New Delhi: Be it Deepika Padukone’s role as independent but hassled daughter in “Piku” or Kangana Ranaut’s double avatar as Tanu/Datto in “Tanu Weds Manu Returns”, 2015 saw actresses finally win the box office battle and question the gender pay disparity in Bollywood. Deepika had a third successful year in a row. The actress, who was once considered just a pretty face, took the lead in “Piku” with megastar Amitabh Bachchan playing her cantankerous father and Irrfan Khan also in a key role.

The movie had an exceptionally good run at the box office while her ex-boyfriend Ranbir Kapoor’s “Roy” and “Bombay Velvet” bombed. She did not have a big role in Imtiaz Ali’s “Tamasha” but it was enough for critics to applaud her performance. It is yet to be seen whether she makes a hat-trick at the box office with her period drama “Bajirao Mastani”, which is pitted against “Dilwale”, fronted by superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who launched her in “Om Shanti Om” and worked with the actress again in “Chennai Express” and “Happy New Year”.

Deepika is the only woman to break into the top-10 list of Forbes India’s highest earning celebrities, which was dominated by male stars. It has been an eventful year for Deepika, who went public about her fight with depression and starred in a woman empowerment video. She has also been vocal about the pay disparity, calling it unfair. She is now all set to make her Hollywood debut opposite “Fast and Furious” star Vin Diesel. Another actress, who has challenged the established order of things in Bollywood, is Kangana. Her candid and devil-may- care attitude may not have earned her many friends but Kangana has come a long way to be counted among the best actresses that Bollywood has today.

Kangana’s road to stardom has not been easy and in recent times she has called out the industry for its harsh attitude towards women. “When I was struggling people treated me so badly. What happens is that a heroine is always dependent on the producer or the hero. So no one thought, ‘What if someone becomes Kangana Ranaut and then she will never work with me as producer or actor’. They should have some shame before they treat women badly. They assume ‘kya karegi’. She is just a girl’,” Kangana said. The actress, who won her career’s second National award this year, is also not happy with the existing pay gap between male and female stars.

Chennai: Superstar Rajinikanth’s highly anticipated Tamil sci-fi actioner “Enthiran 2.0” went on floors here on Wednesday. A sequel to Tamil blockbuster “Enthiran”, the film will be directed by Shankar. “2.0 shoot starts from tomorrow (Wednesday). Excited,” Shankar wrote on his Twitter page on Tuesday night.

According to a source from the film’s unit, the first shot was canned between 9.30 a.m. and 10.30 a.m. on Wednesday. “The initial portion will be shot in a special set that has been erected in a studio here,” the source told IANS. Also starring Amy Jackson, who will reportedly be playing a robot, the film is being produced by Lyca Productions.

While A.R. Rahman will compose the tunes, the cinematography will be taken care by Nirav Shah. “Baahubali” fame Srinivas Mohan will take care of the visual effects work in the film, which will hit the screens next year.

It is already known that Ram Charan confirmed that ‘Kaththi’ remake will be the 150th film of Mega Star Chranjeevi and VV Vinayak will be directing the prestigious project. But the question is why to select a remake instead of an original one? The reason for this is, Chranjeevi wants to come back with a commercial film loaded with social issues. And none of the writers and directors was able to satisfy Chiru.

If we look back, Chiru became successful in most cases whenever he selected a remake. When he was in flops, he remade a film and made ‘Hitler’. Then he scored a massive hit with ‘Tagore’ which is the remake of ‘Ramana’.

Then he scored a big hit with ‘Shankar Dada MBBS’ which is also a remake of Hindi film ‘Munna Bhai MBBS’. His last film as a hero was also a remake. Also our films did not touch the socio-political type of films like ‘Rangam’, ‘Kaththi’ in recent times. So Chiru selecting a remake script is not a wrong thing.

Like in our Defence services, where we see one brother giving his life for the country and the other sibling joins the Army next day itself, even movie celebs are behaving the same way. Personal loss happened to composer Devi Sri Prasad is irreparable but the talented lad is showing professionalism as per reports.

With the passing away of his father Satyamurthy, it is felt that Devi Sri Prasad will not be able to finish the “Nannaku Prematho” re-recording work, thereby affecting the film’s January 13th, 2016 release as planned. Even producer Bhogavalli Prasad and director Sukumar also left it to DSP whether he will be wrapping the work or not, and they are exercising the possibility of zeroing next best date.

