23082023-LSTL-01.qxd 8/22/2023 10:26 PM Page 1 c m y b TRIBUNE Action zone Shah Rukh Khan’s upcoming film Jawan had on board six action directors from across the world, including Spiro Razatos, Yannick Ben and Craig Macrae, among others. LUDHIANA | WEDNESDAY | 23 AUGUST 2023 Secret within secrets Mini-series: THE LOST FLOWERS OF ALICE HART Cast: Sigourney Weaver, Alycia Debnam, Alyla Browne, Asher Keddie, Leah Purcell, Frankie Adams, Alexander England, Charlie Vickers, Jack Latorre, Tilda Cobham-Hervey, Sebastián Zurita and Shareena Clanton Director: Glendyn Ivin Rating: ★★★ NET, FLICKS & MORE Story of survival Had never thought I would be able to do Akelli, says Nushrratt Bharuccha Actress Nushrratt Bharuccha, who will soon be seen in a survival thriller titled Akelli, had never thought that she would be able to do a film like it. The trailer of Akelli has received a great response from the audience. About the experience of shooting the film, Nushrratt said: “To be honest, I had never thought I would be able to do a film like this. But yes I have done it! Sometimes, when I see myself in a certain scene of the film, I am surprised. It is so not relatable. But I am happy I did this film.” She added, “I play the character of Jyoti in the film, who is a very simple girl from Amritsar. She stays with her mother and nephew. She gets a job outside India and to support her family, goes to a country that is not very peaceful. As soon as she reaches Iraq, there is an ISIS attack. The story is about her survival and how she manages to come back to her country.” Nushrratt worked with Israeli stars in the film. “It was a wonderful experience. When you work with actors from different countries and cultures, there is a lot to learn from them. They have different shooting techniques, so you learn how they deal differently with the same scene, how they apply their logic and then perform. It is great fun.” Akelli has been directed by Pranay Meshram and stars Nushrratt in the lead role. The film is all set to release on August 25 in cinemas. — IANS Happy times It’s time to ring in unbridled celebrations for Grammy-winning pop star Rihanna and her beau, rapper A$AP Rocky, as they have welcomed their second child. Earlier, in February, during her Super Bowl halftime performance, the Diamonds singer, who donned a head-to-toe bright red outfit, was seen flaunting her baby bump in front of the audience. Rihanna and A$AP Rocky welcomed their first child in May 2022. — ANI Rihanna, A$AP Rocky blessed with second child I T begins with a perfect family portrait of a loving husband, pregnant wife and a lovely daughter. Soon there is hint of darkness…a massive tragedy ensues and skeletons of family secrets spill out, taking us to a tale of love, loss and domestic abuse. Set in the heart of a flower farm owned by Alice Hart’s grandmother June Hart, the story unpeels in layers. Bit by bit we are drawn into their moving story, which is compelling and haunting. June’s farm is a refuge for battered women. As she helps them piece together the broken parts of their lives, at one level it is a story of misogyny and abuse, at another of empowerment, but above all of human relationships that can be at once complicated, messy yet loving. What forces a mother, June Hart, to lose all contact with her only son Clem, disown and finally own up her granddaughter Alice? The matrix of familial ties as well as societal microcosm is laid out rather engagingly and tellingly. Mystery lurks around the corners and with each new episode, we are led into yet another layer and a secret. Based on a book by the same name written by Holly Ringland, the series is set amidst the verdant and diverse landscapes of Australia. And it’s near impossible to take your eyes off the panoramic visions befitting the languorous mood of the series. The flower farm Thornfield is in itself a visual treat and the language of flowers, which again is both a family forte and secret, is as revealing as the many layers of the narrative. Each episode takes us deeper into family secrets. By the fifth episode, we know who set the fire that took away Alice’s parents. The beauty of the series, however, does not merely lie in how it keeps adding to the mystique and unveiling the mysteries around its key characters. Each element of the series — from cinematography by Sam Chiplin to music by Polish pianist and composer Hania Rani to editing (Dany Cooper and Deborah Peart) — enhances the power of story-telling that goes back and forth in time. Apart from June, Alice and her parents Clem Hart (Charlie Vickers) and Agnes (Tilda Cobham-Hervey), we meet another significant character Sally (Asher Keddie), whose predicament tugs at our heartstrings. And then there is June’s partner Twig and we instantly warm up to her, as Leah Purcell does a wonderful job of etching out her caring and affable persona. Sigourney Weaver as June Hart brings out the complexities of her ‘now stony now tender’ matriarch part with remarkable felicity. Being a protector of the family has cost her dearly. And she transfers this uneasiness to her character exceedingly well. Both Alycia Debnam Carey as Alice Hart and Alyla Browne as her younger nine-year-old version, stand out as wounded, brittle and vulnerable souls, a testimony to how damaging violence can be. With two more episodes to go in the seven-part series, this poignant world of Alice and June Hart is worth your time, provided you are willing Madhuri Dixit adopted the per Redo after the shoot of ‘Hum Aapke Hain Koun’, reveals Big B All for canine love Megastar Amitabh Bachchan revealed that actress Madhuri Dixit Nene had adopted the dog ‘Redo’, after the