01082026-LSTL-01.qxd 7/31/2026 8:01 PM Page 1 c m y b DULQUER TO ATTEND IFFM Dulquer Salmaan will be honoured as one of the most iconic contemporary stars of Indian cinema at the 2026 edition of the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM). The festival will be held from August 13 to 23. TRIBUNE Helping hand Life No more a goody goody Kartik Aaryan has contributed ~1 crore to the Assam Chief Minister’s Relief Fund to support flood relief efforts in the state. The contribution comes as several parts of Assam continue to face heavy rainfall. LUDHIANA | SATURDAY | 1 AUGUST 2026 Thestage DASTAAR is set… mom! Manushi Chhillar, Shankar Mahadevan to headline India’s big moment at CWG 2026 closing ceremony Ananya Verma BORDER 2 Neeta Mohindra, the prominent mother figure of big screen and OTT, would love to flex her acting muscles in a variety of characters Nonika Singh ‘The actor in me is starved….’ says noted theatre person and gifted actor Neeta Mohindra whose body of work otherwise ought to be a subject of envy. Seen more recently in Dastaar, Satluj, Border 2 and not to miss her brilliant act in OTT series Sapne vs Everyone, she is, however, a bit weary of ‘goody goody’ mother roles. She would love to dig into meaty parts, which allow her to flex her acting muscles in a variety of characters. Of course, as Prashant’s mother in Sapne vs Everyone has brought her much appreciation and recognition. And playing national heartthrob Diljit Dosanjh’s mother not once but twice over (Satluj and Border 2) has been more than an enjoyable experience. Having known the actor- ludhiana WHAT’S HOT eat Satluj singer at close quarters, she would not add anything to what is already in public domain except how Diljit is “God’s special child.” To survive in the competitive entertainment industry, however, one needs more than ‘rab di mehr.’ Having ruled the stage for years, today she finds herself more at home in front of the camera. She adds, “The basic grammar of acting is same. But to borrow a cliché, one has to be more theatrical on stage whereas in front of the camera even a slight twitch would convey the idea. You can’t lie in front of camera.” Interestingly, she decided to quit a secure job as professor in Amritsar and try her luck in acting in 2015. She recalls, “People would often be dismissive and thought acting was only a passing fancy. My devotion for acting was no less.” It was not an easy ride. Often the role narrated to her turned out to be different from what she imagined. But over the years she has learnt nothing is more important than the film. And as her director of MS Dhoni: The Untold Story, Neeraj Pandey, would aver, ‘What is good or bad only audience would decide.’ And she muses, “There is no crystal ball to know what would click.” Thus, though she has a couple of prestigious projects in the pipeline, she would not pre-empt its impact. But she is vocal about the ban on Satluj and defends her director Hon- This year your favourite stories stopped living only on your shelf; they are finding their way to a screen near you From bestseller to blockbuster FRIENDS & FOOD O LIVE Cafe and Bar in Ludhiana is pulling out all the stops for Friendship Day with great food, live music, and a take-home surprise to mark the occasion. The perfect excuse to gather your favourite people and make a day of it. At Olive Cafe and Bar, Sunview Plaza, Ayali Kalan, Ludhiana on August 2. Ananya Verma There’s rarely been a year when publishing and the screen have been quite this in sync. Decades-old bestsellers, brand-new hits and stories passed down for millennia are all making their way to cinemas and streaming platforms in 2026, from Hollywood to Bollywood and beyond. Here’s the full rundown, sorted by the kind of story you’re in the mood for. chandigarh chandigarh play A TRAIN JOURNEY The epics: this year’s biggest releases S TUDENTSof Vivek High School, Mohali will stage Rail Ki Baat, a hilarious theatrical production that will take the audience on a memorable journey through stories and emotions associated with travelling by a train. On August 1 at Tagore Theatre, Sector 18 from 5 pm onwards. love ey Trehan unequivocally. “He has made a beautiful film which can’t possibly talk about 100 things. It’s one page out of say a 400 page book, but what is commendable is he has not fictionalised history or trifled with facts.” After working with stalwarts like Pandey and Nikkhil Advani, she finds young crop of directors, especially Ambrish Verma, equally visionary. If back in time MS Dhoni brought her into