SCOOPS: Sidharth Malhotra opts out of Taapsee Pannu starrer, Sonakshi Sinha proud to be a part of 'Kalank'

Sidharth Malhotra was in news last week when reports suggested that he was in talks for Anurag Basu’s next film. Initially, the movie was offered to Arjun Kapoor, who opted out owing to date issues and now, we hear that Sidharth also couldn’t come on board. “Sid is not a part of the project anymore. He was supposed to be paired opposite Taapsee Pannu and theirs was a funny love story. But now, the filmmakers will have to look for another younger actor to star in his place.” Watch this space to find out who will it be. 

Sonakshi Sinha has never shied away from being part of multiple-heroine projects. While she refused to divulge any details about her role in her next, Kalank, which boasts of a starry line up comprising Sanjay Dutt, Madhuri Dixit-Nene, Varun Dhawan, Alia Bhatt and Aditya Roy Kapur, she’s excited about working with such an eclectic cast. “These are actors I really admire — whether it’s Alia or Sanju (Dutt) sir. Just to be in the same frame, you feel that there’s great energy which you feed off each other. That adds so much to the scene,” she says.

Sonakshi further adds, “We’ve shot a little and I feel proud to be part of a film with such an amazing star cast. Working with Dharma again has been a good experience. Because Kalank is a period film, it takes me back to an era. Plus, I have a great role in the movie.”

While most city folk are used to a certain way of life and more so actors who have a lot of things at their beck and call, Shraddha Kapoor maintains that she doesn’t want things to be so easily available for her. The actress, who considers shooting in Tehri in Uttarakhand as one of her most memorable experiences for the natural beauty of the small town, says, “I need a good dose of nature every now and then. It keeps me calm and makes me feel rejuvenated.” 

Shraddha, who loves the mountains, prefers to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city as and when she can. “For us, places like Lonavla, Khandala or Mahabaleshwar are just a few hours drive from Mumbai. I love the mountains. So, last weekend I had just taken off,” she says, adding, “A couple of years ago, I had gone to Ladakh for about a fortnight. It was such a refreshing experience and I felt so much at peace.”

Ali Fazal, who is currently working on Sanjay Dutt’s production venture, Prassthanam, will soon be shooting some patch work scenes of his upcoming web series Mirzapur. The actor, who plays a gangster in this series about international drug trafficking, gained about 30 kilos of muscle for his part. What’s more, the actor, who was seen in Furious 7, has also borrowed inspiration from the Hollywood franchise’s lead star, Vin Diesel. As part of his character’s look in the web series, Ali got inked on his back. The tattoo looks like a Celtic design, similar to the one Vin sported on his arm in XXX: The Return Of Xander Cage.

(The tattoo on (left) Vin Diesel’s arm and (right) Ali’s back )