22032021-LSTC-01.qxd 3/21/2021 11:04 PM Page 1 c m y b TRIBUNE No issues Actress Sonakshi Sinha says that she doesn’t pay much heed to trolls. She adds that there was a point when what they said would really bother her, but not anymore. ‘AUDIENCE CARES ONLY FOR THE FILM’ IANS Actor Rana Daggubati feels the audience cares only for the film and not where the person making it is coming from. Rana is ready to release his new trilingual biggie Haathi Mere Saathi. IANS CHANDIGARH | MONDAY | 22 MARCH 2021 Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma, who is back to portraying the underworld with his upcoming movie D Company, says the pandemic has given him the time to reflect and made him a better person Crime, canvas & an artist! ture this 35-year-long story in a web series soon. D company sees a theatrical release despite the restrictions coming into play once again. “One would wish things were different, but they are as they are and one has got to take the call.” The pandemic sure has changed the way we live and Varma hasn’t been left untouched. “I feel that the pandemic has made me a better person. I had more time to reflect, catch up on films and read,” he opines. Mona C RIME thrillers are nothing new to filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma and by the end of March, one can witness another of his outings in the underworld — D Company. As the title suggests, the film is based around one of the most dreaded underworld dons — Dawood Ibrahim, and the rise of a street gang into an international syndicate. “I compare myself to a naturalist who is out to study wild animals. Just that quest doesn’t make me one though! But what I am interested in is what goes behind the scenes,” says Varma, something that he is out to explore with D Company. He is not the one to label criminals as bad or monstrous just like that. “I would rather study the cirSOCIAL MEDIA HAS SHOWN cumstances that sent someone THAT PEOPLE HAVE LOTS OF down the crimiFREE TIME, NOT ONLY IN OUR nal lane; only if COUNTRY BUT ALL OVER we know the THE WORLD. reasons, we can RAM GOPAL VARMA find the solutions.” ❝ Harman Baweja gets married After pre-wedding ceremonies spread over two days, actor-producer Harman Baweja tied the knot with Sasha Ramchandani during an Anand Karaj ceremony at a gurdwara in Kolkata on Sunday (March 21). The wedding was an intimate affair, which was attended by the couple’s families and close friends. Actress Shilpa Shetty shared a video from the ceremony on Instagram and congratulated the newlyweds. She wrote, “Congratulations #Harman and #sasha … Here’s to new HARMAN BAWEJA WITH SASHA RAMCHANDANI beginnings filled with unconditional love, happiness and friendship forever. So happy for you guys.” Harman wore a pink sherwani paired with a white turban, and the bride was in a maroon and pink lehenga. LITTLE VALUE STILLS FROM D COMPANY REAL TOUCH Starting his career with films like Satya and later Company, based on the Mumbai underworld, Varma insists that D Company would present an entirely new canvas. While his earlier silver screen out- ings were fictionalised accounts of newspaper stories and information gathered from crime reporters, here is the rise of a real don from Dongri. “It’s the real story of the D company,” offers Varma, who also intends to cap- Known for speaking his mind, the director of super-hit film Rangeela doesn’t see the need to change despite the social media, where anything and everything can be blown out of proportion in a matter of minutes. “Social media has shown that people have lots of free time, not only in our country but all over the world. Much of it holds little value.” As for him, he intends to maintain his stance, “What’s the point if one cannot express oneself?” D Company, which will be out in cinemas on March 26, offers him that chance. mona@tribunemail.com Missing the days of fun Alia Bhatt and Priyanka Chopra seem to be missing their beach vacations! Alia posted a picture on Instagram on Saturday, exuding grace and oomph in equal measure.The image captures Alia underwater in a pool, as she swims in a twopiece. Recalling the time when the picture was taken, Alia captioned it as: “It was the best day.” On the other hand, Priyanka also shared a throwback picture from before the pandemic. In the picture, Picture shared by Alia Bhatt on Instagram Priyanka is seen chilling on the beach in Bahamas. She is seen wearing a black and white striped dress while Up next for Rani Mukerji... she sits on a bean bag, wearing her big black shades. Nick is also seen behind her in a green tank top. On her birthday (March 21), Rani Mukerji gave her fans a treat. The