ALIA REFUSES TO ROCK ON! 

Alia Bhatt has opted for Abhishek Chaubey’s Udta Punjab at the cost of the sequel of Rock On!!. The Highway girl — 2014’s biggest discovery — was a favourite for Rock On!! 2 over rival Shraddha Kapoor, but she has reportedly decided to allot her dates to the Ishqiya man’s film opposite Shahid Kapoor. 
“Rock On!! 2 has an ensemble cast and the girl’s part is that of the band member who replaces Luke Kenny’s character who died in Rock On!! The role in Udta Punjab is far more challenging,” revealed a source. 
Udta Punjab also stars Ayushmann Khurrana and Kareena Kapoor, in her first film with former flame Shahid since they split seven years ago. 

NEED SOME WATER, CAPTAIN?

Sushant Singh Rajput is struggling to maintain his look as M.S. Dhoni for his turn as the Indian cricket captain in M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story, even as he preps for Shekhar Kapur’s Paani. 
The Kai Po Che! man, who spent the greater part of October and November rehearsing for Paani, is currently in the middle of getting his Dhoni look — athletic build and streaked long locks — just right. But Kapur — who has been waiting for Paani to get off the ground for close to a decade now — wants Sushant to concentrate on preparing for his look in the futuristic love story. 
What’s even worse news for Sushant? Both the Dhoni biopic and Paani are scheduled to start shoot at the same time in June next year. That’s like playing a Test by day and a T20 by night.