Last one! Shortest one, I think. Just a few quick stories about potential next films for up and coming talents we haven’t seen in a while.
Varun’s Next Film Rumors
I was going to say “boy, it’s been a while since we saw Varun”, but I forgot about Kalank. Which is kind of his problem, everyone forgot about Kalank. And before that, everyone forgot about Sui Dhaaga. Pretty soon everyone is going to forget about Varun if he doesn’t have a hit. Thus, this story! Beating the drums to get interest for his next movie far in advance. (story here)
Shashank Khaitan is the director who has done the most to “make” Varun, he wrote Humpty Sharma long before Varun came on the scene, but it ended up being a perfect match of actor and character. And then Badrinath was written specifically with Varun in mind and was another perfect match. Their third collaboration was supposed to be Rannbhoomi, a period epic. But Dharma has been dragging their feet on that. There were brief rumors of a spy film that would be dashed off between Shashank and Varun before Rannbhoomi, but now it looks like another contemporary romance, then Rannbhoomi.
Remember one of my earlier posts about how Karan is quickly making a horror movie for some fast cash? This feels like the same thing, right? Both Dharma and Varun need a quick sure hit. A small contemporary rom-com probably won’t set the box office on fire and break records, or get critical acclaim, but it will give them some industry cred and some cash. And then they (both Karan and Varun) can turn around and consider if they even want to bother with Rannbhoomi.
Kriti Sanon Next Film
Yaaay, Kriti is working too! She’s in a similar place to Varun, not that she has had a lot of flops, but that her hits have been so scattered that people keep forgetting about her. And now, finally, she has a series of movies coming boom boom boom. (story here)
This new film that is rumored is with director Rahul Dholakia, who made Raees. Before Raees he was more of an art film director, the early announcements for this movie (coming from the producers, so only semi-reliable in case they are floating the idea to try to attract money and then actually doing it) say it will be some kind of thriller/action thing. With Kriti the only name currently attached, so presumably the lead. Huh! What’s that gonna look like? An art film director making a thriller/action film with a female lead? I’m excited!
Avinash Tiwary Has a Job
Okay, my little subset of “people who care about Avinash Tiwary”, get ready to get excited! He has a job! He will be the male lead in Parineeti’s Girl on the Train remake. Which isn’t going to be a large role, because Pari has the title part and it’s one of those thriller things where the lead has a lot to do but everyone else just has little scenes as suspects. (story here)
Although, we can be optimistic! Maybe they are going to write in a police officer character or a love interest who is there with Pari the whole time she is trying to solve the mystery, and Avinash will get loads and loads of screentime!
Or, alternatively, this is all some kind of sick mindgame the producers are playing on Angie to find out if she loves Avinash more than she hates Pari.
dontcallitbollywood 
Well the entire Shashank Khaitan-Varun thing seems like a struggle with all of the cancelled projects. I just really hope that his co-star isn’t Alia not that I dislike the pairing or anything I just feel very fatigued by it. I am in fact one of those people that thought that Avinash was fantastic in Laila-Majnu so I’m happy that he’s doing things. I don’t dislike Parineeti but I do feel like she isn’t as good as she once was so I’m not sure about that entire project though
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I agree, Varun shouldn’t be paired with Alia again. Partly because the pairing is tired, but also because I feel like it is stopping Varun from getting the credit he is do for his own performances, when they are paired all the talk is about Alia and not him.
On Mon, Jun 24, 2019 at 7:20 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Hmm, really? At least for Kalank it seemed like Varun got more praise than Alia did. But you’re right, even I’m sort of tired of the pairing and I love the two of them together.
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Well, Alia was really terrible in Kalank, it would have been hard to praise her. But I felt like Varun did the better more original performance in Humpty and in Badrinath, and Alia got more credit.
On Mon, Jun 24, 2019 at 7:56 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Yeah, I can see that. But I think it makes up for Alia getting trashed for her performance in SOTY 🙂
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Varun does have Street Dancer 3D which is supposed to be out early next year. I’m not expecting it be a great movie but I hope it does well like ABCD 2 ended up doing. It’s basically the same cast so I have a pretty good feeling about it.
Similarly, Varun has the Coolie No.1 remake with his dad coming out next year as well. I’m sort of excited for this one because I find that I really enjoy the way David Dhawan presents Varun in his movies. Plus Varun with Sara Ali Khan in a comedy sounds really fun!
I’ve also seen rumors recently that Varun has been talking to both Sriram Raghavan and Aanand L Rai about their next movies. I would love to see him work with Aanand L Rai to be honest.
I feel like Shashank could be Varun’s version of what Karan Johar is to Shahrukh so I am pretty curious to see what they come up with next.
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It’s interesting how Karan fosters those star-director relationships. He has Shahrukh, and he’s supported Ayan with Ranbir, and now Shashank with Varun.
On Mon, Jun 24, 2019 at 7:39 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Right! Maybe he feels that these kinds of pairings get the most creativity out of both the star and director.
Speaking of Karan, I read that Drive might get released on a digital platform instead of in theaters. I think it’s just a rumor for now.
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I hope so, I still want to see it!
On Mon, Jun 24, 2019 at 8:02 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I hate Jacqueline but I like Sushant enough that I want to see it as well!
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My love for Avinash is greater than my hate for Parineeti. I’m happy he will work, because it’s scandalous nobody hires an actor like him, but the problem is that Parineeti is terrible! When she had her last hit? I’m not counting Kesari, or Golmaal, because she was only one of the characters , but all her “main role” movies flop. And flop mostly because she is not good and she doesn’t act. And now she will play the title role of an alcoholic involved in a missing person’s investigation? C’mon she wasn’t able to play a bubbly punjabi girl who goes to London! So she will ruin this new movie also, and maybe Avinash’s career, and then few months later she will play lead in another movie because she is friends with the right people.
Sometimes I think bollywood’s filmakers don’t watch hindi movies and don’t know if somebody is good or not, they just read pinkvilla and hire whose name is the most popular. Because otherwise how you can explain Pari keeps working and people like Avinash not?
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Oh, here’s something interesting with Pari! This movie was supposed to be Jacqueline, and she dropped out, and Pari got it. Same thing that happened with the tennis movie, Shraddha dropped out so they took Pari. Maybe she just has a manager that is really good at hearing when producers are in a bind and jumping in?
On Tue, Jun 25, 2019 at 2:40 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Oh so if the makers wanted Jacqueline as the lead and now Pari, I doubt they are serious people.
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Yeah, exactly like trading Shraddha for Pari in the tennis movie. Oh well, maybe Avinash will make a friend on set with one of the ADs who has a brilliant script and will end up getting a good role in that a year from now.
On Tue, Jun 25, 2019 at 8:27 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Yes, let’s hope. That’s why I want him to work even with Pari.
Btw this tennis movie. Parineeti wrote she is still learning and they will start shooting only in October. How many months Shraddha has been learning before quiting?
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I think Shraddha just started training, like a month, and then quit. Good for her if she realized it just wasn’t going to work with her schedule.
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Why haven’t you seen Laila-Majnu?
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It didn’t release in theaters here and still isn’t available streaming.
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Kriti in a Luc Besson style (La Femme Nikita, Transporter) style action thriller would be amazing!
(Still swamped at work and trying to be not be online so much, but still lurking sometimes!)
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Oh, yes!!!! She’s definitely got the physicality for it.
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