21012024-LSTL-01.qxd 1/20/2024 11:29 PM Page 1 c m y b TRIBUNE Watch out Filmmaker Karan Johar said he is looking forward to watching Sidharth Malhotra’s recently released web series Indian Police Force. On Instagram, KJo shared a poster of the web series. LUDHIANA | SUNDAY | 21 JANUARY 2024 Cosmetic drama Movie: DRAME AALE Director: Chander Kamboj Cast: Sukhwinder Chahal, Harish Verma, Sharan Kaur, Rubi Anam, Qaiser Piya, Malik Asif Iqbal, Sardar Kamal, Honey Albela Stars: ★★ With disjointed scenes, confusing transitions, patchy story and a disappointing end, Punjabi movie Drame Aale comes across as rather average fare Gurnaaz Kaur On panel Richa Chadha to ignite conversation on ‘activism in entertainment’ at Sundance Film Fest Actress Richa Chadha has been selected to be a part of a distinguished panel to discuss the topic ‘Entertainers as Activists’ at the Sundance Film Festival. Richa will share the stage with other influential figures, including philanthropic leader Bridgette Antoinette Evans, comedian and actor Kobi Libii, and documentary filmmaker Bao Nguyen. Richa shared, “Entertainment has the power to shape perceptions and inspire change. As artistes, it’s our responsibility to use our voices to amplify important issues. I’m honoured to be part of the Sundance Film Festival panel, discussing how entertainers can be catalysts for meaningful activism. Let our stories not only entertain but also provoke thought and drive positive transformation.” Known for speaking her mind, Richa Chadha has been a vocal advocate for social change, addressing issues close to her heart and within the film industry. Richa, along with her husband and business partner Ali Fazal, is jetting off to Salt Lake City for the world premiere of their maiden production Girls Will Be Girls, directed by Shuchi Talati. The film is the sole Indian feature selected for the World Drama competition category at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. — IANS ‘D RAME AALE’, as the name suggests, revolves around Punjabi theatre artistes who find themselves in England to present a play at the request of a British-Punjabi, portrayed by Sukhwinder Chahal. However, there’s a twist — these theatre artistes, played by Rubi Anam, Qaiser Piya, Malik Asif Iqbal, Sardar Kamal and Honey Albela, are not Indian but Pakistani. Thus unfolds the tale of five individuals with ‘exceptional’ talent trying to make their mark on foreign shores. Before delving into their world, we are introduced to Harish Verma’s character, Jija, who works illegally for Sukhwinder’s BB. From the outset, chaos erupts among these actors as one of them flees, leaving the audience to grapple with the ensuing confusion. The first half-hour is spent understanding whether the Pakistani artistes like or dislike Jija, whether they will perform the play, and if they are attempting to locate their missing comrade. Meanwhile, the director’s intent behind these tangled relationships is unclear, making it difficult for the audience to discern the purpose. Amidst this confusion, the entry of Sharan Kaur as make-up artist Sultan adds another layer to the narrative. Apparently, these artistes have spent days practicing for their grand act but not once do the viewers get to witness the rehearsals. Instead, the focus remains on altercations between Punjabis from Pakistan and a Punjabi from India. In a sudden turn of ‘Fought my way through life’ Anthony Hopkins, the ‘loner’ Veteran star Anthony Hopkins has called himself a ‘loner’, who doesn’t ‘have many friends’ because he enjoys his solitude. The Silence Of The Lambs star said he was not “antisocial’ as he did have a rich family life, and kept himself busy with work and hobbies. He shared, “I’m very much a loner. I have very few friends. I’m not antisocial. I’m friendly, but I don’t seek out company ... I do enjoy solitude. I know that sounds morbid but I do enjoy it.” Despite coming across quite serious, Hopkins has shown off his comic side on TikTok with his goofy dance videos. He insisted that his wife Stella and 20year-old niece Tara talked him into joining the platform. He added: “I’m slightly reluctant. I say: ‘Oh no, not again.’ But I do something silly because we need humour. We need a laugh in life. For good reason I guess, life is tough. The world is a savage place but life does have its beauty.” Hopkins went on to address his own mortality — insisting he knew he’s only got a few more years of work left in him, but he’s actually in excellent shape. He explained: “I’m aware of my mortality. To be realistic, I know that if I have a few more years of work left in me, I can do it. I’ve just had a medical check-up, I’m in good shape.” — IANS Actor Arshad Warsi reminisced about the constant relocation of his house during childhood days, and the adversity of losing his parents at a young age, saying it wasn’t an easy life for him. Arshad, who is currently seen as the judge on the show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, was born in Mumbai, to musician Ahmed Ali Khan. He did his schooling at a boarding school in Maharashtra’s Nashik. He was orphaned at a very young age, and struggled for a living in Mumbai during his early days. About his journey, Arshad said: “Our situation was quite strange. There was a phase when I used to go to boarding school, and when I returned we would shift from that house. I was very young, around 10-12 years old. I didn’t know what was happening.” Action time Bade Miyan Chote Miyan first-look poster out MOVIE REVIEW events, Sultan and Jija fall in love