18092023-LSTL-01.qxd 9/17/2023 9:54 PM Page 1 c m y b TRIBUNE Greatest joy Priyanka Chopra Jonas is celebrating her marriage with husband Nick Jonas and has called him the greatest joy of her life. Nick turned 31 on September 16. IANS LUDHIANA | MONDAY | 18 SEPTEMBER 2023 A tune of liberation Sheetal U Not a model life! Cindy Crawford’s dad thought modelling was ‘another name for prostitution’ Supermodel Cindy Crawford said that her father thought modelling was a euphemism for prostitution. The 57-year-old, who became one of the world’s most popular pin-ups in the 1980s and ‘90s, has also admitted that she initially struggled to convince her mum and dad she was on the path to a lucrative and respectable career. “My dad really didn’t understand that modelling was a real career. He thought modelling was, like, another name for prostitution,” she said in a preview for a new documentary show The Super Models about her dad John’s reaction to her going into modelling. Crawford’s father and her mother Jennifer Sue Crawford-Moluf were eventually supportive and went with her to her first modelling appointment. The model added in the preview she “never even thought about modelling” before she ended up in the business. She said, “I didn’t even know it was a real job. I didn’t know how I would get from DeKalb, Illinois, to a magazine.” In 2016, Cindy told Vanity Fair about how she did her first modelling job aged 16 when she was still living with her parents. She said, “When I was 16, Roger Legel, a local photographer in my small town of DeKalb, Illinois, asked to photograph me for the college newspaper.” “I agreed, and he shot this picture at the backyard pool of my high school boyfriend. I was still a teenager and dreamed of becoming something big – a nuclear physicist or the first woman president, the two biggest jobs I could think of.” “Doing this first shoot changed my life. The photographer encouraged me to go to Chicago to try to find an agent. I went to Chicago, ended up signing with Elite, and from there started doing catalogue shoots as well as working with Victor Skrebneski - the most important photographer in Chicago. This one photograph opened my eyes to a whole new world and started me down the path of modelling.” — IANS GANDAN singer Awori landed in Chandigarh for her first-ever India tour in collaboration with Alliance Française de Chandigarh. She performed at The Backroom, Sector 34 on Saturday, which was jam-packed with electronic and hip hop music lovers. On her early influences in music, Awori recollects, “I started writing songs when I was about nine years old. And then performing at school functions made me realise that I wanted to pursue it for life.” Awori, who has a decade long career in music, says, “While earlier I wanted to win a Grammy and make my mark in the mainstream music world but now I find solace in independent music as it gives me the freedom to experiment. I feel today music is not just about having talent but more about becoming an overall performer with an attitude to reinvent yourself.” The Ugandan singer, who is currently studying Jazz at the Paris College of Music, tries to incorporate her native culture, politics and everything under the sun into her music. She says, “My motive is to adapt to the ever-changing environments with subjects ranging from vulnerability, self- Paris-based Ugandan hip hop artiste Awori tries to blur the dividing lines like language, race and culture through her music image, heart-break, love to migration and protest. As I do this, I also try to blur the dividing lines like language, race and cultures.” Awori is fluent in English and she explains the reason behind it, “Speaking my mother-tongue in public was prohibited in my native country when I was growing up.” Awori, who started her India tour with Chandigarh, is in awe of the city’s architectural brilliance. She will be performing in Mumbai, Pune and Delhi. She says, “While growing up, I was into traditional Percussion instruments and the tabla fascinated me. I also love this Indian clothing brand called NorBlack NorWhite, which has stores in Actress and content creator Prajakta Koli on Sunday morning announced that she and her beau Vrishank Khanal have got engaged, to which Varun Dhawan, Guneet Monga and Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, among others, reacted. Mumbai and Delhi. I am looking forward to visit as it celebrates the old ways of craftsmanship.” All for sustainable fashion, Awori shares her grievances as Africa has become the dumping ground of fast fashion of global brands. On hip hop completing 50 years, she says it has been a great journey for the genre but feels the real voices of protest that hip hop is known for is getting lost. “While there are artistes who are carrying forward the true legacy of hip hop, but they aren’t among the ones that are globally popular and most heard singers. But thanks to streaming platforms, independent artistes have found the much-needed exposure.” One of Awori’s latest projects, Ranavalona, is about the last Queen of I CAN BE ANYWHERE IN THE Madagascar. Queen Ranavalona resisted the WORLD BUT I DO NOT FORGET colonial forces. “I can be WHERE I COME FROM. I CARRY anywhere in the world MY IDENTITY NOT AS A BURDEN but I do not forget where BUT PRIDE ON MY SHOULDERS. I come from and carry my identity not as burAT THE SAME TIME I LEARN FROM den but pride on my MY EXPERIENCES WHILE STAYING shoulders. At the same IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES. IT time I learn from my experiences while stayADDS TO MY IDENTITY. ing in different countries. It adds to my identity which helps in keeping my individuality in my music alive.” Introducing Sirat Deepa Mehta’s documentary I Am Sirat, which unravels the inner life of a Delhi-based transgender woman, has created a big buzz after its premiere at the ongoing Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) here. Shot on smartphones, I