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Richa Chadha opens up on her character of a sex worker in audio show ‘Baby Doll’

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Bollywood actress Richa Chadha shares her experience of working in the audio show, ‘Baby Doll’ opposite Jaideep Ahlawat. The story revolves around a sex worker, Baby (Richa), her pain and revenge.

Richa says: “I play a character called Baby whose actual name is Babita Rani, and she is somebody who probably got trafficked when she was a child, and has been in this sort of trade against her will. She’s a commercial sex worker so she’s been in this trade for a while and she’s not happy.

“But she learned to live with her reality. And there’s still an assemblance of like, niceness and morality in her, even though she’s in one of the most looked down upon professions and as a character also.”

While talking about the USP of this audio show, the ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’ actress shares: “I think the USP of the show will definitely be the story and the characters. The directors work very hard on creating this show. And I think that it’s got a cliffhanger approach across the whole 14-15 episodes.

“Even in the end it is kind of like, it ends on a note where you wonder whether there’ll be a season two or if this is the end of this character, and it’s kind of like the story of the underdog.”

On sharing about the challenges of narration and preparation for it, she says: “We did a lot of readings Ato get the character right because you know, this is how I normally talk and sound but when we have to do this like a hinterland Hindi character then it has to be real. She has to have a little crassness or little bit of course language also, she’s a sex worker. We have used words which typically you will not hear on camera or on radio. We’ve said words, and we’ve done things which typically you don’t get to see in a podcast or even on camera.”

You’ve played different roles. How you found this different from previous ones, she adds: “I’ve played a sex worker before, never for a podcast. It is very different in terms of this character’s throwing caution to the wind kind of attitude is what makes her a winner in my book. And that’s what will make the show on Audible also something that you can relate to you where you will feel funny, like after a few episodes that you are rooting for this character, even though you know, she doesn’t really fit the moral compass of most of the audience.”

The actress calls her overall experience of working in the podcast fulfilling, as she comments: “My experience of working on this was really quite incredible. We had good producers, both from Audible and the people who are handling it on their behalf from sound and vision. This is an original story. It’s really about, like the hinterland, and I really hope that people can, like enjoy it for what it is. It’s one of those pulpy novels, but now narrated through the voice of the female lead. And I think that’s what makes it really interesting.”

Richa, after debuting in a small role in the comedy film ‘Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!’, got a breakthrough with a supporting role in ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’.

How she looks at her journey in the entertainment industry, the actress replies: “I feel like I’m just like, at the first quarter of my journey, to be honest. I’ve seen everything change so rapidly in the last 10 years since I’ve been active. And I think that it’s only going to get better. For true artists to actors, it’s a good time. And now that I’m entering into production and writing, it’s a very fulfilling phase because you can use more than just your face and your body, you know, you can see things in the world with the work you put out.”

About her upcoming projects, she reveals: “There’s ‘Fukrey 3’, which is a hugely successful franchise, which is what we’re currently shooting for. There are basically three films. I wish I could announce them right now but I can’t. I mean, I’m shooting one in July one after that, there’s one film on mental health and then there’s a crossover film in the UK. These are the confirmed projects. There’s of course S2 ‘A Great Indian Murder’ and things like that. So it’s going to be a full full full year.”

Like many celebs, she is keen on doing reality shows, the actress says: “What kind of reality show if it’s a reality show where you know like these two people go on highways and eat local street food Yeah, I’m game for that. But the reality show consists of me being in like captivity, like a house with other people and forcibly fighting with them or being locked up somewhere, that never, ever, ever!”

Written by Pravesh Bhardwaj, the audio show ‘Baby Doll’ is available on Audible.

Entertainment

Zakir Khan calls his 60-city stand-up tour a big step toward mainstreaming comedy

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Mumbai, June 4: Comedian Zakir Khan is set to embark on a groundbreaking 60-city stand-up tour across India, marking what he calls a major milestone for the comedy scene.

Partnering with BookMyShow enterprise, this ambitious tour aims to bring live comedy to audiences in every corner of the country—an effort Zakir sees as a big step toward making stand-up a respected part of mainstream entertainment. In a significant milestone for India’s live entertainment landscape, Only Much Louder and TribeVibe Entertainment (a BookMyShow enterprise) have joined forces to launch Zakir Khan’s massive stand-up comedy tour, covering over 60 cities nationwide. Designed as a comedy caravan, the tour is set to entertain more than 160,000 fans, marking it as the biggest comedy deal ever signed in India.

