Deepika Padukone is currently racing to finish her schedule for actor Allu Arjun’s Raaka before she goes on maternity leave. As is known, she is expecting her second child in September. The superstar actress has been shooting demanding sequences well into her third trimester, including night shifts for the film’s Puranic, Vedic-era portions.

Resonance with real life

As per an India Today report, director Atlee Kumar has cast her as a pregnant woman in the film. The Jawan and King actress will be seen as a woman “struggling to survive amid the perils” of the ancient timeline, a role that has taken on an unusual real-life resonance given her own condition. Her portions are being filmed early in the schedule, whether alongside Allu Arjun or independently, though it remains unconfirmed whether the two will actually share screen space in these scenes. Rashmika Mandanna plays a guide and protector who helps steer Deepika’s character through the dangers of the ancient world, the report adds.

“Eight months pregnant and due to deliver very soon, Deepika Padukone is still shooting for Raaka. She is currently focused on wrapping up the shoot for the film. She is staying put on set and even working late into the night when required. The crew and teams are in absolute awe,” a source told Filmfare earlier this week.

Janhvi and Mrunal too to have meaty roles

Janhvi Kapoor takes on the role of a tribal queen. Since Atlee’s characters are meaty, expect her to play one of the pillars holding up Raaka’s multi-timeline narrative. The casting follows closely on the heels of her tribal-village performance in Peddi alongside Ram Charan. It will be intriguing to see how she is visually reimagined as royalty in Raaka.

It’s very likely that the third character in the movie, played by Mrunal Thakur, will be modern, considering that the other two female actors are playing non-modern parts.

Also Read: Allu Arjun Brings Close Friends on Board As Co-producers for AA23

The trailer for Yash’s Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups has set the industry talking. Released across five languages, it has garnered huge numbers on YouTube. The Hindi version led with nearly 28 million views in three days.

The numbers confirm what trade watchers expected. Yash is aggressively targeting the Hindi belt and the Telugu states, the two biggest non-Kannada markets for any pan-Indian film. His track record makes the ambition credible. KGF: Chapter 2 was a massive Hindi hit, and Toxic now aims to potentially surpass KGF: Chapter 2’s opening numbers.

Betting big on the Hindi market

The trailer makes it clear that emotional depth fits the film naturally. It shows Yash in a dual role, playing a father and son on opposing sides of a brutal conflict. Themes of betrayal, power and generational trauma run through the footage. This matters for Hindi audiences, who tend to look for emotional weight alongside action. Kiara Advani’s intense, dramatic turn has drawn particular attention, alongside Huma Qureshi and Tara Sutaria in pivotal roles. Nayanthara plays another major role.

A larger-than-life appeal

The Kannada superstar is one actor whose larger-than-life image is now beyond doubt. Many believe that he is one of the few action heroes who can pull off a complex story about power struggles and parent-child conflict. This should translate into solid numbers. Yash’s popularity has also received a fresh push from his role as Ravana in Ranbir Kapoor’s Ramayana, whose trailer was released recently and widened his visibility among Hindi-speaking moviegoers.

There is more happening around the film too. Yash has entered film distribution in Karnataka, giving him direct control over Toxic‘s home-market release, which is set to be the biggest in the state’s history. The Bengaluru trailer launch itself was a grand event, with the full cast in attendance.

Directed by Geetu Mohandas, Toxic releases worldwide on August 26.

Also Read: Toxic trailer: Yash’s adrenaline pumping scenes go viral

The teaser of Haiwaan, starring Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan, has arrived, offering a brief but intriguing look at Priyadarshan’s latest thriller. Rather than spelling out the story, the teaser leans into shadows, fragmented images and the uneasy dynamic between its two leading men. At the centre of it all is one question: “Hero ya Haiwaan?”

The film marks the reunion of Akshay and Saif after nearly two decades. The actors were last seen together in Tashan in 2008, and Haiwaan places them on opposite sides of an apparently dangerous conflict. Their contrasting characters are central to the intrigue, although the teaser carefully avoids revealing exactly what connects them.

Saif’s character immediately stands out. He plays a visually impaired man who navigates the world with the help of a stick, while the teaser suggests that his blindness does not necessarily make him vulnerable. There is an element of mystery to the way he moves through the story, with the film seemingly using his character’s perception and limitations as part of its suspense.

Akshay, meanwhile, appears to be operating from the shadows. His character watches Saif closely, with fleeting glimpses suggesting that he may be responsible for the danger surrounding him. The actor’s unsettling presence gives the teaser much of its menace, marking a striking departure from the lighter collaborations that have defined much of his association with Priyadarshan.

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Akshay And Saif’s Characters Remain A Mystery

The teaser’s biggest strength is arguably what it refuses to reveal. There are hints of violence, danger and a larger conspiracy, but little information about the motivations of either character. Akshay’s sinister presence and Saif’s seemingly composed demeanour create an intriguing contrast, leaving audiences to wonder who is actually in control.

The film is also notable for bringing Priyadarshan back into thriller territory. Haiwaan is an official Hindi adaptation of the filmmaker’s own 2016 Malayalam thriller Oppam, which starred Mohanlal in the lead. Priyadarshan has previously spoken about approaching his Hindi adaptations with the Hindi-speaking audience in mind rather than simply recreating the original film scene by scene.

The teaser suggests that the Hindi version will retain the suspense-driven core while giving Akshay and Saif room to create a fresh dynamic. The supporting cast includes Boman Irani, Saiyami Kher and Shriya Pilgaonkar in pivotal roles.

For Priyadarshan and Akshay, Haiwaan also represents another chapter in a long-running creative association. The pair have previously collaborated on films including Hera Pheri, Garam Masala, Bhool Bhulaiyaa, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 and Bhooth Bangla. This time, however, the tone is considerably darker.

Produced by Venkat K Narayana and Shailaja Desai Fenn under KVN Productions and Thespian Films, Haiwaan is scheduled to arrive in theatres on September 11, 2026.

For now, the teaser does exactly what a teaser for a mystery thriller should: it raises more questions than it answers. With Akshay seemingly embracing a darker character and Saif playing a man whose blindness may not be the weakness it initially appears to be, Haiwaan could make for an interesting clash between two actors audiences have rarely seen in this kind of setting.

Also Read: The First Look of Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan’s Haiwaan Unveiled