07092023-LSTC-01.qxd 9/6/2023 10:28 PM Page 1 c m y b TRIBUNE Dating again Singer Taylor Swift is reportedly dating another actor, several months following her split from Matty Healy, lead vocalist of pop rock band The 1975. CHANDIGARH | THURSDAY | 7 SEPTEMBER 2023 Actor Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub is happy that he is finally essaying a romantic role, even though he gets to romance Nawazuddin Siddiqui bhai in the film Haddi Nonika Singh You’re invited! Reception card invite goes viral as Parineeti, Raghav gear up for big day The reception invite of Bollywood actress Parineeti Chopra and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Raghav Chadha, who are all set to tie the wedding knot in Lake City Udaipur this month, has gone viral. The card is ivory and gold in colour. The wedding rituals will be held at Hotel Leela Palace and Udayavilas on September 23-24. During this period, many big personalities from politics and Bollywood will come to Udaipur. The mehendi, haldi and sangeet events will start from September 23. Reportedly, a reception will be held in Gurugram after the wedding. Several film personalities, including Parineeti’s sister Priyanka Chopra and her husband Nick Jonas, and leaders from Delhi and other states are expected to attend the event. — IANS F ROM Imran in Scoop to Irfan in upcoming film Haddi, it’s not exactly a leap for the Chhalaang actor Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub. Rather he has no hesitation in admitting that in Haddi, headlined by Nawazuddin Siddiqui, his part is not a big one. But it sure is an important role, new and exciting too as he gets to romance Nawaz, who plays a transgender. He jokes, “Somehow no one has ever offered me a romantic role before.” And he is happy that debutant director Akshat Ajay Sharma who ‘has so much clarity of thought and vision’ saw this shade in him. Working with his senior from the National School of Drama, Nawaz bhai, too was exhilarating. Though he qualifies, “When two good actors work together, they do not necessarily talk about acting,” Watching the supremely talented actor up close and personal did turn out to be a learning lesson in how to do things differently. On the film that also stars Anurag Kashyap as the main antagonist, he says, “It’s a good thing we are exploring these marginalised characters and our cinema is becoming more inclusive.” Tired of playing the righteous person time and again, he can’t say whether his Haddi character of a lawyer is challenging, a word incidentally he does not use liberally to define any of the stellar parts in his oeuvre. Keeping it simple Invariably, Zeeshan is spot on. Yet his acting process is not very complicated. He says, “To understand the script and Finally, love happened ‘Great appetite for consuming content’ Among the plethora of choices this week, which also includes Jawan’s theatrical release, Zeeshan is not unduly perturbed about Haddi’s fate as it streams on Zee5 today. For one, the OTT release frees it from box-office pressure. Moreover, he reasons, “We have a great appetite for drama and consuming content. We can watch a film and start watching yet another after a half-anhour break. We love storytelling; look at our folk forms which continue all through the night.” Besides, he quips, “Not everyone will get tickets for Jawan.” communicate truthfully is sort of the baseline. Then there are a number of things, which if a part is complex could involve talking to others.” But if it’s playing the ever supportive friend, a part he aced in Dhanush-starrer Raanjhanaa and many other films, he doesn’t need to work very hard. “Of course, for Raanjhanaa, I did think very hard and added many layers to it. But if I am being typecast, I just read the script and deliver my lines,” he adds. Though, in his long journey he is ‘still waiting for the big moment’, but he would not sign just any film. “For when I am a part of a film, viewers do expect some sense in it, and I can’t let them down.” In future too, he promises his fans, “I will do my best to entertain you. I won’t be lazy in my work and will keep on trying.” And that’s exactly the same advice he proffers to aspiring actors out there. “Don’t just focus on your dreams, focus on your performance. Even if it’s a oneliner part, give it your 100 per cent.” Now you know what makes him stand out in meaty parts or cameos. Watch him strike home once again, as Haddi streams on Zee5 on September 7. Walking the thin line Playing two Muslim characters back-to-back, he doesn’t think his roles in either Scoop or Haddi are the best examples to comment on Muslim characters’ representation on screen. “In both Scoop and Haddi, Imran and Irfan are part of the group, and become one with the narrative organically. Irfan could well have been Ramesh and that is a sign of very good writing. It becomes a problem or tricky when you make them special characters because of their religion.” RIP, Gayle Dallas actress Gayle Hunnicutt dies at 80 