02052023-LSTC-01.qxd 5/1/2023 11:30 PM Page 1 c m y b TRIBUNE Aryan Khan’s directorial web debut is titled Stardom Step up A video of Bollywood star Hrithik Roshan dancing at a wedding with the bride and groom on his popular tracks like Ghungroo and Bang Bang has gone viral. IANS CHANDIGARH | TUESDAY | 2 MAY 2023 Magic for the muggles Mona I F JK Rowling had given up after facing rejections from multiple publishers, there would be no Harry Potter. Best-selling book series in history, the fourth highest-grossing film franchise of all times, thriving theme parks to money-minting merchandise—the Potter mania has been holding the world in its grip since the summer of 1997 when the first book made it to the world! More than two decades on, the mania is still ruling. The first ever Harry Potter scripted television series, touted to be a faithful adaptation of the iconic books, in a bigbudget, long-form production was announced mid-April on HBO Max. . Stardom for star kid Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s son, Aryan Khan isn’t interested in acting but has a knack for writing and direction. Aryan will make his directorial debut with an upcoming show, titled Stardom. It will be a streaming show with six episodes and will be set against the backdrop of the film industry. The series is currently in its THE SERIES IS production stage. PRODUCED BY ARYAN’S It’s being produced by HOME PRODUCTION Aryan’s home production RED CHILLIES Red Chillies Entertainment ENTERTAINMENT. owned by his father, who is fresh off the success of his blockbuster movie Pathaan. A few years back, while talking to chat show host David Letterman, SRK told him that Aryan isn’t interested in building a career in acting more so because he has the towering achievements of his father to match-up to but he harbours dreams of being a director or a producer. Apart from Stardom, Aryan Khan recently shot an ad film where he got to direct his father. — IANS As the Potterheads around the world celebrate International Harry Potter Day, we go down the memory lane, celebrating Harry, Hermione and Ron’s friendship, and all things magical Triumph of good over evil, courage to face one’s fears...Potter crazy fans, young and old alike, have derived their own lessons. Magic, fantasy, adventure and romance come together in this phenomenal world. Today, Potterheads around the world sure can’t keep calm! On this International Harry Potter Day, we take a trip down the two- decadesand-a-half of stupendous success. ISTOCK THE SIGNIFICANT MILESTONES ■ International Harry Potter Day is celebrated on May 2, every year since 2012. David Cameron, the then-Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, proclaimed this day an official international holiday in honour of J. K. NOT JUST A BOOK SERIES As an avid Potter fan, actress Kirti Nagpure, who plays Tulsi in Zee TV’s Pyaar Ka Pehla Naam Radha Mohan, believes that the best part is how this magical, make-believe community still maintains a connect with the real world scenario. “The core concept of the books is love. How true love and sacrifice can be more powerful than any evil in this world. It taught me that sometimes the best people can make the worst decisions, and that even the misguided can be changed by love. Harry Potter isn’t just a book series; it’s an experience,” she says. ONCE A FAN, ALWAYS A FAN For actress Madalsa Sharma, the friendship between Harry, Hermione and Ron became the leitmotif. “I used to fantasise playing Quidditch with my friends,” she admits. Interestingly, the fictional game from the book was brought to life in 2005 at Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont and now boasts of international competitions. “I have visited the Harry Potter World at Los Angeles Universal Studios and I can’t begin to tell you how much I enjoyed being there. Once a Harry Potter fan, always a Harry Potter fan!” she avers. THE BOOK MANIA JK Rowling’s Harry Potter, a series of seven fantasy novels—Philosopher’s Stone (1997), Chamber of Secrets (1998), Prisoner of Azkaban (1999), Goblet of Fire (2000), Order of the Phoenix (2003), Half-Blood Prince (2005), Deathly Hallows (2007) have enjoyed enormous success. The Rowling’s literary works. ■ May 2 is special for in 1998, the Battle of Hogwarts was fought on this day. The Order of the Phoenix proved victorious, that led to a number of casualties, including Lord Voldemort. final, seventh book became the fastest selling book in history, reportedly selling 11 million copies in the first 24 hours of release. So far 600 million copies have been sold worldwide, making it the best-selling book series in history. The series is available in 85 languages. THE FILM FRANCHISE The seven book series was adapted to eight films from 2001 to 2011. The final novel in the series was adapted into two feature-length parts by Warner Bros. The film franchise launched Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson as the three leading characters Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger