Bollywood Roundup: Alia Bhatt, Patralekhaa, Rasika Dugal, and more…
Alia Bhatt Celebrates Sister Shaheen’s Engagement With Emotional Tribute
Mumbai– Alia Bhatt shared an outpouring of emotion after her sister, Shaheen Bhatt, announced her engagement to longtime partner Ishaan Mehra.
Shaheen revealed the news on Instagram with a series of photos, including moments of the couple together and a close-up of her engagement ring. She captioned the post, “We may have overdone this whole liking each other thing.”
Alia quickly responded in the comments, writing, “Spamming you with my love (sic),” and later reshared the post on her Instagram Stories, adding, “Currently weeping.” She also filled the comments section with heart emojis.
Family members and friends joined in celebrating the couple. Their mother, Soni Razdan, wrote, “Congratulations my darlings pieces of my (heart emojis).” Neetu Kapoor and Riddhima Kapoor Sahni also sent their wishes, along with several Bollywood celebrities including Sonam Kapoor, Neena Gupta, Arjun Kapoor, and Parineeti Chopra.
Ishaan Mehra, a former international swimmer who represented India at the Youth Asian Games, now works as a sports and fitness coach.
Patralekhaa Calls Out Body Shaming, Says Post-Pregnancy Changes Are Natural
Mumbai– Actress-producer Patralekhaa has pushed back against social media pages that criticized her appearance, saying her body changes come after recently giving birth while managing work commitments.
Taking to Instagram Stories, she addressed the scrutiny directly, writing, “Pap pages! What’s happened to me!? is that I have just given birth!”
She added, “Yes, I have gained the weight, which seems like an unnatural phenomenon to you all. I have not sat and eaten a mountain, I just delivered a baby and produced two films simultaneously which are not easy jobs.”
Urging for empathy, she continued, “If I could I would not be this way. But that’s how my body has reacted to pregnancy. For God’s sake please learn to be a little kind.”
Patralekhaa and actor Rajkummar Rao welcomed their daughter, Parvati Paul Rao, on November 15 last year, marking their fourth wedding anniversary.
Rasika Dugal Channels ‘Devil Wears Prada,’ Says She’d Jump at Chance to Be Meryl Streep
Mumbai– Actress Rasika Dugal paid tribute to Meryl Streep’s iconic role as Miranda Priestly, recreating a memorable line from “The Devil Wears Prada” in a playful video with husband Mukul Chadda.
In the Instagram reel, Dugal lip-syncs the famous line, “Don’t be ridiculous, Andrea, everybody wants this,” and joked in the caption that she would embrace any opportunity to channel Streep. “A healthy love language. Also, I will take any opportunity to be #MerylStreep #iykyk #DevilWearsPrada,” she wrote.
Released in 2006, “The Devil Wears Prada” starred Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci, and followed a young journalist navigating the high-pressure world of fashion publishing.
Dugal will next appear in “Mirzapur: The Movie,” set for release on September 4, based on the popular crime series centered on power struggles in Uttar Pradesh’s Mirzapur region.
Tamannaah Bhatia Shares Late-Night Nostalgia, Says Nail Painting Reminds Her of Childhood
Mumbai– Tamannaah Bhatia gave fans a peek into her late-night routine, sharing that painting her nails in the early hours still brings back childhood memories.
Posting on Instagram Stories at 3:02 a.m., the actress showed off her freshly painted nails and wrote, “Me painting my nails in the middle of the night is basically me from my childhood.”
Tamannaah was recently seen in “O Romeo,” a romantic action thriller directed by Vishal Bhardwaj and inspired by the book “Mafia Queens of Mumbai.”
She will next appear in “Vvan – Force of the Forest” alongside Sidharth Malhotra, with the film slated for release on May 15. She is also set to star in the upcoming horror film “Ragini 3,” directed by Shashanka Ghosh.
Richa Chadha Questions Casting of Commercial Actors in Indie Films
Mumbai– Actor-producer Richa Chadha has raised concerns over the growing trend of casting “commercial” actors in independent films, arguing that such choices often add little value.
“If an actor isn’t opening a film theatrically for you on a Friday and doesn’t add any real weight at festivals either, then what exactly is the advantage of casting them in an independent film?” she said.
Chadha emphasized that indie films should prioritize strong performances and budget efficiency over star appeal. “Some stories don’t need that big a face always to pull the crowds. It’s a more economical thought to hire an actor who brings credibility without creating a huge hole in the budget,” she added.
She also stressed that independent cinema has historically thrived on authenticity and fresh talent. “Indie films are meant to discover new voices… When filmmakers compromise on casting for the illusion of ‘commercial value,’ the film loses its soul,” she said.
Citing the 1980s era of parallel cinema, Chadha noted that actors like Farooq Sheikh, Amol Palekar, and Shabana Azmi built strong reputations without relying on mainstream star power. (Source: IANS)
