19032023-LSTL-01.qxd 3/18/2023 10:44 PM Page 1 c m y b TRIBUNE Better world The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has announced Bhumi Pednekar as their first National Advocate for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). LUDHIANA | SUNDAY | 19 MARCH 2023 Long and short of it! Sheetal C Darkness before dawn Sam Neill opens up on his battle against blood cancer Jurassic Park actor Sam Neill has left his fans shocked as he opened up about his battle against stage-three blood cancer in his memoir. The actor says that he started writing the memoir only because he wanted to keep himself busy while undergoing the cancer treatment. Sam was diagnosed with angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma in March 2022 while he was promoting Jurassic World Dominion, the conclusion of the Jurassic World series. He underwent chemotherapy which didn’t help him, and later he switched to a “new chemotherapy drug which he will continue to receive monthly for the rest of his life”. The actor is now cancer free. Sam says, “I can’t pretend that the last year hasn’t had its dark moments. But those dark moments throw the light into sharp relief, and have made me grateful for every day and immensely grateful for all my friends. Just pleased to be alive.” He also said that he “never had any intention to write a book” but as he began writing it, he found a reason to live as he enjoyed writing about his various experiences in life. John Wick star Lance Reddick passes away at 60 Actor Lance Reddick, best known for The Wire and John Wick, is no more. The news of his demise was confirmed by his representative, Mia Hansen. Hansen informed that Reddick passed away on Friday morning “from natural causes.” Reddick, 60, began his career in the 90s, with credits in shows like New York Undercover and The West Wing. He began earning roles in regional theatre and at 29, he applied— and was accepted — to Yale University to study drama. His The Wire co-star Wendell Pierce paid him an emotional tribute. Reddick was also among the SAG-nominated ensemble of One Night in Miami and worked on Resident Evil series, Corporate and American Horror Story. — ANI The Mask AN you guess what’s common between web series True Lies, horror-comedy Wednesday or fantasy The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power? They were first films and are now being elaborated into series fetching more screentime for characters to grow on us. The phenomenon of films adapted to series and vice versa isn’t new and we wonder the significance of it all in digital times when both THE LORD OF are sooner or later THE RINGS available on OTT. Popular films turn into web shows fetching its characters more screen space and giving the stories a new spin As we list some of these long and short format adaptations, and actors talks about reasons behind this popular practice. The road less taken! While there are enough films being made from series, the number is quite low the other way wound. Take for instance, the film franchise The Lord of The Rings, its three parts based on the novels of J. R. R. Tolkien released in between the year 2001 and 2003. Fans couldn’t get enough of the franchise and a decade later released a film The Hobbit, an off-shoot of the same works. Later in 2022, Prime Video released the first part of series, The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power, starting how the much-talked rings first came into being. Another 2022 Netflix series Wednesday brought back the memories of the supernatural black comedy film, The Addams Family (1991). It has done a great job reviving the celebrated characters— THE JUNGLE BOOK (2016) THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RINGS OF POWER THE OTHER WAY AROUND Meanwhile here’s a list of films that came out of a successful TV show/ series Film Series release year Film release year Baywatch 1989 2007 Sex and the City 1998 2008 Khichri 2002 2010 West World 1973 2016 Ninja Turtles 1987 1990 Godzilla 1954 1998 Wednesday, her brother Pugsley and parents Motricia and Gomez. Post the show’s success which is already confirmed to have a season 2, Internet was flooded with the comparisons of the film and series and many influencers went on to enact an Indianised version of Wednesday called Budhwar on social media. Apart from these, Disney+Hotstar dropped another original series, True Lies, in the first week of March, which is an elaborate version of 1994 film by the same name. Carrey all the way 1994 superhero comedy film, The Mask, starring Jim Carrey made way for The Mask: Animated Series in 1995. Jim Carrey’s acting prowess was such that in 1995 alone two other animated series were made out of films - Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and Dumb and Dumber. Jungle revisited The 1894 collection of stories, The Jungle Book first made into a live-action film in 1942. Later Disney released an animated film by the same name in 1967. It was made into teleseries by various names like Jungle Book Shonen Mowgli— a Japanese anime series, later dubbed into several languages including Hindi. The Jungle Book (2010 TV series) was solely produced in India and directed by Tapas Chakravarti. The same way, media fran- MOVIE REVIEW Director Shekhar Kapur’s cross-cultural slice is delightful and insightful, even if it is not ground-breaking Nonika Singh What’s Love Got To Do With It… never mind that the movie is so titled, expect it to have everything to do with love! Even though it plays around with phrases such as ‘fall into like and walk into love,’ even if it looks at the system of arranged marriages with empathy and regard, it makes us believe in the power of love and happily ever after. Written by Jemima Khan, exwife of Imran Khan former prime minister of Pakistan and directed by our very own Shekhar Kapur this coming together of East and West is as much about cultural specificity as universal emotions of connect, concern and love. Based in London, the story of two friends, one Pakistani doctor Kazim “Kaz” Khan (Shazad Latif) and the other British documentary maker Zoe (Lily James) stands out for lightness of touch which transcends frivolity. In the same league as The Hundred-Foot Journey, this cross-cultural slice is delightful, insightful