You’re back in the comic mould with Housefull 5. Would you say comedy is the hardest genre to tackle? As they say, comedy is serious business — and I learned that the hard way through theatre. I remember when I started doing professional theatre, it was with a comedy play, and I honestly wasn’t very good at it.
Shreyas Talpade on the serious business of comedy and his return in Housefull 5
Really? That’s hard to believe. So, you know, I learned by watching a lot of my fellow actors and seniors in the Marathi industry perform — especially those from the Marathi stage. They’ve done a lot of comedies, and their sense of timing and humour is incredible. I’ve learned from some of the best, but it has taken time.
Would you say you had to work harder to get comedy right compared to other genres? Absolutely. It has taken a lot of effort, and it’s not easy. I think what you need to do is maintain a certain amount of innocence and honesty that comedy demands. If you start laughing at your own joke or performance, the moment falls flat. But if you remain sincere and deliver your lines with the right kind of innocence and timing, it begins to work. So yes, it is difficult — but it’s also a lot of fun.
To make people laugh is a blessing, isn’t it? Without a doubt. Making people laugh is truly a blessing, and if you’re able to do that time and again, you should consider yourself very lucky.
Chitrangda Singh opens up about major film roles she turned down including Gangster and Tanu Weds Manu; says, “I have made those mistakes” : Bollywood News
Chitrangda Singh, recently featured in Housefull 5, had an open conversation with SCREEN, reflecting on her two-decade-long journey in Bollywood. She spoke about her unique path in the film industry, a nine-year hiatus, significant roles she missed out on, and how personal struggles influenced the course of her career.
Chitrangda Singh opens up about major film roles she turned down including Gangster and Tanu Weds Manu; says, “I have made those mistakes”
Reflecting on her debut in Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi and how quickly time has passed, Chitrangda said, “It’s been a very quick 20 years. When I look back, I feel like I have gotten far more than I expected. I don’t think I was a very ambitious person. I didn’t think I was going to go places. I was quite happy that I would get married and just have a good time; I never had a vision for myself. I feel that everything has been more than I expected. In 20 years, there have been 9 years of breaks in between. 11 years of working and people have not forgotten me, so I feel grateful.”
When asked if a film like Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi could be made in today’s time, Chitrangda voiced her desire for more impactful storytelling: “I wish films like Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi get made because cinema should not just be for entertainment alone. There are films to entertain, and then there should be films about certain matters which need to go on record as cinema history. I wish we did more films like that.”
Speaking about her extended sabbatical from acting, Chitrangda shared the personal challenges behind her absence from the screen: “The first seven years of break were because of my personal life, my commitment to that, and I had a son. I came back, and then I took another two-year break because I was going through a rough patch in my personal life again. In between that also I did not have the kind of work that I was looking for coming my way, so I decided to not be around because I was also going through my emotional ups and downs and I didn’t want to do stuff that I won’t be happy doing. So there was a rollercoaster of life going on. So yes, I did not do as much work as I probably would have wanted to do.”
Chitrangda also spoke candidly about the major film opportunities she missed and how those choices still stay with her. “I have made those mistakes. I said no to Anurag Basu’s Gangster. I refused Tanu Weds Manu. In Mangal Pandey, I said no to the role that Ameesha Patel played. There was one more that I am forgetting, and then there was Chalte Chalte that starred Shah Rukh Khan and Rani Mukerji, which I wasn’t around for at all. They had run into some trouble and wanted to desperately cast someone. SRK had told me this. Saeed Mirza had loved my work, and they were looking for me. Juhi Chawla’s brother Bobby was looking for my number. I had worked with SRK on an ad film when he had told me all this.”
Despite the twists and turns in her journey, Chitrangda’s presence and influence in the industry have remained strong. She remains committed to authentic storytelling and seeks out roles with depth and meaning. On the professional front, she revealed that she’s currently working on another commercial film and plans to announce a new project this coming September.
