19082025-LSTC-01.qxd 8/19/2025 12:33 AM Page 1 c m y b ZAKIR KHAN CREATES HISTORY Stand-up comedian Zakir Khan has made history by becoming the first Indian comedian to perform a Hindi-language show at New York City’s iconic Madison Square Garden. Calling it a ‘big day’, Zakir wrote about how overwhelming it felt to perform for “6,000 people with Hindi comedy.” A part of his post read, “I am still processing...” TRIBUNE Who cares? Life American actor and director Denzel Washington shared that he is not concerned about other people’s opinions and getting ‘cancelled’. CHANDIGARH | TUESDAY | 19 AUGUST 2025 GRIT, GUNS WAR 2 &GLORY him, like a son. It’s masculinity laced with grief. Rage wrapped in love. YatheshtPratiraj Phool T HE teaser for Dhurandhar dropped like a bomb. Ranveer Singh, drenched in blood, marching through a dusty battleground with a loaded gaze that could melt steel. It wasn’t just a teaser — it felt like a declaration of testosterone. And maybe, a throwback to something we’ve seen time and again on Indian cinema: the rise of the hyper-masculine hero. You know the type. Hair tousled like war paint. Emotions locked behind doors. Muscles? Built like national monuments. Whether he’s a smuggler, a spy or a lovesick genius spiralling out of control — he owns every frame. And then came Coolie. Rajinikanth storms the screen like a force of nature, walking through bullets and mayhem. He’s untouchable, unshakable—the very picture of the bulletproof hero that audiences still can’t get enough of. To add a layer of cream to the cake, there’s a cameo from a certain Khan that one might not want to miss.It’s a familiar beat. And yet, we keep coming back for more. Here are a few… COOLIE KGF 2 PUSHPA 2 VIOLENCE MEETS DADDY ISSUES Let’s talk Animal. Ranbir Kapoor gives us a character so emotionally raw and violently explosive, it is uncomfortable — and unforgettable. Ranvijay doesn’t shoot people for fun. He does it to feel something. To make his emotionally distant father look at lie As Coo the its ever h e’s a look f er tion, h cinema’s na an at Indi ion with the obsess proof hero’ ‘bullet TOXICITY ON A BIKE You either love him or want to scream into a pillow when he shows up on screen. Shahid Kapoor’s Kabir Singh is brilliant, possessive, fragile, violent — and somehow, widely adored. He drinks too much, fights too often and loves like it’s war. And the troubling part? He’s never really punished for it. The film paints his breakdown as passion, his cruelty as heartbreak. THE RISE OF THE STREETWISE ALPHA Now flip to Pushpa. Here’s a man who starts at the bottom — literally — and climbs the smuggling ladder with nothing but bravado, brains and a don’t-mess-with-me attitude. Allu Arjun swaggers through the role like he was born to rule, making slouching look heroic. Pushpa’s masculinity is earthy and rooted. He doesn’t chase a moral compass. He is the compass. MYTH, MUSCLE & MESSIAH COMPLEX Rocky bhai doesn’t just fight — he conquers. Both KGF films turns a man with a pickaxe into a near-mythical figure. Every frame is drenched in swagger. He smokes slow, punches fast and delivers dialogue like sermons. Here, hyper-masculinity hits its mythic peak. Rocky isn’t human. He is a legend. And yet — underneath the power poses — is a boy raised in poverty, haunted by a dying mother’s last wish. Again, emotional trauma meets physical dominance. And it sells. WHEN SPIES HAVE ABS Let’s not skip War. Hrithik Roshan as Kabir is the polished, silent type. Think Bond. He doesn’t scream. He smirks. And when he walks into a room, you feel it. War 2 has even more alpha energy with Jr. NTR entering the ring. Spies here are slick, stylish and ruthlessly efficient. TIME TO EVOLVE? Hyper-masculinity sells. But Dhurandhar might just signal a shift. With Aditya Dhar directing and Ranveer stepping into this gritty role, there’s hope for nuance. Because we don’t just need heroes who can kill. We need heroes who feel. KABIR SINGH ANIMAL The singer’s team issues clarification on Dallas event after FWICE