09022024-LSTC-01.qxd 2/8/2024 11:04 PM Page 1 c m y b EMMA’S CAR TOWED AWAY While out at a bar with her mother, actress Emma Watson had her blue luxurious Audi towed away after it blocked a pizza restaurant manager’s vehicle for nearly four hours! TRIBUNE Life Mom to be Actress Yami Gautam and filmmaker Aditya Dhar are all set to embrace parenthood. They announced the news at the trailer launch of their film Article 370, which will release in theatres on February 23. CHANDIGARH | FRIDAY | 9 FEBRUARY 2024 Grim tale, bright portrayal Nonika Singh B EING rich is not a superpower…’ most of us may believe otherwise, but life of rich expatriates in foreign lands comes with its own set of challenges. Moreover, what happens when a tragedy strikes home in a place that is not quite their home? A riveting piece of drama, Expats shines on the back of some great performances by the lead actors Limited series: Expats Director: Lulu Wang Cast: Nicole Kidman, Sarayu Blue, Ji-young Yoo, Brian Tee, Tiana Gowen, Bodhi del Rosario, Ruby Ruiz, Amelyn Pardenilla and Jack Huston Rating: The American drama series Expats, streaming on Amazon Prime Video, based on Janice Y K Lee’s novel The Expatriates, is an intimate portrait set against the 2014 Umbrella Protest movement of Hong Kong. In the hands of award-winning Lulu Wang, an American-born Chinese filmmaker, Expats trains its lens on tumultuous lives of Margaret Woo (Nicole Kidman) and her family. It unfolds like a thriller, albeit not in the conventional sense. Clearly, it’s not a happy tale. The shadow of foreboding is palpable from scene one. Margaret is planning a party, which has a funeral like air to it. Only it’s the 50th birthday celebration of her husband Clarke Woo (Brian Tee). Going the distance Actress Rasika Dugal, who is awaiting the release of her upcoming film Fairy Folk, says working on an improvised film brings absolute delight to an actor as they get to push the envelope of their craft. Fairy Folk, which is an evocative film about human relationships, garnered a lot of positive response at the Sydney Film Festival, the Chicago International Film Festival, MAMI Film Festival and the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne. The film also stars Rasika’s husband, Mukul Chadda, and has been directed by Karan Gour. The actress said: “Working on an improvised film is an actor’s delight. This style of shooting gave us the room to explore the many odd things that people do and say when they find themselves in unprecedented situations. This is the kind of film which is a must-have in the life of an actor.” Fairy Folk is set for a theatrical release in India on March 1. — IANS RASIKA DUGAL NET, FLICKS & MORE Joyous occasion, but no one seems to be happy. Something awful has happened in their lives. Slowly, we learn what the cause of their despondency is. Margaret’s ‘happy’ family of four actually had another member, the clue for which is laid out when her son makes a drawing and the question pops up — who is Gus? When Margaret tells her AmericanIndian friend Hillary (lovely and nuanced Sarayu Blue) how she wants a life which is not defined by tragedy or one where she has become a mother of two instead of three, her puzzling predicament begins to make sense. For the first two episodes you keep wondering what happened to Gus, until the mystery around his disappearance is revealed. Yet, the series remains pregnant with tension. With primetime focus on three women, Margaret, Hillary and Mercy (Ji-young Yoo), we see them battling their individual dilemmas yet they are bound by a tragedy. Their lives intercut each other and so does the timeline. If Margaret is a mother coping with the loss of her child, Hillary is trying to make sense of her broken marriage in the light of her ‘no kids’ decision in a country where motherhood defines a woman. Less privileged Korean-American Mercy unwittingly finds herself in an undesirable situation. It’s not the story of victims but those of perpetrators, who caused the tragedies. Can we look at them empathetically? Yes, espe- His voice lives on Gurnaaz Kaur Jagjit Singh’s timeless melodies have left an indelible mark on the hearts of music enthusiasts. The passion and devotion with which he sang brought life to music and how! As we celebrate the 83rd birth anniversary of the legendary ghazal maestro, singers from Punjab, both veteran and contemporary, pay tribute to the enduring legacy of Jagjit Singh. On the 83rd birth anniversary of ghazal king Jagjit Singh, celebs pay tributes HANS RAJ HANS KANWAR GREWAL SEEKER OF MUSIC HANS RAJ HANS, FOLK AND SUFI SINGER Hazaaron saal Nargis apni benoori pe roti hai, badi mushkil se hota hai chaman mein Didawar paida — this couplet by Allama Iqbal fittingly encapsulated the persona of Jagjit Singh. He was a limitless singer and person; a seeker