After working together in "Runningshaadi.com", which is in the post-production stage, and in an ad, actors Taapsee Pannu and Amit Sadh will be seen together in a short documentary.

The documentary, the shooting for which begins on Thursday, will be directed by Tigmanshu Dhulia.

Talking about how she enjoys working with Amit and it just so happens that the duo is offered projects together, Taapsee said: "It's interesting how Amit and I got an opportunity to be paired for the third time after 'Runningshadi.com' and the commercial we shot together. Even though the movie hasn't released yet, people do come up to us very often with projects to star together.

"This (the documentary) is yet another love story we will shoot and it becomes even more special with Tigmanshu sir directing it."

Filmmaker Aanand L. Rai, who delivered the blockbuster "Tanu Weds Manu Returns", has begun filming his upcoming production "Happy Bhaag Jayegi.”

"And 'Happy' begins its journey in Amritsar. @krishikalulla @erosnow @cypplofficial @raghuvendras," Rai posted on Twitter.

"Happy Bhaag Jayegi" marks Rai's third venture with Eros Now after the success of "Raanjhanaa" and "Tanu Weds Manu Returns", which was also Rai's joint production with the production house.

A Mudassar Aziz directorial, the film also features actors Abhay Deol and "Cocktail" actress Diana Penty in lead roles.

Krishika Lulla of Eros Now also shared an image of herself with the team.

"Captain of the ship Mudassar along with my partner @aanandlrai @AbhayDeol @ErosNow at my fav place Amritsar," she captioned the image.

Actor-comedian Vir Das, known for being quirky, frank and vocal about his thoughts and opinions, has taken a dig at some of the country's burning issues -- the Sheena Bora case and FTII logjam -- in a video.

Vir shared the video on Thursday as "Talking Sh*t", the first episode of his channel “Vir Das' POTCAST”.

He has spoken out about hot topics such as the current Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) row, the Sheena Bora murder mystery, the meat ban in Mumbai and more.

“The 1st stupid episode of VirDas' POTCAST, Today's Pot: Indrani, FTII, MeatBan & More https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyVmbq2mqbk…Watch & RT/SHARE!#DasPotcast,” he tweeted.

Besides being a comedian and actor, Vir has also started his own clothing line, offering quirky designs. He also owns a production house named “Weirdass Comedy" and is a band member of Alien Chutney.

Shabbir Ahmed, who has penned songs like "Teri meri" and "Jumme ki raat", is venturing into a new zone with the commercial sci-fi comedy "Mangal Ho". He finds it challenging, but he is putting in an extra effort to entertain the audience.

"They (makers) gave me a situation for 'Mangal Ho' and I wrote a few compositions according to that, and they loved it.

"They already had 50 songs from some of the renowned names, but my songs, one after the other perfectly fit in with the situations, and the songs got locked in," Ahmed told IANS when asked how he came on board for "Mangal Ho".

Ahmed is known to give funny and catchy phrases in popular songs like "20 20" from "Welcome Back"; "Chaar shanivaar" from "All Is Well"; "Jumme ki raat hai" from "Kick"; and "Pinky" from "Zanjeer".

But he believes that penning the lyrics of a commercial sci-fi comedy such as "Mangal Ho" pulled him out of his comfort zone.

He said: "'Mangal Ho' is something new for me. And that's why I've been doing a bit of homework on this and readying lines according to the script.

"When you're assigned a task which you don't know much about, it's better to work in this manner."

Ahmed says that his lyrics for the songs blend well with the theme of the planet Mars and the title "Mangal Ho".

"I'm giving a serious thought about the lyrics to ensure it's commercial and that it doesn't drift towards philosophy.

"We just want to do something which connects with the audience," he said.

He said there were several music directors for the film, but it was finally the film's director Pritish Chakraborty's call on which songs to retain.

"I write according to the situation... as situation is a hero in its own. While writing according to the situation, sometimes you also have to look at the actor.

