30122020-LSTC-01.qxd 12/29/2020 11:33 PM Page 1 c m y b TRIBUNE Covid positive Actor Ram Charan, who was busy shooting for SS Rajamouli’s RRR in Hyderabad, has tested positive for Coronavirus. The actor took to social media on Tuesday to announce the same. CHANDIGARH | WEDNESDAY | 30 DECEMBER 2020 SHARVARI Gurnaaz Kaur A They lit up THE SCREEN S the year 2020 comes to a close, we look at the fresh faces who gave some powerful performances. Movies or series on OTT platforms, they left an impact. These artistes have sure carved a niche for themselves in the world of entertainment. SADIA KHATEEB TURNING POINT Pratik Gandhi FULL JUSTICE STROKE OF LUCK Many call him one of the undisputed stars of OTT. Primarily an actor in Gujarati theatre and cinema, Hansal Mehta’s biographical drama Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story has turned around Pratik’s career. He couldn’t agree more. “This year has been life-changing for me. My passion for acting has finally paid off.” Ritwik Bhowmik Sadia Khateeb The lead actor of one of the most-watched Indian web series, Bandish Bandits, Ritwik Bhowmik, who essayed the role of Radhe Rathod, gave an absolutely amazing performance. Many say he beat 150 contenders to land the part of Radhe. He sure did justice to it. Her maiden entry in the industry with Shikara was a stroke of luck. She was studying electrical engineering and had never auditioned for a film, but her picture with a friend brought her the opportunity. “Casting director Indu Sharma approached me for the role of Shanti Dhar. What happened after that is nothing but a fairytale. From becoming the character and living it to seeing it on the screen, it was the most magical three years of my life. I learnt so much and I feel truly blessed.” FLASHBACK 2020 Many fresh faces made a mark this year. Here’s knowing some of them FIRST TAKE Shreya Chaudhry ALAYA F The leading lady of Bandish Bandits, Shreya Chaudhary too was outstanding with her portrayal of Tammana Sharma, a young struggling pop singer. “The amount of love I received was overwhelming.” PRATIK GANDHI Alaya F ACT ONE She is the new star-kind on the block. Daughter of former actress and talk show host Pooja Bedi, she played on-screen daughter of Saif Ali Khan and Tabu in Jawaani Jaaneman. After impressing with her debut act, Alaya has a threefilm deal with Northern Lights Films and another one lined up with Pooja Entertainment. Shirley Setia SHREYA CHAUDHARY AADIL KHAN RITWIK BHOWMIK TANYA MANIKTALA STRONG PERFORMANCE course of her career. Nonetheless, she proved her mettle in The Forgotten Army-Aazadi Ke Liye. She gave a powerful performance in the Kabir Khan-directed series. DEWDROP IN MOTION Tanya Maniktala The dazzling Lata of A Suitable Boy, a period drama based on Vikram Seth’s bestseller and directed by Mira Nair, Tanya owned every frame she was in. She was working as an advertising copywriter when her friend asked her to audition for a new production house and her life changed. The actress once confessed how blessed she feels to have been directed by Mira Nair. The director too is mighty proud of Tanya and describes her as ‘dewdrop in motion’. Sharvari She was due to make her film debut in Bunty Aur Babli 2 with Siddhant Chaturvedi, but Covid-19 changed the YouTube singer-turnedactress Shirley Setia made her digital debut with Manisha Koirala-starrer Maska on Netflix, which has got her accolades. “I realised I loved acting once I started uploading my videos. I decided to take it up seriously and did a short course in acting at NIFA in New York. Once I moved to Mumbai, I auditioned for a lot of films. When I got selected for Maska, the director asked me to work on my dialect since I’ve lived in New Zealand mostly. It was a lot of hard work, but all that has paid off.” Actor-comedian Sunil Grover, in Chandigarh for an event, says he misses the good old days spent in City Beautiful during his student life PHOTO: PRADEEP TEWARI Sheetal An actor, stand-up comedian and more, Sunil Grover has essayed many amiable characters on screen and brought a smile to the faces of many. In Chandigarh on Christmas Eve for a live performance, Sunil says his affair with the city goes long back. “I look forward to visiting Chandigarh at this time of the year, when winter is at its peak. You miss this weather in Mumbai. And going by the pandemic changing a lot of plans, I am happy at least I could pay a visit and feel the cold in my bones. I missed being on stage and having that interaction with the audience. Their love is what makes us who we are,” he says. Chandigarh days Recalling his days at Chandigarh, as he studied in GGDSD College, MAGICAL COURSE Aadil Khan GOOD START expectations from 2021 are the same. He adds, “There is not much to add in the list of expectations. Entertainment industry suffered this year. I cannot comment on how stand-up scene in the country or other comedians got affected by the sudden standstill Corona brought along with it, but I suffered for sure.” Positive note However, one good experience for him was shooting at Pataudi Place for the upcoming series, Tandav, which also happens to be his digital debut. The political drama, which will release on January 15, also stars Saif Ali Khan, Dimple Kapadia, Mohd. Zeeshan Ayyub, Kritika Kamra and Amyra Dastur. Sunil adds, “Politics and power is the crux of the web series. I enjoyed playing the character of Gurpal Chauhan and Ali Abbas Zafar has been a great director. It was a beautiful break where we got to play cricket together at Pataudi Palace.” So, does he understand politics post the show? “I would not say that I know it all, but I have started to get a fair idea about politics and how things are twisted in our country. A little more understanding and I think I would be able to comment more.” A SMILE… WITH Sector 32, and afterwards completed postgraduation from Theatre Department, Panjab University, he says students loved this time of the year when they could crash into many parties! “Students are always good at enjoying free treats.” And if he would get some time post his show, he would definitely savour the paranthas outside General Hospital, Sector 16! Testing times As 2020 is nearing its end, his c m y b Soon, The Family Man Season 2 The much-awaited second season of Amazon Prime Video’s critically acclaimed web series The Family Man, fronted by Manoj Bajpayee, is slated to be released on February 12. The streamer on Tuesday released an intriguing first look of the show’s upcoming chapter on social media - a picture of a time bomb reading ‘2021’ as time. “Don’t know about the timer here, but we’re exploding with excitement,” the post on Amazon Prime’s official Twitter account read. Bajpayee, who plays intelligence officer Srikant Tiwari on the show, also shared the poster on Instagram. “The wait is over. This is our New Year’s gift for you. Open it carefully,” he wrote in the caption. Returning cast members also include Priyamani, Sharad Kelkar and Shreya Dhanwanthary. Created and directed by Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK, The Family Man started streaming on September 20, 2019 and opened to great reviews. — PTI RJ Nasar of Naughty Nights became Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s Shiv in Shikara, thanks to Aadil’s powerful voice. “It was like magic. The character I played in Shikara (Shiv) is a poet. So, Vidhu sir wanted to cast an actor with a certain kind of a voice. After a discussion about the character, Indu Sharma, the casting director, heard my show while she was driving home. Next day she called me to her office and asked me to test for this film. Indu really worked hard on me and helped me get into the skin of Shiv. After a few tests, finally Vidhu sir selected me.”