18062022-LSTL-01.qxd 6/17/2022 11:01 PM Page 1 c m y b ENJOYING THE NEW PHASE Shriya Pilgaonkar says that she’s here to showcase her versatility through her performances and is consciously seeking projects that prevent her from being stereotyped. Shriya says, “This truly is an exciting, new phase in my career and I have nothing but gratitude for the love and appreciation coming my way. IANS TRIBUNE Look within Life The Hindi film industry needs to analyse the kind of content it is serving, says Varun Dhawan. He believes theatrical business across the globe has taken a hit due to the pandemic. —PTI LUDHIANA | SATURDAY | 18 JUNE 2022 Young and restless Mona T They mean business Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt turn producers with Brahmastra Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt have hopped on board as co-producers for Ayan Mukerji’s Brahmastra. A source says, “It was Brahmastra producer Karan Johar, who suggested that Ranbir and Alia come on board as producers. Karan is close to both, especially Alia.” Interestingly Alia already has a production house, Eternal Sunshine Productions, which she had a launched in March 2019. Meanwhile, director Ayan Mukerji expresses his gratitude for the love that Brahmastra trailer received. Taking to Instagram, Ayan shared a long note that read, “A deeply heartfelt Thank You for the love, encouragement and excitement that the Trailer is receiving. It means… everything to me. I feel so energised today – as we enter this last lap leading up to our film’s release! We will give all that energy, and more… our absolute best – to give you guys – a new amazing cinematic experience with Brahmästra…one that I hope you will feel proud on September 9th – Here we come! With Love, Light and Gratitude, – Ayan & Team Brahmästra.” O be an actor was always the plan for this Deol scion – Karan. As much as he got inspired by his family – grandfather Dharmendra, father Sunny, uncle Bobby and other members of the clan, it was the global hit Star Wars that furthered his interest in films. A huge fan of this American franchise, the George Lucas’ wonder reaffirmed his faith in the power of cinema and the alternate world. “So many times I have gone alone to watch a film. I can’t wait to enter that world for two hours, to be taken on a thrilling ride. Whether my friends are sitting next to me or not, matters the least,” says Karan, as his film Velle is scheduled to have world television premiere. “As a kid you wish for so many things. It’s only when you gain maturity, you truly realise what you want to do. It was Star Wars that inspired me to be a part of the creative process,” says Karan. He labels the George Lucas film to be a magical experience. “It was as if I could connect to the characters - Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi Karan Deol might be full of energy on the sets, but he says he is methodical while approaching a scene, which worked to his advantage while playing his character for Velle and Darth Vader. Even after the film finished I wanted more – to see their journey, such was the power it held on me,” shares Karan, who watched the film at least 10 times. Acting gave that platform to Karan for which he is immensely happy. “The very journey to get into the character and working with young co-actors and very talented director was a great process.” He loves that as an actor he Hrithik Roshan’s grandma passes away Hrithik Roshan’s maternal grandmother, Padma Rani Omprakash, passed away in Mumbai on June 16. She was 91. Reportedly, she was suffering from age-related illness and was bedridden. She was late film producer J Om Prakash’s wife. Padma was staying with her daughter Pinkie Roshan (Hrithik Roshan’s mother). On Friday, Pinkie took to Instagram and posted a series of pictures, informing the demise of her mother. She shared her mother’s picture and wrote, “My mother Padma Rani Omprakash left us for her onward journey to reunite with daddy… love peace gratitude…” Earlier, in the month of May, Pinkie had shared an Instagram post where she gave glimpses of her mother’s birthday. She captioned it, “Mother’s are special, love you mom.” nected with the entire team as each one is equally important. Our unit is one family and we need to move together,” says the actor who debuted with Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas in 2019. What does it mean to be a Deol? “Well, I didn’t realise it till I stepped in the industry. The comparisons with my grandfather, father, chacha are but obvious as people have grown on their cinema. But give me some 10 years, Watch out for Jerry Rajinikanth the Jailer Rajinikanth’s film with Nelson Dilipkumar that was tentatively titled Thalaivar 169 has now got a new title. The makers announced the title on Friday with a brandnew poster of the film. The film has been titled as Jailer. The poster features a sword smeared with blood. Sun Pictures that is bankrolling the movie shared the poster on its social media handles. Nelson too shared it on Twitter. Kannada actor Shivarajkumar has confirmed to be a part of the film. Also, reportedly, Don actor Sivakarthikeyan is playing the younger version of Rajinikanth in this film. —TMS Sonali Bendre talks about her web series Jhanvi Kapoor’s Goodluck Jerry to have a direct-on-OTT release Tom Hanks yells at fans Padma Rani Omprakash & Pinkie Roshan is able to be and do so much that might not be possible in one life. Always prepared well in time, having read the script a few times, the character’s journey, he keeps lines handy right before the shot. “Right before the camera starts rolling, I am full of energy and too restless to sit in a confined space like a van,” he laughs. Many a time assistants come to ask if he’s all right. “I tell them this is my process. I need to be con- and if by then I am able to achieve even a fraction of their legendary accomplishment, I would feel fortunate. Till then I would rather be just Karan!” With so many actors in