27102026-LSTC-01.qxd 10/27/2026 12:00 AM Page 1 c m y b TRIBUNE Her choice Life Amanda Seyfried has shed light on her decision to turn down the Marvel role of Gamora in Guardians of the Galaxy, revealing that the choice came down to protecting her personal life and career choices. CHANDIGARH | TUESDAY | 27 OCTOBER 2026 ‘Real life never follows a script’ appearance NDULGE in the remarkable with Suhagraat Wali Kheer, a tantalising creation by celebrity chef Harpal Singh Sokhi. Served in an ornate bowl and adorned with flower petals, this intriguing dessert promises an experience beyond the ordinary. At Karigiri, Sector 26. chandigarh KHEER REIMAGINED I T HE School Education Department and Chandigarh Administration is organising Hunar Utsav at Sukhna Lake on October 27 and 28. Around 500 students from Government schools, under the supervision of approximately 100 teachers, will showcase their skills. Why can’t Rashmika Mandanna make the first move? REWIND & RAMBLE troll brigade reading too much in what is strictly a personal affair? To be honest, Vijay or even Rashmika is not exactly a feminists’ delight; in the same show she came up with rather regressive remarks. Like how she does not believe in skin show and is uncomfortable wearing a bikini. Indeed, she could have turned the conversation towards hyper-sexualisation of women in film industry. Karan’s question was about the controversy around Janhvi Kapoor’s portrayal in Peddi. Instead of choosing her words carefully, Rashmika took a ‘holier than holy, good girls don’t reveal’ stance and what she said appeared more like an indictment of her female counterparts in cinema than serious reflection on (mis)representation of women. In fact, once labelled ‘national crush’, she has lately often found herself at the centre of censure. Perhaps more than working on her Hindi diction, she needs to improve her speaking skills. Rather the couple need a crash course from the likes of Priyanka c m y b HOT TALENT HUNT gender rules… every Ranjha there is a Heer. So, why can’t the Pushpa actress, her other half’s equal in all respects, fame, name and money have the first move advantage? Rather as power couples go, she holds more visibility in the Hindi film belt what with super-hits like Animal. Besides, when two people are in love, it does not matter who gives in first? After all, it’s not an eyeballs game where the one who blinks first takes home the trophy? Just as an aside Vijay took home the much coveted Koffee hamper. The problem is while we nod wholeheartedly with the catchphrase, ‘ Vanity thy name is woman.’ a quote wrongly attributed to Shakespeare, but if a man appears to carry the same shades of self-conceit, all hell breaks loose. Vijay not only prompted Rashmika to propose a hundred times over but even had the gall to say so on national television. Is the S ome actors command attention by being at the centre of a story. Others make you look twice, even when they are not. Divya Dutta belongs to the latter category. As an actor, she has spent years bringing consistency to characters that refuse to be reduced to a single emotion, even for a single scene. In her latest film, Gajab Raat, now streaming on Netflix, Dutta joins Manoj Bajpayee in a crime thriller that unfolds over a single night in Delhi. Directed by Ritesh Shah and produced by Neeraj Pandey, the film follows a corrupt police officer whose encounter with an injured woman pulls him into a dangerous conspiracy. Dutta plays politician Suneeta Chaudhary, a character who adds to the thrill and mystery of the film. “This year has been crazily lovely, with two films with Manoj. Before Gajab Raat was the Last Man in the Tower. I am also shooting another one, Gandhi, with him so this would be a hat-trick for us,” she said. For Dutta, the excitement lies as much in the story as in the company she keeps on screen. Her association with Bajpayee goes back years. “We appeared in four films together but never shared screen. We started working now, I think we covered up for all things we lost on. He is an actor, who refuses to be put in a box, and brings a certain kind of energy on sets. And, he cooks us some of the best dishes. He’s such a lovely person, and he feeds everyone with so much love,” she said. Her characters are often women with complicated emotions, women who cannot be understood through a simple moral lens. Whether it’s Chiraiya, The Last Man in Tower or now, Gajab Raat. Dutta, in all her affection and warmth, credits this particular sensitivity of contradictions to her mother, late Dr Nalini Dutta. “My mother said no to rituals, the mundane and yes to life. She told me happiness has no limit, so does life. I believe life gives you jhatkas, but also gives you suspension. Real life never follows a script and so, I try to stay true to life in my craft,” said Dutta, who attended the festivalfor a storytelling session, titled Me and Maa. play eat Love has no Nonika Singh Just few months ago they were Internet’s darling couple as Vijay Devarkonda and Rashmika Mandanna’s bejewelled looks at their wedding was a cynosure of all