09022024-LSTL-01.qxd 08-02-2024 23:04 Page 1 c m y b TRIBUNE EMMA’S CAR TOWED AWAY Mom to be Life 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! 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. LUDHIANA | 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). 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- All for a safe digital space Actor Ayushmann Khurrana has taken a step forward in advocacy for creating a safe digital space for everybody, especially children. “The internet is a powerful tool, and we need to ensure that children can make the best use of it. They can use the internet to learn about the world, discover new hobbies, advance their skills, explore job opportunities, and harness its potential safely and securely," he said in a statement. “The rise of smartphones and social media has led to an increase in online trolling, which often adversely affects children's mental health and self-esteem. It is important that we educate and sensitize our children on ways to maintain online hygiene — to not only stay protected from trolling and bullying but to also refrain from being an online troll/bully. It is of utmost importance to ensure that our chil- AYUSHMANN KHURRANA dren are empowered enough to approach their trusted adult whether it's a parent, family member or teacher if they are being Solid punch Legendary boxer Mike Tyson is all set to play himself in an off-beat superhero movie Bunny Man. The film will be shot in Italy. The former heavyweight boxing champion on Tuesday attended a press conference held in the Northern city of Turin with Italian producer Andrea Iervolino and writer Enrico Remmert to announce Bunny-Man, which will be entirely shot in Turin. Bunny-Man involves a multimillionaire superhero who strikes against evil forces in anonymity, wearing a rabbit mask. He is driven by the desire to avenge his sister who committed suicide after suffering a violent act. Iervolino, whose production credits include Michael Mann’s Ferrari, Johnny Depp-starrer Waiting for the Barbarians and Lamborghini: The Man Behind the Legend, is producing the film via his TaTaTu shingle. No details were provided on Tyson’s role. Tyson previously made appearances as himself in films like The Hangover and The Hangover Part 2. — ANI Boxer Mike Tyson to play himself in new superhero film Bunny Man trolled online" the actor said. Ayushmann also shared his views on how parents should deal with children in the digital age. "Children are taking to the internet from a very formative stage in their lives. From education to friendships to entertainment, every aspect of their lives has an online component. As elders, it is our responsibility to build trust with our children — trust which is a two-way street where the children trust the adults/guardians enough to turn to them when they need support and for the adults/guardians to trust the children when they turn to them. In the long term though as elders/parents, we have to approach these issues with patience, trust and intent. If required, we should seek professional help for children, without the fear of stigma,” he said. — ANI When Prince William met Tom Cruise Prince William returned to royal duties on Wednesday for the first time since his father, King Charles III, announced his cancer diagnosis and his wife, Kate, was hospitalised for abdominal surgery. Speaking about his families’ health scares in public for the first time, the 41-yearold heir to the throne thanked the public for their ‘kind messages of support’ at a charity gala dinner. Earlier in the day, he performed an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle. “I’d like to take this opportunity to say thank you for the kind messages of support for Catherine and for my father, especially in recent days,” William told the gala dinner for London’s Air Ambulance Charity. “It means a great deal to us all. It’s fair to say the past few weeks have had a rather medical focus, so I thought I’d come to an air ambulance function to get away from it all,” he added jokingly. The royal, who is a former air ambulance helicopter pilot, met fellow pilots and chatted with guests, including Hollywood star Tom Cruise at the black-tie event. — AP c m y b 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 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! Elvis is Everywhere singer Mojo Nixon dies RIP, Mojo 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. Born in North Carolina, raised in Virginia, schooled in Ohio, and after traveling to England, Nixon first started playing music in Denver in a punk band known as Zebra 123. Nixon’s breakthrough came with the 1987 album Bo-Day-Shus, which featured the opening track, Elvis Is Everywhere. — ANI 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.
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