Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions steps away from the conventional

"Initially, Dharma was associated with good-looking cinema. That was our USP. But now, with the kind of films we have been doing — from action to rom-coms to even socially relevant films — versatility is what defines us best today," articulated Karan, one of India’s most versatile filmmakers who has been experimenting with the films he has been dishing out recently.

Karan Johar has ruled the year 2012 with his hit releases Agneepath, Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu and Student of the Year. While the first two films were produced by Karan’s production house, the film Student of the Year was also directed by him and produced jointly by Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment.
Speaking about the films released by his banner this year, Karan said, "While it was special for me to begin the year with a remake of my father's film, Agneepath, Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu broke the myth about rom-coms having a happy ending. It was bitter-sweet and unusual. With Student of the Year, we launched three fresh faces for the first time. The idea is to launch many more films and expand our base." His newest film is a trend-breaker of sorts for the director and is his fifth directorial venture. Student of the Year is the first film without Karan’s lucky mascot and good friend, Shah Rukh Khan, in the lead. This is also the first time Karan has relied completely on a cast of newcomers playing the lead.

In the near future, Karan will release a bunch of films including the Siddharth Malhotra-starrer Hasee Toh Phasee and the coming-of-age film Gippi.

“I am extremely proud of Varun," says David Dhawan, speaking about the SOTY star

Varun Dhawan managed to step into the spotlight with his spectacular performance in Karan Johar’s Student of the Year. Starring in the lead alongside two more newcomers, Siddharth Malhotra and Alia Bhatt, young Varun managed to make a perfect debut with the campus romance. The actor played the role of a rich and spoilt boy with a soft side and pulled off his role extremely well, winning him the attention of fans, young and old.

David Dhawan

Obviously, Varun’s father, the veteran filmmaker David Dhawan, is extremely proud about his son’s achievements and his fantastic debut. "It's payback time I would say with Varun's entry into showbiz. After working so hard in the industry, I am glad the industry has accepted my son. It's the initial stage and the way they have welcomed him nothing like it. I am extremely proud of Varun," Dhawan said.
The younger Dhawan is now readying himself to star in yet another film, this time directed by his father David and produced by Balaji Telefilms’ honcho, Ekta Kapoor. The film, titled Mein Tera Hero, is expected to be a romantic comedy and will give the audiences a treat.

David Dhawan on the other hand is busy preparing for the launch of his film Chashme Baddoor, a remake of the 1981 cult-classic. The upcoming film stars Ali Zafar, Siddharth and Taapsee Pannu and has won a lot of attention off-late for its slapstick humor and catchy music. "Whatever I could, I have done and made some changes and kept the soul of the film. I haven't removed the soul of the film and kept it entertaining," said David, speaking about the upcoming film.

Siddharth Malhotra and Parineeti Chopra bond on the sets of Hasee Toh Phasee

Karan Johar’s upcoming film, Hasee Toh Phasee, has been in the spotlight constantly these days, ever since the filmmaker made its announcement official. Starring two B-town newbies, Parineeti Chopra and Siddharth Malhotra, this film will be a romantic tale with a dash of humor. Parineeti is just a couple of films old while Siddharth debuted in Karan Johar’s Student of the Year.

Given the fact that the two actors are young and have a load to learn together, Siddharth and Parineeti seem to have bonded pretty well on the sets of the upcoming movie. The two are said to spend quite a lot of time talking and having long conversations. This doesn’t deter them from their work however and the two actors have been as professional as ever on the sets.

A source said, The two are spending a lot of time on their prep sessions and even after that are often seen indulging in long conversations. Both are very professional in their approach to work, but beyond that they are seen bonding on several other things too.” The source also went on to add, “While Siddharth is the shy guy, Parineeti is the talkative one. Being Punjabis, both are big time foodies and food is one of their favorite topics of discussion too.”

There has been no report in regards to the official release date of the film yet. Also, besides the official announcement of the film and the unveiling of its cast, Karan Johar hasn’t divulged much. Hasee Toh Phasee will be directed by Vinil Mathew.