of music. He devoted his entire life to riyaaz, even in his final days. He did a lot of hard work to transform his voice. They say you truly get to know someone by either travelling or eating with them. I’ve had the privilege of both with Jagjit Singh. We were together for three months for a reality show. And that time spent in close proximity of Jagjit Singh makes me say that he was destined to be singer, an artiste of unparalleled uniqueness. He was one-of-a-kind, not just as a musician but also as a person. He played the role of an elder brother, a father figure in my life. He would advise me to save money, showed me how to channelize time. When he was working on a devotional album, Guru Maneyo Granth, he asked me to sing Baba RASHMEET KAUR Farid’s track with him and that experience is etched in my memory. BROAD SPECTRUM VINOD SEHGAL, DISCIPLE OF JAGJIT SINGH The musical virtuosity of the legend can be measured by the spectrum of his work and his contribution to music. If connoisseurs of Hindustani classical music cherish his compositions in Raag Darbari, Lalit, Bihag, Bhairavi and more, on the one hand, the lovers of ghazal consider his interpretation of Mirza Ghalib as superb. TRUE MAESTRO KANWAR GREWAL, PUNJABI SUFI SINGER Jagjit Singh put soul into ghazals with his melodious VINOD SEHGAL voice. His style of singing made him a world-renowned figure. He was a maestro who touched the souls of music lovers across the world. I used to listen to his songs often. He will be forever be missed by music lovers. TRUE INSPIRATION RASHMEET KAUR, SINGER-SONGWRITER Jagjit Sing is one of the purest artistes of all time. I grew up listening to him; he is a legend who put life into words. He is immortal and has an irreplaceable voice. He has been an inspiration to many in the industry, including me during my growing up years. I have so many favourites. Koi Fariyad would be on the top of the list for me. c m y b cially when theirs is a crime of omission and sheer stroke of bad luck. Mercy believes she is born with misfortune writ on her face. Ah, the complexity of life, of relationships! Here we see fractured lives within the family matrix and also their conflicting ties with domestic helps. With women at the centre of the drama, will it finally shape up like Big Little Lies, Nicole Kidman’s acclaimed television outing and which too she executive-produced, we don’t know as yet. What we do know is that it’s a riveting piece of drama which simmers, is taut and captivates you with its aching heart and some great performances by its lead actors. Kidman looks beautiful and you can read pain in every nuance of her being, her meltdown moments and her actions too. To escape her grief, she goes to a rented apartment and her ritual of taking a bath in a tub is almost like an ablution. Despite a woman director at the helm, it’s not just female actors like Sarayu Blue and Ji-young Yoo who come out strong. You see Hilary’s husband David (Jack Huston) hurting as much. The quiet grief of Clarke, who seeks refuge in religion is exemplified in an understated performance by Brian Tee. Hong Kong, especially its night market, emerges as dramatis personae, captured remarkably well by cinematographer Anna Franquesa-Solano. Music by Alex Weston touches the right notes. Now suspenseful, now melancholy and now dramatic, there is a tune for every mood. The song Heart of Glass by Blondie is hauntingly right for the moment in which it is set. Though only three episodes have dropped so far, Expats is certainly that episodic series you are yearning (and dreading) to watch and can’t wait for the next episode, which drops this Friday. Catch up! RIP, Mojo Elvis is Everywhere singer Mojo Nixon dies Singer, actor and DJ, Mojo Nixon, known for the 1987 novelty hit Elvis Is Everywhere, has passed away at the age of 66. Nixon, whose real name is Neill Kirby McMillan Jr., was found dead on board the annual Outlaw Country Cruise, where he was a regular presence both as a performer and co-host. He had performed just the night before. The cause of death was cardiac arrest, according to his family. – ANI
The Tribune, now published from Chandigarh, started publication on February 2, 1881, in Lahore (now in Pakistan). It was started by Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia, a public-spirited philanthropist, and is run by a trust comprising four eminent persons as trustees.
The Tribune, the largest selling daily in North India, publishes news and views without any bias or prejudice of any kind. Restraint and moderation, rather than agitational language and partisanship, are the hallmarks of the paper. It is an independent newspaper in the real sense of the term.
The English edition apart, the 133-year-old Tribune has two sister publications, Punjabi Tribune (in Punjabi) and Dainik Tribune (in Hindi).