Meanwhile, DSP has struck to professionalism, saying that nearly 60 crores business of Nannaku Prematho will be at stake if he fails to finish the work and owed to complete it as planned.

Close sources informed us that Devi Sri asked Nannaku Prematho producer to fix up a Censor date as far as January 8th, such that he could take some time to bounce back, healing his wound faster, and finish the pending job. However, Sukumar is said to be not convinced with this move of DSP and he’s asking him to take own time to come back to normal before starting work.

As we know already, Powerstar Pawan Kalyan is literally overseeing everything to everything for “Sardaar Gabbar Singh”. He is the ‘kartha karma kriya’ for this movie, while KS Ravindra is the director. With the news of Pawan composing and designing action sequences is spreading fast, people are looking if this could be a plus or minus for the film.

For movies like Kushi, Jhonny and Daddy, Pawan Kalyan has conceived the action sequences. While they are undoubtedly stylish and stunning in those films, success rate is what it matters in the end. Except Kushi, rest two are one of the best disasters in Pawan and Chiru’s career. Also, those fights looked just stylish but at the end lacked punch. For the now, audiences are waiting to see Pawan in mass masala fights unlike that stylised action.

On the flip side, Pawan should have focused on dance choreography this time as complaints are coming out that he’s toning down the dances film by film. We expect some hard hitting dance moves Pawan, are you going to refill our thirst?

South film actress Kajal Aggarwal, who featured in ‘Singham’ (2011) and ‘Special 26’ (2013), is back on the Bollywood scene with ‘Do Lafzon Ki Kahani’.

The trailer of the love story is being attached to Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘Bajirao Mastani’.

Directed by Deepak Tijori, the flick has Randeep Hooda as her co-star. Kajal recently completed her schedule here in Hyderabad for Brahmotsavam opposite Mahesh Babu.

Comedian turned hero, Sunil is all set to work with Ragada fame Veeru Potla. The movie is titled ‘Eedu Gold Ehe’ and the first look poster of the movie released a short while ago. Sunil currently have two projects – Jakkanna and Krishnashtami in hand. Both the films are almost complete.

This new project will go on floors very soon. Anil Sunkara is producing the film under his AK Entertainments Banner. Veeru Potla is known for his comedy films and so this combination is likely to work.

Sunil is seen with a serious face and is taking off a mask which is of his funny face, indicating that there may be two shades in his character in this movie. More details of the project are awaited.

Mega Prince Varun Tej’s Loafer is all set for a grand release tomorrow. Here we are bringing the story of the film exclusive to our readers. The story starts with a couple – Posani and Revathi who fights with each other and gets separated.

Posani takes their son, Varun Tej away to Jodhpur and raises him as a Loafer. Varun Tej turns in to a robber and one day he meets Disha Patani and falls in love with her instantly. When things look rosy, she gets kidnapped.

And search for her, leads him to his past and his mother. Revathi’s brother, Mukesh Rishi plays villain in the movie, he tries to marry Disha to a millionaire, Ali. The rest of the story is how Varun Tej wins her and gets back to his mother.

Young Tiger NTR’s Nannaku Prematho team is just back to Hyderabad finishing a major schedule in Spain. Arrangements are being made for the last song shoot in Hyderabad. A massive set is being erected for this song shoot in Annapurna.

The Audio release event of the film will happen on December 25th as Christmas Special. January 13th is the release date as Sankranthi Special. Creative director Sukumar is wielding megaphone for this movie.

Rakul Preet Singh is playing the female lead beside NTR. Rajendra Prasad and Jagapathi Babu are playing important roles. Senior Producer BVSN Prasad is producing the film under his Sri Venkateswara Cine Chitra banner.

Victory Venkatesh finally began his next project today. His next, Babu Bangaram (Working Title) with director Maruthi started with a formal Pooja in Filmnagar Temple this morning. The film will start rolling from tomorrow in Hyderabad.

Allu Aravind sounded the clap board while Suresh Babu switched on the camera. VV Vinayak directed the first shot. Nayantara is pairing up with Venkatesh in the film and this is their third combination after Tulasi and Lakshmi.

Ghibran who composed music for Gopichand’s Jil will be composing tunes for this movie. Suryadevara Naga Vamsi is producing the film under his Sitara Entertainments banner. More details on this project later.