29052022-LSTC-01.qxd 5/28/2022 11:13 PM Page 1 c m y b TRIBUNE KGF 3? There is a strong buzz suggesting that Hrithik Roshan might be a part of KGF Chapter 3. Responding to the rumours, producer Vijay Kiragandur said they had not decided upon it yet. TMS LUDHIANA | SUNDAY | 29 MAY 2022 Gun is not glory! ISTOCK Sheetal Big O ghaghre vi gaye phulkariyan vi gaiyaan… Ho ki banu duniya da Randeep Hooda’s first look as Swatantra Veer Savarkar salute May 28 marked the 139th birth anniversary of freedom fighter Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. On the occasion, makers of Swatantra Veer Savarkar released the first look of Randeep Hooda, who is portraying the powerful character of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. The poster reads, ‘Hindutva Dharm Nahin, Itihaas Hai’. The film will go on the floors in August 2022. Randeep Hooda says, “This is a salute to one of the great unsung heroes of India’s struggle for freedom. I hope I can live up to the challenge of filling such big shoes of a true revolutionary and tell his real story, which had THIS IS A SALUTE TO ONE been brushed under the car- OF THE GREAT UNSUNG pet for so long.” HEROES OF INDIA’S STRUGGLE Director Mahesh Manjrekar adds, “People may FOR FREEDOM. I HOPE I CAN have different versions in LIVE UP TO THE CHALLENGE OF their minds for Savarkar, but FILLING SUCH BIG SHOES OF A as a filmmaker I’m trying to TRUE REVOLUTIONARY AND match the same thought TELL HIS REAL STORY. which Savarkar had. So, the character of Savarkar in the film will not be any different from what he was in real life. He was the iconic freedom fighter and we’ll ensure that he’s never forgotten by any Indian ever.” ❝ W HEN veteran singer Gurdas Maan and youth icon Diljit Dosanjh sang this song together in 2015, the future of Punjabi music looked bright. Not that it didn’t happen, but at the cost of losing the rich vocabulary. As Punjab’s CM Bhagwant Mann calls for stricter action on growing violence and gun culture in Punjabi songs, we seek the views of singers, lyricist and producers and also whether the formation of a governing body for Punjabi music would curb creative freedom? Violence, cuss words and aggression are rife in Punjabi songs as of now. So, can a governing body tame this growing culture? We find out Not the ideal way Last year in January, singer and lyricist Shree Brar was arrested, while singer KS Makhan was held in Canada for praising gun culture and then Sidhu Moosewala was booked under the Arms Act. The controversial singerturned-politician even went on to release the song Sanju, a day after his bail by a Sangrur court, comparing his case with that of the famous Sanjay Dutt. Whither Punjabi culture? Writer and poet Surjit Patar opines, “It’s not just the violence, repetition of words and music on limited subjects that is worrisome. Our singers are moving away from the culture Punjab represents. Punjabi music has rhythm; bhangra and dhol should go a step further with lyrics.” On the governing body debate, he adds, “Talks have been on for long, but no action has been taken as yet. As far as the creative freedom is concerned, banning songs or singers is not the only job such a body will have. The longterm goal should be to enhance the audiences’ taste in all the art forms by exposing them to good content.” Rupinder Sandhu, owner of a music production company, says, “Besides enriching the content, artistes will be benefitted immensely through such a body. We all know how in Mumbai the local film board has set rates for their studios and functions. The same way, all the matters can be addressed here as well.” Lyricist Gill Raunta has a different viewpoint. “We write what we observe. An artistes’ work is mirror to the society. Vailpuna and Hathyar are not new words; I won’t deny that songs leave an impression on people but the society also Ranveer to rock Yash Raj Films’ first historical film Prithviraj has been re-titled Samrat Prithviraj. YRF has opened advance bookings of the film from today (May 29). The film’s lead actor, Akshay Kumar says, “Samrat Prithviraj Chauhan’s life is truly inspirational. The values he stood for, the courage he wielded, the purity he had in his heart and the love he had for his motherland, makes him an exceptional human being. He is a great example of what an Indian should be.” The actor adds, “I want all kids to watch Samrat Prithviraj and hope it becomes a part of the curriculum in schools. It is a film that can teach us many things. I’m honoured to be bringing the story of this legendary warrior to the children.” Viewers’ choice “Music is a creative art form. Some people will like the art, some won’t. The ones we don’t like, we can’t ban them,” believes music producer Sameer Singh Sandhu. He adds, “We always talk about movies like Godfather or Vastav or series like Narcos; they show violent stuff, but no one talks about banning them. Same goes for music. One can listen to artistes like Malkit Singh, Satinder Sartaaj, Jasbir Jassi