes up. Such a shame that we’re still resorting to jokes like this in 2015!

If it’s any consolation, however, the same rule appears to be true in the case of a male actor, who after repeated attempts at reinventing himself as a star, has now finally accepted his fate… He’s reportedly told friends that now he only wants to make movies that pay him enough so he can afford a comfortable lifestyle for his family…doesn’t matter if the roles are rubbish.

He’s currently starring in an adult thriller in which he’s done a handful of steamy lovemaking scenes that required him to lose his shirt and get all sweaty with his female co-star. A few years ago he’d have scoffed at such offers, but at a media event promoting the film he said he’d be happy to go “butt naked” [sic] if the part required him to.

Sad thing is that the reactions to his ‘bold avatar’ vary from “meh” to “LOL”—just check out the reactions online. The joke doing the rounds in the industry is that the poor fellow’s willing to take his clothes off, but the audience is begging him to put them back on.

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Rajeev Masand

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