19022024-LSTL-01.qxd 2/18/2024 9:43 PM Page 1 c m y b TRIBUNE FAN-TASTIC GESTURE Shah Rukh Khan’s charm is unparalleled. His fans are all over the world. Even wrestlerturned-actor John Cena is a great admirer of King Khan and in the recent video, he can be seen singing SRK’s popular song Bholi Si Surat from Dil To Pagal Hai. Blessed one Media personality Paris Hilton recently celebrated her 43rd birthday. She shared a post reflecting on her journey and said that she is “blessed” for every lesson she got in life. LUDHIANA | MONDAY | 19 FEBRUARY 2024 Out of the shadow Gurnaaz Kaur P ARAMVIR SINGH CHEEMA is currently revelling in the success of his latest OTT venture, Chamak. These days, he is best known as Kaala, the character he portrays in the show. Centered on the journey of a Punjabi singer, the series vividly captures the grind and hustle of an artiste. However, he isn’t your typical musician; Kaala is dark and aggressive. To embody this character, Paramvir shares, “I had to lose a significant amount of weight to ensure my eyes stood out, as much of my performance relied on my eyes. I grew my hair for six months, tanned my skin to achieve a darker look, and revamped my wardrobe.” While physical preparation was essential, delving into Kaala’s psyche required even more effort. Paramvir explains, “I immersed myself in understanding the journeys of singers by reading about them, watching their interviews, and exploring their biographies. Influenced by artistes like Kanwar Grewal, Gurdas Maan, Sidhu Moosewala, Arif Lohar, and Tupac among rappers, I crafted a backstory in my mind to authentically portray emotions on screen.” Initially, Kaala may evoke a sense of revulsion, but Paramvir assures that as the show progresses, viewers will develop a connection with the character. “In the storyline, Kaala’s father is killed in his homeland, leading to a tale of revenge that rationalises Kaala’s behaviour as the narrative unfolds.” The death of Kaala’s father, portrayed by Gippy Grewal, in the first episode draws parallels to a historical event in Punjabi music. It bears resemblance to the assassination of Amar Singh Chamkila and Amarjot Kaur in 1988. When asked if the show is loosely based on their lives, Paramvir responds, “While that particular scene might suggest a connection, the focus of the show is to highlight that such tragic deaths should not occur. Numerous artistes, not only in the Punjabi music industry but also globally among rappers, have faced similar fates. The recent incident with Sidhu Moosewala remains shrouded in mystery.” Having immersed himself in the role of Kaala for months, Paramvir Paramvir Singh Cheema says playing Prashant in Sapne v/s Everyone helped him disengage from the emotional turmoil he internalised while portraying dark and aggressive Kaala in Chamak A winning tune Three-time Grammy winner Rickey Kej and singer Mithoon, who are collaborating on a song for the Indo-Hollywood musical Millionaires of Love on Saturday attended the film’s announcement in Mumbai. The announcement of the Indo-Hollywood musical film took place in Mumbai. The event was attended by Mithoon, Ricky Kej and Mohammad Faiz along with producer Mukesh Parikh. The film is being produced by American writer-producer Mukesh Parikh. The music for the film has been composed by the Filmfare Award winner Mithoon, while Ricky Kej is guest composing the song. — ANI found it challenging to disengage from the character’s emotional turmoil. “Holding onto that trauma was not easy. Fortunately, Sapne v/s Everyone came along, and portraying Prashant in the show helped me move beyond it.” Paramvir has experienced consecutive success with Tabbar, Chamak, and now Sapne v/s Everyone. Anticipation surrounds the release of Chamak Season 2, but he admits, “After completing the shoot for Chamak 2, director Rohit Jugraj cautioned me against taking up another dark or negative role, fearing that people might start disliking me. That’s how much pain I’ve lived through Kaala.” Reflecting on his journey to success, it’s hard to ignore the fact that he contemplated giving up acting during the lockdown. The son of an advocateturned-farmer, Paramvir returned to Jalandhar to do farming in 2020 after spending four years in Mumbai. His story unfolds like a movie script. “It all happened spontaneously. In 2016, a friend asked me to walk the ramp, and I won the contest. Encouraged by a friend, I participated in the Mr Punjab pageant and reached the finale. This gave me the confidence to move to Delhi and participate in Mr India, which I also won. Life took a new direction in just six months.” Despite initial success, Paramvir faced the harsh realities of Mumbai. Struggling with no money and limited opportunities, he turned to casting for projects like Satyamev Jayate 2, Rocket Boys and Adhura. It was his father who convinced him to persevere. “Having seen my work in a couple of TV series, he told me to not quit acting but I got busy with the farmers’ protest. During the protest, I received an audition call for Tabbar. Following my father’s advice, I recorded the audition right from protest site.” The rest, as they say, is history. Tabbar led to Chamak, followed by Sapne v/s Everyone. Now content in his space, Paramvir aspires to shine on the silver screen and collaborate with ‘great directors’. “Whether Punjabi directors like Jatinder Mauhar and Jagdeep Sidhu or in Hindi, Anubhav Sinha and Anurag Kashyap, working with them would be a joy. They create cinema that impacts people, brings about change in others’ lives, and that’s my dream—to bring joy through my work.” Here’s why Dakota Johnson is not watching Madame Web American actor Dakota Johnson has decided not to watch her most recent film Madame Web and her explanation may surprise