30042023-LSTC-01.qxd 4/29/2023 11:39 PM Page 1 c m y b TRIBUNE Sonam Kapoor to deliver a spoken word piece at King Charles’ Coronation Concert Dark side Drew Barrymore got candid about her darkest time. When discussing suicidal thoughts with Madison Beer on The Drew Barrymore Show, she said that she tried to end her life twice.IANS CHANDIGARH | SUNDAY | 30 APRIL 2023 A haunting tune voice She’s the Rihanna will lend her voice for Smurfette in a new liveaction hybrid feature from Paramount Animation, The Smurfs Movie. The superstar made a surprise in-person appearance at CinemaCon, Las Vegas’ annual convention of movie theatre owners, to make the announcement on Thursday. Royal challenge! Bollywood actress Sonam Kapoor is all set to share stage with icons such as Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Tom Cruise at King Charles’ Coronation Concert on May 7. She has been invited to deliver an exclusive spoken word piece at the highly-anticipated King Charles III’s Coronation Concert where she will be introducing Steve Winwood and the exclusive Commonwealth virtual choir on May 7, at the Windsor Castle, UK. On May 6, the Coronation of His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Queen Consort will be held at Westminster Abbey, followed by a celebratory concert on May 7 at Windsor Castle. The concert will feature global music icons and contemporary stars celebrating the historic occasion. On the occasion, Sonam mentioned, “I am honoured to join the Commonwealth virtual choir for this ceremony, celebrating His Majesty’s love for music and art. It’s a momentous occasion that signifies a commitment to a positive, inclusive, and optimistic future for the United Kingdom, with the choir’s music paying tribute to the royal legacy and promoting unity, peace, and joy.” Introducing them, Sonam will be the only Indian celebrity to be present and participate in this historic event. Hosted by Hugh Bonneville, the concert will celebrate the Coronation of Their Majesties The King and The Queen in front of 20,000 members of the public and invited guests, as well as millions watching around the world. — IANS I am honoured to join the Commonwealth virtual choir for this ceremony, celebrating His Majesty’s love for art. Rihanna to lend voice for Smurfette in The Smurfs Movie Sheetal T HE film opens with a woman walking on the sand dunes of Rajasthan’s desert and then appears a man’s face, which the Indian audience yearns to see on the 70mm screen. Emotion that late Irrfan Khan’s screen presence evokes isn’t something that one can brush aside while watching this movie. The artiste reminds us of his unique individuality once again as we witness his character Aadam, a man in love, transform into a grey character, negative to be precise. Each scene is executed with such finesse that a viewer literally feels the sting as the scorpion bites and the venomous spell lasts for much longer than 24 hours (that’s how long the sting of a scorpion bite lasts). The mystical woman, Nooran, played by Iranian-French actress Golshifteh Farahani, does not look out of place in the desert set up, though her accent at times sounds alien. It definitely does Irrfan Khan’s unique individuality shines through as he transforms from a man-in-love to a grey character in this Anup Singh directorial Film: The Song of Scorpions Director: Anup Singh Cast: Irrfan Khan, Golshifteh Farahani, Waheeda Rehman, Shashank Arora, Shefali Bhushan, Sara Arjun, and Kritika Pande Rating:  not take us away from the plot, which is a melange of folklore, myths as well as reality. As for its theme, it touches many levels, right from patriarchy to trauma to love to revenge. The story that unfolds in an obscure village in Rajasthan touches issues that have universal significance. Though the script comes with a few loose ends, it culminates in an open end, giving us the choice to make our own interpretation. As shared by director Anup Singh in his interviews, the film was born Life is Blake Lively is the favourite of the Met Gala. Fans wait with bated breath to check her style quotient. But this year, the Gossip Girl actor won’t be spotted at the event. According to reports, the actor has confirmed that she won’t be in attendance at the 2023 Met Gala on May 1. But the fashionista has also said that she will be keeping an eye on this year’s red carpet looks, which is based on the theme of Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty. “I will be watching,” she said and joked that she’ll wear her beloved 2022 Met Gala look “on my couch on Monday.” At last year’s event, Blake stepped out in an Atelier Versace gown, complete with intricate details and an oversized bow. Then, in a striking transformation, the bow was untied on the carpet to reveal green fabric. It was an iconic and methodical ensemble that paid homage to New