"Sanjay Mishra and Annu Kapoor are outstanding actors and are veterans of the field. But depending on the story, we just work hard to create a commercial or hit song which the audience likes," said Ahmed, when asked if the image of the actors played an important role in penning the lyrics for the film.

"Mangal Ho" takes a humorous look at the possibility of life on Mars.

Sanjay Mishra plays a Bengali businessman, while Annu Kapoor plays a Punjabi scientist in the film, which is jointly produced by Ascent Films Pvt Ltd and M.K. Media Pvt Ltd.

Superstar Rajinikanth's 159th film "Kabali", in which he essays the role of a gangster, was officially launched here on Thursday.

Dressed in light blue jeans and dark blue full-sleeve shirt, Rajinikanth arrived for the film's puja ceremony.

The entire cast and crew of the film, including producer Kalaipuli S. Thanu and director Pa. Ranjith were present at the launch.

The regular shooting of the film has also started.

According a source from the film's unit, Rajinikanth has set 106 days for the shoot and will shoot for the film till January end.

While the first schedule of "Kabali" will be shot here, the team will move to Malaysia for the next leg of shooting.

The film, which is said to be based on the life of a Chennai-based don, also features Radhika Apte, Dhansikaa, Kalaiarasan and John Vijay, who play important roles.

Melody queen Lata Mangeshkar took to social media on Thursday to wish Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his birthday.

“@narendramodi Aap ko janamdin ki bahut badhaai. Ishwar aap ko har kaam mein yash de yehi mangal kaamana. Tathastu (Wishing you many happy returns of the day, may god bless you),” Lata tweeted.

Modi turned 65 on Thursday.

In response to the wishes, Modi thanked the singer and expressed gratitude in receiving the melody queen's blessings for many years.

“@mangeshkarlata Thank you Lata Didi. I have been fortunate to receive your blessings for many years. They give me immense strength,” Modi tweeted.

The promotional trailer of actor Jimmy Sheirgill's forthcoming Punjabi film “Shareek”, is out. He plays a double role in the film.

Jimmy took to Twitter on Thursday to anounce the release of the promo.

"Please watch n Share, #Shareek Promo Out 17th Sept, 4PM," he tweeted.

Releasing on October 22, the family drama film, directed by Navaniat Singh, also features actress Mahie Gill.

Jimmy, 44, was last seen in Punjabi film “Hero Naam Yaad Rakhi”. In Bollywood, he starred in “Tanu Weds Manu Returns.”

Dia Mirza, who has shared screen space with Shabana Azmi in films like "Tehzeeb" and "Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd.", says she is grateful to the veteran actress and social activist to have her humanity inspire her.

The former beauty queen couldn't stop herself from showering Shabana with kind words on her 65th birthday on Friday.

"Happy Birthday @AzmiShabana. You are awesome and I am grateful to have your humanity inspire me," Dia tweeted.

"Dil Dhadakne Do" star Priyanka Chopra went on to call Shabana her favourite. "Happy birthday @AzmiShabana!!! My favourite... Always look up to you so much! Lots of love."

Actress Huma Qureshi agreed with Priyanka. "Happy birthday @AzmiShabana. You are always loved, admired... my absolutely fave actor!!

The veteran actress was touched by the birthday greetings.

"Am overwhelmed by the love and affection of birthday greetings pouring in already. Feel loved and respected. Thank you all. You are my strength," Shabana posted on the micro-blogging site.

Actress Manisha Koirala has warned her fans about "many fake" Facebook accounts on her name.

"There are many fake fb account on my name... Please don't respond to them," Manisha, who has one account on the social networking site, tweeted on Friday.

The actress uses the digital platforms to share views on various subjects including her homeland Nepal.

Actor Ayushmann Khurrana, who turned a year older earlier this month, is busy ticking things off his bucket list -- attending the Singapore Grand Prix, and watching a Maroon 5 concert live.