too even if it does not break any new ground. Sure there is depth in the manner in which Zoe goes about turning around fairytales on its head. To love & happily ever after Film: What’s Love Got To Do With It? Director: Shekhar Kapur Cast: Lily James, Shazad Latif, Shabana Azmi, Emma Thompson, Sajal Aly, Oliver Chris, Asim Chaudhry and Jeff Mirza Rating:  From Cinderella to Beauty and the Beast to Sleeping Beauty, our beauty with brains Zoe has her own versions of bedtime tales for her friend’s children. ‘This Cinderella is more interested in glass ceiling than glass slippers,’ says a lot. But even independent woman needs love. Where will she find it … is not hard to guess? The storyline is predictable and you know which way this one will turn yet you remain invested as the story takes us from England to Pakistan where arranged marriage of Kaz with Maymouna (Sajal Aly) is on the cards. Though the film has not been shot in Pakistan, cinematographer Remi Adefarasin manages to get the flavour, customs and vibrancy of the Islamic nation without going overboard. There is mehndi ki raat, a Sufi touch (Rahat Fateh Ali Khan appears as qawwali singer) and the nikaah tradition but nothing is overexplained or overdone. Hijab is mentioned matter of fact so is the Muslim identity issue which could at times lead to racial profiling. With focus on a Pakistani British family Islamophobia is out of question. But so is any attempt to rake up minority issues. Only the film tries to look at how and where does love marriage fit in a traditional value system that values family above all. Arranged marriages are not viewed disparagingly or with any acerbic scepticism, only with dash of humour. The way arranged marriage is described, ‘love contractually or as assisted marriage’ to which Zoe’s response ‘as in assisted suicide’ bring a chuckle or two. You can feel the sparkle of writing. Dialogues have weight and punch, “you don’t have to start with love you can end with love.” Casting is spot on. If Lily James is just right for the part of this modern day fairytale, Pakistani British actor Shazad Latif too is tailor-made for the man looking for a partner ‘British enough for me and Pakistani enough for my family.’ And he certainly is as British as Pakistani. Shabana c m y b Azmi playing his mother is consummate like always. Emma Thompson as Zoe’s mother is the heartbeat of the film. Actually, it’s in her we see the easy connect between civilizations. With ease she fits into ethnic clothes and the family of her Pakistani neighbours. If as a mother her concern for her single daughter Zoe is palpable, her camaraderie with Khans has a zing to it. Pakistani actress Sajal Aly (Maymouna) looks pretty and defies a stereotype or two about what Pakistani women are like. While the film may question how can two people growing up on the same street be different and dwell upon are they continents away or bound by the country of their upbringing? But in this romcom there are no thorny issues at play. A feel good sanguine film that will make you walk out of the cinema-halls with a smile on your lips and spring in your step, it’s an easy watch. Refreshing, if not profound… here East could be East but the twain meet in a heart-warming union. Films are best suited for peo- The Mask: ple who don’t have the ener- Animated Series gy or time to devote to a long THE JUNGLE BOOK (1989) series whereas series’ lovers are hooked to their favourite Wednesday character for a longer time.” Actor Rishina Kandhari believes that a film is always made to milk the franchise, “Like How I Met Your Mother is a popular series with nine seasons and in 2014, the movie came out. The same way we have Khichdi and Chala Mussaddi... Office Office made out of television series Khichdi and Office Office respectively.” TV series run for longer period and have more viewers over the years, a good THE ADDAMS FAMILY enough reason to adapt classics or most loved film franchises, believes Snechises such as Tarzan of the ha. “ I think it’s the same for Apes (1918-first silent film) and making a remake of successadventurer horror King Kong ful foreign shows or films, (1933) were later made into because a popular name has serial The New Adventures of already got you viewers, so Khichdi: Tarzan (1935) and King Kong makers pitch it as less risk The Movie (1966-69) respectively. Both the project, ” she offers. films and series have been readapted many a times by various production houses. Also, animated film, Kung Fu Panda (KFP) (2008) which itself has four parts was fragmented into various television series specials such as KFP Holiday, KFP: Legends of Awesomeness KFP: The Paws of Destiny and KFP: The Dragon Knight. The ‘why’ factor Actor Sneha Namanandi opines, “We know it for a fact that television and films have a different audience. All in black and white Film director, producer, and writer Anubhav Sinha shared how apprehensive he was initially to make his movie Bheed in black and white as even classic films that were originally black and white are being coloured. He was not sure about the reaction of the audience toward his film. About the idea of making a blackand-white film in the 21st century, Anubhav said, “I got this idea while we were all working in Alibaug. At first, I was scared to share the idea with the team because I thought it would be rejected, but to my surprise, everyone liked it.” The wellknown filmmaker, who made movies like Ra.One, Tum Bin, Dus, Thappad, Anek, Middle Class Love, Article 15, among others, said that he was nervous while thinking about the reaction of viewers after watching his film. “I was apprehensive about how people would react to this film which is black and white when the trailer was about to be released because people are not used to seeing it. People made Mughal-E-Azam in colour for today’s time but we were doing the complete opposite. But, I believe films are made with your heart. And, this film is exactly that.” Bheed features Rajkummar Rao, Pankaj Kapur, Bhumi Pednekar, Ashutosh Rana, Dia Mirza, Virendra Saxena, Aditya Shrivastav, Kritika Kamra, and Karan Pandit. —IANS Anubhav Sinha shares his apprehension about making Bheed in monochrome ANUBHAV SINHA (EXTREME R) WITH BHEED’S LEAD STARS RAJKUMMAR RAO AND BHUMI PEDNEKAR