attention. Today, they are once again in the spotlight but for all the wrong reasons. What has provoked the online ire is seemingly innocuous remark of Vijay during Koffee with Karan’s new season where he admitted it was she and not he, who proposed to her. She asked him not once, not twice but a hundred times over for full one year. KJo’s Koffee couch has spun many a spicy yarn and uncountable ‘oops moments’ which have put more than one superstar in a spot. But, this one confession by the much wedded couple has since been dissected threadbare. Vijay has been classified ‘red flag’ and Rashmika is being seen through equally unflattering lens, labelled as a woman who doesn’t know her worth and has little self-respect. We might have crossed the first quarter of 21st century but our values remain rooted in 18th century and pursuing remains the prerogative of male gender alone. Indeed, which dating book says that only men can propose and gender reversal is demeaning to the fair sex? But the Majnu syndrome ails us so deeply that we forget in every love story, it takes two to tango. And for every Majnu, there is a Laila, for WHAT’S chandigarh Singer-actor Diljit Dosanjh said he will only do one interview this year and hinted at his appearance on Karan Johar’s Koffee With Karan Season 9. Dosanjh hosted an Instagram Live session on Sunday where he spoke about interviews. The actor said he has recently received an offer to appear on the show, which is about to conclude. “I have received an offer for an interview. I can do that one. They said it is their last show for this year. I mean, on this topic, I am supposed to do it,” he said. “It is their last show, so I agreed to do it. So, you guys will get that surprise. I am only going to do one interview this year. Only that one this year,” he added. Koffee With Karan 9, which started streaming on JioHotstar on October 14, will end with the ninth season. The first episode featured Salman Khan as a guest, followed by another episode, which had Varun Dhawan and Janhvi Kapoor as guests on the show. The show started in 2004 and invited a host of prominent celebrities from Hindi cinema over the course of 161 episodes in eight seasons. Johar shared the announcement of show’s conclusion with a post on his social media in September. — PTI Neha Saini Chopra Jonas on what to say rather what not to say in public. Still putting them on stakes is over- love chandigarh ints at Koffee Diljit h Karan Season 9 With At Khushwant Singh Literature Festival 2026, Divya Dutta talked about her mother, her latest film Gajab Raat and finding common ground with actor Manoj Bajpayee FOREST WALK S HINRIN YOKU – Forest Qi Bathing invites nature enthusiasts to experience the healing power of forests through mindful walking and immersion in nature. The experience encourages relaxation, and a deeper connection with the natural world. On October 31, Nature Trail Lake Forest. reach. And comparing Vijay’s reel life toxic characters as in unabashed defender of misogyny Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Arjun Reddy is akin to mistaking woods for trees. Besides, a man-woman relationship is a complex game and no outsider can ever know who calls the shots within the four walls or even outside. Moreover, ‘ Jab miyan biwi raazi to kya karegi troll army?’ Find another target we guess… some are even finding fault with KJo’s audacious line of questioning infringing upon personal space. But for now netizens have suddenly developed a rush of love for yet another star couple Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan. In the Great Indian Kapil Sharma Show, we learn that Nawab saheb went down on knee not once but three times in different places before Kareena said aye aye. Of course, maths is simple; hundred is far more than three… only in the love, equation it’s not numbers but which gender pops the question that holds the key. As we rest the case on behalf of Vijay and Rashmika, people still have fixated even dated notions of romance. Last checked, when a man is head over heels is way cuter and far more romantic…. Women of India take note; let men do your bidding and if ever he holds an upper hand, don’t you dare bring it out of the closet. Some secrets are best kept close to your chest. Listen to what Byrd Nash said, “Men seldom enjoy learning the secrets we women make for them to appear more than they are.” CHAT UP SALMAN KHAN SPOTTED Salman Khan was spotted at Mumbai’s Kalina Private Airport on Monday amid heightened security following a firing incident involving actor Tiger Shroff’s car in Juhu and an alleged bomb threat email targeting veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan’s bungalow in Mumbai. Salman arrived at the airport accompanied by a heavy security contingent, including armed guards. He briefly acknowledged the paparazzi. JOGEN CHOWDHURY PASSES AWAY Eminent painter Jogen Chowdhury passed away at a private hospital in Kolkata on Sunday morning following a prolonged battle with a rare blood cancer at the age of 87 years. He had been suffering from a myeloproliferative neoplasm.