Arjun Kapoor to promote Karan Johar’s upcoming film, Gippi

Karan Johar has been on a roll, releasing one blockbuster after another. The filmmaker has directed several films in the past and his latest, a glamorously beautiful campus romance titled Student of the Year, took the box office by storm. The film was a blockbuster and has created a place for itself in the hearts of fans, introducing four newcomers to the big screen including Varun Dhawan, Siddharth Malhotra, Alia Bhatt and Kayoze Irani. Karan is currently tied up with two upcoming projects, one a production titled Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani and the other a short-film titled Bombay Talkies. 

But that’s not all the Dharma Productions chief has on his hands. Karan will soon introduce yet another film titled Gippi. This one, directed by Sonam Nair, is set to release on the 10th of May, 2013, and is a story of a young girl who faces the ups and downs of youth. To promote the upcoming film, Karan has roped in youth-icon Arjun Kapoor, who made his debut in the film Ishaqzaade. “Since Gippi doesn’t feature any big stars or known faces, the makers thought of roping in two or three stars to spread the word about the film. Since Arjun is popular among young audiences, he was one of the first choices for the task,” said an insider.

Speaking about the same, director Sonam Nair also went on to say, “Yes, Arjun has shot a promo for us. Karan wanted him to back the film. Since Gippi is about an overweight kid who doesn’t like to go on diets, Arjun’s name came up as a natural choice because he also used to be plump when he was young and hated dieting.”

Siddharth Malhotra - “Walking the ramp for Manish is a good feeling”

Siddharth Malhotra, the Student of the Year star who was launched into stardom with the Karan Johar film alongside Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt, has worked as a model before. The young actor walked the ramp several times and was based in Delhi as a model before moving to Mumbai to jump aboard the Bollywood bandwagon. Recently, Siddharth stepped back on-stage to feature as a showstopper at designer Manish Malhotra’s gig at the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week.

The 28-year-old actor was thrilled to share the ramp with actresses Esha Gupta and Jacqueline Fernandez and went on to state, "Walking the ramp for Manish is a good feeling. He has designed my clothes in Student of the Year too, so I think I am lucky". The actor received a load of appreciation and applause from the audience who cheered him on as he graced the runway. Speaking about his attire, Siddharth said, “As you can see there is a lot of work on my bandhgala, Manish started working on it two months earlier".

The show was titled Threads of Emotion and celebrated Phulkari embroidery, native to Punjab. "As you can see there's a lot of emphasis on Phulkari work and it is not just a celebration of these traditional craft but also a presentation of art," added the designer Manish Malhotra, adding, "Wills India Fashion Week is just the beginning. The idea is to focus on craftsmanship and showcase it at various fashion weeks by roping in celebrities, thus making it more popular and influencing more people to wear these pieces."

Karan Johar’s Student of the Year wasn’t just a remake of past films!

There have been rumors of Karan Johar’s latest directorial venture, Student of the Year, swaying towards Karan Johar’s first directorial venture, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. This is particularly because of the fact that the story follows the lives of three youngsters discovering love. Student of the Year however isn’t anything like the past film, though it does pack Karan Johar’s signature glamour and extravagance. The film has also been compared to the 1992 sports-drama film, Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar. In regards to this, Karan has previously stated, “In the past too, while I was making K3G, it was alleged I was rehashing Kabhie Kabhie. KHNH was supposedly Anand. Now Student of the Year is Mohabbatein and Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar. It's amusing. Is there a dearth of stories? Why should every film be a clone of a tried and tested film?”

Karan Johar’s Student of the Year is a story of three youngsters at a prestigious school in Dehradun. Abhimanyu Singh aka Abhi (Siddharth Malhotra), a boy from a middle-class family, enrolls at St. Teresa’s High School on a scholarship. There, he befriends the son of a business tycoon, Rohan Nanda (Varun Dhawan) and his childhood sweetheart, Shanaya Singhania (Alia Bhatt). The school is presided over by the gay dean Yogendra Vasisht (Rishi Kapoor). A campus romance in essence, Student of the Year has its leading trio face the highs and lows of teenage life. As the movie proceeds, they are pitched against each other as they compete to win the Student of the Year Trophy.

