03042021-LSTL-01.qxd 4/3/2021 12:17 AM Page 1 c m y b TRIBUNE Book-ed! Author Ajitabha Bose is all set to write a book on comedian Kapil Sharma’s life. The book is set to be launched in the first week of May this year. LUDHIANA | SATURDAY | 3 APRIL 2021 Alia Bhatt tests Covid-positive After Ranbir Kapoor’s recent recovery from Covid19, his lady-love Alia Bhatt has tested positive for Covid-19. When the news of Ranbir being Covid positive had got out, Alia had put up a health update saying she is Covid negative but looks like now the actress has also contracted the virus. Alia took to her social media account to share the news with her fans and said that she was taking all the necessary precautions and had quarantined herself. The shooting of Alia Bhatt’s Gangubai Kathiawadi has been put on hold as of now. Earlier too, the film’s shooting had to be stopped on several occasions. First, there was the nationwide lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic. Then director Sanjay Leela Bhansali had tested positive because of which the shoot had to be put on hold. Health lessons from Vaani Kapoor Vaani Kapoor is keen to share how to lead a healthy and nutritious life on social media. The fit actress will be looking to engage with real people and share her tips on how to stay fit despite being in a constant high-pressure environment. Vaani, who has always grabbed eye balls because of her dropdead gorgeous body, has already started sharing her diet plans, gym routine, tricks to lead a balanced lifestyle, etc. Vaani says, “I genuinely believe in holistic healing. It helps create a balance in our thoughts, which eventually helps our spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical being. I’m constantly trying to learn more about living a healthy, happy life and would be most happy if I can share my learning with people, converse with them and learn more from their knowledge of nutrition and health.” Changing contours T Mainstream cinema is not going anywhere, says actor Abhishek Bachchan HE audience seems to prefer realistic content on OTT platforms lately, but actor Abhishek Bachchan feels the importance that mainstream cinema enjoys will never fade. “The kind of storytelling, songs, dance will not go. You will get a different aspect of it because of the various platforms available. You will see a variant of it but mainstream cinema is not going anywhere. Are protagonists going to be superhuman? That is something that will change,” he says. The actor adds that there is a certain trend that thrives in the industry but it goes away in a few years. “In the ‘70s and the ‘80s rebellious love was a big theme — non-acceptance from the girl’s or boy’s side. But that changed in the ‘90s, where, in Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Shah Rukh Khan said I will not run away. I will win the family over. So you cannot generalise. Storytelling will adapt as per the wishes of the audience,” he says. He adds that the protagonists of films today cannot be compared to those of older films. “I think the audiences’ tastes change every seven to 10 years. That’s because a new generation of cinema viewers comes in and with them they bring in their choices, likes and dislikes. You cannot compare the protagonist from 1940 to 2010. It has always changed. That’s how organically cinema grows,” he says. Up next Meanwhile, the actor, who will soon be seen in the film The Big Bull, says that the ❝ I THINK THE AUDIENCES’ TASTES CHANGE EVERY SEVEN TO 10 YEARS. THAT’S BECAUSE A NEW GENERATION OF CINEMA VIEWERS COMES IN WITH THEIR CHOICES. ABHISHEK BACHCHAN film was expected to have a theatrical release but the pandemic forced them to go for a digital premiere instead. “The film was thought of, envisaged and dreamt of as a big screen spectacle. If you see the trailer, the songs, as well as everything else, is larger than life. It has been shot keeping the big screen in mind. We intended this for the cinemas,” he says. He adds: “Being a film actor, from a film family and having grown up in movie theatres, there is no happier place for me than inside the movie theatre with popcorn, samosa and a cold drink. You want to get back to the theatres but the silver lining is that the audience will get to see your work (if you release digitally).” In fact, while they had finished shooting The Big Bull, many members from the team were infected with Covid during the postproduction. “We had finished shooting the film before lockdown. The film was slated for an October release. Then, lockdown happened and we decided to release it digitally. There was no clarity as to what would happen to cinemas. (The film’s producer) Ajay (Devgn) spoke to me in April and said that we should release the film digitally. We didn’t know if theatres open and if people would come. So we thought, why not release it digitally since we know people will watch. We had some tweaks left which we had to shoot. We did this when I recovered from Covid. Then (director) Kookie (Gulati) got Covid, one of the co-producers got infected too. Thankfully, everyone is safe now. Most of the shoot was finished before Covid struck our country,” he says. — IANS Well prepared Kangana Ranaut rehearsed Chali chali song for a month, says Thalaividirector Kangana Ranaut prepared for the song Chali chali in Thalaivi for almost a month before shooting it, says the film’s Thalaivi. Kangana plays late Tamil Nadu chief minister J. Jayalalithaa in the film, and the director says the shoot was perfect because of the abundant time they spent at rehearsals. “Jayalalithaa ji’s persona on screen was alluring and it was a great responsibility to recreate the same in Thalaivi. However, given the strong screen presence of our very own four- Dia announces her pregnancy Dia Mirza, who is currently in Maldives with her husband, announced her pregnancy on April 1. Revealing the good news, Dia shared an adorable post on her Instagram account. She posted a sundappled picture of herself with heartfelt words that read, “Blessed to be... One with Mother Earth... One with the Life DIA MIRZA Wandering in the right direction Oscar-nominated Nomadland is a slice of pure cinema that throws light on the otherwise invisible nomads, the ‘post recession refugees’ who face life