20042022-LSTC-01.qxd 19-04-2022 23:07 Page 1 c m y b B PRAAK’S NEW TRACK Teri Mitti hit-maker B Praak is set to release his new track, titled Duniya, which is based on the play, Macbeth. The musician will double as a narrator for the track, the music video of which stars Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety fame Sunny Singh and Mahesh Manjrekar’s daughter, Sai Manjrekar. IANS TRIBUNE It’s a wrap Life Award winning filmmaker Sudhanshu Saria’s upcoming film Sanaa has wrapped up its shoot. Radhika Madan will be seen essaying the titular role. —IANS CHANDIGARH | WEDNESDAY | 20 APRIL 2022 Badhaai to Bhumi The actress bags two awards at the Asia One Awards Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui Gulabo Sitabo Article 15 Decoding the glorious decade As Vicky Donor clocks 10 years today, meaningful cinema’s poster boy Ayushmann Khurrana gets candid about his cinematic journey Nonika Singh T ODAY his name is a sureshot ticket to meaningful, sensible and statement cinema. Ayushmann Khurrana might be an unlikely superstar but his track record is more enviable than many who have ruled the marquee for longer. As our very own Chandigarh boy jogs down the memory lane, recalling his street theatre days on the very streets where today he is mobbed effusively by his ever-growing tribe of fans, the feeling he admits is surreal. As is his journey in filmdom. Looking back at his first film Vicky Donor, a runaway Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan Vicky Donor hit which released exactly 10 years ago (April 20, 2012), a flood of happy memories come rushing back. The first time he faced the camera for the film, his first meeting with director Shoojit Sircar, “I could sense his vibe and the look in his eye told me that he wanted me as a lead and I knew I was in safe hands,” and the very first shot he canned with his co-star Yami Gautam. Sure, a well estab- lished anchor at that point, he wasn’t exactly camera shy but states, “As an anchor you look into the camera and as an actor you have to learn to ignore the camera as well as tone down your histrionics.” Without a doubt over the years he has evolved as an actor. Gazing at the rushes of Vicky Donor, he has no qualms in admitting, “I was raw back then.” He has evolved as an actor yet his approach to his character is no less diligent. Of course, for characters that are close to his lived experience, he doesn’t need to work very hard. But for films out of his comfort zone he does go out of the way. Like say for an Andhadhun, he not only learnt the piano, but for acing the blind man act he even wore lenses which impaired his vision by 80 per cent. I would like to If the optics of believe I am the same the film is right, I am ok person, who moved from with doing any character. Chandigarh to Mumbai with Today, one is a part of dreams in his eyes, an realistic cinema and intimacy outsider who likes to too is fine provided it doesn’t watch films as an look cheap and is audience. aesthetically shot. Andhadhun Bala Full on masala! Ranveer rocks Actress Huma Qureshi will be essaying the role of India’s first ever home chef Tarla Dalal in an upcoming biopic, titled Tarla, directed by Piyush Gupta. Huma says, “Tarla Dalal reminds me of my childhood. My mom had a copy of her book in the kitchen and would often try many of her recipes for my school tiffin. I also clearly remember the time when I helped mom make Tarla’s homemade mango ice cream. This role has taken me back to those sweet childhood memories and I am very thankful to Ronnie, Ashwini and Nitesh for having faith in me to play this awe-inspiring character.” The film is jointly produced by Ronnie Screwvala, Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari and Nitesh Tiwari. —IANS Trailer of Jayeshbhai Jordaar was dropped by the makers on Tuesday and its lead actor Ranveer Singh has left everyone impressed. Ranveer plays the hilarious character, Jayeshbhai, who does everything in his power to save his girl child. The trailer shows Jayeshbhai’s wife (Shalini Pandey) is pregnant and the couple is worried whether they would have a daughter or a son. It all goes downhill when the doctor says ‘Jai Mata Di’ and reveals the sex of the child. Post that, the journey of Jayeshbhai and his wife trying to save their unborn daughter begins. While the plot seems quite impactful, the trailer leaves one in splits. This is the first time that Ranveer will be seen as a father. He is torn between the rules of society and the gentle heart of a father. Crackling chemistry! Priyanka Chopra will be seen in the movie, It’s All Coming Back To Me, with actor Sam Heughan. For the unversed, the movie was earlier titled Text For You. The first official still from the movie is out now and fans can’t get over Priyanka and Sam’s chemistry in just that one shot. Sam took to his social media handle and shared this