A film unlike any Karan Johar has unveiled before; Student of the Year has created quite a storm at the box office and is expected to continue doing so as long as it stays on cinema screens!

"I had decided to become an actress when I was much younger,” says Alia Bhatt

Alia Bhatt has quickly turned popular after her successful debut in Karan Johar’s latest release titled Student of the Year. She starred in the film’s lead alongside two more debutants, Siddharth Malhotra and Varun Dhawan, both of who vie for her attention in this campus romance. The 19-year-old is the daughter of filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt and Soni Razdan and hails from a strong filmy background, with Pooja Bhatt for an elder sister.

However, being young and a fresher hasn’t kept Alia Bhatt from proving her worth in front of the cameras. "There are actresses who started working at a very young age. Like my sister (Pooja Bhatt) started working when she was 17. So age doesn't matter," says Alia. "I had decided to become an actress when I was much younger. It was a conscious decision. I just didn't know it would happen as soon as I finish my college".

Being from one of the most illustrious families in B-town didn’t keep Alia from choosing to launch her career with Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions instead. “If a doctor’s son wants to be a doctor, he’s sent to a medical school to study. In the same way, I want to go out and study acting for myself. If I had started off with my father’s film, it would’ve all been too easy,” says Alia.

That apart, Alia wasn’t handpicked for this Karan Johar directorial venture. Instead, the pretty young actress was required to audition for the film to prove her knack for the big screen. "I had decided that I would not start off with my father's production only because it's an easier option. For this film, I had to work for it, like lose weight, prove myself, etc. There were around 500 girls who had given the auditions along with me."

Student of the Year, Karan Johar’s campus blockbuster

Karan Johar is known as a multifaceted filmmaker and for good reason. The Dharma Productions chief has unveiled five directorial ventures till today and has covered some of the most important subjects that relate to our day to day lives. With his first film, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), Karan Johar showcased bubblegum romances and teenage love. 

His latest film, Student of the Year, brought to life campus romances yet again. The film released on the 19th of October, 2012, and starred debutants Siddharth Malhotra, Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt. The film revolves around the lives of three students at a premium educational academy, St. Teresa’s High School, Dehradun. Presided over by a gay school dean named Yogendra Vasisht (Rishi Kapoor), the school has organized a Student of the Year competition annually to decide the best student at school. Abhimanyu Singh (Siddharth), a newbie at school, is introduced to a new life, different from that of his middle-class upbringing. He ends up befriending Rohan Nanda (Varun Dhawan), a rich and affluent boy. He also crosses paths with Shanaya Singhania (Alia Bhatt), the prettiest girl at school while hanging out with her boyfriend Rohan.

As time flies, a love triangle ensues, with Abhi falling in love with Shanaya, despite the fact that her boyfriend is his best friend. Shanaya unknowingly finds herself falling for Abhi, reciprocating his feelings. When her boyfriend finds out, things fall apart and a rivalry grows between the boys.

Alia Bhatt learns Bharatanatyam for her next film, 2 States

The 19-year-old daughter of the filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt has been constantly in the news off-late, grabbing headlines after the release of her debut in Student of the Year. The youngster played a rich girl who also happens to be the most gorgeous girl on campus in the film and starred in the lead alongside newcomers Siddharth Malhotra and Varun Dhawan. It’s been months since the film released but that surely hasn’t turned the limelight away from Alia. The actress has gone on to sign her next film, also produced by Karan Johar. The Dharma Productions chief directed and produced Student of the Year. The upcoming film will be a film adaptation of the bestselling book by author Chetan Bhagat titled 2 States.

In the upcoming film, Alia Bhatt will play the role of a South Indian girl. To fit into her role perfectly well, just the way she did in Student of the Year, the ever-diligent has taken up dance classes. Unlike her debut however, Alia will not be seen dancing to thumping club beats. Instead, the actress will dance to more traditional Indian tunes in the film and is learning the Bharatanatyam form. Alia is looking forward to perfect her role in the film and is leaving no stone unturned to polish her character to perfection.

