After days of speculations, it has finally been confirmed that Shraddha Kapoor has been signed on to play the female lead in Bhushan Kumar and Remo D'souza's forthcoming movie, which is being touted as the biggest dance film ever made in Hindi cinema.
Though the makers have yet not confirmed the official title of the film, there are reports that it is the third instalment of the super successful Hindi film franchise, ABCD (2013). The yet-to-be-titled project will be directed by Remo D'souza.
Shraddha, who is the latest one to join the team, plays a professional dancer representing the Indian contingent alongside Varun Dhawan and his team in the movie. The mega-budgeted film is set to go on floors in Punjab on January 22.
Shraddha confirms coming onboard for the project, “I’m excited to reunite with Remo sir, Prabhu Deva sir and Varun after ABCD 2. This was made possible by Bhushanji who brought us back and believed in this amazing story. It is going to be a lot of hard work for everyone involved, but we are all pumped up.”
Bhushan Kumar, who is producing the movie with Remo’s wife Lizelle, says that the plan is to make India’s biggest dance film in 3D, “The audience has already seen Varun and Shraddha’s chemistry, now, Remo will redefine dance for our audience.”
Remo D’souza adds, “It feels like old friends have come together to help us. We have worked as a team in the past and I’m sure it will be a fun ride again”.
The film is expected to release towards the end of the year.
The actress defended her claim that acting demands more than desk jobs in a recent interview.
She said office workers can "chill out" during work hours, unlike film stars.
Fans and working professionals called her comments privileged and out of touch.
The backlash started after her appearance on Amazon Prime's Two Much with Kajol & Twinkle.
Critics pointed out the financial gap and support systems actors have compared to regular employees.
Kajol probably didn't expect this reaction when she sat down with Twinkle Khanna on Two Much. But her comments about actors working harder than people with 9-to-5 jobs have blown up, and not in a good way.
Fans slam Kajol after she says actors work harder than regular employees sparking online outrage Getty Images
The comments that started it all
Kajol was speaking out about her earlier comments on Two Much with Kajol & Twinkle on Amazon Prime, where she said actors work harder than most people. This time she was explaining why she thinks that.
She told The Hollywood Reporter India that her days are full of shoots, events, and very early flights. One day involved waking at 5 AM to catch a flight to Jaipur for a 3 PM event.
But it was her take on regular jobs that got people talking. She claimed desk workers don't need to be "100% present" and can take breaks, "chill out," and relax while working. She kept coming back to the unending scrutiny actors face like the feeling of always being watched or something as simple as how you cross your legs or who's snapping a picture in the background becomes a constant calculation. You have to be switched on, she insisted, all the time.
The internet, frankly, was having none of it. YouTube and Reddit exploded with responses. "For the kind of remuneration actors are paid, they shouldn't have a problem working 12 hours a day for 4 days a week," one user wrote. Another pointed out that films typically take 3-4 months to shoot, while regular jobs run year-round.
The responses got more pointed. "Vanity mein naps or massages bhi toh hum lete hain," a Reddit user commented, referencing the comfort of vanity vans. Someone else joked: "If you work poorly, you get fired. If you act poorly, you get a Filmfare award."
The bluntest response yet? "Respectfully, Kajol, shut up."
Nobody denies acting is demanding. Long hours, public pressure, and constant judgement are very real. But comparing it to regular employment ignores some major differences.
Most people work 12 months a year with two weeks' holiday if they're lucky. They don't have spot boys fetching drinks or vanity vans for rest breaks. One netizen nailed it: "A working parent's schedule is continuous, every single day, with no wrap-up party or off-season."
Online erupts as Kajol defends claim that acting demands more than everyday 9-to-5 workGetty Images
There's also the money. While her fee for a single film is probably more than most people earn in a year, she says that doesn’t make the work easy. Still, it does provide a comfort that regular employees don’t have. Kajol has not yet replied to the backlash.
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