10062024-LSTL-01.qxd 6/9/2024 9:06 PM Page 1 c m y b MUSCLE FLEXING It’s a happy Sunday for Shahid Kapoor’s fans as he dropped a drool-worthy picture from his gym session. In the photo he flaunted his chiselled physique in a mirror selfie. He wrote, “Happy Sunday.” Recently, Shahid posted a selfie, revealing his appearance for his upcoming film Deva. TRIBUNE Don’t call Life Singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran does not keep a phone. His team gives him a phone when needed. “I haven’t had a phone since 2015,” he said during the recent episode of talk show Therapuss with Jake Shane. LUDHIANA | MONDAY | 10 JUNE 2024 PORTRAIT OF A Sheetal WOMAN In his audio series Stree 360, Devdutt Pattanaik presents women from Indian mythology who have been oppressors and those who have been oppressed A FTER delivering original audio series like Ravana 360 Degrees, Veda 360 Degrees, acclaimed author, mythologist and proficient speaker Devdutt Pattanaik brings out his recent Audible original, Stree 360 Degrees. This one is an attempt to decode women from Indian mythology. The author explains, “Stree 360 Degrees, as the name suggests, is looking at women from a 360 degrees point of view. It tells stories of women from different scriptures, different ways in which women can be looked at. There is so much to a woman and that is what I’m exploring in this audiobook series.” So, what’s the status of women in Hindu mythology? Were women oppressed or liberated? Did they have independence, or were all decisions made for them by men? Devdutt says the answers might surprise you when you listen to his series. When he talks about covering the subject from all angles, Devdutt is ‘not just talking about heroines’. “We’re also talking about villains, we are talking about submissive women, defiant women, good women, bad women, rich women, poor women and that is the whole idea. It is not viewed through the narrow framework of patriarchy or feminism. It is the second part of the Shikhandi book, which was written a few years ago.” Devdutt’s Shikhandi: And Other Queer Tales They Don’t Tell You was pub- NehaSaini Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s grand ode to the courtesans in Netflix’s Heeramandi has everyone swooning over the ‘gajgamini walk’, the aesthetically brilliant visuals and supremacy of the royal courtesans during the time. At the peak of their prominence, these royal courtesans were known for their artistic brilliance, etiquette and power, which had their royal patrons in a chokehold. Numerous stories, documented and undocumented, throughout history stand as a testimony to the influence of royal courtesans over the political, cultural and historical landscape of the country. One such testimonial of a story of love and rise of a woman from being known as a ‘nautch girl’ to a queen is Pul Mooran. A historical monument situated 35 km outside of Amritsar city and close to the AttariWagah border, Pul Mooran was historically known as Pul Kanjri (kanjri was the word used to refer to the dancing community and considered derogatory). Known as the Taj Mahal of Punjab, Pul Mooran was built by Maharaja Ranjit Singh as a bridge on a canal, while crossing the Ravi, and reach the resting place he had built in between the twin cities of Amritsar and Lahore. In popular culture and literature, it’s believed that Maharaja Ranjit Singh built this bridge as a symbol of love he had for Mooran Sarkar. Story of love Mooran was a Muslim dancer, hailing from the street dancing community in village Makhanpur, who became a royal courtesan. Once, as she was coming to meet the Maharaja for their ren- lished in 2014, which shattered the conventional confines of gender and sexuality. He adds, “My series is not just about oppression, but about oppressors too. Women are both oppressors and the oppressed. They are liberators as they are also the ones who deny others agency and that’s what I want to draw the attention of people to.” How does the twenty-first century women fare vis a vis the mythological ones? “Women in society today are educated unlike in the past and they can do their jobs, but gender inequality still exist. We are living in a post-industrial society and therefore we cannot really compare the current situation with the pre-industrial society. Industrialisation changed a lot of things. Rules of industrialisation define our lives and most of these stories come from pre-industrial contexts. So, one cannot really draw a direct comparison,” Devdutt opines. Known for his vast knowledge of Indian mythology, Devdutt has been the story con- BRIDGING HEARTS Pul Mooran, a historical bridge that stands the testimony of the love between Maharaja Ranjit Singh and nautch girl Mooran Sarkar, has now become a hot spot for wedding photoshoots dezvous at the baradari, he had built near the village, she lost her silver slipper in the Hansali canal. Upset, she refused to perform for him that day and that’s when the Maharaja ordered construction of the bridge, now known as Pul Kanjri/Mooran. She won the king’s heart with her beauty and intellect, and was a medium between the common villagers and the royal court. Maharaja Ranjit Singh later mar- ried Mooran, despite the opposition from Sikh