28042023-LSTC-01.qxd 4/27/2023 11:26 PM Page 1 c m y b TRIBUNE Hello Barbie Ananya Panday is an absolute fashionista. On Wednesday, she took to Instagram and shared a new string of pictures from her latest photoshoot which she captioned, “this Barbie is ....”ANI CHANDIGARH | FRIDAY | 28 APRIL 2023 ‘Watch it like homage to the EGO suits her better actor’ Adele reveals why she’ll never become EGOT winner Despite scooping an Emmy, 16 Grammys and an Oscar, Adele said that there’s no chance that she will become an EGOT winner by adding a Tony award to her haul of trophies as she “hates musicals.” The Chasing Pavements singer, 34, was handed an Emmy for her Adele: One Night Only special, as well as 16 Grammys and a best original song Oscar for James Bond film theme Skyfall. But she said on James Corden’s final Carpool Karaoke segment about the reason she won’t add a Tony to the collection which would make her one of the world’s few artists to be an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony) winner, “(I’ve) always had the ‘EGO’ (but) I would never write a musical or anything like that because I hate musicals.” —IANS A STILL FROM THE FILM Nonika Singh L Sara Ali Khan travels by metro in Mumbai ANI What a joyride! Actress Sara Ali Khan recently took a Metro ride in Mumbai. Taking to Instagram Story, Sara dropped a video, which shows her seated in the Metro. Dressed in a white kurta and spectacles, Sara waved at the camera while smiling widely. “Mumbai meri jaan... Didn’t think I would be in Mumbai metro before you guys,” she captioned the post, tagging her Metro In Dino costar Aditya Roy Kapoor and director Anurag Basu. Seems like Sara has started shooting for Metro In Dino, a film that apparently draws its title from the popular song In Irrfan Khan-starrer The Song of Scorpions, according to director Anup Singh, tells us how one must learn to sing the song of life Dino from Life in a... Metro. The project will showcase bittersweet tales of human relationships based in contemporary times. —ANI IKE its lead actor, the late Irrfan Khan, Anup Singh’s film The Song of Scorpions too has had a tumultuous journey; at least its release in India has faced many hurdles. Today, as we are a day away from Irrfan’s third death anniversary ( April 29) and as the film hits theatres, its much celebrated director Anup Singh opens up about what took so long for the 2017 film to find an opening in India. He is equally vocal about Irrfan whom he knew up close and personal both as a dear friend, colleague and actor. While back in time when the film opened at Locarno Film Festival and did the festival circuit winning critical acclaim and awards, somehow distributors in India thought Indian audiences were not ready for it. Just a week before Irrfan’s passing away, distributors showed interest but then Covid struck home. If you think 2017 film in 2023 might not evoke the same passion with which Irrfan must have enacted his part, Anup begs to differ. “It’s very much a film of today’s times, at a point in history when we can’t control what we are breathing, which is violence and pollution, we can certainly ensure what we breathe out is not toxic. We must sing the song of life. Hence, the title, The Song of Scorpions.” With beautiful Iranian and French actress Golshifteh Farahani as Nooran at the centre of the narrative, Anup is positive the film will entrance viewers completely. Of course, the real reason for watching the film is still Irrfan, the actor who Anup says “might play tragic, comic or a dark part but there is nothing generic about it. One of the few actors of our times who changes the definition of what it is to act yet can’t be defined or clubbed in any category. Though he plays a very dark character in the film yet the quality of life, of joy and passion, almost like ishq, is immanent.” If directing Irrfan has been a perennial source of joy for Anup, watching him in his last fresh performance on Indian screens can’t be any less for viewers. Only Anup does not want them to apply the barometer of critical ANUP SINGH AND IRRFAN KHAN ON THE SETS OF THE SONG OF SCORPIONS Soaking in Indian-ness Living in Switzerland, Anup Singh remains as rooted to India as ever. For this he owes a debt of gratitude to FTII, Pune from where he graduated. If late Ritwik Ghatak’s presence could be felt at the campus and had an abiding influence on him and his filmmaking, his students and Anup’s direct teachers like Mani Kaul and Kumar Shahani et al taught him many a thing. “While making films with them, they would tell me to go and live in the locations. That gave me a direct and close relationship with India and made it part of my breathing.” assessment to the film or Irrfan right now. “Watch it like homage to the actor.” That is not to say that the actor, who never stopped surprising Anup, will once again not sweep us off our feet. Or, we will not see another shade of an actor whose minutest