York City (and the Met Gala theme In America: An Anthology of Fashion) in more ways than one. — ANI Mind games Bollywood superstar Salman Khan and his co-stars Raghav Juyal, Siddharth Nigam and Jassie Gill had a great time catching up with each other after the success of their latest film Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan. Sharing a picture Raghav, said, “With Bhai, it’s always a fun life. I love you, Bhai, @beingsalmankhan, for all the fun and happiness you give us in life”. Within just a week of its release, Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan has raked in over Rs 84 crore at the box office. Raghav is now focusing on his upcoming film projects. ‘I will be watching’ End of Blake Lively confirms she’s skipping Met Gala 2023 out of a nightmare and he did pursue it the same way to keep its essence intact —dark tone, fewer dialogues and slow pace. Anup as a director shines in bringing out a very different perspective of the story involving a rape victim as Nooran finally accepts Aadam. Creating an edgeof-a-seat experience with a slowpace film is definitely an art only a few can master. Anup does it with élan. He brings out the best in his lead actors as they exude calmness even amidst sand storms of emotion. The music keeps the slow narrative interesting. As in the end Aadam can hear the bewitching voice of Nooran, this last performance of Irrfan (this 2017 film didn’t release in India) will leave a lasting impact on his audience. While Irrfan’s fans wouldn’t miss it for anything, other actors like Golshifteh Farahani, Waheeda Rehman, Shashank Arora and child-actor Sara Arjun have done a good job to make this movie a must-watch experience. “I tried to get the Papa Smurf role but it didn’t work out,” the singer joked on stage at Caesar’s Palace Hotel and Casino, alongside Paramount Animation head Ramsey Naito. It was revealed that Rihanna will star, write and record original songs, and produce the upcoming project. Clad in a stonewash denim cape, she also confirmed she is in her third trimester of pregnancy with her second child. The film is set to hit theatres on February 14, 2025. Pam Brady wrote the script, and Chris Miller will direct the feature. —ANI The film, IB Operation 1: Intelligence in Action, uncovers India’s top-secret mission conducted by the Intelligence Bureau that made India win the 1971 war. The IB 71 trailer was recently released and has already generated interest among audiences. The recently released video showcases Vidyut Jammwal as a spy. The video sheds light on the sharpness of an intelligence agent who is always 10 steps ahead of the enemy. Director Sankalp Reddy says, “IB 71 takes a deep dive into the world of espionage and the psychology of a spy. With IB 71, the aim is to take our audience on a journey that showcases how Indian intelligence, through clever manoeuvres, made us win the war.” good road Zoe Saldana is done playing Gamora in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While speaking about filmmaker James Gunn and the development of the Guardians of the Galaxy movie series, Saldana, reaffirmed that she will no longer play the character after Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 releases on May 5. “I don’t think this is the end for the Guardians,” the actress said, noting that she originally only expected to portray Gamora for the property’s original 2014 movie. “It is the end for me, for Gamora.” —IANS It’s Khoon Bhari Maangreunion Rekha poses with Kabir Bedi at a recent awards night, fans take a dig... ANI Remember the famous crocodile scene from Rekha and Kabir Bedi-starrer Khoon Bhari Maang? You might be reminded of that scene if you come across the latest Instagram post of Kabir Bedi. Kabir Bedi met Rekha on the sidelines of the 68th edition of the Filmfare Awards on Thursday night. The lead pair from the Rakesh Roshan directorial posed happily for the lensmen and caught up on old times. Sharing a picture with c m y b Rekha, Kabir Bedi wrote, “Met the legendary, ever gorgeous Rekha, my co-star in Khoon Bhari Maang, at the 68th @filmfare Awards last night. A nostalgic chat, together with Filmfare Editor @jiteshpillaai and my wife @parveendusanj. Came to present an award along with my dearest granddaughter @alayaf, to whom, two years ago, I’d presented the Film Fare Best Debut Award. It was fun being on the jury of these well-deserved awards. Film- fare Awards have always been the Oscars of India.” Both looked graceful in ethnic ensembles, making cinephiles nostalgic. Rekha and Kabir Bedi’s reunion left netizens discussing the famous crocodile scene. “She is remarkably forgiving considering you almost fed her to the crocodiles,” a social media user quipped. “Hahaha this reminded me of how you threw her off the boat to the crocodiles. Childhood memories revisited,” one wrote. ANI