04022024-LSTL-01.qxd 2/3/2024 11:24 PM Page 1 c m y b TRIBUNE MEET AKSHAY, THE SINGER Life Actor Akshay Kumar treated his fans to a motion poster of a soul-stirring music video titled Shambhu, sung by the actor himself along with Sudhir Yaduvanshi, and Vikram Montrose. What a Sing along Singer Miley Cyrus, who is up for six awards this time around at the Grammys, is expected to perform her smash hit Flowers at the ceremony. LUDHIANA | SUNDAY | 4 FEBRUARY 2024 NET. FLICKS & MORE As actress-model Poonam Pandey pops up from the ‘dead’, celebs, including some of her friends, bash her on social media high With Sofia Vergara headlining crime series Griselda and shining in the role of a ruthless boss, this one sure recreates the world of drug lords in Miami in right earnest Sheetal A FTER delivering successful series, Narcos (2015-2017) and Narcos: Mexico (20182021), director Andrés Baiz returns with a spin-off, Griselda, another biographical crime series, only this time it’s a woman at the center of it all! Creators of the series are a mix of seasoned names — Carlo Bernard and Doug Miro (previously associated with Narcos and Narcos: Mexico), and the fresh perspective of Ingrid Escajeda and Eric Newman. Contrary to the images of the real Griselda Blanco doing the rounds on internet, Web Series: GRISELDA Director: Andrés Baiz Cast: Sofia Vergara, Alberto Guerra, Juliana Aidén Martinez, Martín Rodríguez, Jose Velazquez, Orlando Pineda, Martín Fajardo, Vanessa Ferlito, Fredy Yate, Camilo Jimenez Varon, Christian Tappan, Julieth Restrepo and José Zúñiga Stars: ★★★ it is believed that Blanco was a beautiful woman and thus Sofia Vergara fits right into the mould. But the actress did undergo some changes in the jawline and nose via prosthetics, and also ‘yellowed’ her teeth! While she passed off as a ruthless boss of a drug cartel in Miami with flying colours, her character looks no way near the Griselda that people have seen. With each passing scene, Vergara becomes more of Griselda and you forget that’s the same actress you have been watching in Modern Family for years. Known for her impeccable comic timing and lovable accent, it took a lot of time to process that the same actress was playing a cunning and corrupt character of a female drug lord. Vergara, also the co-producer of the project, has surely relaunched herself for bigger and better roles. The scenes where Vergara starts taking her reputation of La Madrina (The Godmother) seriously and killing people to keep the fear as well as power intact are not just beautifully shot, but also portrayed well. Vergara’s monologue in front of Cubans she has hired to expand her business also sums up what it was like to be a woman in the criminal world full of vultures. Among the supporting cast, Martín Rodríguez as Rivi stands out, as did another female character, June, played by Juliana Aidén Martinez. Alberto Guerra, who plays Dario, Griselda’s third husband, also charms with his appeal and a supportive husband’s role. It’s often hard for writers to depict the good side of an c m y b anti-hero while refraining from glamourising the criminal world for the viewers, but the screenwriters and Vergara delivered a powerful act in episode five, relaying all that went wrong with Griselda in a single episode. It’s the winning episode of the series, not that others were any less. Also, the series perfectly captures the Miami vibe and the culture of that era. The editing is crisp and the decision to make a six episodic miniseries also falls in favour of the makers. Neither does it look like an exaggerated retelling of events nor does it leave you satisfied in the end, as you wish to see more of her tale! Controversial actress-model Poonam Pandey has yet again made headlines after she said she ‘faked’ her death to start a national conversation on cervical cancer. In the bargain, she has left behind a trail of polarised views on social media. When Poonam’s social media account released a statement on her having succumbed to cervical cancer at 32, the industry was left in a state of shock. While many grieved, several felt it was a publicity gimmick. Now, after Pandey’s reappearance, her critics are accusing her of engaging in a publicity stunt and being insensitive to the feelings of people living with cervical cancer. They are asking if the ‘awareness campaign’ was worth the hysteria it created among her fans and the media. Sambhavna Seth, who featured alongside Pandey in the reality show Khatron Ke Khiladi, had said her co-star ‘never mentioned’ to her that she had cervical cancer. Actress Payal Ghosh was unsparing. She said on social media that Pandey’s tactic to get attention, even for a matter of grave concern, was ‘unwarranted and insensitive’. On X, Ghosh wrote: “Some find it funny to use such unwarranted and insensitive approach in the name of ‘so-called’ awareness. People suffering from #cervicalcancer go through living hell but some find it entitled to use it for PR! Sad Seriously! CINE WORKERS’ UNION DEMANDS FIR AGAINST POONAM The All Indian Cine Workers’ Association (AICWA) on Saturday released a statement demanding an FIR against Poonam Pandey. AICWA on Saturday took to X, formerly known as Twitter, and shared a statement describing the gimmick by Poonam as ‘highly wrong’. The statement read: “The Fake PR stunt by model and actress Poonam Pandey is highly wrong...” IANS state.” Poonam’s friend and designer Rohit K Verma, who had earlier expressed his grief at her sudden ‘demise’, dropped a scathing comment on her latest video, where she is seen looking healthy, dressed in a white t-shirt and appearing without makeup. Verma wrote: “It’s important to address cervical cancer awareness genuinely. Faking one’s death can be misleading and counterproductive. Let’s encourage more responsible methods to raise awareness and support those affected by this serious health issue.” Pandey’s Lock Upp co-contestant Saisha Shinde said she had lost a friend. Saisha wrote: “You can never gain awareness by gaining fake sympathy. You have lost a friend forever. Shame on you Poonam.” Former Bigg Boss contestant Sreejita De also lashed out at Pandey’s tactics. She said: “This is not creating awareness. This is simply heinous. I cannot believe someone can stoop down to this level for publicity. Shame, shame, shame! There are so many people who are actually fighting cancer. This is disgusting.” After the spate of angry comments, Pandey shared another statement on Instagram, where she wrote she understood the news of her ‘supposed demise due to cervical cancer had taken a minute to digest’. She also admitted that this had been perceived to be in ‘bad taste’ but she urged everyone to ‘consider the greater cause’. She added: “The sheer lack of awareness surrounding this issue was the mere reason that compelled me to take this step.” — IANS