29062026-LSTC-01.qxd 6/29/2026 12:42 AM Page 1 c m y b TAKE CREATIVE RISKS: NOLAN Christopher Nolan has called on Hollywood studios to embrace greater creative risks in mainstream filmmaking, arguing that audiences are eager for original ideas rather than safe, formula-driven blockbusters. TRIBUNE Life Celebrity baiting is a provocative media tactic designed to rile up famous figures into giving headline-grabbing controversial replies. Here’s how celebs are pushing it back! Subhash K Jha During a press conference for the reality show Lock Upp: Sach Ya Sazaa, a journalist asked Riteish Deshmukh whether he would invite his close friends Salman Khan and Sanjay Dutt to appear on the show. The reporter then added a provocative twist, saying that the two actors have “plenty of real-life experience with lock-ups,” and asked what punishment Deshmukh would give them. Visibly annoyed by the blatant attempt to exploit his personal friendships and the legal histories of his peers, Deshmukh shut down the question with a sharp, tactical response, “First of all, I don’t think I would want to give any dignity to your question by answering it. It is your question, not my answer.” The anatomy of celebrity baiting RITEISH DESHMUKH TRAP for celebs CHANDIGARH | MONDAY | 29 JUNE 2026 DEEPIKA PADUKONE & PARINEETI CHOPRA relies entirely on generating high-engagement not. You see, I started their careers. And as far as traffic. By targeting sensitive boundaries, media I can remember, I started yours too.” creators trigger responses that fall into prePriyanka Chopra Jonas has a track record of dictable categories. Celebrity baiting is fuelled systematically dismantling regressive or trap by a potent mix of professional pressure, sensa- questions, especially regarding her co-stars or tionalism, and algorithmic demands. Social personal life. During a press conference, a media platforms reward highly dramatic inter- reporter repeatedly pushed her to answer if she actions. A 10-second video of an angry or uncom- and a prominent male co-star would make a fortable celebrity yields more views than “better romantic pair” on stage. Priyanka shut standard project promotions. Celebrity down the narrative by looking baiting is a provocative media tactic directly at the reporter and designed to rile up famous figures into giving controversial, headlinegrabbing replies. Widely regarded as the master of quick wit, Shah Rukh Khan frequently turns baiting questions back onto interviewers. When TV host Mandira Bedi tried to stoke rivalry by asking if having other female actors as competing IPL team owners would sour his relationships, Khan effortlessly shut it down. He responded, “Well ABHISHEK BACHCHAN, PRIYANKA CHOPRA JONAS & SHAH RUKH KHAN Mandira, I hope Gurnaaz From Australia to Mumbai studios, devotional artiste Premanjali Dasi is crafting a new sound that blends mantras with jazz, blues and Hindi pop pushed me out of my comfort zone and put me on stage without much choice. That's The Symphony of Devotion was a grand devotional concert held on June 27 at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai. Anil Kapoor graced the event’s Bhakti Carpet in a stylish traditional outfit. The viral Devotion gets a jazz-y twist There’s a quiet shift underway in how young people are engaging with music, moving away from passive listening toward something more immersive, more intentional. Devotional music, once seen as niche or traditional, is finding new resonance with global audiences. And for Premanjali Dasi, this isn’t a trend so much as a return to something essential. “Everyone is looking for something higher, something to take shelter of in this difficult world,” she says. “Some know it, some don’t.” Raised in a Bhakti community in Australia, Premanjali didn’t arrive at this understanding later in life, she grew up with it. It was only in her teenage years, when she began to see how differently others lived, that the choice became conscious. “That was when I had to actively decide that this was the life I wanted, which I did. And, it’s the best decision I ever made,” she adds. Despite her ease today as a kirtan artiste and teacher, confidence didn’t come naturally. The turning point, she says, came from the people around her. “There were a few key people who really Spotted when I became more confident, and also when I started getting noticed." But for Premanjali, kirtan was never about being noticed. “It really is the mantras and prayer that are moving people. We’re just the vessel sharing them.” That distinction between performance and participation is perhaps what’s drawing more young people toward kirtan today. In a world defined by speed and distraction, the appeal lies in something slower, more intentional. “Chanting mantras really does bring mental peace,” she says. Through her platform, Learn Kirtan, Premanjali works with students across the world. Her approach is less about technical perfection and more about unlocking confidence. “I feel everyone actually loves singing — they just need someone to believe in them.” Her debut single Shyama Anna blends traditional kirtan with influences like jazz and blues. For her, it’s less calculated fusion than authenticity. “If it felt authentic to just sing traditional kirtan, I would have done that. But I wanted to write my own songs, and that’s what felt true.” Her message remains simple: “Devotional music is just music with prayer and intention to serve. It’s all about perspective.” CHAT UP COX, McDAID SPLIT NO ‘PRIVILEGE’ TAG HARRY COLLAPSES Courteney Cox and Snow Patrol musician Johnny McDaid have ended their relationship after more than a decade together. The couple, who first met in 2013 and got engaged less than a year later before briefly separating and reconciling, have now called it quits. Madonna has revealed that her daughter, Lourdes “Lola” Leon, was initially hesitant to collaborate with her because she did not want people to think she was benefiting from her mother’s fame. Madonna is working with daughter on a song. Harry Styles left fans worried after he appeared to choke on water and briefly fell to the stage while performing at Wembley Stadium in London during his Together, Together residency. According to PEOPLE magazine, the incident occurred on Friday. c m y b stating, “I can romance anybody… that is my job.” Parineeti Chopra refuses to let reporters use euphemisms or treat natural biological functions as taboo. Once, a male reporter phrased a question about menstruation, referring to periods as a ‘problem’. Parineeti corrected him, "Periods are not a problem. When a problem occurs, periods stop.” Deepika Padukone is known for drawing strict boundaries when media personnel try to invade her privacy. When reporters once attempted to hound her with invasive questions regarding her personal life and relationship dynamics, she called out the reporters by asking if they would ask the same invasive questions to a male actor in her position. Abhishek Bachchan handles both live media baiting and digital trolls with dignified sarcasm. When online commentators or reporters try to bait him regarding his career choices, box office runs, or family legacy, Bachchan relies on polite, crushing comebacks. Gaurav & Akanksha call it quits Akanksha Chamola took many by surprise when she revealed during the premiere of Lock Upp Season 2 on Netflix that she and Gaurav Khanna were heading for a divorce. Akanksha, who is one of the contestants on the reality show, shared the news with hosts Farah Khan and Riteish Deshmukh. She said, “Gaurav and I are getting a divorce. We have been living separately for the last one year.”—ANI