22092023-LSTC-01.qxd 9/21/2023 10:33 PM Page 1 c m y b KIMMEL DOWN WITH COVID Talk show host Jimmy Kimmel has been diagnosed with Covid-19. Taking to X, Kimmel shared the news and also informed fans about the cancellation of his Strike Force Three live show. After learning about Kimmel's ill-health, fans wished for his speedy recovery. TRIBUNE Big opening Life Kareena Kapoor Khan’s OTT debut Jaane Jaan has been selected as the opening film of The Himalayan Film Festival 2023. It is the official adaptation of the novel Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino. CHANDIGARH | FRIDAY | 22 SEPTEMBER 2023 Shiningindark zone peace Rest in Actress Kritika Kamra, who has made a mark with the web series Bambai Meri Jaan, says though the role was on the darker side, she loved the bonhomie on and off the sets Nonika Singh I am a softie, avers the lovely actress Kritika Kamra. Yet, she pulled it off as the vengeful Habiba in Bambai Meri Jaan. Standing her ground among the band of gangsters, the reference points for her were not films of similar genre, certainly not Haseena Parkar, which by the way she has not seen. Rather, she says, “Certain emotions are universal.” Besides, she shares how the script at hand was rather dense and detailed. “Shujaat Saudagar was not an easy director to please. Thus, there was not one but many briefs, how to keep it all authentic, the language conversational with no bombastic dialoguebaazi even though it may have been prevalent in the cinema of the 1970s and 80s,” she says. ON AN INTIMATE NOTE As nudity and profanity has become a staple in OTT shows, how does Kritika Kamra, hailing from a middle-class family, respond? “Well, I did warn my parents before they began watching the show.” On a serious note, she says, “What matters is the intent. It is not to generate cheap thrills. When you are telling a tale of gangsters, it becomes a demand of the narrative.” Doing intimate scenes is not out of bounds for her. Rather, she reminds how there are intimacy coordinators on the sets. While caning an intimate scene for the web series Tandav, she recalls, “Everyone was asked to move out and I was made comfortable. I felt really respected as a woman.” CLASS APART With umpteen workshops and rehearsals to guide them all, she recalls, “It was akin to being in a class and all of us were scolded at some point or the other.” But what happens when the class has actors like Kay Kay Menon, Nivedita Bhattacharya and Avinash Tiwary? Where do you stand? She laughs, “Oh, they are in a different class (read league) altogether.” One thing she learnt from the ensemble cast of talented actors was, “Discipline and how each actor put the show above themselves. There was no rivalry, no competitiveness and no desire to outshine each other.” Bharatnatyam maestro Saroja Vaidyanathan died at her residence in New Delhi on Thursday morning due to cancer. She had turned 86 on Tuesday. Her daughterin-law and dancer Rama Vaidyanathan shared the sad news via an Instagram post, “With profound grief we announce the passing on of Guru Saroja Vaidyanathan, Padma Bhushan awardee, Founder President of Ganesa Natyalaya. A huge loss to the world of dance and to me personally...” The classical dancer was conferred the Padma Shri in 2002 and the Padma Bhushan in 2013. Vaidyanathan was known for her extensive contribution to Bharatnatyam and Carnatic music in the form of 10 full-length ballets and as many as 2,000 choreographies. Rama remembered her mother-in-law and guru for leaving a 50-year-old legacy behind in the form of Ganesa Natyalaya, a classical dance school in the national capital. “It is now our duty to take her legacy forward. I remember her for the love and affection she gave all of us...,” Rama said. — TNS and PTI Her legacy lives on Bharatnatyam exponent Saroja Vaidyanathan dies at 86 TRIBUTE IN TWEETS Legendary Bharatnatyam exponent Guru Saroja Vaidyanathan passed away this morning, leaving behind a rich legacy. My condolences to the family. Her contribution to the dance world has been immense. Her loss will be deeply felt. Sonal Mansingh, renowned dancer “Saddened by the news of the passing away of Saroja Vaidyanathan – revered Bharatnatyam guru and Padma Bhushan awardee, and a prolific choreographer. Her contribution to the field of art and culture are laudable. My condolences to the family.” G Kishan Reddy, Minister of Culture “A profound loss to the world of dance and art. Heartfelt condolences to family and friends of Padma Bhushan awardee Guru Saroja Vaidyanathan, a Bharatanatyam exponent and choreographer. She gained accolades for internationally presenting several dance-dramas based on mythology and social themes, including the poems of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Her legacy will forever inspire generations to come.” Official account of Ministry of Culture MORE THE MERRIER Though she thinks she was almost like a boy in the family of three brothers, she was told to play Habiba as an alpha woman, but not tomboyish. With the show designed as three seasons, you bet her act will get more powerpacked in the ensuing seasons. Even otherwise she has an exciting line-up ahead. Apart from starring in a show with Pratik Gandhi, with whom she has worked in the film Mitron too, she has just finished shooting for Gyaarah Gyaarah, co-produced by Oscar-winner Guneet Monga and Karan Johar. Although when Kritika landed in Mumbai she already had a television show going for her, she asserts, “It is not easy to survive.” Thus, to all her close family and friends her advice is, “If you have a plan B, don’t become an actor. Pursue acting only if you are consumed by it.” Not our anthem! Sheetal On Wednesday, the International Cricket Council (ICC) dropped the official anthem, titled Dil Jashn Bole, of the Men’s Cricket World Cup to be held in India from October 5 to November 19. However, cricket fans were not impressed and criticised it for being influencer-centric with no inclusivity. While the music is by Pritam, who also features in the song, Ranveer Singh headlines it. Ranveer’s energy as a hardcore cricket fan is surely infectious, as always, but Pritam fails