A fan of global music sensation Maroon 5, Ayushmann, who is a singer himself, decided to gift himself a chance to attend a concert of the American pop rock band along with experiencing the excitement of witnessing racing at the Singapore Grand Prix.

"Life is nothing but an endeavour to tick your bucket list," said Ayushmann, who is "really excited" to see Maroon 5 and Bon Jovi concerts in Singapore.

"Adam Levine is a world youth icon. Would love to see him perform live," added the "Vicky Donor" actor, who was seen in "Hawaizaada" and "Dum Laga Ke Haisha" this year.

Actor-choreographer-filmmaker Prabhudheva, who has directed action films like "Wanted" and "Rowdy Rathore", says people find it hard to be convinced that he can helm a dance-based film.

"I'm ready, but they (people) do not believe that I can make dance films because I'm making more of action films and they feel I'm fit for action films only," said Prabhudheva on the sidelines of an event for "Singh Is Bliing".

"As a director, I'm comfortable with them (action), but 'Singh is Bliing' is different, so I'm comfortable with this also," said the multi-faceted talent, who was part of dance film "ABCD 2".

Prabhudheva's action entertainers like "Rowdy Rathore" and "R...Rajkumar" are usually not considered serious by the audience and media. These don't even get critical acclaim, but do decent to good business at the box office.

Regarding this, he said: "At least, somewhere something is better than nothing. It's their (the critics') right to tell it like that. I have to convince them also, so that's my job, I'll try my best."

Having been involved with dance for almost three decades, he feels there are dancers who can make him feel inferior and uncomfortable -- especially pointing at the dancers in "ABCD - AnyBody Can Dance" and "ABCD 2" -- both of which saw Prabhudheva also act and dance.

"They're extremely good and of international standards. So dancing with them was tough," he said, and added that he also considers Hrithik Roshan, Shahid Kapoor, Tiger Shroff and Ranbir Kapoor as good dancers.

After portraying the naive Raju in "3 Idiots" and a doting Parsi father in "Ferrari Ki Sawaari", actor Sharman Joshi will next be seen essaying a business tycoon in erotic thriller "Hate Story 3". He says it's people's "curiosity" surrounding sex that make films of this genre "sell".

"Erotic thrillers all over the world sell. That's a genre which is very well known and accepted because of the appeal that it has to the sexual urges of people," Sharman told IANS here.

He said that while particular genres have a "certain kind of appeal", but not all thrillers have eroticism. However, "Hate Story 3" is surely an erotic thriller, and he likes to believe that there is a "sense of curiosity" about it.

The past few years have seen a surge in erotic thrillers in Bollywood. "Jism", "Murder", "Hate Story" and "Zid" are a case in point.

Sharman said: "Those days are gone where we did not have access to any kind of material which was adult...and now there are many platforms via which you acquire that... but still when a feature film comes in this genre, it has its own appeal because of the kind of actors who are involved in it."

In Vishal Pandya-directed "Hate Story 3", Sharman will be seen with Daisy Shah, Karan Singh Grover and Zarine Khan.

Having been a part of many multi-starrer films like "3 Idiots", "Gang of Ghosts" and "Life In A... Metro", the "Golmaal" actor says he does not want to do a solo film just for being a lead actor -- and that's because it's the script that attracts him more.

"What gets me excited is the script really, and then if it happens to be a multi-starrer film, then so be it. I will not do a solo film just for the kicks of being a lead actor and not being excited about the story... no point in being in that kind of a movie then," he said.

Talking about what will connect the audience with "Hate Story 3", which is set to release on December 4, Sharman said: "We make films with good faith and complete belief that they are going to reach out to the audience... and that we will be able to impress them. But despite all the efforts, sometimes we do not get it right and sometimes we do.

"I hope we get it right this time."

Sharman also understands the importance of the box office.