still from the movie with Priyanka. In the caption Sam wrote film’s release date which is February 10 next year. However, Sam later on deleted his post. Priyanka is yet to announce the movie on her social media account but the picture has already gone viral. c m y b Then for Article 15, he read up on caste-based discrimination as well as Dr BR Ambedkar. Synonymous with issue-based cinema, he firmly believes, “I will never do a film whose messaging is not right.” Well, he would love to switch genres like he has for two of his forthcoming films—Anek, a political thriller and An Action Hero, both of which he deems ‘genre breakers’. In An Action Hero about which he wrote on Instagram “Dikkat Bas Ek Hi Hai, Mujhe Ladne Ki Acting Aati Hai, Ladna Nahin,” he plays an action star, who gets into a real life situation where he has to fight. A masala entertainer is ok too, “only it has to be different.” Whether being different also becomes formulaic at some point, he avers, “Every actor has a staple genre.” Yet, he considers those parts which like say an Andhadhun, Anek and An Action Hero, “away from my statement genre” as most challenging. Whether days of Ram Charan organises langar at the Golden Temple superstars are over or not, this new-age superstar observes, “Scripts are the real superstars. I keep scripts on a pedestal. I am not a selfish actor. I treat every actor in my film as a leading actor. Be it Badhaai Ho or Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan, there is a great ensemble in my films.” Part of some quirky cinema, including the forthcoming Dr G, in which he plays a gynecologist, again challenging a taboo, surprisingly the actor shares he has no quirks in real life. If one decade in the industry has made him an actor to reckon with, where does he see himself 10 years down the line? Wearing a producer’s hat is very much a possibility. Director’s baton, however, belongs to his other half Tahira Kashyap, who he gushes, is “a natural director, like I am a natural actor.” Being an actor of several films which evoke empathy for others, he admits has made him a better husband, father, son; rather a better person. Another change that has taken place over the years is that he is less open to others’ opinions and is crystal clear about his choices. Once he may have said success is a lousy teacher but today he reasons, “Success gives you a lot of confidence, lets you have a say in the industry.” Indeed, acutely aware that you can’t be forever on the top of “a small and temporary space”, he knows how retaining success is no easy task. And he sums up his uphill journey that constantly calls for up-scaling poetically, “Manjil par pahunchna bhi aur wahan khade rahena bhi, bahut mushkil hai bade ho kar bade rehna bhi.” Mark of gratitude Ram Charan is currently shooting for his next movie in Punjab, tentatively titled RC15. The actor organised langar seva at Amritsar’s Golden Temple as a mark of gratitude for the love and adoration he received for RRR. Ram Charan’s wife Upasana Konidela represented him at the langar seva by feeding pilgrims at the temple. Later, the Gurudwara Committee gifted a portrait of the Golden Temple to Upasana. Upasana shared a video and few pictures on her social media about the same. She wrote, “As a mark of gratitude Mr C hosted a langar seva at the golden temple in Amritsar. I had the privilege & opportunity to represent him by participating in the seva as he was shooting for #RC15. RC & I feel blessed.” Versatile actress Bhumi Pednekar has displayed her humanitarian side by becoming a Covid Warrior when the pandemic was at its peak. Bhumi, along with a team, reached out to the people in distress and arrange for medical facilities during the Covid-19 waves in India. Now, she has been honoured for her efforts during the pandemic. Bhumi bagged two awards at the Asia One Awards. She was honoured with the Covid-19 commitment Award 2021-22 and the Black Swan PathBreaking Actor of the Year 2021-22 award for the movie, Badhaai Do. Sharing a picture, elated Bhumi took to Instagram and wrote, “One for #CovidWarrior, One for #BadhaaiDo, both for posterity & hope. ” She’s back with bang Actress Natalie Portman is back and more powerful than ever in the first teaser for Thor: Love and Thunder. The fourth film in the Thor series is directed by Taika Waititi, who helmed the well-received Thor: Ragnarok. Thor: Love & Thunder teaser reveals Natalie as the new Thor The movie follows on the heels of Avengers: Endgame, which ended with Thor Odinson, adrift after the fall of his kingdom Asgard, leaving Earth with the Guardians of the Galaxy. The teaser begins with him as a member of the group, with Chris Pratt, Pom Klementieff, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel set to reprise their roles. Portman reprises the role of Jane after last appearing in 2013’s Thor: the Dark World.—IANS