Am Sirat explores the troubling and complex duality of her life. Sirat has to suppress her inner urge to live like a woman so that her mother, and a married sister and Jug Jugg Jeeyo actress Prajakta Koli engaged to beau Vrishank Khanal Prajakta took to her Instagram on Sunday morning and shared a picture along with Vrishank, who reportedly is a lawyer by profession. She shared a selfie with Vrishank flaunting a diamond on her finger. In the image, Prajakta had a surprised expression on her face as Vrishank laughed. —IANS Saira Banu recalls when MF Husain made a portrait of Dilip Kumar She then jogged her memory and recalled, “I vividly remember Mr Husain’s visits to our home. Once Sahib had a high fever, and Mr Husain and Mrs Bakul Rajni Patel visited, they sat by his bedside, and suddenly, Mr Hussain pulled extended relatives are not scandalised. As she was not willing to abandon her widowed mother as she was her only support, Sirat continues to live with her as her boy and rents a room to live out her real self as a trans woman. When her lip-synched Punjabi songs and dance reels posted on Instagram get her a big following, she was forced to remove them by her relatives. For this conflicted trans woman, the high point of her life arrives when she was granted her TG certificate by a government department, celebrating it by visiting India Gate with a friend and posing for pictures. Deepa Mehta said she and Sirat produced the documentary collaboratively. Deepa said when she was in Delhi in November Sirat came to meet her. “She said why don’t you make a film on what I am going through. It took me just a few days and I said, let’s make the film.” The Toronto-based filmmaker added, “I told Sirat it is your film. You’re the nar- Cardi B says she pays no attention to trolls on social media Rising above hate MF Husain dinners, and family functions at home, and also at midnight when Pran Saab and Satish Bhalla would honk the horn outside our house asking Sahib to wake up for a midnight drive! Ooof! We wives have to exercise patience!” ON HER FINGER Deepa Mehta’s film about transgender woman creates buzz at Toronto fest Portrait of an artist On MF Husain’s 108th birthday on Sunday, veteran actress Saira Banu took a trip down memory lane and recalled how the Indian artist started sketching the portrait of late legendary star Dilip Kumar, who was having a high fever. Saira took to Instagram, where she shared some throwback images of the artist along with the actor. She wrote, “Maqbool Fida Hussain was a dear friend and admirer of Sahib alongside other close friends. Often, they would meet at The Taj Hotel Chambers for high tea, lunch, RING out a drawing paper and started sketching a portrait of Sahib. I treasure that sketch. Next time he came equipped with tons of pristine painting canvas which he stretched out on the drawing room’s floor, made Sahib sit on a chair, and made a portrait. Later, he submitted it to a museum in Hyderabad.” She added, “I remember that he had declared that Pari Chehra Naseem Banu’s face was the most beautiful that he ever painted.” — IANS c m y b Rapper Cardi B says she is being a “grown-up” by not biting back as much on social media. The WAP hitmaker added she is “getting better” at not biting back whenever she is criticised online because she feels like a proper adult now she is in her thirties. The mother-of-two was asked if she cares less about the hate she gets on apps like X and Instagram and Cardi replied, “Way less now. I am getting better. It doesn’t really affect me.” The rapper said, “But you know what, I have to grow up, I just can’t react anymore. Because I could go all day long as I am good at cracking jokes and hitting back. Earlier I was like let me go through your photos and give you the taste of your own medicine... but no... I’m a grown-up now.” The Bongos star, who has kids, Kulture, five, and Wave, two, with husband Offset, previously insisted she won’t bite her lip on social media and will continue to speak her mind online. In 2021, whilst bemoaning criticism of US President Joe Biden, she wrote on X: “How they trying to impeach Biden already? This just shows me how delusional and dumb people can be.” Cardi was subsequently told to “stay in (her) lane” and avoid speaking about politics on social media. In response, the outspoken star explained, “This is my lane. I’m an American that pays taxes right? Are you a politician?.... No! Sooo how is this your land more than mine?” Prior to that, Cardi hit out at Donald Trump, Biden’s predecessor as the US President. . — IANS rator. It has to be seen through your lens. You film yourself, you make the beginning, the middle and the end and I will film you filming yourself.” “I have known Sirat for four years now as we previously worked together on a film called Laila. Sirat is somebody who is fearless and yet is having a difficult time … having a dual existence. She is caught between her duty to her mother and (desire for) self-determination. This is what she is doing to this day. I have learnt so much from her.” — IANS Parineeti, Raghav twin in blue The wedding of actor Parineeti Chopra and AAP leader Raghav Chadha is just around the corner. Several photographs and videos of the duo have appeared on social media, showing them twinning at the airport. Parineeti looked stunning with a long blue blouse and denim trousers with a white top. She completed the appearance with white trainers and a black cap with the letter ‘R’ on it. Raghav, on the other hand, looked handsome in a light blue shirt and blue pants. Previously, Parineeti and Raghav were spotted offering prayers at the Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain. Earlier, the duo visited Golden Temple in Amritsar. Reportedly, the couple will tie the knot in Rajasthan. Wedding festivities will take place on September 23 and 24. Meanwhile, on the work front, Parineeti will share screen space with Diljit Dosanjh in Chamkila. — ANI