In the film, Alia will star in the lead alongside Arjun Kapoor of Ishaqzaade fame. The film revolves around the romantic tale of a north Indian Punjabi boy who falls in love with a south Indian Iyengar girl. 2 States is a co-production by Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions banner and producer Sajid Nadiadwala.

Karan Johar’s mentee, Siddharth Malhotra, denies rumors of dating a Costa Rican model!

Model-turned-actor Siddharth Malhotra needs no introduction. Considered to be one of tinsel-town’s most promising actors, Siddharth Malhotra starred in Karan Johar’s Student of the Year alongside Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt.

However, for the gorgeous and handsome Siddharth Malhotra, acting didn’t come easily. The actor had to work hard to fit into his character for the film. "It has not been an easy journey. I started my career with modeling and then worked with Karan as an assistant director. At that time I had never imagined that he will cast me as a lead actor in his movie," says Siddharth. Quoting Karan Johar, “He (Siddharth Malhotra) somehow met someone at Dharma Productions and got the job of a trainee assistant director (AD) on My Name is Khan. My Name Is Khan was an expansive shoot, but he lasted all through and was one of the finest ADs of the film."

That said, Siddharth Malhotra has managed to gather a huge fan-base, particularly made up of teenage girls who simply can’t get enough of the debutant. The actor was last rumored to be dating a Costa Rican model named Natalie, leaving the better half of his fan-base disappointed! Siddharth and Natalie apparently met when the former visited the United States for My Name Is Khan. However, these dating rumors were proved to be untrue. The actor has also been said to be dating his SOTY co-star, Alia Bhatt. These rumors too were trashed by the young actors.

"Alia never liked me earlier because I didn't say,” says Varun Dhawan!

Acting in a film isn’t easy, particularly when you’re a newcomer and cast alongside two more debutants! Usually, having a seasoned actor act with you proves to be a boon. However, Karan Johar’s students, Siddharth Malhotra, Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt seemed to have no qualms starring in the lead, even though they were fresh and new! Well, that does speak volumes about the trio’s skills and Karan Johar’s mentoring skills. The film, obviously, was a hit and grabbed a load of attention, giving this trio a perfect stepping stone to success.
Now, while Alia, Siddharth Malhotra and Varun seemed to be perfectly at ease together on-screen, the youngsters didn’t really gel that well in reality at first. While Siddharth Malhotra and Varun hit it off instantly, given the fact that the two had worked together as Assistant Directors for the film My Name is Khan, Alia took longer to bond with the guys, particularly Varun. "Alia never liked me earlier because I didn't say, 'Hi' to her on the first day. But that is because I was giving my look test and didn't see her. She was angry with me in the first one week, but then it got okay," says Varun Dhawan, the son of the filmmaker David Dhawan.

“I did not give her any attitude because we had to work together. She feels we are very good friends, but I feel that we are okay friends. We bonded on that fact that we were young on the set and didn't understand much," adds Varun. Alia Bhatt will next be seen in the film adaptation of Two States while Siddharth Malhotra will star in Hasee Toh Phasee. Varun on the other hand will make an appearance in his father’s directorial venture, Mein Tera Hero.

Kayoze Irani – Bollywood’s promising fresh-face to join a production house

Karan Johar has on previous account launched the careers of several fresh directors in the past. With Student of the Year, Karan launched four fresh faces, Siddharth Malhotra, Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt who play the lead and actor Boman Irani’s son Kayoze Irani in a supporting role. A campus romance to be precise, the film marked Varun, Siddharth, Alia and Kayoze’s first big screen appearance.

The youngsters have been ecstatic about their debut and have moved on to their next projects. For Kayoze Irani, this film is more than just a dream debut! Being launched by one of the biggest names in B-town takes more than a shining good luck and his dad thinks so too! Kayoze’s father, actor Boman Irani, recently spoke about his son’s career plans saying, “Kayoze has been receiving some good offers but he is taking it easy. Right now he is assisting Karan Johar and is learning and understanding the working of cinema. He has three to four film offers but he wants to be a director, so let’s see. My other son was in Dubai and had an event management company. He is back in Mumbai and will be joining a production company soon.”