some. According to reports, the diva, who plays the title character in the new superhero film Madame Web, says that she has no idea when she will watch the film. However, it is not about Madame Web particularly, she does not “like to” watch any of her flicks. “For me, it’s a way to not have, like, an existential crisis,” the Fifty Shades of Grey actor explains. “Not watching my movies is like self-care.” Johnson is hardly alone among actors who use this method. Meryl Streep, Adam Driver, Emma Stone and Nicole Kidman also avoid watching their work. Madame Web stars Johnson as a clairvoyant paramedic. It has received negative reviews. — ANI Bride-to-be Rakul Preet Singh jets off to Goa for wedding with Jackky Bhagnani Celebrations begin… Bride-to-be Rakul Preet Singh, who is all set to tie the knot with her beau and producer Jackky Bhagnani, jetted off to Goa with her parents for her wedding on Saturday evening. The grand wedding will take place in Goa in the presence of family and close friends on February 21. Rakul Preet and Jackky Bhagnani are going all out to ensure they have an ecofriendly wedding, according to sources. Reportedly, the couple’s ‘green’ wedding preparations include digital invites to save paper waste, a prohibition on fireworks, and a pledge to plant trees to offset their event’s carbon footprint. The wedding celebrations will begin today. The pair, according to sources, has hired carbon footprint specialists to guarantee that their big day is environmentally friendly. These specialists will evaluate the impact of the wedding celebrations and advise Singh and Bhagnani on how many trees should be planted to offset their carbon footprint. — ANI Car chase, gunfight, hand-to-hand combat, plane hijack — action films are set to dominate the big screen in 2024 Singer Randy Sparks dies at 90 Following a massive resurgence of the action genre in 2023, Hindi cinema is gearing up for a bigger wave of high-octane action dramas in 2024. From pulse-pounding chase sequences to jaw-dropping stunts, the big screen is set to be transformed into a thrilling battleground, where heroes and villains clash in epic confrontations.. Bade Miyan Chote Miyan Rickey Kej, Mithoon are excited about their song in Indo-Hollywood musical, Millionaires of Love For the sake of ‘self-care’ Bade Miyan Chote Miyan is an actionpacked thriller crafted by Ali Abbas Zafar. Headlined by Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff, the movie also features Prithviraj Sukumaran, Sonakshi Sinha, Manushi Chhillar, Alaya F and Ronit Bose Roy. It’s scheduled for an Eid 2024 release. Welcome to the action zone Deva Tehran Tehran, directed by Arun Gopalan, stars John Abraham and Manushi Chillar. Inspired by real-life events, the movie’s storyline is crafted by Ritesh Shah and Ashish Prakash Verma. Baby John Baby John is the official Hindi adaptation of Atlee’s Tamil blockbuster Theri. Directed by A Kaleeswaran, the movie features Keerthy Suresh and Wamiqa Gabbi in lead roles. The film also has Varun Dhawan and is scheduled for release on March 15. Crakk Crakk - Jeethegaa Toh Jiyegaa! is a sports action feature co-scripted and directed by Aditya Datt. The movie stars Vidyut Jammwal, Nora Fatehi, Arjun Rampal, and Amy Jackson. The film is slated to release in cinemas on the 23. Deva is an upcoming action thriller featuring Shahid Kapoor, Pavail Gulati and Pooja Hegde. Directed by renowned Malayalam filmmaker Rosshan Andrrews, the film has Shahid Kapoor in the titular character. Deva is set to premiere on October 11. Yudhra A romantic-actionthriller, Yudhra boasts an ensemble cast featuring Siddhant Chaturvedi, Raghav Juyal, Malavika Mohanan, Ram Kapoor and Gajraj Rao. Directed by Ravi Udyawar, Farhan Akhtar and Shridhar Raghavan have penned the story and screenplay. Yudhra promises to redefine action with intense street fights and hand-to-hand combat sequences. Singham Again Singham Again, an action-packed feature, is directed by Rohit Shetty. The movie features Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Arjun Kapoor and Jackie Shroff in prominent roles, while Akshay Kumar, Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone and Tiger Shroff make cameo appearances. Singham Again is set to hit theaters on August 15. Vedaa Kill Directed by Nikhil Nagesh Bhat, a master in the thriller genre, Kill features Lakshya, Raghav Juyal, and Tanya Maniktala. The narrative unfolds as a pair of commandos confront an onslaught of invading bandits during a train journey. c m y b Yodha Yodha, an action thriller movie, is helmed by directors Sagar Ambre and Pushkar Ojha, and features Sidharth Malhotra, Disha Patani, and Raashii Khanna. The plot revolves around a scenario where terrorists take control of a passenger aircraft. Vedaa, featuring John Abraham and Sharvari Wagh, is described as a “high-energy actiondrama,” drawing inspiration from real-life events. The film serves as a reflection of societal dynamics and challenges the boundaries of realism. Abhishek Banerjee also plays a pivotal role. Vedaa is set to hit theaters on July 12. Randy Sparks, a Grammy-winning singersongwriter and the founder of the folk music group the New Christy Minstrels, passed away at the age of 90. Sparks died on February 11 at an assisted care facility in San Diego. The news of his death was confirmed by his son, Kevin. Sparks was born on July 29, 1933, in Leavenworth, Kansas. His career started in the 1950s as a solo folk performer in California. Sparks, a musician, songwriter, and founder of the folk ensemble the New Christy Minstrels, rose to prominence during the 1960s folk music renaissance. He founded the ensemble in 1961, and it became famous for its vocal harmonies and folk-pop style. — 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).