17092023-LSTL-01.qxd 9/16/2023 11:01 PM Page 1 c m y b WORLD PREMIERE FOR BERLIN Actors Aparshakti Khurana and Ishwak Singh’s spy thriller Berlin is all set for world premiere at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles in October. Berlin centres around a deaf-mute man who is detained on suspicion of spying. TRIBUNE Coming up Life Melody & rhythm The K-pop group Tomorrow X Together (TXT) — Soobi, Yeonjun, Beomgyu, Taehyun, and Hueningakai — have released their collaborative single Back for More, featuring Brazilian popstar Anitta. Back for More (with Anitta) is a ‘disco-esque’ track with a groovy baseline and playful whistling sounds, adorned with the colourful hues of trendy Latin pop and the conventional melodies of K-pop. While TXT do their K-pop melodies with great energy and freshness, Anitta adds a new layer to the song, first with her Latin American vocals and later with her background harmonised singing, accentuating the dance energy, and complementing the Korean quintet. The collaboration between the global Gen Z music sensations and the rising popstar serves as a prerelease track ahead of the quintet’s third LP titled The Name , Chapter: Freefall, which is slated for release on October 13, 2023. — IANS LUDHIANA | SUNDAY | 17 SEPTEMBER 2023 ‘I consider myself lucky’ A Sheetal TXT unveils tantalising single Back For More in collaboration with Anitta Actor Anupam Kher has finished shooting for his film Calorie in Amritsar, Punjab. On Saturday, Kher took to Instagram and announced the completion of his film. CTOR Mohit Raina, who is currently seen in Neeraj Pandey’s web series, The Freelancer, happened to be in the City Beautiful for a leadership summit in ISB, Mohali, recently. While the Jammu born actor’s memories of the city are blurred, he clearly recalled Sector 17, which used to be the most happening place during his college years. “Also it was a pit-stop while heading to Delhi,” he said. The Freelancer is a Disney+Hotstar original and while four episodes were dropped on September 1, the remainder will be out soon. Mohit, who loved being part of this highoctane extraction drama, shared “When I did television, of course, I worked on things that I was offered and had not much of a choice. But with the OTT boom, I took break from television. I consider myself lucky that a new set of opportunities opened up. While we get to make choices for sure, there are some directors and production houses that you don’t have to think twice. I loved working with Neeraj and being part of such an actioner. But at the same time, each project comes with its own challenges and my character of Avinash Kamath involved a Mohit Raina, who has entered web space with the series The Freelancer, says since the birth of his daughter, life has changed for the better While we get to make choices for sure, there are some directors that you don’t have to think twice. I loved working with Neeraj in The Freelancer. MOHIT RAINA doting father is embracing fatherhood and theresponsibility with excitement. “I am now trained in everything, right from diaperchanging to waking up according to the baby’s sleep schedule. Life has changed for the better, first with marriage and now with the arrival of our baby girl.” Recalling his acting journey, he doesn’t see it as full of struggles, challenges or obstacles, “I started with modelling and with time knew that I liked to emote on camera. So, acting was a natural progression. Yes, the film industry had been a bit indifferent towards the television actors, but things have changed.” Mohit Raina, like many from his era, did face opposition from his family when he first expressed his desire to be in the entertainment industry, but his mother was the biggest support system. Parting ways... Hugh Jackman, Deborra-Lee Furness announce separation Actor Hugh Jackman has announced separation from his wife, fellow actress Deborra-Lee Furness after 27 years of marriage. The Australian couple is separating on amicable terms. The Aussie couple said: “We have been blessed to share almost three decades together as husband and wife in a wonderful, loving marriage. Our journey now is shifting and we have decided to separate to pursue our individual growth.” They continued: “Our family has been and always will be our highest priority. We undertake this next chapter with gratitude, love...” — IANS Up next lot of mental preparation, which was fun too.” Family man On the personal front, Mohit recently became a father to a baby girl, his first-born with wife Aditi, whom he married in 2021. He even went on a three month paternity leave. The On the work front, the actor will be seen in the second season of Mumbai Diaries. The first part, Mumbai Diraies 26/11, saw him playing a doctor who was caught in a hostage situation at a hospital during Mumbai 26/11 attacks. “This time it would be around another crisis situation, but I will reprise my character of Dr Kaushik Oberoi,” he said. Actor Randeep Hooda to appear in music video of the track Zohrajabeen Actor Randeep Hooda, who recently made a foray into the space of music videos with the track Zohrajabeen, is happy that