But in a frank comment, he said: "It's not in my hand to make Rs.500 crore...of course that's the hope, but there are certain genres that are limited to a certain appeal and there are certain genres that have a pan-India appeal, and some films are made for a niche audience.

"Each film has its own kind of audience, which is roughly marked out when you first write out the script. But having said that. each film has to be commercially successful as it's a commercial business and a lot of money is being pumped in."

His monologue in romantic comedy “Pyaar Ka Punchnama”, in which he ranted about a girl's demands in a relationship, turned out to be a standout moment of the 2011 film. The actor has done it again for the film's second instalment, and says to unlearn the first monologue and learn a new one, was quite a task!

Kartik and the team of "Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2" were on a visit to the IANS head office here on Thursday, and he spoke uninhibitedly of his woes in learning the superhit monologue.

“I was an engineering student, so I was in the habit to rote," the actor explained about his ability to deliver the over 5 minute monologue.

In fact, he shared that his audition for "Pyaar Ka Punchnama" required him to perform the monologue itself.

"Finally when I did that properly, then the film happened,” Kartik said.

"The second monologue that I am seen doing in the part two is quite similar in the start, so I faced a problem in unlearning the first one. It took a whole lot of hard work," said Kartik, adding that he found a solution in recording the monolgue and listening to it over and over again during his day-to-day activities.

Even director Luv Ranjan was impressed with Kartik's dedication, and is sure his new monologue will also fetch appreciation.

The Viacom18 Motion Pictures' film also stars Nushrat Bharucha, Sonalli Sehgal, Ishita Sharma, Omkar Kapoor and Sunny Singh. Releasing on October 16, it revolves around the lives of three lovestruck boys and their efforts to deal with their love interests.

From putting on weight to look like a healthy Punjabi to growing a beard for months, stand-up comedian and actor Vir Das did it all to bring life to his character in "31st October". But he says the toughest part of the upcoming film was playing a father to two children.

"The toughest part of my next film #31stOctober not the language or look. Playing a father to two adorable kids," Vir tweeted.

He plays the character of a simple clean hearted man Devender Singh in the film, which also stars Soha Ali Khan.

He might have tickled the funny bone of the audience with his debut directorial "Pyaar Ka Punchnama" in 2011 and is now ready with its second part, but filmmaker Luv Ranjan believes comedy is not his strength, and that he can only "manage" slice-of-life kind of humour.

Back with "Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2", revolving around three young men and their problems with their girlfriends, the movie is set to make the audience laugh out loud once again next month.

After delivering the dud "Akaash Vani" (2013) -- a love story -- the director hopes the forthcoming movie does well like its first part.

And going by the response to the film's trailer, it seems like it will hit the jackpot.

So is comedy his strength?

"No, I don't. Earlier I used to believe that comedy doesn't come naturally to me. Humour, according to me, was my weakest point. I was more of a romance and drama person. But I felt lucky to have friends in life. I used to be funny among my friends," Ranjan told IANS at its head office here.

"I don't do slapstick. Laughing at the conversations that we have...that kind of humour (I can do). If I go for 'comedy comedy', then I don't know what will happen. What happens (in my film) that's never funny. The outside view is funny. My actors don't do comedy. Slice-of-life kind of humour I can manage," he said.

Starring Kartik Aaryan, Nushrat Bharucha, Omkar Kapoor, Ishita Sharma, Sonalli Sehgal and Sunny Singh Nijjar, the Viacom18 Motion Pictures project will release on October 16.

"Standing Tall", French director and actress Emmanuelle Bercot’s film narrating the journey of an abandoned six-year-old boy with the entire juvenile justice system in the spotlight, will open the sixth edition of the Jagran Film Festival here.

The Mumbai edition of the travelling film festival will screen the foreign movie, which was the opening night selection film for the 68th Cannes International Film Festival this year, on September 28 in Andheri here, read a statement.