respectively winning them unprecedented fame. Shades of happiness Symphony of Seasons, a photo exhibition by Rajnish Wattas is an attempt to educate people about various trees that dot the city Goodness British-Indian actress Meera Syal to be awarded BAFTA TV fellowship gracious! Award-winning British-Indian playwright and actor Meera Syal will be presented with a BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) fellowship, the highest accolade bestowed upon an individual in recognition of an outstanding and exceptional contribution to film, games or television. Syal, who starred in hit BBC comedies, Goodness Gracious Me and The Kumars at No 42, will be honoured at the BAFTA Television Awards, which will take place on May 14 at the Royal Festival Hall. “I am thrilled and hon- oured to be the recipient of the BAFTA Fellowship. I am particularly delighted that this year’s award is twinned with opportunities to mentor and support participants in BAFTA ’ s learning programme — where I hope to engage with many talented practitioners and continue working to make BAFTA a truly representative and celebratory place for all our creatives,” Syal said. As part of the fellowship, she will work directly with the arts charity over the coming year to inspire and nurture aspiring creatives. —IANS Making Chandigarh truly the City Beautiful in spring, trees in and around it play a vital role. So, listening to the call of season, Chandigarh Lalit Kala Akademi has organised a photo exhibition on the theme of Celebrating Chandigarh’s Treescapes: Symphony of Seasons. It presents nearly 40 of Chandigarh’s magnificent trees, capturing their beauty through the play of seasons. It is photographed by architectural historian and critic Rajnish Wattas, who also is former principal of the Chandigarh College of Architecture. The exhibition is not just about how the trees add their own flavours into the overall vibe of the changing seasons but also an attempt to educate people about the importance of the trees in the city, making it no less than a live-able heaven in India. Along with the basic information about the trees, the exhibition also includes a compiled illustration of Le Corbusier and how he incorporated trees as an integral part of Chandigarh’s planning. Rajnish, who feels that even though he isn’t a great art photographer, but he remains true to his passion and obsession for documenting and cherishing the architectural brilliance of Chandigarh. He adds, “While planning the city, even trees were given a place and display on the drawing board, c m y b PHOTO: PRADEEP TEWARI Sheetal which is rare. And that makes it the most unique modern city in the world. If truth be told Le Corbusier included landscaping as an integral part of its layout. In association with Dr M S Randhawa, an eminent civil servant and botanist, Corbusier prepared a detailed tree plantation scheme on open spaces and roads for shade, foliage and colour.” Rajnish has co-authored two books Trees of Chandigarhand Sukhna — Sublime Lake of Chandigarh and co-edited Le Corbusier Rediscovered: Chandigarh and Beyond. His favourite place to visit in Chandigarh is Leisure Valley for it has the most variety of trees from Pine trees to jacarandas to white-pink blossoms of kachnars to seemul trees. And to know the whereabouts of these, one just needs to visit the exhibition at the Underpass connecting Sector 17 with Rose Garden. On till May 10 from 11 am to 7 pm. ■ From terms like ‘muggle’ to the characters, even the dreaded Lord Voldemort, we loved it all. Who can forget spells like Expecto Patronum or the ‘secret’ platform Nine and Three Quarters at King’s Cross Station in London. THE RISE, FALL & IN BETWEEN It’s not just been all sunshine for Joanne Rowling better known by her pen name JK Rowling. From a single mom, living on state dole to reportedly a billionaire author. Winning multiple British Book Awards, an OBE - Officer of the Order of the British Empire, British Academy Film Award recipient for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema with the cast and crew of the Harry Potter; if Rowling has enjoyed enormous success as an author, fair share of criticism has also come her way. Since the June of 2020, Rowling has battled ‘transphobic’ tag for her views on gender identity. The recent announcement of HBO Max’ TV show earned her yet another boycott call. She gave back to her critics in her characteristic sarcastic way! RIP Jock Zonfrillo Jock Zonfrillo, a Scottish TV presenter and former chef, known for his recent role as a judge on MasterChef Australia, is no more. Zonfrillo died on April 30 in Melbourne. The news of his demise was shared via a statement on social media, "With completely shattered hearts and without knowing how we can possibly move through life without him, we are devastated to share that Jock passed away yesterday. So many words can describe him, so many stories can be told, but at this time we're too overwhelmed to put them into words. —ANI