Fatima Sana Sheikh's not in 'The Wives', director Madhur Bhandarkar clarifies

Dubai: Madhur Bhandarkar, the man who’s made a career out of peeling back the sparkle of showbiz in Page 3, Heroine, and Calendar Girls, is back with his next outing, The Wives. Earlier this year, the grapevine was buzzing that Fatima Sana Shaikh had signed on, but the official lineup — Regina Cassandra, Sonali Kulkarni, and Mouni Roy — caught Bollywood fans off guard. And Fatima? Radio silence ever since.

Bhandarkar sets the record straight

In a chat with Hindustan Times, Bhandarkar revealed that filming is done and dusted, and the movie is heading into post-production. On the Fatima rumors, he didn’t mince words: “The reports around her casting were all untrue. She never signed the film or was roped in to play one of the wives.” Consider that case closed.

Arjan Bajwa’s return ticket

Guess who’s back in Bhandarkar-land? Arjan Bajwa, who last teamed up with the director in Fashion (2008). This time around, he’s got a chunky role in The Wives.

Fatima’s busy, thank you very much

As for Fatima, she’s hardly waiting by the phone. She just rolled out Metro… In Dino with Ali Fazal and Aap Jaisa Koi opposite R. Madhavan. Up next: Gustaakh Ishq, co-starring Vijay Varma, Naseeruddin Shah, and Sharib Hashmi. Directed by Vibhu Puri and produced by Manish Malhotra, the film is dropping this November.