04112023-LSTL-01.qxd 11/3/2023 10:26 PM Page 1 c m y b TRIBUNE To Bangkok Life Taylor Swift Charlize Theron reveals how Taylor Swift helped her become a ‘hero’ to her kids Charlize Theron Hollywood star Charlize Theron became a ‘hero’ to her daughter when she bought her a rare Taylor Swift t-shirt. The actress has adopted children Jackson, 11, and seven-year-old August, and revealed that her eldest was thinking she is ‘uncool’ but was able to go up in her estimations by tracking down a one-of-akind t-shirt featuring country superstar Taylor. She said, “My oldest is now getting into that teenage phase of ‘Mom’s not cool anymore,’ so when I have little moments like that where I buy her the Taylor Swift Tshirt that nobody can get, that’s when I’m like a hero.” The Academy Award-winning star also added that when it comes to her children, she wants to keep them ‘safe and informed’ about what is going on in the world amid the horrors of the Israel-Hamas conflict, but is restricting how much she tells them because she feels as if kids see ‘too much’ these days and wants them to be able to enjoy life. — IANS LUDHIANA | SATURDAY | 4 NOVEMBER 2023 ‘I focus on the character’ A Sheetal T-shirt trick! After the success of Leo, Tamil superstar Thalapathy Vijay has flown to Bangkok for the shooting of Thalapathy 68. Directed by Venkat Prabhu, the film also stars Prashanth, Prabhu Deva. CTOR Dibyendu Bhattacharya, last seen in the film Mission Raniganj, calls himself a yes man for being unable to say no to offers similar to what he has already done. He explains, “I always say yes to the project because I always think that I can bring out some detailing in the roles offered. I would like to believe that I have successfully managed to bring variety into every role that I have done so far. I take it as a challenge.” Dibyendu hails from West Bengal, his mother tongue helped him play the roles. If in Guddu Rangeela, he played Bangali, in Undekhi, he played DSP Ghosh from West Bengal and a Bengali character, D Sen, in the latest theatrical release Mission Raniganj. “Yes, I have played a Bengali guy in all these. I have a huge respect for my mother tongue. I am a proud Bengali and a proud Indian. But I have also performed and appreciated for other roles, be it DSP Ghosh in Undekhi, Prof Mehdi Raza in Rocket Boys or Martin Gilbert Ekka in Maharani Season 2.” He continued, “To me, only the role matters. I focus on the character — whether it is effective or not. The charac- ter has to be the catalyst and its action should bring about changes in the script. The role should be substantial, whether it is a Punjabi or Bengali character.” Role call Not ready to pick between films and OTT, he praises theatre too. He shared, “I love to do theatre because there are thousands of people live in front of me. That’s a different kick altogether. Whereas in the case of OTT platforms, we can watch it in our private domains, so I love every process of it.” Dibyendu’s role from Maharani Season 2 is highly appreciated and he shares how the character of honest civil servant Martin Gilbert Ekka came into being. “Working with Subhash Kapoor (creator of Maharani) is always fun. He is a fantastic director, a visionary and master craftsman. When he offered me the character, it was because I resonate with Ekka as far as his love for theatre goes. Even the entry of Ekka starts with the speech of Mark Anthony from Julius Caesar. The credit goes to Subhash Kapoor for creating a character like this.” He is happy that Rocket Boys, a project he has been part of, is nominated for Emmys. “I c m y b think money and fame are just the by-products of our profession; it’s the validation we seek, which of course comes in the form for awards,” he opines. Dibyendu Bhattacharya, who was last seen in the film Mission Raniganj, says he wants to live as many lives as he can on screen through the characters he essays Being an actor On the sole purpose of being an actor, Dibyendu shares, “I wish to live as many lives as I can onscreen through my characters. And no one would ever dream as an artiste to be typecast because of how they appear or where they are from. So, I have taken conscious steps to not repeat myself in roles. I try to play things differently each time.” As for upcoming projects, Dibyendu has shot for Undekhi Season 3 and currently shooting for Maharani Season 3. He has also done a cameo in Sonu Sood’s film Fateh and has an important role in Anushka-starrer Chakda Xpress. Congrats! Actress Anushka Sharma has congratulated the Indian cricket team for making a place in the semi-finals of the World Cup 2023. India won the match against Sri Lanka on Thursday and secured a place in the semifinals. Anushka Sharma celebrated Team India’s accomplishments on Instagram Stories. She wrote, “This team (blue heart emoji) into the semis.” Anushka is indeed her husband and cricketer Virat Kohli’s biggest cheerleader! Earlier, when Kohli won everyone’s hearts with his match-winning knock against New Zealand at the picturesque Dharamshala. Anushka Sharma took to social media and lauded his performance. She shared a video by ICC. The video is of Kohli getting caught as he tried to hit a six. She wrote, “Always proud of you (sic).” In another post, she called Kohli a ‘storm chaser’. — ANI