after just two scenes! Unfortunately, Sharan Kaur’s presence is reduced to a mere glam prop, her acting skills are hopefully to be discovered in another film. Scenes are disjointed, the story keeps shifting rather jumping from one point to another. In bits and pieces, you do acknowledge these are good actors holding on to a bad script. The ongoing discord between Punjabis from the two countries takes a new turn as Sultan, also a Pakistani, is expected to marry a legal resident of England, which Jija is not. Forced scenes of discord follow until a twist occurs just as the artistes are ready to per- Arshad Warsi opens up about his ‘difficult’ childhood form on stage. Jija is hospitalised and the missing crew member reappears, right at the time when the Pakistanis are ready to return to their country. A disappointed Sukhwinder Chahal, who wasn’t ready to see the artistes for another minute, has a change of heart when Sardar Kamal breaks down learning how Jija got injured. Suddenly, they decide to showcase a new play. This is where the film finally finds its footing and begins to make sense. The new play emphasises unity beyond politics, spanning from the Partition to the separation of two childhood friends. The emotional turn redeems the film to some extent, especially with the natural and effortless performances of the child actors. Their older versions (sorry for the spoiler), played by Sardar Kamal and Harish Verma, are also thorough with their craft. However, the film’s ending is ultimately disappointing. Despite the effort to make it comic and serious in equal parts, Drame Aale falls short. The director’s attempt to incorporate multiple storylines results in a confusing and unproductive fare. While there is a clear message and some talented actors, the film ends up being a mishmash of weak characters and confused narrative. Actor Akshay Kumar on Saturday unveiled the first look poster of his upcoming action thriller film Bade Miyan Chote Miyan. On Instagram, Akshay shared the poster and captioned it as, “Back at doing our favourite thing on the big screen — action. #BadeMiyanChoteMiyanTeaser out on 24th January 2024.” The poster features Tiger Shroff and Akshay Kumar with intense looks and guns in their hands. While Akshay opted for a moustache in the poster, Tiger is seen in a cleanshaven look. Helmed by Ali Abbas Zafar, the film also stars Sonakshi Sinha and Prithviraj Sukumaran in the lead roles. The makers will be unveiling the film’s official teaser on January 24. — ANI Moving on... PHOTO: PTI “We were always told stories that there was some renovation going on and we would stay here for a few days, then go back. I would go back and forth, and each time the house would get smaller. It was basically a cycle of difficulties that didn’t seem to end. Then, my parents passed away when I was very young, around 16-17 years old,” he shared. Arshad added: “I brought myself up, connecting the dots and fighting my way through life. It wasn’t an easy life. And you know what, I look at life from a different perspective. If my life had been easy, I wouldn’t have enjoyed it.” — IANS Being normal American actress and filmmaker Jodie Foster wanted her sons to look at her as a normal person and not as a celebrity mom, and so kept her acting career a secret from them. She wanted them to have a normal life as much as possible. Jodi revealed on the talk show The View that to prevent her acting job from influencing how her nowadult sons saw her, she kept it a secret from them when they were younger. “I guess I just didn’t want them to know me that way,” Foster, 61, explained. “I wanted them to know me as their mom and the person Jodie Foster says she hid her career from sons, who believed she was a construction worker c m y b who went away to work and stuff. I just didn’t want them to be confused about what I did for a living,” she continued. The boys spent their early years believing that Jodie was a construction worker, even though she brought her oldest son, Charles ‘Charlie’ Bernard Foster, 25, to the set with her when he was three. “I brought him to set one day and I bought him a little plastic tool belt and stuff,” she recalled. “And I was like, ‘Yeah, and this is this set’. And for a really long time, he thought I was a construction worker.” — ANI Amid rumours of separation with tennis star Sania Mirza, Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik gets married to actress Sana Javed Amid rumours of separation from Indian tennis star Sania Mirza, former Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Malik announced on Saturday that he had tied the knot with Pakistani actress Sana Javed. Taking to Instagram, he shared pictures of his nuptials with the divorced Pakistani actress. Sana also took to social media to share dazzling images from their nikah ceremony. The newlyweds captioned the images as, “And we created you in pairs”. Sania had earlier hinted at separation from the former Pakistan cricketer through a cryptic post. Shoaib and Sania got married in 2010, and have been staying in Dubai ever since. They announced the birth of their son, Izhaan Mirza Malik, in 2018. According to some reports, Sania and Shoaib have allegedly ended their 12-year-long marriage and are co-parenting Izhaan ever since. A household name in Pakistan with her exploits in the show-business space, Sana made her television debut in 2012 with Shehr-eZaat and later appeared in several other shows. She received recognition with her portrayal of the titular role in the romantic drama Khaani. — ANI