The film, starring Catherine Deneuve and Rod Paradot, tells the story of six-year-old Malony, abandoned by his mother who is constantly in and out of the juvenile court.

It also features Benoît Magimel, Sara Forestier and is produced by François Kraus and Denis Pineu-Valencienne.

“Beginning with a film like ‘Standing Tall’ is a beginning on the right note. It lends just the right impetus to the festival programming and with this one can expect the kind of programme waiting to be unveiled soon,” said Manoj Srivastava, the strategic consultant of the festival.

The 2015 edition of the Jagran Film Festival has traversed from Delhi to the Indian hinterlands of Kanpur, Lucknow, Allahabad, Varanasi, Agra, Meerut, Dehradun, Hisar, Ludhiana, Patna, Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Raipur, Indore and Bhopal and will culminate in Mumbai on October 4.

Considering the sentiments of the tribal people, Jharkhand has banned the “MSG 2 - The Messenger” movie in the state.

"Jharkhand govt has taken note of the 'MSG 2...' movie released on Sept 18 which has used some unsavoury remarks which are unconstitutional. The remarks hurt the sentiment of the tribal people.

“Chief Minister Raghubar Das gathered information about the movie and directed the officials to ban the movie in the state," an official release said on Saturday.

In Jharkhand, tribals constitute 27 percent of the population and Raghubar Das is the first non-tribal to become chief Minister.

According to officials, the movie carries some unsavoury remarks against tribals and those live in jungles.

Bollywood actor Govinda reveals that he became emotional after seeing his daughter Tina Ahuja on screen in her debut movie "Second Hand Husband".

"I can't believe that she did this on her own. I was teary eyed when I saw her on the screen," Govinda said.

"Tina is a very dutiful daughter. I wish her all success in life," he added.

The actress also made her father proud after bagging her first award for “Second Hand Husband” at the 6th India Leadership Conclave & Business Awards ceremony here on Friday.

"It is bliss that she gets her first award on this auspicious occasion of Ganesh Mahotsav. I and my entire family prayed for Tina to be a successful actress. Today when she received her first award we are very happy," he said.

"May she overcome all the hurdles and become a superstar. This is my prayer to Bappa," he added.

Govinda praised Tina for being a "good daughter".

"In our culture when our prayers are fulfilled we tend to believe in the good work that has been done. I believe Tina has started getting her recognition for being a good daughter and a good person and our wishes came true. I will support her in every way of her life," he said.

The film directed by Sumeep Kang, also featured Gippy Grewal, Dharmendra and Geeta Basra.

Playback singer Nitin Mukesh, who is the father of actor Neil Nitin Mukesh, says he is excited about Neil's forthcoming film "Prem Ratan Dhan Payo", which also stars Salman Khan.

"I was always very sure that Neil is a fantastic artist and whenever he will join the showbiz industry he will do fantastic job. So far he has worked with top most directors and stars, but now he is working with our most favourite actor Salman Khan and favourite director Sooraj R. Barjatya," Nitin Mukeh said during the Ganesha Utsav celebration at his home here.

"We are so happy and excited for the film," he added.

"Prem Ratan Dhan Payo", directed by Sooraj R. Barjatya, marks the reunion of Salman and Barjatya after after almost sixteen years.

The film also stars Sonam Kapoor and Swara Bhaskar in key roles.

Actor Prashanth, who currently awaits the release of Tamil actioner "Saahasam", has confirmed that he will reprise Akshay Kumar's role in the yet-untitled Tamil remake of "Special 26".

"My father acquired the remake rights of the film last year. We plan to start shooting soon. The film will be directed by Madhesh, and we're currently in the process of finalizing the rest of the cast," Prashanth told IANS.

The southern remake rights of "Special 26" were bagged by actor-filmmaker Thiyagarajan.

"Special 26" will also be remade in Telugu with Ravi Teja.

The Telugu version will be directed by Harish Shankar, who will also co-produce it.