29082023-LSTC-01.qxd 8/29/2023 12:20 AM Page 1 c m y b TRIBUNE TikTok series American singer and actress Miley Cyrus is all set to share some untold stories of her life through her new TikTok series. LUDHIANA | TUESDAY | 29 AUGUST 2023 Eerie, scary Pamela Anderson’s stalker, a French woman, hid under her bed, slept in her Baywatch bikini Actress Pamela Anderson found fame in the 1990s when she played CJ Parker in the hit series Baywatch, but was shocked years later in 2001 to find that a French woman, known as Christine Roth, then 27, had broken into her house and climbed into her bed wearing her costume from the show. The stalker handed her a note which read, “I am not a lesbian, but I dream of you.” Anderson later said, “My mum was in hospital and my dad was coming into town so I was preparing a room for him when someone came upstairs and said, ‘Pamela, there is someone sleeping in your bed’.” — IANS Perfect recipe In Amritsar, celebrated chef and LGBTQIA+ rights activist Ritu Dalmia says food and mood go hand-in-hand Neha Saini A celebrated chef, restaurateur and LGBTQIA+ rights activist, Ritu Dalmia is a purist at heart, one who loves to keep things simple — whether it’s her food or thoughts. Dalmia has been a pioneer of Italian cuisine in India and over the years, has been making Indians explore Italian flavours and vice-versa through her chain of restaurants in India as well as Italy. The self-taught chef has won many awards, including Peaklife Gourmet Awards 2019, DelWine Excellence Award 2019 as Women of Wonder (WOW), Ordine della Stella d’Italia, the highest civilian honour of Italy, among others. However, her biggest achievement is not related to her culinary prowess. “Between 2015 and 2018, when we had petitioned for decriminalisation of Section 377, I faced a lot of trolls. In 2018, when 377 were decriminalised, a sense of relief washed over me. I don’t think that there will be another achievement in my life to top it. I am done now,” she said at an event in Amritsar recently. She was among the five petitioners who challenged Section 377 of Indian Penal Code. “Look at the number of suicides happening in small towns just because we fail to address the issue and offer support,” she said. About her orientation, she told her parents when she was just 23. “The next day, my mother, who was not very educated, came from a conservative and orthodox background, sent a box of mangoes to my partner. This was her way of offering support to her daughter,” she said. Talking food About food, something she feels passionate about, Dalmia said food and stories go hand-in-hand. “When you travel, you might be eating at the finest restaurants in the world, but if you are not in a good company or good mood, you would not enjoy it. There has to be a sense of honesty in the food. Italian and Indian food, in this respect, are quite similar as they both are ingredientbased and use local, freshly sourced flavours.” About the experience of cooking her first Italian meal, Dalmia said, “When I made a risotto for my friends the very first time they said I had given them khichdi.” She also shared her worst and best food experiences. “Well, it’s a no-brainer that Italy is my favourite country and food destination. The only time I wished I carried theplas and achaar with me was when I was in Burma. The country is beautiful, its people warm, but the food was quite bad.” Real to reelistic! Lovely vibes Often fiction forms the core of various series on OTT but when the subject matter has its roots in truth, the viewing experience becomes all the more enchanting. Here’s checking out a few among them that made a real mark Bollywood singer Armaan Malik on Monday announced his engagement to girlfriend and social media influencer Aashna Shroff. Taking to Instagram, Armaan shared a string of romantic pictures from their dreamy proposal, which he captioned, “And our forever has only just begun.” In one picture, Armaan is seen getting down on one knee to propose to Aashna. In another picture, they are seen smiling together, while in the last one they are adorably hugging each other. — ANI Armaan Malik engaged to girlfriend Aashna Scoop Mona T HE shocking Burari deaths in the national capital made the subject for web series Aakhri Sach; the Uphaar cinema tragedy got a screen outing through Trial by Fire; opiate crisis formed the core of Painkiller…there has been spate of shows adapted from real life on to the screen. Tragedies, inspiring stories, ugly secrets, scams and more, all join the expanding world of OTT content. Here are some shows, old and new, that have generated quite a buzz. Trial by Fire Painkiller Fan sake Hidden secrets Aakhri Sach Robbie Grewal-directed Aakhri Sach is a bone-chilling story of 11 deaths in Burari and unravels the twisted ties of fate as well as hidden secrets of a family. There has been a documentary on the subject before, House of Secrets: The Burari Deaths, which was released in 2021. In Aakhri Sach, Tamannaah Bhatia turns a cop who investigates the shocking case. She is joined by Abhishek Banerjee, Sanjeev Chopra and Danish Iqbal as cast members. Aakhri Sach is streaming on Disney+Hotstar. Scam 2003: The Telgi Story activist Gauri Sawant. Sushmita Sen steps into the shoes of Sawant and portrays her relentless fight for identity, survival and equality. If it’s a story of grit and determination, Sen won applause for her portrayal of the lead character. Taali is streaming on Jio Cinema. Evil nexus Painkiller Peter Berg-directed Netflix series Painkiller traced what’s called the ‘most evil family in America’, the Sackler family, and their company Purdue Pharma — the manufacturer of OxyContin. The series, not the first on the issue, manages