Bollywood star Varun Dhawan is gearing up to appear alongside Ahan Shetty, son of Suniel Shetty, in the forthcoming movie Border 2. The film’s third shooting schedule has kicked off at the National Defence Academy in Pune. During a break, Varun and Ahan decided to explore the city, but ended up getting lost.
Varun Dhawan and Ahan Shetty take an unexpected metro adventure: “Lost in Pune”
On Friday, Varun Dhawan shared a video on his Instagram Stories featuring himself, Ahan Shetty, and a crew member during their travels. In the clip, Varun says, “Guys, we are right now in Pune and we are pretty lost. So Ahan and I are getting on this metro and trying to get to our hotel. It’s been a crazy night. We’ll let you know if we get to our hotel soon.” He captioned the video with, “On a crazy adventure.”
Ahan Shetty also posted the video, along with a photo of himself and Varun Dhawan waiting on the metro platform. He captioned it, “On an adventure with Varun Dhawan.”
Border 2 is the sequel to JP Dutta’s 1997 hit Border. The film features Diljit Dosanjh, Sunny Deol, Ahan Shetty, and Varun Dhawan in prominent roles.
Directed by Anurag Singh, known for helming the 2019 film Kesari starring Akshay Kumar, the movie is produced by Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar, J.P. Dutta, and Nidhi Dutta. It is scheduled to hit theatres on January 23, 2026.
Raanjhanaa fan screening: Dhanush jokes “Be it in North or South, all boys are the same”: reveals why he and writer Himanshu Sharma wanted to “KILL each other”: “I was ANGRY with him as I used to dub Tamil films in a day while dubbing for Raanjhanaa took 8-9 days” : Bollywood News
The fan screening of Raanjhanaa (2013) was held at a multiplex in Mumbai on the occasion of its 12th anniversary by DIY Solutions and was attended by the film’s team – actors Dhanush and Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub, then-child-actor Naman Jain, director Aanand L Rai, writer Himanshu Sharma and lyricist Irshad Kamil. Sonam Kapoor couldn’t make it and the team kept a picture of her on the seat. The event began with the screening of the film after which stand-up comic Devansh Singh entertained the crowd. Laksh Maheshwari, then, in his trademark style narrated the film’s story and also hosted the talk.
Raanjhanaa fan screening: Dhanush jokes “Be it in North or South, all boys are the same”: reveals why he and writer Himanshu Sharma wanted to “KILL each other”: “I was ANGRY with him as I used to dub Tamil films in a day while dubbing for Raanjhanaa took 8-9 days”
Dhanush began by saying, “Har Har Mahadev!” He continued, “12 years later, you guys are still here to watch this film. My heartfelt thanks to all of you. As he (Laksh Maheshwari) said, this is not our film anymore. So, you guys are here to celebrate your film!”
He added, “None of the scenes were tough for me. I deal with all the scenes in the same way. The toughest part was the dubbing. I dubbed myself. Now, I can at least say a few words, but back then, I did not know the Hindi language. Himanshu and I wanted to kill each other. Himanshu would be there when I was dubbing. He would correct me. I’ll say ‘Baabi’ and he’ll say, ‘Its Bhabhi’. I’ll argue, ‘I said the same thing’! He would remark that its ‘Bha’ and I would pronounce it as ‘Ba’! Hence, it was tougher for him than for me. However, I was very angry with him as I used to dub Tamil films in a day while dubbing for Raanjhanaa took 8-9 days. It kept going and I was getting frustrated.”
The host asked Dhanush if it was difficult for him to adapt to the body language of a North Indian man. The superstar quipped, “That’s not true. I didn’t do anything. Body language means what? All boys are the same!”
He then stated, “I just copied what Himanshu told me. I didn’t understand the pronunciation, which word to stress and also the body language like you said. He would send me voice notes every night. He used to talk so fast that I thought it was better I would prepare without the voice notes (smiles)!”