chin-up Nonika Singh MALAIKA ARORA Big B, Malaika get vaccinated Amongst others, many Bollywood stars have also taken their first jab of the Covid-19 vaccine. Joining the list is megastar Amitabh Bachchan and actress Malaika Arora. In a blog post, Big B revealed that he got the first jab of the vaccine with the entire family except his son Abhishek Bachchan. Sharing the news, Big B also dropped a photo of himself taking the first jab. He wrote, “Done ... vaccination done ... all well ...” Malaika Arora, who battled Covid-19 in 2020 also got her first dose of the vaccine on Friday. Sharing the news, Malaika wrote, “I took the first dose of the Covid vaccine. Because #wereinthistogether! Let’s go AMITABH BACHCHAN warriors, let’s win this #WarAgainstVirus. Don’t forget to take yours soon!”Along with the note, Malaika shared a photo where she is seen taking the first dose. Nomads and their ‘ houseless’ but not homeless existence... Well, what pushes them to a life on the road, moving from one place to another in search of life and livelihood. Nomadland — the much acclaimed film which has been on an award winning spree ever since it premiered at the Venice Film Festival and won The Golden Lion and now comes to theatres in India — is no average film. Based on the non-fiction book Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century by Jessica Bruder, nor is it everyone’s cup of tea. But an auteur’s delight it sure is. As we are taken en route the journey of Fern, we meet a bunch of these elderly men and women, senior citizens in Indian parlance. If Fern had to leave her home at Empire, Nevada, for the factory she was working in has closed down and her husband is no more, many other characters such as Linda May, a real life nomad, have their own stories to tell. Sad, a bit tragic too as in the case of Swankie, might be their back stories, but Nomadland is no tearjerker. Emotive and empathetic yes....in fact two time Oscar NEW RELEASE Film: Nomadland Director: Chloé Zhao Cast: Frances McDormand, David Strathairn, Linda May, Charlene Swankie, Bob Wells, Derek Endres, Peter Spears and Tay Strathairn Rating:  winner Frances McDormand as Fern is so brilliant that it would be no surprise if she wins the Academy Award again for which she is nominated (Best Actress.) Every crevice of her face speaks and her portrayal of this woman trying to grapple with the new reality of her life chin-up stays with you for a very, very long time. Equally arresting is music (by Ludovico Einaudi) matching the cinematography at once haunting and aesthetic. Joshua James c m y b Richards captures the vast landscapes, full force of water against the rocks, the desertscape of Arizona and the human faces it lingers on, why his camera seems to be in love with its subject. The director writer Chloé Zhao, only the second woman and the first Asian woman to pick up the Golden Globe award as best director, however, maintains suitable distance. Even when she shows how nomads bond with each other, or shines light on the plight of ageing men and women who do all kinds of odd jobs (including cleaning toilets) to get by, there is no overt sentimentality. Yes, you empathise with these people living outside of the over hyped American dream. But Chloé Zhao tells it all simply and effectively time National Award winner Kangana ji, she worked really hard and rehearsed the song almost for a month to get utmost perfection and the shoot unfolded quite smoothly,” he says. The song recreates the commencement of Jayalalithaa’s cinematic journey before she entered politics. The director says that a lot of research was done to make sure that the song was perfect. Thalaivi is slated to release in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu on April 23. — IANS without heightened excitement. Even when one of its real characters Bob Wells, which provides a support system and community for fellow nomads, makes a startling revelation, there is no dramatic exaggeration. As he talks about his late son and shares, “there is never time to say final goodbye,” she is not forcing you to shed copious tears, only understand this new world which is as real as strange. An Oscar favourite, nominated in best film and best direction categories, the film that won the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival exemplifies what pure cinema is about. Sans gimmicks, it makes people who are largely invisible and as author Jessica Bruder calls them ‘post recession refugees’ visible. Their ‘wander years’ may not exactly be wonder years but do come with pleasures and joys of a life, even when endgame is only close by. One for the road acquires a whole new meaning as Fern takes to the road, ruling out easier options. Screening in cinemas near you, watch it if you have taste for the unexpected and unusual stories and ready to invest in tales of those who exist on the margins. nonikasingh@tribunemail.com Force that is the beginning of everything... Of all stories. Lullabies. Songs. Of new saplings. And the blossoming of hope. Blessed to cradle this purest of all dreams in my womb.” Since then, wishes have been pouring in for her, including those from Anushka Sharma and Priyanka Chopra Jonas. Anushka Sharma replied with a heart emoji and Priyanka Chopra took to the comments section and wrote, “Omgeeeeeee Congratulations Deee!!” Dia Mirza got married to businessman Vaibhav Rekhi at an intimate ceremony in February 2021. Saba calls off her wedding Pakistani actress Saba Qamar, who was seen opposite Irrfan Khan in the film Hindi Medium, has cancelled her wedding. She took to Instagram and issued a statement that read, “Hi Everyone. I have a very important announcement to make; due to a lot of personal reasons I have decided to call it off with Azeem Khan. We are not getting married now, hope you guys will support my decision just like you all have been supporting me always, and I guess it’s never too late to realise the bitter realities!” She added, “I also wanted to clear one important thing that is: ‘I have never Met Azeem Khan in my life, we were only connected over the phone...” “I also wanted to clear one important thing that is: ‘I have never Met Azeem Khan in my life, we were only connected over the phone” SABA QAMAR IN HINDI MEDIUM