Speaking about the tour, Zakir Khan expressed, “This isn’t just a personal milestone, it’s a celebration of how far Indian stand-up has come. I’m grateful to be doing this with partners who truly believe in the power of homegrown stories and the audiences who’ve made it all possible. This tour is not just about performing in 60 cities, it’s about taking the art of Indian stand-up to every corner of the country with the scale and seriousness it truly deserves. For years, we’ve dreamed of comedy being treated like mainstream entertainment, and this partnership is a massive step in that direction. I’ve always believed in building something bigger than myself, and this moment feels like that belief taking centre stage.”

Shoven Shah, founder and CEO of TribeVibe Entertainment, added, “This collaboration signals a new form of cultural consumption in India, one that is ambitious in scale, yet grounded in purpose. It’s not just about doing a 60-city tour; it’s about proving that India is ready to host and celebrate live entertainment at this scale across its full breadth. At TribeVibe, we’ve always believed in democratising access to great experiences and Zakir, through his authenticity and connection with audiences, is the perfect artist to lead this vision. Partnering with OML to bring this to life feels like a natural next step in the journey.”

Zakir Khan, widely regarded as one of India’s most popular and impactful comedians, is gearing up to connect with audiences across the nation from bustling metros to smaller towns, as he brings his brand of live comedy to the very heart and soul of the country

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Bollywood

Varun Dhawan: One must travel to learn

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Mumbai, June 3: Actor Varun Dhawan stressed that travel is essential for gaining knowledge and life experience.

The actor took to Instagram, where he shared three pictures from the airport. The first was an image of the actor posing inside the airport with the airplane docked. The other was of him at the same location but this time his back was towards the camera as he looked at the aircraft. The third was a closeup image of him as he made his way inside the flight.

“One must travel to learn,” Varun wrote as the caption.

A few days ago, Varun wrapped up the Scotland schedule of his upcoming project ‘Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai’.

Sharing the professional update on social media, Varun penned, “It’s a schedule wrap for us here in Scotland on #haijawaanitohishqhonahai. So many days everyone pulling together to make this happen. Bringing u all the laughs soon. Now back home.”

The post also included some fun moments of the “Badlapur’ actor in Scotland with his co-stars Mrunal Thakur, Mouni Roy, Chunkey Panday and Pooja Hegde.

The title “Hain Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hain” is inspired by the song “Ishq Sona Hai” from “Biwi No.1.” starring Salman Khan, Karisma Kapoor, and Sushmita Sen. The 1999 drama was helmed by David Dhawan, who is also directing Varun’s next.

“Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai” is reported to have the charm of classic 90s rom-coms.

Varun also has Shashank Khaitan’s “Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari.” Janhvi Kapoor, Sanya Malhotra, Abhinav Sharma, Maniesh Paul, and Manini Chadha are also a part of the project’s pivotal cast.

Furthermore, Varun also had “Border 2”, which is being made under the direction of Anurag Singh. He will be co-starring Sunny Deol, Diljit Dosanjh, and Ahan Shetty in the highly-anticipated sequel.

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Bollywood

Mohit Suri calls ‘Saiyaara’ an ode to his favourite love stories

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Mumbai, May 31: Director Mohit Suri, who is awaiting the release of his upcoming film ‘Saiyaara’, has called it an homage to the love stories that he has grown up loving.

Mohit is known for his musical hits like ‘Zeher’, ‘Kalyug’, ‘Woh Lamhe’, the cult-classic ‘Awarapan’ and the blockbuster ‘Aashiqui 2’.

While all the aforementioned films were made under the banner of Vishesh Films, with ‘Saiyaara’, Mohit has moved into the territory of Yash Raj Films.

‘Saiyaara’ brings together YRF and Mohit, both known for creating timeless romances for an intense love story, and introduces Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda (of ‘Big Girls Don’t Cry’ fame) as the next YRF heroine.

Talking about the film, Mohit said, “I feel you can tell so many beautiful stories and take people along so many journeys and celebrate so many emotions but romantic genre is always special. ‘Saiyaara’ is my homage to the love stories I love and the sweeping romances that I have come across through my life. I have been fortunate to have met so many people who have been kind enough to share their incredible love stories with me”.

He further mentioned, “I’m delighted to see this unanimous response to the teaser of ‘Saiyaara’. I’m thrilled for Ahaan and Aneet. They deserve all the love because they have really put in everything for people to connect so deeply with the teaser of ‘Saiyaara’. I share this moment with my incredible team and everyone at YRF. I hope people keep engaging and connecting with ‘Saiyaara’ as we peel every layer of emotion, every season of love through our marketing campaign”.

Produced by YRF, ‘Saiyaara’ is set to release in cinemas on July 18, 2025.

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