30072022-LSTL-01.qxd 7/29/2022 11:11 PM Page 1 c m y b LIGER PROMOTIONS ON TRAIN Vijay Deverakonda and Ananya Panday are all ready for the release of their upcoming movie, Liger. After appearing together on Koffee With Karan, they decided to take a local train journey as part of the promotions. TMS TRIBUNE Solo album Life Pop singer Beyonce dropped her seventh solo album Renaissance on Thursday night as scheduled, called out those who leaked the album two days early, and thanked her fans for being patient. IANS LUDHIANA | SATURDAY | 30 JULY 2022 Gone too soon This International Friendship Day, here’s a look at celebrities who have been the best of friends for years Malaika Arora, Amrita Arora, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Karisma Kapoor Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan Pal pleasure Sheetal Ayan Mukerji and Ranbir Kapoor B E it Bollywood fights or friendships, nothing escapes the public eye, thanks to social media. From their parties to dine-outs to vacations together, this International Friendship Day, we look at celeb friendships that have bloomed over the years. Sussanne and Preity Girl gangs Farah Khan and Sania Mirza Last year, Alia Bhatt treated her fans with pictures from her trip to Maldives where she was accompanied by her sister Shaheen and best friends and sisters, Akanksha Ranjan and Anushka Ranjan. The four have been best of buddies, while Alia marked her presence in Anushka’s wedding in November, 2021, the Ranjan sisters were pres- Swara Bhasker and Sonam Kapoor ent at the close-knit wedding of Alia-Ranbir. Another sisters’ and besties gang is that of Kapoors and Aroras. No guesses? Well it’s the friendship between Kareena Kapoor and Amrita Arora, and their respective sisters, Karisma Kapoor and Malaika Arora. They are the hot BFFs of the industry, who often give glamorous public appearances. If Kareena sends delicious food to Malaika, then during the lockdown, although apart, they shared a picture of them taking naps together. Bhai’s friendship Although there was something amiss between Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan for a while, they patched at the Iftaar party hosted by Baba Siddique in 2014. Salman was the first one to extend his support to SRK when the latter’s son Aryan Khan got arrested in the drugs case. He was the first one to visit Mannat, SRK’s house when he heard the news. Salman also shares great camaraderie with Ajay Devgn and Sanjay Dutt. Ajay and Salman hold special screening of their films for each other, whereas Sanjay Dutt cohosted a reality show, Bigg Boss Season 5, with Salman. Best friends The latest besties in town are Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh. The two became friends on the sets of Gully Boy and they became best buddies while filming for the upcoming Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani. Alia even defended the actor after his latest nude photoshoot controversy. There are other celebs who became friends while working together, such as Ranbir Kapoor and director Ayan Mukerji, Ranveer Singha and Arjun Kapoor, MOVIE REVIEWS Ranveer and Alia Sarath Chandran Young actor from Kerala Sarath Chandran was found dead on Friday. The 37-yearold actor shot into prominence with Angamaly Diaries and other films, including Koode, Oru Mexican Aparatha, et al. Actor Antony Varghese shared an image of Sarath from Angamaly Diaries and wrote “RIP Brother.” The details of the death are awaited. — IANS Great tribute Rapper Drake dons t-shirt with Moosewala’s name and Swara Bhasker and Sonam Kapoor. The unique bond between Farah Khan and Sania Mirza is known to everyone, as they both are witty and outspoken. Their friendship and entertaining talks led them to Koffee with Karan Season 5. Also, Sussanne Khan and Preity Zinta have been friends for more than three decades. Zinta on Thursday posted a picture with Sussanne and wrote, “There are friends in life and there are friends for life. Never a dull moment with you my darling @suzkr. Three decades and counting.” Rapper Drake paid a tribute to late singer Sidhu Moosewala by wearing a t-shirt with his name, as he kickstarted his October World Weekend. The event took place in Toronto. There’s also a video going viral where he is addressing the crowd while donning the tshirt. Many users appreciated the gesture shown by Drake for Sidhu. After Sidhu’s killing in May this year, Drake had remembered the Punjabi singer by posting an Instagram story. — TMS Fantasy, not fantastic Real villain is the plot! Despite an unusual premise, VFX-laden technical effects and Kichcha Sudeep’s swag writ all over, Vikrant Rona is not a winning combination. Blame it on poor Hindi dub or bizarre twists, this Kannada outing ends up as a mediocre thriller EK VILLAIN RETURNS Nonika Singh VIKRANT RONA Fantasy meets horror meets action... And what do you get? Well, a mixed bag that engages and loses you in equal measure. To be honest, the premise is unusual, the technical effects befitting a spectacle and cinematography by William David remarkable. On top of it we have longlimbed Kannada superstar Kichcha Sudeepa, whose chutzpah and style are writ all over and each act of his oozes unmistakable charm. The way he lights up his smoke, the manner in which he bashes up goondas, his dialogue delivery...It’s a swag ride all the way. Of course, like all superstar vehicles Vikrant Rona too circles around its titular character played by Kichcha Sudeep. Mercifully, this mega-budget Kannada film starring a mega-star has a plot, even if contrived, that packs intrigue, thrill and elements of phantasmagoria. The film begins with a prologue of sorts. A young woman accompanied by a daughter, whose face we don’t see, drives through a dark deep tropical rain forest. We get goose-bumps for early on Cast: Kichcha Sudeepa, Jacqueline Fernandez, Nirup Bhandari and Neetha Ashok Director: Anup Bhandari Rating: ★★ we have been informed this is a legend of Brahma Rakshasa. Some supernatural forces (or so we are made to believe) bring the car to a screeching halt. Few moments of unadulterated horror lead us to another scene. Lest we forget though it does not exactly tell you which year it is; it is somewhere in the recent past when