Kiara Advani in "Fugly."

Bollywood will not release any movie through election days. Though a few films had initially eyed an arrival on May 16, they were all cancelled following the announcement of election dates and decided to move ahead.

“It was many months ago when May 16 was chosen as the day of arrival for Akshay Kumar's Fugly, Sajid Nadiadwala's Heropanti and Himesh Reshammiya's The Xpose. First Akshay decided to move ahead Fugly as he did not intend to clash his film with that of Sajid, who is a close friend. Then The Xpose was moved ahead by a week and recently Sajid too decided to move ahead and bring Heropanti on May 23," informs a source.

While elections would be held from April 7 to May 12, the results would be announced on May 16. By virtue of it being a red-letter day for the entire country, the date holds all the more significance.

“For Indians, there would be entertainment of a different kind once results come in. This time around, elections have created a lot of buzz through the entire country and it is near impossible that films would hold center-stage, at least on the day of results,” a veteran filmmaker adds.

For an industry which takes pride in releasing at least two major films every week with clashes being a norm, more than exception, Bollywood would be experiencing a silence of a different kind in mid-May unless some daredevil filmmaker decides to make the date his own. It won't be a bad idea, considering the fact that there are no takers in the fray.

Well, with merely 50 odd days to go, the ‘results’ would be known soon!

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Ayushmann Khurrana: I Don't Want to Pretend

Aysuhmann Khurrana promoting “Bewakoofiyaan.”

Though his Nautanki Saala didn’t quite set the box on fire, his act was appreciated. Recently, Ayushmann Khurrana was seen in Bewakoofiyaan, the film that marked his debut in a Yash Raj film. What has also remained consistent are the controversies surrounding him. No wonder, when reminded of the rollercoaster ride that he was a part of during last two years, Ayushmann doesn't deny being hurt and disappointed by the turn of events.

“See, the thing is that I am not from the industry, so I really don’t know how it works here. Anyways, now I am getting used to this world,” says Ayushmann in a wry tone.

Thankfully for him, support came his way from his immediate family, most notably his wife who was by his side through thick and thin. Acting as a good motivating factor and inspiring him to fight against all odds instead of getting bogged down by the world around him.

Meanwhile, Ayushmann isn't allowing himself to be overtly exposed to the B-Town or letting his inner world be out there for public consumption.

“Yes, even now I hardly go out or attend any parties with the industry people. I am surrounded by people who are not from the industry. I prefer to be this way in future as well. I don't mingle much in the film circle but then it's just because I don't want to pretend. I will give love, respect and attention to someone when I truly feel. Till the time there is more positivity around me than negativity, it’s all good,” states Ayushmann on a cheerful note.

We like that!

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Kangna Ranaut: Makes ‘Revolver Rani’ Turn Hot

Kiara Advani in "Fugly."

Following Saif Ali Khan's Bullet Raja, Kangna Ranaut's Revolver Rani sounded like a feminine version with a similar subject, stage and setting. However the super-success of Queen has changed it all. With the film still going great guns, Kangna's next woman-centric starrer Revolver Rani is now finding much better attention for itself.

“The first sign of this is the fact that the film's promo has exceeded one million views,” says an observer, “Moreover, the film's quirky humor - which had seemed a little too tough to digest to begin with - is seemingly much more interesting today, all courtesy of Kangna.”

The adage of “one Friday changes everything” couldn't have been more true, with Kangna having the final laugh.

“When she signed up for back to back women centric films like Queen, Rani and Revolver Rani, many had wondered what she was up to. After Tanu Weds Manu, she had suffered a few setbacks and her stint with the aforementioned films had then seemed like a desperate attempt to keep her busy. In fact the disastrous response to Rajjo only strengthened one's belief,” a trade guru adds.

However once Krrish 3 was released and Kangna, despite being seen in a negative part, managed to come up trumps in the blockbuster affair, quite a few murmurs were silenced. Thereafter when Queen turned into a surprise hit, the talks were reversed, so much so that today she is being hailed as someone who deserves a National Award for the film.

“All this hype and attention may directly help Revolver Rani,” a filmmaker adds, “A successful film benefits all and in this case, Kangna is the star of Queen as well as Revolver Rani. If she manages to fetch critical acclaim again, there would always be a chance for the film to grow on word of mouth. After all, who would have imagined that after a first day opening of less than two crores, Queen would eventually be staring at a 50-crore lifetime record.”

You bet!

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New Films: Waiting for Stars

Shahrukh Khan

Barely has dust settled down on eventual cast of Sooraj Barjatya's Prem Ratan Dhan Payo (thank goodness!) that speculations have seen a rise for at least five other major films. Call it a smartly designed PR and marketing campaign or genuine lack of clarity around the eventual leads, the fact remains that practically every day one experiences a new name being thrown around.

(Right): Salman Khan

Bajirao Mastani: At the top of the list is Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Bajirao Mastani. It is one of those rare films where various stars have been considered for over a decade! Bhansali went on to make many films in the interim period and now that he has made up his mind for this, names like Ranveer Singh, Ajay Devgn, Shahrukh Khan, Deepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra have popped up. [Current status: No official announcement for any actor yet.]

Shuddhi: After a brief period of speculation around the leading lady (at one point in time even Vidya Balan was presumably considered), the film was all set to start with Hrithik Roshan and Kareena Kapoor. This was before trouble ensued with Kareena getting tired of the waiting period and Hrithik opting out due to health issues. Yet again, the usual suspects for gaining an entry here are Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone. [Current status: No official announcement for any actor yet.]

Raees: Announced with Shahrukh Khan and Farhan Akhtar in lead roles, Raees inarguably turned out to be one of the best cast films. However with Farhan choosing to opt out due to his busy schedule, Nawazuddin Siddiqui's name has recently popped up. Meanwhile for the part of a leading lady, Sonam Kapoor and Katrina Kaif's names have been heard quite a few times, though no one has gone on record as yet. [Current status: An official announcement has been only for Shahrukh Khan.]

No Entry Mein Entry: For nearly half a decade now, No Entry Mein Entry has been in the news. Though Salman Khan has verbally confirmed doing the film, one waits to see the day when the film actually goes on floors. According to director Anees Bazmee, Anil Kapoor and Fardeen Khan would return for this sequel to No Entry, though a formal word is awaited. As for the leading ladies, so far rumors convey that Bipasha Basu would return too. [Current status: No official announcement yet around the final cast.]

Hamaari Adhuri Kahaan: All seemed well till a fortnight ago and it was just picture perfect for Emraan Hashmi and Vidya Balan to pair up again (after The Dirty Picture and  Ghanchakkar) once Mohit Suri is through shooting his Villain. However with rumors of Vidya's pregnancy popping up, even Bhatt brothers were left puzzled. While Kangna Ranaut's name started making the rounds soon after, apparently Vidya is staying in the film. [Current status: No official announcement yet on Vidya's presence in the film.]

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