Varun Dhawan’s collaboration with Atlee, Murad Khetani and Jio Studios on the Kalees-directed Baby John has been buzzing all across over the last few weeks. The team of Baby John showcased a 5-minute 30-second clip of the film to All India Exhibitors recently and the same was received with a thunderous response all across the board. And now, we have exclusively learnt that Baby John is getting bigger by the day, as the team is shooting for a special cameo of Salman Khan in Mumbai today.

According to source close to the development, it’s a two-day shoot with Salman Khan and the team of Baby John is looking to present SK at his peak in this mass cameo. “While Baby John is helmed by Kalees, the cameo of Salman Khan, alongside the combination scenes with Varun Dhawan are being directed by Atlee himself. In-fact, the entire cameo sequence of Salman is written, conceptualized and executed by Atlee,” revealed a source close to the development, adding further that Murad Khetani has gone all out to mount a mega-set for this highlight sequence.

“A grand set has been put up at a studio in Andheri, and the entire team is excited to host Salman Khan for a special role in Baby John. The sequence has dialogues, action and a fun camaraderie between SK and VD. That’s not all, a grand entry too has been designed keeping the larger-than-life aura of Salman in mind,” the source added.

We also hear that Salman is shooting for this cameo free of cost, due to the three-way equation in the place for Baby John. “Salman Khan shares a very healthy bond with Murad Khetani, is a mentor figure for Varun Dhawan, and is teaming up with Atlee for his next in 2025. All it took was a call for Salman to say yes for the cameo. The Baby John team also has immense respect for Salman Khan – the superstar and Salman Khan – The human, and have created a sequence that celebrates his presence and respects his time. The role however has nothing to do with Theri, as it’s a brand new character for SK, curated by Atlee and his team,” the source concluded.

Baby John is all set to hit the big screen this Christmas – December 25, 2024 – and the makers are all set to launch the teaser trailer of the film on Diwali. The film features Varun Dhawan with Keerthy Suresh, Wamiqa Gabbi, and Jackie Shroff among others. Talking of Atlee, his next directorial, A 6 is all set to go on floors in the first quarter of 2025 with Salman Khan in the lead. The team of A6 is in talks with Kamal Haasan for the parallel lead, however, the acting legend is yet to decide on his involvement. Stay tuned to Pinkvilla for more updates.

Shah Rukh Khan is not just a director’s actor, but also a “photographer’s model,” as revealed by celebrity photographer Dabboo Ratnani. Reflecting on his time working with SRK, Dabboo shared how the superstar, even in his early days, would seek his advice on posing techniques. He fondly remembered an incident where King Khan walked straight into a lake for a shoot without ‘No natak, no nothing’—simply because Dabboo asked him to, showcasing his professionalism and dedication.

In an interview with Vishal Malhotra on his YouTube channel, Dabboo Ratnani shared that the Jawan actor approaches their photoshoot with complete humility and sincerity. He explained that King Khan is genuinely interested in understanding the director’s and photographer’s creative vision and strives to accurately represent it in his performances.

He recalled, “During one shoot, I decided to change our pre-planned setup and directed the cameras and lighting toward the lake. I asked him to walk into the lake so I could capture him coming out from it. Without questioning me even once, he took off his shoes and socks, wore his slippers, and just walked in. No natak, no nothing—he completely understood the vibe of the shoot.” 

Ratnani reminisced about his first photo shoot with the Pathaan actor at Film City, back when the actor was still new to the industry. He shared that Shah Rukh had admitted he wasn’t confident about posing and asked Dabboo for guidance. Initially, Dabboo thought he was joking, but when Shah Rukh insisted, he realized the actor was serious.

Despite already having a few films under his belt, Shah Rukh followed each pose that Dabboo demonstrated. However, when asked if he was behind Shah Rukh’s signature pose, Dabboo clarified that he had no part in creating it.

On the work front, Shah Rukh Khan will next be seen in Sujoy Ghosh’s The King, which will also feature his daughter Suhana Khan in a pivotal role.

The fast-paced action thriller will also star Abhishek Bachchan and Abhay Verma. Recently, Bollywood Hungama reported that the father-daughter pair is gearing up to start filming in January 2025.