and Gurdas Maan, who never sing anything related to violence.” So, even if Punjabi music goes back to the old times in future, what is the guarantee that the audience won’t switch to Western hip-hop music, which has the same references? Only God knows! It’s Samrat Prithviraj now The actor to perform at IPL’s closing ceremony determines what is being written. More than the violence, the vulgar-vocabulary in songs is a bigger issue,” adds Gill. Ranveer Singh has been roped in to perform at this year’s IPL closing ceremony on Sunday (May 29) in Ahmedabad. According to Duff & Phelps’ report, Ranveer’s brand valuation currently stands at 158 million USD, an impressive growth from 102.93 million USD in 2020. Thus, Ranveer ranks number two this year, next only to Virat Kohli. A global youth icon for Indians, Ranveer recently represented India at the Dubai Expo, NBA in USA and Premier League in UK. TMS Designer Siddhartha Bansal, Punjabi actress Sonam Bajwa and rapper Mellow D High on fashion Mona Joylandpockets Cannes sidebar Jury Prize Pakistani film Joyland, written and directed by debutant Saim Sadiq, won the Jury Prize in the Un Certain Regard section of the 75th Cannes Film Festival on Friday, becoming the first-ever film from the subcontinent to bag the award. The award for Joyland represents a global breakthrough of immeasurable proportions for the relatively small Pakistani movie industry. Incidentally, Joyland also won the Prix Queer Palm, awarded by Jury chaired by filmmaker Catherine Corsini. One of the central characters in the film is a transwoman played by a real-life transwoman Alina Khan. The Un Certain Regard Best Director Award went to the Romanian director Alexandre Belc for Metronom, while the Best Screenplay Prize was bagged by the Israeli-Palestinian director Maha Haj for Mediterranean Fever. — PTI WAR PONY POODLE FETCHES PALM DOG A day before Cannes Film Festival’s top prize, the Palme d’Or, the real scene-stealers get their awards at the annual Palm Dog ceremony. Britney, a standard poodle who stars in Riley Keough’s directorial debut War Pony, was crowned the top dog this year, snagging the coveted gilded collar prize. Britney, who plays a wellloved character called Beast, was unable to attend the ceremony, but two elaborately-coiffed poodles stood in to receive her prize. A new award was added this year, the Elvis Palm Hound Dog—a nod to Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis biopic, a top festival draw. It went to Titane, a sharp-muzzled mutt with pointy ears. REUTERS THE WORST ONES WINS TOP PRIZE IN ‘UN CERTAIN REGARD’ COMPETITION The Worst Ones, a film set in the working class suburbs of the northern French city Boulogne-sur-Mer won the top prize in the “Un Certain Regard” competition. The Worst Ones, directed by Lise Akoka and Romane Gueret, explores the challenges of street casting, telling the story of a community’s reaction to the arrival of a film crew. REUTERS c m y b Leading lady Confident and colourful was the vibe as Punjabi actress Sonam Bajwa, designer Siddhartha Bansal and rapper Mellow D got together for a night high on glamour in Chandigarh on Friday. Sonam turned muse for Siddhartha, a Delhi boy who trained to be a designer at Niift, Mohali. While for Siddhartha, fashion comes naturally—his mother a self-taught artist, and his colourful vibe growing up; green pants and red shirt, which he donned with confidence; Sonam admitted to being new to the ramp and slowly enjoying the process. Finding inspiration in India—its mythology and vibrant culture, Siddhartha is aiming at timeless couture pieces. “If one thing the pandemic has driven home, it is to opt for sustainable practices. Also, India has always been into sustainability—the sarees that have been passed on from generation to generation are a simple proof of it,” he says. His colourful, vibrant designs fit well on the flamboyant Ranveer Singh. The Bajirao Mastani actor recently donned the ice-cream stripe co-ord set by Siddhartha. Siddhartha paired up with Sonam Bajwa for Lakme Fashion Week 2022 earlier. “I love his designs and in fact before wearing it for the Blenders Pride Fashion Nights, I hadn’t seen the outfit despite the temptation to do so,” shares Sonam, who has established herself as the leading lady of Pollywood. “I have got so much love from Punjab,” says Sonam, who will next be seen in Sher Bagga, opposite Ammy Virk, which is releasing on June 10. While Sonam is open to OTT and Hindi films, she is quite content with Punjabi projects coming her way. Joining them is rapper Mellow D, who is basically from Karnal and started writing from his school days. A rather soft name for the rap world, he says, “Yes there is street rap that talks of real life and challenges, but Mellow D works for me.” The rapper has lived in Chandigarh for an extended period with Diljit Dosanjh. “I love Chandigarh and its easy-breezy vibe,” says the independent artiste, who has been part of Hindi films like Roohi, Dasvi and Bhool Bhulaiya 2.