letter Rapper Badshah’s team has issued a clarification following concerns raised by the Federation of Western India Cine Employees over his upcoming show in Dallas being allegedly sponsored by a Pakistani company. Recently, the FWICE wrote a letter to Badshah, seeking clarification regarding the Dallas leg of Badshah’s muchanticipated Unfinished USA Tour 2025, scheduled for September. “Dear Mr Badshah, It has come to our attention that you are scheduled to perform in an upcoming event Badshah Un-Finished Tour at the Curtis Culwell Centre in Dallas, USA, on the 19th of Sept 2025 which is reportedly being sponsored by 3Sixty Shows, a company owned and operated by Pakistani nationals,” the letter read. Now, on Monday, Badshah’s management issued a statement firmly rejecting any such association. “Badshah and his management team unequivocally confirm that the Unfinished USA Tour 2025 is being conducted through a US-based event agency operating under fully transparent contractual terms. The tour is DHURANDHAR Taylor Swift has put an end to all the rumours that she had a cameo as a bear in Happy Gilmore 2, while appearing on her boyfriend Travis Kelce and Jason Kelce’s New Heights podcast. When Jason asked Swift if she could “confirm or deny” the speculation, to which she replied, “I can deny!” On talking about the rumours, Swift said, “I’m honoured to be thought of in that context because I loved that movie so much. I watched it multiple times. I loved it so much,” she shared. In July, singer-songwriter Taylor Swift extended her support to NFL star and boyfriend Travis Kelce, praising his acting debut in the newly released Netflix film, Happy Gilmore 2. NFL player makes a cameo appearance as a waiter in the 2025 sports comedy, which serves as a sequel to the 1996 hit Happy Gilmore. Swift took to her Instagram handle to promote Netflix’s Happy Gilmore 2 to her 280 million followers. “Happy Gilmore 2 had me cackling and cheering the whole movie. An absolute must watch,” Swift wrote in an Instagram Story post, along with the film’s movie poster. “Thirteen out of 10, go watch it on @netflix as soon Badshah clears the air exclusively managed by Manish Sood of Intense Entertainment, who acts as the sole promoter and point of contact, handling all operational aspects including venue bookings, sponsorships, accommodations, and logistics. Badshah remains steadfast in his mission to use music as a bridge for cultural exchange and unity, ensuring his work remains entirely independent of geopolitical influences.” Also, Badshah’s legal team issued a detailed clarification to FWICE on August 16. Badshah is scheduled to perform in Dallas, USA on September 19. —ANI c m y b ‘I can DENY!’ as humanly possible,” she added. Happy Gilmore 2 is a 2025 sports comedy film directed by Kyle Newacheck and written by Taylor Swift reacts to rumours about her involvement in Happy Gilmore 2 Tim Herlihy and Adam Sandler. It is a sequel to Happy Gilmore (1996). Sandler, Julie Bowen, Christopher McDonald, Ben Stiller, and Dennis Dugan reprise their roles from the original film, while Benny Safdie and Bad Bunny join the film as new cast members. — ANI A soulful ballad Miss Universe Harnaaz Sandhu is about to make her Hindi film debut opposite action superstar Tiger Shroff in Baaghi 4, and their very first song Guzaara is out. A soulful ballad sung by Josh Brar, the track blooms with romance, devotion, and gives the viewers a peek into what unfolds when an action dynamo unites with Miss Universe for a timeless love story. The visuals of Guzaara capture their chemistry in sweeping, frames— emerging from smoke on a bike with an intensity and then softening into tender moments of prayer, playful domesticity, and laughter by the shore. Together, they radiate a dreamy, soulful love that feels nothing short of eternal. Audiences were already captivated by Harnaaz’s fierce and commanding presence in the Baaghi 4 teaser, and now Guzaara reveals an entirely new shade of her personality — soft, feminine and romantic. — TNS