Last seen in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s magnum opus Padmaavat (2018), Bollywood queen Deepika Padukone has been away from the silver screen for close to two years now. Her next release will be filmmaker Meghna Gulzar’s much-talked about film Chhapaak.
The film, which sees the actress in the role of acid attack survivor Laxmi Agarwal, is slated to release in January 2020. Chhapaak will be followed by Kabir Khan’s sports biopic ’83 wherein Deepika Padukone plays a brief but important character opposite husband Ranveer Singh. The actress is also playing Draupadi in an upcoming adaptation of Indian epic the Mahabharat.
As we all know that with her forthcoming film Chhapaak, Deepika Padukone is turning producer. The latest we hear that the actress has finalized yet another project which she will co-produce and star in. Reportedly, the film in question is director Shakun Batra’s next directorial which will be a dark romantic thriller.
“Deepika Padukone’s film with Shakun has her playing the central character. Deepika shoulders the film that is a dark romantic drama where Siddhant Chaturvedi has been paired opposite her. Karan and Deepika discussed the project and the actress really loved the idea. In fact, she also spoke to Karan and they both agreed to have her on board as a co-producer,” a source close to the development revealed to an entertainment portal. According to reports, the untitled project will start rolling in February 2020.
Interestingly, during the trailer launch of his next production venture Good Newwz, even producer Karan Johar had revealed that a female star of his production venture will get a credit as a co-producer and the announcement regarding the same will come out soon. Looks like the Dharma Productions’ head honcho was hinting at Deepika Padukone only.
Diljit's Instagram storyInstagram screengrab/ 
Diljit Dosanjh spotted at Coachella where he made history as a Punjabi headlinerGetty Images 
Fans cheer as Diljit takes the stage at an eventGetty Images 
BTS star Suga builds autism treatment centre in Korea with personal 5 billion won donationGetty Images 
BTS Suga donates nearly £3 million to launch autism centre with music-based therapy in SeoulGetty Images
Big B defends his choice to praise Abhishek openly and others privately
Amitabh Bachchan reveals why he praises Abhishek publicly but not Jaya or Aishwarya
Quick highlights:
Amitabh Bachchan has responded to online comments asking why he often praises son Abhishek Bachchan on social media but not wife Jaya Bachchan, daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai, or daughter Shweta. The actor explained that while he chooses to support Abhishek publicly, he honours the women in his family privately, saying he prefers to respect them “in his heart.”
Bachchan defends Abhishek praise, addresses fan remarks online
The 81-year-old actor, who regularly shares photos and thoughts with fans, recently posted images of himself meeting admirers outside his Mumbai home, Jalsa. Captioned “Yes, I praise Abhishek. So?”, the post sparked comments from users questioning why he doesn’t do the same for Jaya, Aishwarya, or Shweta.
Responding directly, Bachchan wrote, “Yes, I shall praise them in my heart… not publicly… respect for the ladies.” His reply quickly circulated across platforms, with many praising his thoughtful answer. Others pointed to his tendency to engage more often when defending Abhishek, especially around film releases.
Bachchan also shut down a user accusing him of having “paid fans,” bluntly replying, “Prove it! You are small-minded… why don’t you pay and get fans too?” When another person mocked those waiting outside his home as “unemployed,” he replied with characteristic wit: “So give them a job? When they stand at the gate of Jalsa, they are EMPLOYED in love.”
Actor remains active on social media while juggling film projects
Bachchan has become increasingly interactive online in recent years, often directly responding to criticism and fan feedback. Meanwhile, Abhishek was last seen in Housefull 5, a multi-starrer comedy that released earlier this month. Jaya Bachchan appeared in Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani in 2023, while Aishwarya Rai was part of Mani Ratnam’s Ponniyin Selvan films. Despite the online chatter, Amitabh continues to walk his own path, on-screen and online.