actress is set to feature in the film Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway. According to reports, the film will be based on the controversial 2011 true story of an Indian couple whose children were taken away from them by Norwegian welfare services. The film is currently in pre-production stage. Ashima Chibber has scripted the movie and will also direct it. Says Rani Mukerji, “There could have been no better way to celebrate my birthday than announce this really important film.” To welcome the festival of colours, this week has a great line up of new shows and movie premieres March 24: 7 Kadam on Eros Now Helmed by Mohit Jha, 7 Kadam is a sports drama based on the story of a father (Ronit Roy) and son (Amit Sadh), who connect over their passion for football, but cross paths in the clash of ideals and morals. This gripping narrative chronicles the workings of fate when the son joins his father’s nemesis in the football arena. March 24: 1232 KMS on Disney+ Hotstar Ranveer, Kiara to pair up... Last month, there were talks that Ranveer Singh would star in South-Indian filmmaker Shankar’s next movie. The actor has been looking to do a pan-India film at this stage of his career and was in talks with several filmmakers. However, nothing materialised until reports suggested his next would be with Shankar. Now, reportedly, Kiara Advani will romance Ranveer Singh in the film. ... to star in South-Indian filmmaker Shankar’s movie The actress has become a favourite currently after the success of Kabir Singh, followed by Good Newwz. She also has many films lined up, including Shershaah, Jug Jugg Jeeyo and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2. Six weeks after the largest nationwide lockdown in India on 21 March 2020, seven migrant workers decided to return to their village in Saharsa Bihar — 1232 kilometres away from their location in Delhi. With everything shut down in the city, these men set off on bicycles with nothing but hope of reunit- WEBSOLUTE FUN On a dramatic note ing with their families. Elevating this real-life story with striking and soulful music is the legendary lyricist Gulzar saab, and music composer-director Vishal Bhardwaj. March 26: on Netflix Pagglait The film follows the story of recently widowed Sandhya struggling to mourn the death of her husband, as she sets out on the path of self-discovery, attempting to find her identity and purpose in life — all this while living amidst the quirky members of her joint family. The film stars Sanya Malhotra, Sayani Gupta, Ashutosh Rana, Raghubir Yadav and Rajesh Tailang, among others. March 26: Silence on ZEE5 Right from the start, director Aban Bharucha Deohans has created intrigue in this murder mystery, where Manoj Bajpayee along with his team traces the mysterious disappearance of a woman. As she prepares to leave her house, a tragedy befalls, following which she disappears and her corpse is discovered by trekkers a day later. Prachi Desai will be making her digital debut with this and will be seen as a cop. March 26: OK Computer on Disney+ Hotstar Helmed by the makers of the cult films Ship of Theseus and Tumbbad, OK Computer is an unconventional series that focuses on the battle between ideologies — for and against technology. It features an ensemble cast, including Radhika Apte, Vijay Varma, Jackie Shroff, Rasika Duggal and others. March 26: Supervillain: The Making of Tekashi 6ix9ine on Voot Select This documentary series profiles the hip-hop artist Tekashi 6ix9ine’s epic rise to notoriety and spectacular fall to a convicted criminal. In the three-part series, director Karam Gill examines the complicity of our culture today and much more. March 26: Retaliation on Zee Plex (Zee5) Critically acclaimed after its recent release in the US, Retaliation features a careerbest performance by Orlando Bloom. Geoff Thompson’s script is inspired by his own real-life experiences, with Retaliation drawing praise for its exceptional performances and authentic direction. Fuelled by anger, the film is about a demolition worker who seeks revenge against the man he holds responsible for a traumatic childhood incident. Supervillain: The Making of Tekashi 6ix9ine SILENCE PAGGLAIT OK COMPUTER 7 KADAM c m y b RETALIATION Love-ly lanes Natasha joins husband Varun Dhawan on shoot Varun Dhawan is currently shooting for his upcoming movie Bhediya in Arunachal Pradesh and he has now been joined by his wife Natasha Dalal. Varun shared videos and pictures on his Instagram handle where he can be seen enjoying a boat ride with his wifey. As Arunachal Pradesh’s climate is cold, Varun and Natasha can be seen wearing warm clothes.