not only to highlight the extent of Depicting the damage done by the Opiresilience of people oid Epidemic but also during the 2008 innocent lives it Mumbai attacks, Mumbai Diaries claimed, uncovering 26/11 masterfully combined real life the racket and its calevents and fiction, creating an lous perpetrators. intense viewing experience. Portrayal of the medical professionals working tirelessly was commendable. Aditya Deshmukh, actor Matter of identity Taali Ravi Jadhav’s directorial Taali is about the life and the struggle of transgender Biographical work Scoop Hansal Mehta yet again proved his prowess in making an OTT series while taking a leaf out of real life. Post the stupendous success of Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story, Scoop, which Roadrunner Scam 2003 is based on Jigna Vora’s biographical work Behind Bars in Byculla: My Days in Prison, follows the real life story of the former journalist. The series established Karishma Tanna’s mettle as an artiste, and saw commendable performances by Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, Prosenjit Chatterjee and Harman Baweja. It is streaming on Netflix Tragic note Trial by Fire Prashant Nair-directed web series Trial by Fire is based on Neelam Krishnamoorthy and Shekhar Krishnamoorthy’s book Trial by Fire: The Tragic Tale of Aakhri Sach the Uphaar Fire Tragedy. The ill-fated show of the film Border on Friday, June 13, 1997, at Uphaar Cinema in Green Park, Delhi, turned into a nightmare as fire broke out. FiftyNirbhaya: Delhi nine people were Crime is a web series trapped inside and died that has left a lasting of asphyxiation, while impact due to its poignant portrayal of 103 were seriously the tragic Nirbhaya case. The series injured in the resulting skilfully navigates the subject matter stampede. The drawith a focus on realism and empathy, matic adaptation of making it an emotionally engaging the fire tragedy was lauded for the superb and thought-provoking watch. act by Rajshri DeshShivangi Verma, actor pande, Abhay Deol, Ashish Vidyarthi and Anupam Kher. The series is of this haunting saga. It is streaming on Netflix. streaming on Netflix. Haunting depiction Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story is exceptionally authentic. Watching this web series cements one fact — in India, the truth gradually reveals itself to everyone, and by the time it is fully comprehended, the person swearing by the truth undergoes a terrible experience. Navin Prabhakar, actor Directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Morgan Neville, Roadrunner is a documentary about revered and renowned chef Anthony Bourdain. It is a haunting depiction of his famous life through footage and interviews with Bourdain’s friends, family and co-workers. A charismatic and hardworking man, his professional rise and weak moments make the crux Stamp scandal Scam 2003: The Telgi Story Hansal Mehta takes another scam under his wing — this time the real life story of Abdul Karim Telgi, who was involved in the 2003 stamp paper counterfeiting scandal worth of Rs 30,000 crores. Directed by Tushar Hiranandani, this SonyLIV series is due to release on September 2, 2023. Gagan Dev Riar steps into the shoes of Abdul Karim Telgi, while Mukesh Tiwari, Sana Amin Sheikh, Bharat Jadhav and Shaad Randhawa join the lead cast. Singer Adele is the latest artiste to defend fans from security guards during a performance. In a fancaptured video that made its way online, the singer looked furious while confronting a security member in the crowd. The 35-year-old walked toward the edge of the stage and asked: “What is going on with that young fan there…” She then stressed: “What’s going on with him?” “Yes, you with your hand up. Yes, you, put your hand up,” Adele said to the unidentified person. “Yes, you, with the stick in your hand. Yes, him. What are you doing? Why are you out bothering him?” Adele then told the individual: “Can you leave him alone, please?” The Hello songstress went on to assure the fan: “They won’t bother you again now, darling. You enjoy the show. Leave him alone.” — IANS ADELE PHOTO: SUNIL KUMAR Golden arm B-town congratulates Neeraj Chopra for winning gold medal at World Athletics Championships Indian athlete Neeraj Chopra has made the nation proud once again, as he clinched the gold medal in javelin throw event at the ongoing World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary. As the nation celebrated his big win, B-town too sent best wishes to the ‘golden boy of Indian athletics’, who has etched his name in history by becoming the first-ever Indian to secure a gold medal at this championship. Udta Punjab actor Shahid Kapoor shared a picture on his Instagram Stories and wrote: “Congratulations to our world champion. #Proud.” National Award winning-actress Kangana Ranaut shared a post on her stories and wrote: “Congratulations India. Undoubtedly the greatest of all time.” Abhishek Bachchan shared a picture of Neeraj and wrote: “Once again, @neeraj_chopra fills us with pride as he secures gold in the men’s javelin throw competition at the #World Athletics Championships.” Vicky Kaushal shared photos of Neeraj’s wins at the Olympics 2021, Diamond League 2022, and the most recent World Athletics Championships 2023, as he called him an “Absolute Legend.” Kareena Kapoor Khan shared a video on her stories and wrote: “So proud of you #Champion.” Actor-director Farhan Akhar also shared a picture and wrote: “Congratulations. Onwards and upwards.” Anushka Sharma wrote on Instagram, “Congratulations @neeraj_chopra! This is remarkable. Such a proud moment for India.” Malaika Arora wrote: “Another proud win for India. Congratulations @neeraj_chopra.” IANS c m y b