Masand's Gossip: 8/28/13

Sunny Days on Television

If the producers of Ragini MMS 2 bite the bait"which they probably will, this is Ekta Kapoor's Balaji Telefilms we're talking about"there's a good chance we'll see Mallika Sherawat and Sunny Leone share the same platform.

The television channel that's producing Mallika Ka Swayamvar (aBachelorette-style reality show in which the Murder star will be introduced to roughly two dozen suitors) wants to pull off a coup by inviting Sunny to appear on an episode with Mallika. The idea is to bring in the Indo-Canadian po*n star as a friend of Mallika's so that she can help her pick one from among the string of men vying for her affection. Reportedly, the channel has already spoken to Balaji about the possibility of bringing Sunny on board, and has pitched the plan to coincide with the studio's promotional campaign for the sex and horror sequel Ragini MMS 2, in which Sunny has been cast as the lead.

More than likely, those who came up with this idea are patting themselves on the back for finding a way to bring together Bollywood's most bindaas starlet and California's most famous export since sun-dried raisins. To be fair, it will be interesting to watch the dynamics between them. Given Mallika's snooty reputation and her tendency to snub anyone who even remotely resembles a threat, don't rule out the possibility of fireworks.

Imran Khan's loss is likely to be Shahid Kapoor's gain. The Once Upon Ay Time in Mumbai Dobaara star will no longer play the lead in Tigmanshu Dhulia's Milan Talkies, which he was not so long ago considerably excited about having bagged. But there are reports now that Shahid Kapoor is being seriously considered for the project. There's very little clarity on Imran's exit, with some insiders saying the actor was dropped from the film, while sources close to him reveal that he may have intentionally made himself unavailable for the project when he gave away those dates to the Vikramaditya Motwane-directed film Bhabesh that he recently signed.

And although Shahid is closest to taking his place in Dhulia's film, it appears that no concrete casting decision has been taken yet. Meanwhile, there is also some talk that Priyanka Chopra, who had been signed up opposite Imran, could also be replaced. So all those thrilled about a possible Shahid Kapoor-Priyanka Chopra reunion on the screen needn't get their hopes up. Sonakshi Sinha, who worked with Dhulia on his Saif Ali Khan-starrer Bullet Express, could be his leading lady in Milan Talkies too.

The film is reportedly being sped into production in October, since Dhulia"who is juggling more films than Imran, Shahid, Priyanka or Sonakshi"now has an empty slot in his otherwise relatively packed schedule, what with his Hamlet adaptation starring Hrithik Roshan having moved from its original start date because of the actor's recent surgery and recuperation.

You'll never believe which diva seems to have a drinking problem. Industry insiders say the signs were all there, but it is now no secret. A popular female star, not in her twenties, has reportedly raised eyebrows recently for her evident fondness of the bottle. Not only was she visibly tipsy at a celebration thrown in her own honour recently, there were reports not so long ago that she couldn't attend the funeral of a close family member because she was out cold, having had one too many. While cradling a drink at a New Year's Eve party some years ago, she allegedly grabbed her husband's face and proceeded to make out with him in full public view, much to the embarrassment of the poor fellow and everyone around"who had to turn away. Bitchy co-stars insist that two falls she had recently could also be pinned on her drinking habit.

Her family, however, has dismissed these as baseless rumours, attributing them to jealous rivals. Pointing to the actress' success and popularity, they have rejected the drinking charges, insisting she could never get so much done professionally if she were indeed dependent on alcohol.