Rakul opens up on films in different Indian languages broken’ Joe Jonas, Sophie Turner file for divorce After four years of marriage, singer Joe Jonas and actress Sophie Turner have filed for divorce, saying that their marriage is now ‘irretrievably broken’. The musician and the former Game of Thrones star tied the knot in 2019 after nearly three years of dating and have two children together: Willa, 3, and a second daughter, identified in the divorce documents as D, 14 months. At this point, Joe is asking for joint custody of the children. The pop singer wants a judge to establish a parenting plan between him and The Dark Phoenix actress, which allows for ‘frequent and continuing contact with both parties’. The couple first connected through Instagram in 2016. A few months after they connected on social media, Joe and Sophie had officially begun dating with the singer even noting that he was ‘willing to settle down for her’. In October 2017, about a year after they began seeing each other, the couple announced that they were engaged. However, they are going through marital problems for over half-a-year now, citing their difference in lifestyle, attitude and their compatibility, which had deteriorated over the years. In the divorce documents acquired, it was noted that Joe is more of an indoors person while Sophie likes to party and hang out more often. As such, the musician has been taking care of their children a lot longer than Sophie, which means that even though he has asked for a 50 per cent custody, he could ask for significantly more, given that he has been the more responsible parent. — IANS Rakul Preet Singh TASK Hollywood star Denzel Washington almost rejected action film The Magnificent Seven. Director Antoine Fuqua, who has teamed up with the 68year-old actor on The Equalizer trilogy after first teaming up on 2001’s Training Day, said selling his collaborator on the 2016 reboot wasn’t an easy task. Denzel Washington almost walked away from The Magnificent Seven pitch A still from Haddi Exciting times ‘Irretrievably TOUGH Actress Rakul Preet Singh, who has done several films in Telugu, Hindi and Tamil, has opened up about her upcoming projects. “This is a really exciting phase for me as an actor, I’m really glad to be getting opportunities to do films across languages. I’m immensely thankful for the diverse languages of cinema that allow me to speak to hearts across linguistic borders. It’s a joy for me to connect with audiences from all walks of life through the magic of storytelling,” she said. Rakul said all her upcoming films are in different languages, including Tamil, Telugu, Hindi. “There are many other films that are currently under wraps but will soon be out, and I cannot be more excited,” she said. Singh who made her acting debut with Kannada film Gilli (2009) has worked in Telugu movie Venkatadri Express and Tamil film Thadaiyara Thaakka. She was later seen in Tamil and Telugu films like Loukyam (2014), Pandaga Chesko (2015), Sarrainodu (2016), Dhruva (2016), and Nannaku Prematho (2016). She entered Hindi cinema with the comedy Yaariyan (2014). Rakul has primarily acted in Hindi films, such as the romantic comedy De De Pyaar De (2019), the drama Runway 34 (2022), and Doctor G (2022). — ANI c m y b Gayle Hunnicutt, best remembered for her roles in Marlowe and the series Dallas has passed away in London. She was 80. In the final three seasons Dallas, which ran from 1989 to 1991, Hunnicutt portrayed Vanessa Beaumont. Hunnicutt made her television debut in 1966 on the NBC sitcom Mister Roberts. During the 1960s, she appearances in a number of television shows, including The Beverly Hillbillies, Hey Landlord, Love on a Rooftop, and Get Smart. — ANI Up next for Yami Gautam Actress Yami Gautam, who is basking in the success of her recent release OMG 2, has commenced shooting for her next project. “Just after the release of OMG 2, Yami started work on her next film, details of which are currently under wraps. With such a packed schedule, Yami didn’t get the time to celebrate the success of OMG 2 with her close ones and family. But more or less it is an exciting time for her career with so much on her plate right now.” Recently, Yami expressed excitement as the box-office collection of OMG 2 crossed Rs 120 crore. — ANI He remembered opening his pitch with: “So, the sun is coming up. This man on this black horse comes...,” while speaking at a screening event for The Equalizer 3. Fuqua recalled: “(Washington) goes, ‘ Wait, what?’ I said, ‘A man on his horse’, and Denzel’s like, ‘I’m not gonna get on a horse.’ I said, ‘No, no, let me finish! Magnificent Seven...’ And he just sat back and listened to me, let me get out my pitch.” The filmmaker was convinced Washington would ‘walk away at any moment’, but thankfully he was willing to hear what Fuqua was planning. The pair have worked together for the latest instalment in The Equalizer’ franchise, but Fuqua insisted he isn’t planning a third film in the series. — IANS