petrol prices were not even in double digits. The village in Kamarottu is enveloped by mysterious forces leading to one macabre death after another, including that of an inspector. What adds to the dance of the dread is that innocent children are being killed and hung on trees. In walks Vikrant Rona (Kichcha Sudeepa), an inspector along with his lovely daughter who keeps proffering him gyan, yes on phantoms too. Their bond is touching. Only as perplexing is the fact as to why a concerned and doting father has brought his daughter (Baby Samhitha) into such a dark, desolate place? Well, there is credible reason behind it, which we can’t give away for that would be a spoiler. That is not to say rationality thy name is Vikrant Rona. The story and the back-story involving a low caste family are not without loopholes. A couple of sidetracks are only a distraction device, to throw us off the scent of murders. In a bid to capitalise the horror dimension and to up the mystique quotient, twisted twists and turns abound. In parts, these manage to keep you invested in the drama. Intermission comes with yet another turning point. Or is it really? The suspense hangs heavy and the atmospherics are enveloped in dark tones and shades as we roll over an item song by Jacqueline Fernandez who has been roped-in for pan-India effect. But her bubbly presence and equally effervescent song Ra Ra Rakkamma, otherwise lilting and breaking the net, seem like a commercial imposition. Masterfully executed action sequences are laudable and actors like Neetha Ashok as Panna and Nirup Bhandari hold their ground. The climax unfolds at its own pace and as is with most mediocre thrillers, there is greater fun in speculating whodunit rather than in knowing/understanding actually who did it? Yet another spoiler is the dubbing in Hindi. And we strongly suspect the humour and punch-lines get lost in translation. What doesn’t lose its charm are the visual effects. The 3-D film is in VFX overdrive, enhancing the horrific aura of the film. The loud background score, however, is a dampener. But nothing can dilute the star charisma of Kichcha Sudeepa. Watch it, if only to know how South-Indian stars own the screen. By the time one reaches the interval, this is the only thought that comes to mind in addition to the weak direction and ordinary performances Pangs of separation Cast: John Abraham, Arjun Kapoor, Disha Patani, Tara Sutaria Director: Mohit Suri Rating: ★★ Sheetal Mona There are period films that narrate a story of different times, but there are some among them which take you along the journey. Chhalla Mud Ke Nahi Aaya fits in the latter category. It is the directorial debut of Amrinder Gill and quite a successful one at that! Written by Amberdeep Singh and transformed into a visual treat by Amrinder Gill and Canadian cinematographer, Dan Dumouchel, the film is a piece of art. It is based on true events when Punjabis started migrating to Canada and other countries for better opportunities after the First World War. The time period and the age-old customs, such as women in veils, to the language of the time, each detail has been taken care of. The silCast: Amrinder Gill, Karamjit ver jewellery and salwar Anmol, Binnu Dhillon, Sargun kurta of the women, kucMehta, Sydney Aberwein and cha houses of villages, cosRaj Kakra tumes of the entire cast, Director: Amrinder Gill Englishmen with big Rating: ★★★ moustaches, every factor makes an impact. While Karamjit and Binnu Dhillon’s character has much to do with carving out the perfect hero out of Amrinder’s role as Chhalla Singh, it’s the female characters like Sydney, Sargun or for that matter Chhalla Singh’s grandmother that keep the entertainment quotient going. The film has humour, emotion, great storyline and definitely a worthy climax, as it captures the pain of ninety per cent of Punjabi diaspora who have to send their children or part way from lovers for better career opportunities. Watch this one for it has already set a new benchmark, wherein Sargun-Amrinder duo take it up a notch higher from their previous period-hits like Angrej and Lahoriye. Ek Villain has returned. It comes from the same stable – Mohit Suri gets back on the director’s chair, Ekta and Shobha Kapoor retain the producers’ place, while Bhushan Kumar and Krishan Kumar join the team. The plot remains the same: a serial killer with a mask, who targets women. The story opens with a spoilt brat Gautam Mehra (Arjun Kapoor) carrying on with his dialogue kamane wala mera dad, udane wala beta bad and histrionics. In comes a wanna-be singer Aarvi Malhotra (Tara Sutaria). The duo fights and then makes up, and then fights. Meanwhile, 15 girls have been murdered by a serial killer, who is considered to be dil tute ashiqon ka masiha, leaving no evidence, no trace. This killer wears a mask a la Joker. Only, it’s a yellow smiley! The police force is after the killer, Gautam being the masked killer being the stance. But before the interval, it is revealed that it’s a taxi driver Bhairav Purohit (John Abraham), who has been behind the mask and the killings. After the interval, the plot reinvents itself a few times, only to confuse viewers further! When not killing, Bhairav also tries to win gold-digger Rasika (Disha Patani).While Emotion, great storyline and a worthy climax, Chhalla Mud Ke Nahi Aaya scores on every front CHHALLA MUD KE NAHI AAYA c m y b one may enjoy a twist, others serve no purpose whatsoever. Sound design of the film is good as is the cinematography. Action sequences are shot well. But whosoever thought of casting John Abraham as a taxi driver, kudos to him or her! In fact, Arjun Kapoor plays the part coming his way. Disha Patani gets some extended screen time in the second half and does what the role written for her demands — flummoxing the viewers! Tara Sutaria gets some scenes in the beginning. One notices actors Shaad Ali and JD Chakravarthy as cops trying to do their duty, but are drowned in the din without a trace. And, what fails? Well, the film, and we found the real villain – it’s the plot! Goes without saying and yet needs to be said - weak direction. Unfortunately, this franchise outing, if you may call it that, neither takes the story nor the music any further.