shoot of musical romantic drama Hum Aapke Hain Koun. During the sixth episode of the quiz-based reality show Kaun Banega Crorepati, Big B had asked contestant Kunal Sinh Dodia from Ahmedabad, Gujarat, “Which animal Popular Haryanvi singer Raju Punjabi breathed his last on Tuesday morning at a private hospital in Hisar. All of 40, Raju was in and out of hospital for the last few weeks. Reportedly, he was suffering from jaundice and was even put on ventilator support for a while. Haryanvi singer Raju Punjabi dies at 40 Set in the diverse landscapes of Australia, this series is as much a story of misogyny and abuse as of empowerment . With powerful performances, it sure tugs at the heart’s strings Nonika Singh Gone too soon acts as an umpire in the film Hum Aapke Hain Koun?” The options were — an elephant, a bird, a cat and a dog. Kunal gave the right answer, which was the dog. Big B then said: “Redo is an Indian Spitz dog. It had played the role of Tuffy in Sooraj Barjatya’s blockbuster film Hum Aapke Hain Koun. In one scene, it was shown as an umpire in a cricket match. And after the shooting got over, Madhuri Dixit had adopted the dog.” Hum Aapke Hain Koun is a 1994 film written and directed by Sooraj Barjatya, and produced by Rajshri Productions. The film starred Madhuri Dixit as Nisha and Salman Khan as Prem in the lead roles. Redo played the role of Tuffy, Prem’s pet dog. — IANS c m y b Saiyami Kher impresses Sachin Tendulkar with her Ghoomer style bowling that you never thought could come true? Mine was that someday I would get to meet my hero, my inspiration, my teacher. I have loved and learnt this game watching Sachin Tendulkar play. I’ve bunked college to watch him.” The actress added: “Unknowingly, he taught me how to live. When ANI Proud moment Radhika Madan becomes jury member at Emmy Awards 2023 When cricket wins! Actress Saiyami Kher recently hosted a screening of Ghoomer, where the ‘God of Cricket’ Sachin Tendulkar himself saw the film and praised her performance. Post the screening, he even requested Saiyami to show him the Ghoomer style bowling. Saiyami gladly obliged, leaving Sachin speechless. He even appreciated Saiyami’s performance, “Saiyami looks very authentic. Her love for cricket and her ability to understand the character was amazing.” Saiyami later posted the video on social media where she is seen saying, “What’s the one dream you had as a child to invest in emotions that penetrate deep into your heart and are not on the surface fluff. Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, how the next two episodes will pan out can’t be said with finality. Can lost childhood of Alice and others like Sally be regained? Is healing possible or more traumas are in store? We don’t know the answers as yet. Going by what has already unfurled, we anticipate a satisfying and hopefully a defining season finale. Few episodic series sustain your interest…but this directorial signature by Glendyn Ivin, created by show-runner Sarah Lambert, who has also co-written the screenplay, sure does. The sixth episode drops this Thursday and the final on September1. Worth checking out! Desi Desi, Aacha Lage Se, and Panihari are some of his popular numbers. He collaborated with another famous Haryanvi singer Sapna Chaudhary on hit numbers Laad Piya Ke and Tu Cheez Lajawab. Though unwell during his last days, Raju Punjabi’s most recent release was on August 12, a song titled Aapse Milke Yaara Humko Achha Laga. He posted on social media, “I am slightly unwell ...but today a song closest to my heart releases. This song has taken two years to make...it’s called Aapse Milke Yaara Humko Achha Laga.” Wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt took to social media to mourn the loss, “The news of the demise of renowned singer Raju Punjabi, who took Haryanvi songs to new heights, is very sad. May his soul rest in peace and God give patience to the family in this hour of grief.” — TNS I began acting, my friends ragged me and said, ‘Ja ja, acting kar. Someday Sachin will watch your film’. And that became my goal. To work hard and hope that someday the Master will watch my work. And then, it happened, the ‘God of Cricket’ saw a film in which I play a cricketer. He asked me to show him how I bowled the Ghoomer ball. Dreams really do come true. This part of my life is called happiness.” The film has been directed by R. Balki and also stars Abhishek Bachchan. — IANS Actress Radhika Madan is on cloud nine, as she has become a part of the jury panel at the International Emmy Awards 2023. Radhika took to Instagram on Sunday and shared her excitement with fans. She also gave them a glimpse into the semi-final round of the judging session. In the video, Radhika can be seen enjoying the experience of being a jury member at the Emmys. Along with the video, she wrote, “So overwhelmed and grateful that I got to be a part of this year’s jury for the International Emmy Awards. I always dreamt of being nominated but to be on the other side was even more fulfilling. Every day I get up and get to do what I love the most, a joy I wouldn’t trade for anything. Thank you universe.” Soon, her fans and industry friends flooded the comments’ section. Actress Sanya Malhotra wrote, “Wooohooooo.” TV actress Smriti Khanna commented, “Proud of you.” Meanwhile, on the film front, Radhika was recently seen in Kacchey Limbu. She will next be seen in Sanaa, which follows the story of a headstrong and ambitious girl (Radhika), waging an internal battle that is rooted in unhealed trauma. She also has a Hindi remake of the Tamil film Soorarai Pottru in her kitty. It will mark her first-ever collaboration with Akshay Kumar. — ANI