Previously, Kayoze spoke about the response his debut appearance received saying, "The response has been overwhelming. Having everyone from the film industry congratulate me was a surreal experience. If I try recollecting what Mr Amitabh Bachchan had to say about me, I blank out. I was actually star struck. And when he wrote about me on his site, it felt great."

Here’s wishing the young and bubble Kayoze Irani a fantastic stay in B-town!

Karan Johar mentors newcomer, Saqib Saleem

Karan Johar is no stranger to launching newcomers and first-timers. The Dharma Productions chief has, on previous account, launched new talent in B-town several times. In the past, Karan has introduced several filmmakers and more recently, he starred newcomers Siddharth Malhotra, Varun Dhawan, Kayoze Irani and Alia Bhatt in his fifth directorial venture, Student of the Year. The campus romance worked as a perfect launch-pad for these promising new actors.

After his first tide of ‘students’, Karan will now bring to the lime-light yet another fresh-face, Saqib Saleem. The youngster has moved down from Delhi to work in the world of films and will be seen playing a role in Karan Johar’s part of the Bombay Talkies short-film, alongside Rani Mukherji and Randeep Hooda. Karan also went to shower the actor with praises on Twitter, saying, ''Saqib, "The young and talented @Saqibsaleem is working with me on my short film with Rani and Randeep...#bombaytalkies...give him love people!!(sic)"

Saqib will also be seen in the lead role in the upcoming film Mere Dad Ki Maruti. Being launched into the industry with films made by leading production houses including Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions and Yash Raj Films, Saqib seems to be the next big star in the making! Catch this promising youngster in Bombay Talkies on its release on the 3rd of May, 2013. The film is a tribute to the 100 years of Hindi cinema and will commemorate the day the father of Indian cinema, Dadasaheb Phalke, released the first Indian movie.

Karan Johar’s Student of the Year – A fun and entertaining package!

Movies centered on campus-romances usually have a certain unexplainable charm that manages to draw in crowds, young and old, to cinemas. And such is the case with Karan Johar’s fifth directorial venture, Student of the Year. The film, released on the 19th of October, 2012, has done exceptionally well at the box office following its release. Starring three newcomers in the lead, Siddharth Malhotra, Alia Bhatt and Varun Dhawan, this film by Karan Johar will have older viewers reminiscing their younger days and the youth wishing they lived a similarly fantastical teenage life!

Student of the Year narrates the tale of three youngsters, Abhimanyu Singh aka Abhi (Siddharth Malhotra), a middle class boy enrolled on a scholarship, campus-sweetheart Shanaya Singhania (Alia Bhatt) and her boyfriend Rohan Nanda (Varun Dhawan), the son of a business tycoon.

At the school, Abhi befriends Rohan despite their different backgrounds and mentalities. Their friendship however gets rocky after Abhi begins to fall head-over-heels for Rohan’s girlfriend, Shanaya, who in turn begins to reciprocate his approaches. As the story proceeds, the three enlist in the Student of the Year competition and begin competing against each other to win the title.

The film comes complete with an interesting and extremely catchy soundtrack composed by Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani. Student of the Year also stars Rishi Kapoor playing the role of a meticulous and gay dean of the school and television actors Ram Kapoor and Ronit Roy.

Parineeti Chopra chooses not to play the lead in Karan Johar’s project by Remo D’Souza

Actress Parineeti Chopra made her mark in B-town a few years ago with a fantastic debut and she’s known to be extremely picky about her roles. Recently, choreographer-director Remo D’Souza decided to cast the pretty youngster alongside Karan Johar’s student, Siddharth Malhotra. Scheduled to go on floors July-August, the film is now left without a female lead as Parineeti decided to opt out.