the family, what are dinner conversations like? “We do talk about films, shows, what we are watching and recommend shows and films. Our home is one great encyclopaedia of acting — each one of them uniquely talented. But it’s not just the films but also life and how to approach it that’s a significant part of conversations.” With a huge appetite for films, Karan watches all sorts of things and wants to explore all kinds of genres. “For me a gripping story is a must!” How well can he converse in Punjabi? “I understand it. Though I am born and brought up in Mumbai, I have gained my Punjabi influence from my dada, dadi and others in the family.” And, he admits being a foodie aka a true Punjabi! Next on the anvil for Karan is Apne 2. Till then, catch the world television premiere of Velle on &pictures on June 18, 10 pm Jhanvi Kapoor’s Goodluck Jerry is set to have a direct-on-OTT release and will be out on Disney+ Hotstar on July 29. The film is directed by Siddharth Sen Gupta and produced by Aanand L Rai. The first look poster of the film was released on Friday. Talking about the film, Janhvi says, “Jerry is a unique character, playing her was a challenge for me as an actor. The wit and comic timing of Jerry is an important aspect of the character.” Hollywood star Tom Hanks lost his cool at fans who caused his wife Rita Wilson, to trip and nearly fall to the ground. Hanks was so furious, he shouted at them. The scene unfolded Wednesday night here after the couple was leaving a building and walking to their waiting SUV. A bodyguard could be seen trying to guide the couple past the swarming fans. At one point, Hanks could be seen lightly moving a man wearing a backpack out of the way as he fell behind a bit from his wife. Then, out of nowhere, Wilson gets tripped by a fan behind her, and that’s when Hanks let them all have it. The Oscar-winning actor can be seen on video, shouting: “Guys, this is my wife. Back….off!” Wilson then beelined it to the SUV while Hanks stared down the fans before adding: “Knocking over my wife?!” —IANS ‘Sensationalism is part of society’ Sonali Bendre recently returned to the world of audio-visual content with her newly-released series The Broken News where she plays a righteous editor of a news channel. While it’s a comeback vehicle for her after a period of struggle in terms of health, the series also marked her digital debut. In a conversation, the actress spoke about her experience of coming back in front of camera, how sensationalism isn’t confined to news in the current age, her access point for consumption of information and her detoxification process from all information junk. While TV anchors may rupture the eardrums by screaming at the top of their lungs, or flashy graphics may blind the viewer with horrendously loud colours, it’s not just the news where sensationalism finds its place. As Sonali says, “Sensationalism is a part of society, it’s not just the news. Everything out there has a bit of sensationalism. There are so many voices that we end up noticing only the louder ones.” Sadly there’s not much one can do on an individual level in her opinion, “Hence, the voices just want to be louder and louder. We as a society collectively get drawn towards louder voices and that’s something really unfortunate.” But then how does she detoxify herself from the overwhelming flow of information that tends to turn toxic? The answer is simple, Sonali dissociates and switches off. —IANS The Lady Killer is done In search of his identity... Arjun Kapoor has wrapped up the shooting schedule of his movie, The Lady Killer. The actor took to his Instagram handle to share a video from his shooting days in Himachal Pradesh. Arjun also shared photos of him with his co-star Bhumi Pednekar. In the video, Arjun shared a peek into the entire shoot schedule, right from the start to the finish. The video features airports, long roads in the Arjun Kapoor & Bhumi Pednekar hills, flowing rivers, landscapes and beautiful architecture. The clip features beautiful moments of Arjun with Bhumi Pednekar. It also gives a glimpse of the mouth-watering food the actors have relished. Sharing the video, Arjun wrote, “And that’s how we wrap a schedule #TheLadyKiller.” Reacting to the same, Bhumi made a comment in the comments’ section of the post. She wrote, “Vibeyyyyy.” Arjun also added the Mohit Chauhan song Phir Se Ud Chala with the video. Kit Harington attached to Jon Snow Game of Thrones spinoff series c m y b Game of Thrones’ spinoff series based around Jon Snow is in early development. Reportedly, actor Kit Harington is attached to reprise his role as the fanfavourite hero in the liveaction show, which would take place after the events of Game of Thrones — potentially opening up what many thought was an ironclad ending to the wildly popular series. In the final season of Game of Thrones, Snow realised his true identity and that he could be an heir to the Iron Throne. The series concluded with his exile from Westeros as he rides into the Haunted Forest with Ghost and the Wildlings to begin a new life. Since the potential Jon Snow sequel series would take place after the final season of Game of Thrones, it’s possible that familiar characters — such as his half-siblings Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) and Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner) — could show their faces. HBO’s upcoming spinoff a House of the Dragon, which is set 200 years before the original series, premieres on August 21. Other Game of Thrones spinoffs in development include Tales of Dunk and Egg, 10,000 Ships, 9 Voyages, Flea Bottom and an animat- ed series. Harington was nominated for two Emmys, in supporting actor and lead actor in a drama series, during his time on Game of Thrones. After the series ended in 2019, Harington has starred in Marvel’s Eternals as Dane Whitman, appeared in an episode of Amazon’s Modern Love and headlined Shakespeare’s Henry V at the Donmar Warehouse in London. —IANS