Sources close to the Big B are not amused by the incessant reports that the mega-star has ‘slowed down’ due to ill health, the latest being Shirish Kunder who claims his “dream project” with the Big B called <em>The Common Man</em> is uncommonly delayed because of Amitabh Bachchan’s ill-health. “Not true!” Says a source close to the Big B, “Amit<em>ji</em> is fine. He’s working around the clock. All these stories about his ill-health being the cause for the delay for his film projects are nothing but excuses to deflect attention from the real reason for the delay.”

It was Shirish Kunder who volunteered to opt out of Kick. And it was decided by mutual consent that the matter would be kept under wraps until the release of Kunder’s calamitous <em>Joker</em>. But Kunder texted to Salman immediately after the meeting with Nadiadwala informing the star that he is no more a part of <em>Kick</em>. Salman in turn, got in touch with Nadiadwala. And the rest is hysteria. One got that not from Kunder or his irate wife Farah Khan, but from a source very close to Nadiadwala.

Starring <strong>Akshay Kumar, Sonakshi Sinha & A Village Of Wackos</strong> Directed by <strong>Shirish Kunder</strong> Rating: <strong>***</strong> Imagine Shah Rukh Khan leaving his posh job at NASA a la Swades and returning to a village filled with escapees from a lunatic asylum… and you have the basic plot structure of Shirish Kunder’s <em>Joker</em>, a film as crazy in intent as its characters make the proceedings appear lke.

In the ongoing cold war between Akshay Kumar and Shirish Kunder , the single-most squirmy sufferer is Sonakshi Sinha who doesn’t know which way to move, go all out to promote <em>Joker</em> or stand by the stubborn and unrelenting Akshay Kumar who has decided to boycott all promotional activities related to the film.

Director Shirish Kunder is busy making a fresh trailer of his upcoming film Joker that would help people get a taste of the heavy-duty VFX that has been used in the film. He has roped in international technicians to assist him in the same. The trailer will feature the much talked about UFO and aliens from the film. The makers have hired around 30 ace international technicians to cut this trailer, which will be aired a week before the film’s release.