to capture the emotions of cricket fans. The lyrics by Shloke Lal and Saaveri Verma, and the rap, written and performed by Charan, also fall flat. The closest ‘cricket’ connection that the anthem has is featuring choreogra- Cricket fans are not happy with what music composer Pritam did with ICC Cricket World Cup anthem. Netizens hit back... pher Dhanashree Verma, wife of leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, who is incidentally not a part of the Indian squad this time. On the other hand, it is raining influencers in the anthem. From dancer Ruhee Dosani, YouTubers Gaurav Taneja (Flying Beast), gamer Scout (Tanmay Singh), presenter Jatin Sapru to BeYouNick (aka Nikunj Lotia), these are all frowned upon for they do not make a difference to cricket fans. While many cried ‘not our anthem’, some even recalled 2011 anthem, De Ghumake, by Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy as their all-time favourite. Even India’s fan anthem for 2015, Mauka Mauka, was quite popular. Fans were also furious about the shoddy use of AI, with weird mascots flying around in the video and even requested a new anthem. They wanted a better connect with cricket and not a Bollywood item song! Roasting the makers Viewers didn’t shy away from making fun of the makers. “I thought that 2019 WC theme was bad but after hearing this (2023 anthem), I believe that was a masterpiece,” a user wrote. Some even threw a shade of sarcasm saying, “Words can’t describe how lovely the anthem is… numbers can… 1/10.” Another funny comment goes, “This song really helped us. My grandfather was paralysed, but when he heard this, he stood up and paused the song.” PHOTOS: YOUTUBE@ICC RANVEER SINGH IN DIL JASHN BOLE Mona Chandigarh girl Shreya Tyagi recently reserved a place on the prestigious list of the Vogue Business 100 Innovators. An alumni of Carmel Convent School, Chandigarh, Shreya knew early on that she wanted to work in the fashion industry. Dreaming of being a designer, her notebooks were covered with sketches of elongated figures draped in imaginative silhouettes ever since she was six. At an enviable position now, calling Paris her home, Shreya talks about her professional journey. Paris-based Chandigarh girl Shreya Tyagi, who is making a mark in high couture, talks about her love for fashion in both real and virtual spaces With source material of the series coming from S Hussain Zaidi’s book Dongri to Dubai, she insists, “The characters are not based on any real persons, but are fictional.” As for inhabiting the dark space that both the series and her character demanded, she reasons, “You try not to judge your character. Nor do you try to justify her or other gangsters in the series.” Of course, there are tools to get into and out of the character. She adds, “The only thing you take home are the precious moments from the sets and the relationships you forge while shooting.” Thus, the bonding with Avinash Tiwary, who plays her doting brother Dara in the series, has spilled over in real life. Bonhomie prevails with her other onscreen brothers too. LUXURY AND INNOVATION I have six years of experience in strategic innovation in the luxury industry and have worked with several entrepreneurs, agencies and startups. My role as Innovation Manager at Christian Dior Couture requires a passion for driving transformation in a way that is tangible, seamless and enhances brand desirability. FASHION PASSION changing environments. Reconciling my different identities was definitely a challenge initially. But now I feel like I can easily do it, and fashion has definitely been a useful armour. It has been seven years in Paris now and I absolutely love going for walks along the Seine river. AI TO AID CHANDIGARH CONNECT For four years in my previous role at Dior, I led the Dior Data Accelerator, an in-house incubator aimed at leveraging AI to provide unified, personalised client experiences and improve business performance through affinity-based product recommendations. While the business case for artificial intelligence is clear, there is also a paradigm shift in the works for creators, thanks to the emergence of generative AI. I owe a lot to my early schooling at Carmel Convent, where I received fantastic education. Additionally, the city’s rich heritage and unique architecture, a legacy left to us by Pierre Jeanneret and Le Corbusier, has definitely left a mark on not only me but the global design community. FASHIONABLE IN FRANCE I have become pretty adept at handling fast- c m y b FUTURE ENDEAVOURS Future plans include building my own fashion brand with select designers and artists. I want to encourage young creatives to push the boundaries of creativity. Actor Akhil Mishra, best known for his role in 3 Idiots, died after a fall at his residence in Mumbai on Wednesday evening, said a publicist for his actor-wife Suzanne Bernert. He was 67. The publicist said Mishra, who had blood pressure issues, succumbed to injuries following the accident in the kitchen. 3 Idiots fame actor Akhil Mishra dies at 67 “He was on a chair in the kitchen trying to do something when he fell down and hurt his head. He was later rushed to the hospital by the family and neighbours. Despite the doctor’s best efforts, he could not be saved,” the publicist said. Bernert was in Hyderabad for a shoot when Mishra passed away. Mishra is best remembered for his role of librarian, Dubey, in 3 Idiots. He had also worked in films and serials such as Don, Gandhi, My Father; Uttaran, Udaan and Shrimaan Shrimati, among others. — PTI India calling Global comedian Trevor Noah is in India. Former The Daily Show host was spotted at the Delhi Airport on Thursday morning. He has come to the national capital for his Off The Record India Tour. He was spotted in a car wearing a black hoodie. Trevor Noah is set to perform live across seven shows during the India leg of the Off The Record Tour, to be held at Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium, Delhi, on September 22, 23 and 24, followed by Manpho Convention Centre, Bengaluru, on September 27 and 28, and finally at the NSCI Dome, Mumbai, on September 30 and October 1. — ANI