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Rani–Vidya at loggerheads

THE SETS OF No One Killed Jessica has turned into a battlefield with its leading ladies Rani Mukherjee and Vidya Balan at loggerheads. Buzz is that the only exchange between the two ladies is their onscreen dialogues.

Our source from the film reveals, “Vidya doesn’t like Rani because she thinks Rani is unfriendly and bossy. Rani insits on giving advice to their director, Raj Kumar Gupta, which irritates Vidya a lot.”

The dislike isn’t one-sided. Our source explains, “Rani was upset when Vidya was made the brand ambassador for a popular mosquito repellent brand, which Rani has always represented. Rani feels that Vidya went out of her way to grab it. Rani behaves like a star on the sets ignoring her co-star as she thinks Vidya is fake.”

After delivering their shots, Rani retires to her van or keeps busy with her phone, whereas, Vidya hangs out with the remaining cast and crew.

Industry sources say that the Rani-Vidya hatred has been building up since 2006, when filmmaker Pradeep Sarkar signed Rani to play the lead in Laaga Chunari Mein Daag. Reportedly, Vidya was upset that Sarkar, her mentor, chose to cast Rani instead of her.

Adding insult to injury, Sarkar offered Vidya the role of Rani’s younger sister, which Vidya turned down.

Things worsened between the two when Vidya’s good friend, fashion designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee, chose Rani to play the lead in his directorial debut. Allegedly, Vidya was so upset that she vowed not to work with Rani and decided to quit Deepa Mehta’s Midnight’s Children when she heard that Rani was also in the film. But Vidya couldn’t decline No One Killed Jessica because it was too powerful a role and script.

Hopefully while shooting for Raj Kumar Gupta’s film the two will try calling a truce. If not then this could be the beginning of his nightmare.