gestures, expressions are a revelation. An actor of Meet these divas who are trained in classical dance It’s International Dance Day on April 29 and we believe everybody can dance…But these actresses from Bollywood have taken their love for dance to another level. Here are five actresses who have learnt classical Indian dances... Back on track Richa Chadha—Kathak Richa Chadha is formally trained in the classical dance form of Kathak. She started learning it as a child but had to discontinue it due to her board exams. However, she resumed her practice for filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Heeramandi. KRITI SANON Head start Taapsee Pannu - Bharatanatyam Tapsee Pannu is a trained all in book form but never on screen with another actor for, “They are Irrfan’s films.” Yes, soon he might come to India and work once again with wonderful actors like Tillotama Shome, Rasika Dugal and Shashank Arora who have already been part of his films. And what about working with Irrfan’s son Babil Khan? “Not right away, only when I see in him that expression, that one gesture which does not remind me of Irrfan but one that would have made Irrfan very happy. I am waiting for that moment.” Till then he is soaking in the memory of Irrfan, this time with more anand than maatam and his many life lessons, the most important being, “you are never complete, you are always in a journey.” Thus forever open to what his friend taught him, Anup too is always encouraged ‘to do more.’ Lighting up the screen INTERNATIONAL DANCE DAY Foot note immense possibilities whom Anup defines as “one who had no limits”, he further shares what made him exceptional, “Irrfan would come to you not as Irrfan but as a person full of doubts, questions and immensely open to you and to the script.” Anup also lets us into Irrfan’s creative process, “During shooting, Irrfan would never be found in his vanity van but always outdoors. When we shot The Song of Scorpions, and if Irrfan had arrived few days before the shoot, he would scout all the shooting locations in the desert on his own. No wonder when he came on the sets it was almost as if he belonged to the terrain.” Indeed, working with an actor of such immense calibre can only spoil a director. Thus the three scripts that Anup wrote with Irrfan in mind, today stand as closed chapter. One day he might find the courage to put them Nushrratt Bharuccha sizzles in Bareilly Ke Bazaar TAAPSEE PANNU Nushrratt Bharuccha burns the dance floor with Sreenivas Bellamkonda in Bareilly Ke Bazaar, the latest dance track from the highly anticipated pan-India film Chatrapathi. Sung by Sunidhi Chauhan and Nakash Aziz, the track is a complete groovy masala number featuring Nushrratt in a sizzling avatar. Apart from their electric chemistry, the dance moves will leave also you impressed. Directed by VV Vinayak and written by Vijayendra Prasad, the film is an official remake of SSRajamouli film with the same title. It marks the big Bollywood debut of Sreenivas Bellamkonda and releases nationwide on the May 12. RANI MUKERJI actress has done many live shows. She has even expressed the desire to make a film where her Odissi dancing skills are highlighted. All grace Priyanka Chopra Jonas — Kathak RICHA CHADHA Bharatanatyam dancer. When she was in fourth standard, she was introduced to this dance form. She took it up seriously and won several awards at college and university level. What a vision Rani Mukerji—Odissi When Rani Mukerji performs live on stage, it is a sight to behold! The actress took dancing seriously when she was in her 10th grade. The That’s some praise! Priyanka Chopra Jonas, now a global icon, is an accomplished Kathak dancer. Now we know where her graceful dance movements come from. Class apart Kriti Sanon—Kathak Kriti is also a trained Kathak dancer and has been learning the dance form since she was eight. You can get a glimpse of her classical form in the song Mard Maratha from Panipat. c m y b PRIYANKA CHOPRA JONAS Tim Cook’s visit has been the talk of the town. While many dignitaries have been meeting the Apple CEO, he has been in awe of Ali Fazal starrer short sci-fi film The Astronaut and His Parrot, directed by Arati Kadav. The film was shown to the head honcho by Arati Kadav, who was invited to deliver a special talk on the film, and he appreciated the filmmaker touting her as one of India’s best sci-fi filmmakers who shot the entire award-winning film on her iPhone. tronaut Ali Fazal-starrer The As and His Parrot finds Cook appreciation from Tim He said on his social media handle, “The Astronaut and His Parrot is a story of hope and connection. I met Arati Kadav, who created this beautiful award winning short film using only her iPhone and Macbook Pro.” Ali reacted by saying, “It was nice to finally show the movie to Tim Cook. Since the whole movie has been shot with Apple products, getting these kinds of compliments from the Apple CEO is quite encouraging.”