Punjabi music is doing so well across the globe. The actor shared that for him the last 12 months were exhilarating, as he got to venture into OTT space and now the music video, which he described as a great experience. Randeep Hooda, who has received praise for his work in CAT, Inspector Avinash and Sergeant, shared: “This has been a year ANITTA New arena of a lot of firsts for me. From venturing into the OTT space to playing a Sikh for the first time to a real dabang UP cop. Also from being just an actor to becoming a writer, director and producer on Veer Savarkar’s biopic. And now, doing a music video…” He added: “To step out of my comfort zone, a music video seemed like the right thing to do and I’m very glad I did it. B Praak is one of the best and biggest singers out there. Also it’s not just the song that’s great but his sound is so unusual. There is a lot of angst and pain in his songs, written by the great Jaani, especially Zohrazabeen. To act in its title track was a pleasure. The fact that Punjabi music is trailblazing globally is great to see”. — IANS Stallone, the star From satire to suspense Now, Tiger Vs Pathaan Salman, Shah Rukh okay script, shooting to start in March 2024 Bollywood superstars Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan have given their nod to the script of Tiger Vs Pathaan. This contradicts a report that claimed that Aditya Chopra was going to host a joint narration of the film for Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan. However, the film has already been narrated to the two superstars in two separate meetings more than a month back and the team of Tiger vs Pathaan will start the preparations in November. The shooting will commence in March next year. An industry source revealed: “The script of Tiger vs Pathaan has been locked after the two mega-stars of Hindi cinema gave their nod. .” The source further mentioned: “They had to first love the script and get convinced that it had the goods to satisfy the expectations of people about their big on-screen reunion. Aditya Chopra held individual meetings with SRK and Salman, respectively, and narrated the film to them.” Directed by Siddharth Anand, Tiger vs Pathaan is a part of the YRF ‘spy universe, which kicked off with the Tiger franchise, starring Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif, beginning with Ek Tha Tiger and Tiger Zinda Hai, continued with War, starring Hrithik Roshan and Tiger Shroff, and Pathaan starring Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone and John Abraham. — IANS Chandigarh-based columnist and novelist Chetna Keer has launched her fourth book, Garnets Under My Gulmohar. A sequel to her gripping Gulmohar saga, the author claims, “I have tried to move from satire to suspense.” Keer shares that her latest launch dwells upon the subject of climate against in the backdrop of Kasauli hills. Keer was a journalist until she chose to take a break and become a full time writer. The author has also written a children book, Veggies Go On a Beauty Parade. Her previous book is titled Giddha On My Gulmohar. For the author, gulmohar is her proverbial ‘lotus’ and just like it represents the drastic difference between the place it comes from and where it reaches, the former is the symbol of withstanding the harshest of summer and yet bloom the brightest. She adds, “When I wrote the first book on gulmohar, which was mainly satire, it was much like a chef learning to cook eggs ‘sunny side up’, whereas this one is all the more special. One can say managing to write suspense was learning how to cook a perfect lasagna with each layer carefully placed and unravelled at the right moment.” — TNS CHETNA KEER c m y b Sylvester Stallone talks about Rocky at TIFF, says he wrote what he knew Actor Sylvester Stallone, during the screening of his classic 1976 film Rocky at TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival), said while writing and making the film, he just wrote what he knew and acted it out. The actor had written the script himself which, he maintains, is his best till date. “I just wrote about what I knew. I was writing about this little kind of mentally challenged guy who happened to have a lot of heart,” Stallone said of his early Rocky Balboa character, as it took shape in his mind and on the page. “I wanted to write a movie about a guy who says ‘I’m not great at all, never will be. I fight great fighters. But I just want the opportunity to go the distance,” Stallone said of his original Rocky character. He added that the Rocky Balboa character represented the apex of his career because no one at first in Hollywood wanted to make the movie. “Nobody wanted to make it,” he said. The iconic Hollywood star, best known for his tough guy Rocky and Rambo movie franchises, also opened up about his early days as an actor. “I didn’t have the bones to be a Shakespearean actor. It’s important as an artiste to know what your strengths are, but more important to know your weaknesses,” Stallone said. Stallone’s documentary film Sly will hit the TIFF stage on a later date, as it won’t be affected by the ongoing Hollywood strikes. — IANS