the limelight, today Sapne vs Everyone has put her on centre-stage. For those who nurse dreams of switching careers, her only piece of guidance is, “Take a leap only if acting is your passion and not for a shot at fame or glory.” To aspiring actors, she would not offer any mantra, for she asserts, “Gen Z knows more than us.” Former Miss World Manushi Chhillar and singer-composer Shankar Mahadevan will headline India’s handover segment at the Commonwealth Games 2026 closing ceremony, held at Glasgow’s OVO Hydro on August 2, as the country formally takes over hosting duties for the centenary 2030 edition in Ahmedabad. Chhillar, who won the Miss World crown in 2017 as the sixth Indian to do so, leads the opening act: a theatrical dance sequence marking 150 years of Vande Mataram, India’s national song. Mahadevan anchors the finale honoring Gujarat, the 2030 host state, performing alongside sons Siddharth and Shivam Mahadevan and singer Bhoomi Trivedi. Between these bookending acts, sitar player Rishab Rikhiram Sharma and Scottish piper Ross Ainslie perform a fusion piece blending Indian classical music with Scottish tradition, symbolising the handover itself. Glasgow 2026’s ceremonies chief, Louisa Mahon, called the segment more than a formality, describing it as a spectacle meant to give audiences a first glimpse of Ahmedabad 2030. Beyond the Indian acts led by Chhillar and Mahadevan, the night’s lineup includes Scottish band Simple Minds, Australian singer Delta Goodrem, and performers Cammy Barnes and Sandi Thom. (Clockwise from top) Margo’s Got Money Troubles, Wuthering Heights, Musafir Café, Ramayana: Part 1, People We Meet on Vacation, The Odyssey Ramayana: Part 1: An epic retold for thousands of years, is now getting the Nitesh Tiwari treatment worldwide this Diwali. Part 2 lands in 2027, because apparently even gods need a sequel window. The Odyssey: Based on Homer’s poem written almost 3,000 years ago, The Odyssey was the most ambitious literary swing of 2026. Christopher Nolan brought it to life with Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway and Tom Holland leading the cast, releasing in cinemas July 17 to a record-breaking $264 million global opening weekend. Romance: the ones that will wreck you BHANGRA PARTY Reminders of Him: Based on Hoover’s 2022 novel, the film swaps the twist for the tears — a mother out of prison, a town that hasn’t forgiven her, a bar owner who might. Vanessa Caswill directs Maika Monroe and Lauren Graham. It was released on March 13. People We Meet on Vacation: Adapted from Emily Henry’s novel, this series is about friends-to-something-more story. Directed by Brett Haley, starring Emily Bader and Tom Blyth, it was released on Netflix in January. F RIENDSHIP Week deserves a celebration like no other. MOBE at Elante Mall goes all out with a night packed with high-energy beats, live performances, and non-stop Bhangra vibes featuring Aron and Tarun Fitoor. Five hours of Bollywood, disco, and EDM that will keep the floor moving till the early hours. At MOBE on August 1 at 8 pm. c m y b Musafir Café: Based on Divya Prakash Dubey’s 2015 novel, the series dropped on Netflix on July 24. This Ruchir Arun directorial has Vikrant Massey, Vedika Pinto and Mahima Makwana in the lead roles. Classic literature, reconsidered Wuthering Heights: Emily Bronte’s 1847 novel gets the Emerald Fennell treatment, written and directed by her, starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi as two people who love each other in the worst possible way. The film was released on February 13. Pride and Prejudice: Jane Austen’s 1813 novel doesn’t need reintroducing, and Netflix knows it. A faithful six-part retelling is written by Dolly Alderton and directed by Euros Lyn, with Emma Corrin and Jack Lowden as Elizabeth and Darcy. Premieres in late 2026. Speculative fiction: worlds beyond our own Remarkably Bright Creatures: Shelby Van Pelt’s 2022 novel pairs a grieving widow with an octopus who has opinions about the human race. Olivia Newman directs Sally Field and Lewis Pullman for Netflix, which streamed on May 8. The Testaments: Showrunner Bruce Miller brings Ann Dowd and Chase Infiniti back for a Hulu series based on Margaret Atwood’s 2019 novel that premiered April 8. Contemporary drama and dark comedy Margo’s Got Money Troubles: Rufi Thorpe’s 2024 novel turns unemployment, an unplanned pregnancy and a crash course in OnlyFans into an Apple TV series created by David E Kelley. It stars Elle Fanning, Michelle Pfeiffer and Nicole Kidman. It premiered on April 15.