Instead, the actress will star in Hasee Toh Phasee alongside Siddharth Malhotra. The film will be a romantic comedy and will be jointly produced by Karan Johar and Anurag Kashyap. Incidentally, Remo’s film too is a Karan Johar production. Quoting Parineeti Chopra, As I wasn’t signing anything new people seemed to think I’m not getting work. I want to make it clear that I am doing enough work. People don’t seem to realize I am just a year old in the movies. My debut film 'Ladies Vs Rickie Bahl' was released in December 2011. I have had two releases already. And I’ve two major endorsement deals in my bag.”

Placing quality over the number of films she stars in, Parineeti also went on to add, “I think it’s wrong for people to think I am doing too little work. I can’t be doing five releases at the same time. I’ve signed three new films. That makes me one of the busier actors this year. Trust me, I had lots of offers."
Karan Johar’s Hasee Toh Phasee will be directed by Vinil Mathew. The film to be directed by Remo will be an action-adventure movie with lots of Hollywood-style sequences.

Karan Johar’s student, Varun Dhawan, isn’t dating Taapsee Pannu!

Varun Dhawan

Karan Johar’s protégé and veteran director David Dhawan’s son, Varun Dhawan, has been in the spotlight recently. The young actor has made a successful Bollywood debut with Karan Johar’s 2012 campus romance, Student of the Year, alongside Siddharth Malhotra and Alia Bhatt. The actor is now journeying towards stardom, popularity and fame as he has begun working on his upcoming projects. Well, for a youngster who has quickly stepped up the ladder in B-town, a bunch of rumors pointing out his relationship status are bound to come up.

Varun has been linked up with several people before. Earlier a rumor of him dating a US-based girl had sprouted up. This however was proven untrue. Later, after the release of Karan Johar’s Student of the Year, Varun was rumored to be dating his co-star, Alia Bhatt. More recently, the youngster has been linked with southern actress Taapsee Pannu. The rumors sparked off after the handsome hunk was spotted with the actress in suburban Mumbai.

As we all know by now, these are mostly baseless rumors that spark off, making innocent friendships look like something more. Karan Johar’s debutant, Varun, seems unaffected by these dating rumors. In a previous interview, Alia Bhatt also spoke her mind about rumors as such saying, “I don’t really care about people discussing my personal life. I’m fond of Varun and Sid (Siddharth Malhotra) but no I’m not going out with either. And no, I have no boyfriend in Bandra. A boyfriend doesn’t really fit into my scheme of things right now. My boyfriend is Student of the Year.”

Is Mohit Marwah Karan Johar’s upcoming debutant?

Karan Johar’s fifth directorial venture, Student of the Year, worked as a perfect stepping stone for debutants Siddharth Malhotra, Alia Bhatt and Varun Dhawan. The trio starred as students at a well-heeled educational institute at Dehradun, presided over by a gay dean played by veteran actor, Rishi Kapoor. The film sees Varun and Alia dating while Siddharth plays a middle-class boy who ends up grabbing the limelight and winning the attention of the prettiest girl at school.

After having successfully launched Siddharth, Alia and Varun’s careers, Karan is currently planning to introduce yet another fresh actor, or so thinks B-town. According to sources, actor Arjun Kapoor’s cousin brother, Mohit Marwah, is currently being groomed for a big Bollywood debut. The youngster has previously starred in Karan Johar’s production, Strangers in the Night. The son of Bonny Kapoor’s sister Reena and Sandeep Marwah, Mohit seems to have the good looks of the Kapoors and could very well be the next big star! Not much has been reported about the newbie being roped in by Karan Johar or other filmmakers though.

Siddharth, Alia and Varun were Karan’s first debutants to have ever played a lead role in a film directed by the Dharma Productions chief. Previously, Karan has launched several directors with his productions. The actor has brought to the spotlight fresh talent that has given the Bollywood industry a whole new touch. 