religious scholars and it remains a historical fact that their marriage was a way to uplift the community of street dancers, who were later rehabilitated in local Hussainpura and Sharifpura localities. Maharaja Ranjit Singh, at Mooran’s request, also built a mosque called as Masjid-e-Tawaifan in 1824, which was renamed in 1998 as Mai Mooran Masjid in Lahore. sultant for many popular TV shows such as Mahabharata, Siya Ke Ram and Devon Ke Dev...Mahadev that fall under the genre. In fact, he left a career in medical field to become a writer. His passion for writing continues but he has also switched to audiobooks to keep up with the generational shift. We wonder what he likes better? The host of radio show, The Devdutt Pattanaik Show, shares, “If you are reading a book, you can go back and forth from one chapter to another, and you can underline words or phrases that you like. You can listen to an audiobook while travelling in a crowded train or on a long flight, something that’s difficult to do with a book. So, everything has its pros and cons. I think certain medium works better at certain times but that doesn’t make it the preferred one at all times. Every medium has its purpose, and thereby a future.” So, what’s next? Devdutt doesn’t have a definite answer. He likes to write several books simultaneously for different formats. “It’s difficult to say what my next project will be. I research on several subjects simultaneously, some of which will take the shape of books. I don’t plan anything.” But Devdutt has expectations. With Stree 360 Degrees, he wants to give out a message to his listeners – There’s more to women than what people, books or anecdotes from history tell them about womanhood. As for men, he expects them to become better husbands, fathers and sons. As intense as it gets The makers of the highly anticipated sci-fi thriller Kalki 2898 AD unveiled the poster of Deepika Padukone ahead of the trailer launch. In the image, Deepika can be seen wearing a ripped shawl-type outfit. She looks intense in the poster. Sharing the poster, she wrote, "The hope begins with her. #Kalki2898AD Trailer out Tomorrow." Kalki 2898 AD is directed by Nag Ashwin. The film is touted to be a mythologyinspired sci-fi extravaganza set in the future. Kamal Haasan and Disha Patani are also a part of the Kalki world. Produced by Vyjayanthi Movies, the film is set for a theatrical release on June 27 this year. — ANI Conserved and renovated Its history might have begun with a love story, but Pul Mooran became an important centre for trade in later years of Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s regime. Post Partition, the structure was captured by the Pakistani army during the Indo-Pak wars of 1965 and 1971, but was recaptured by the Indian Army later. The baradari, used as a home stay for Maharaja while travelling from Amritsar to Lahore, has been conserved and renovated with concerted efforts by late Manveen Sandhu, founder of Spring Dale Educational Society and School. The school continues to engage locals as well as visitors in the history behind the hauntingly beautiful monument. The baradari has 12 gates, a vast courtyard, a sarovar, and temple made of Nanakshahi bricks, with beautiful fresco work depicting various Hindu deities on the ceiling and side walls. The courtyard was used for cross-border cultural programmes till a few years ago, which was initiated by Manveen Sandhu who had also written a play, Mooran Sarkar, directed by eminent theatre-person Kewal Dhaliwal and saw a collaboration between artistes from India and Pakistan. Manveen Sandhu was also instrumental in renaming the place from Pul Kanjri to Pul Mooran, as kanjri is a word in Punjabi used in derogatory context. The place is now maintained by ASI, Punjab Heritage and Tourism Promotion Board and Springdale. Today, the historic structure provides a great backdrop for soon-tobe married couples as a popular destination for wedding photoshoots. Kangana Ranaut ‘VIOLENCE NO ANSWER’ Hrithik, Alia, Sonakshi, Zoya back post condemning CISF constable’s action of slapping Kangana Ranaut Many Bollywood personalities, including Hrithik Roshan, Alia Bhatt, Sonakshi Sinha, Zoya Akhtar, Soni Razdan, Arjun Kapoor, and Prajakta Koli, have lent their support to actress-turned-politician Kangana Ranaut, who was slapped by a CISF constable at the Chandigarh airport. The incident occurred on Thursday when Kangana was travelling to New Delhi, a day after she won the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Mandi in Himachal Pradesh as a BJP candidate. Several personalities, including Anupam Kher, Mika Singh, Raveena Tandon, and Shekhar Suman, condemned the incident. Kangana’s alleged ex, Hrithik, and Alia have also reacted to the incident. Journalist Faye D’Souza shared a post on Instagram condemning the slap incident, stating, “Violence can never be the answer.” She said that “it is particularly dangerous when security personnel react violently while in uniform.” The post was liked by Hrithik Roshan, Alia Bhatt, Arjun Kapoor, Sonakshi Sinha, Zoya Akhtar, and Soni Razdan, among many others. —IANS c m y b
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.
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