Karan Johar’s protégé, Varun Dhawan, takes singing lessons

Varun Dhawan

Varun Dhawan, the son of the veteran filmmaker David Dhawan, has shown his affinity for the big-screen and his exceptional acting skills in his Bollywood debut, Karan Johar’s Student of the Year. Acting alongside Siddharth Malhotra, Varun plays Alia Bhatt’s boyfriend in the film. After the tremendous success of his debut, Varun is now preparing himself for his next film, an Ekta Kapoor production. The film is a remake of the south film Kandireega (2011) and will require Varun to pull of several challenging tasks, one of which is singing!

To prepare himself better to suit his role, Varun has begun taking singing lessons from actor-singer Priyanka Chopra’s music trainer, Samantha Edward. “The scene involves Varun singing in a pitch that goes from very high to very low. It might be a small thing, but Varun decided to train so that the singing seems effortless,” says an insider close to the actor.

In the future, Varun might also star in a thriller film in which he will play a musician. This additional training he is currently receiving could very well help him up ahead. “It’s a thriller in which he will play a musician. If all goes well, the film might start by the end of this year. We’ve also heard that Varun chose to undergo training on his own. Dhawan Sr. did not ask him to learn. He’s been going for classes for the past couple of weeks. The training will go on till May,” added the insider.

Speaking about the film, the young actor articulated, “The preparation for my father’s film is going good. The script is still being worked on. We both are very excited about this project.” Varun has grabbed hearts in SOTY and is expected to do so yet again with his performance in his father’s upcoming film titled Main Tera Hero.

Siddharth Malhotra rumored to have signed film with Madhur Bhandarkar

Siddharth Malhotra has enjoyed a dream debut with his first big-screen appearance in Karan Johar’s fifth directorial venture, Student of the Year. The newcomer starred in the film alongside two more newcomers, Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt, playing the role of an ambitious middle-class boy at a well-heeled school. Alia plays the campus sweetheart while Varun plays her boyfriend. After his debut film, Siddharth has signed yet another film produced by Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions. To be directed by Vinil Mathew, the film titled Hasee Toh Phasee will also star Parineeti Chopra and is a romantic comedy.

Lately, there have been rumors of Siddharth signing his third film, this time away from the Dharma Productions camp. Apparently, the 28-year-old actor has signed a film with filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar. Not much has been revealed in regards to the unnamed project and the filmmaker as well as Siddharth has denied its existence. “All this is just a rumor. It is not true. Madhur has not signed Siddharth for any film,” said the filmmaker’s spokesperson.

And these aren’t the only rumors surrounding Siddharth’s future projects. A source recently revealed that the actor has signed an upcoming action flick. "Yes, he (Siddharth) has almost finalized this action film. It takes him into an altogether different space when compared to the two films (Student of the Year and the upcoming Hasee Toh Phasee) that he has been a part of,” said the source.

Karan Johar calls Bombay Talkies a “challenging format”

It’s been a few months since Karan Johar last directed a film. His fifth directorial venture, Student of the Year, hit cinema screens on the 19^th of October, 2012. The film launched Siddharth Malhotra, Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt and was a blockbuster that has created a standard with its heart-winning story and catchy music. Karan is now calling the shots for yet another directorial venture, a one-of-a-kind short-film that will be part of the film Bombay Talkies. Zoya Akhtar, Dibakar Banerjee and Anurag Kashyap will also direct short films that will be pieced together to create Bombay Talkies, a tribute to the 100 years of Hindi cinema.

For his 20-minute part in the film, Karan has roped in Rani Mukerji and Randeep Hooda with Saqib Saleem. The film revolves around a story based in Mumbai and will be Karan’s shortest project and indeed one of the most challenging too! “For me, it’s a challenging format. We have 20 minutes to tell a story, which is coherent and connected to the other plots. This can be a challenge for any filmmaker,” says Karan, who has on previous account unveiled 200-minute long sagas!

The film will boast elaborate backdrops and Karan has also used a suburban railway station in Mumbai as a setting. “Karan, who usually shoots in elaborate locations, will now shoot on the streets and other actual places,” says a source close to the Dharma Productions chief.

Bombay Talkies will release on the 3^rd of May. The film will mark the day the Father of Indian Cinema, Dadasaheb Phalke, released Raja Harishchandra, India’s first motion picture.