10092024-LSTC-01.qxd 9/9/2024 11:30 PM Page 1 c m y b KAANTHA GOES ON FLOORS The shoot of Dulquer Salmaan and Rana Daggubati-starrer Kaantha has started. The makers recently held a puja at the Rama Naidu Studios in Hyderabad, where the whole team sought blessings. TRIBUNE Regal look Life Bollywood diva Kareena Kapoor Khan looked everyinch regal, dressed in a fiery-red Indian dress as she stepped out for Ganpati festivities. CHANDIGARH | TUESDAY | 10 SEPTEMBER 2024 STREEVERSE SMITH! NonikaSingh ~500 CR and counting… Stree 2 has blockbuster writ all over it! From sleeper- hit Stree to its sequel breaking record after record, finding a place in top five grossers, the spooky and quirky Stree has indeed established itself as a moneyspinning franchise. Amar Kaushik, the director of the super-hit ‘horror.coms’, can’t possibly pinpoint at the formula of success or if there are any rules to making a sequel. But yes, the astute storyteller in him recounts the tale of two salesmen who land in a village to sell shoes. “One is disheartened for everyone in the village goes around barefoot. The other jumps at the idea of doing something never done before,” he says. And that explains how he went about making horror comedies a genre so far dismissed as C-grade. Indeed, he, who has not one but three hits that fall in the same genre, can take a bow for achieving yet another impossible — goad cinema lovers to watch films in theatres in times when movies are flopping left, right and centre. Why as Stree 2 clashed with Akshay Kumar-starrer Khel Khel Mein, there was greater buzz around Akshay’s cameo in Stree 2. Of course, for those who think Stree 3, indeed a given, will see the superstar in a much more meatier part, something on the lines of Thanos of Avengers Infinity War, Kaushik reveals, “I don’t know why people believe so. Indeed, the Stree universe will get bigger with more and more additions. But my five central characters and actors will always be Shraddha Kapoor, Rajkummar Rao, Pankaj Tripathi, Aparshakti Khurana and Abhishek Banerjee. What is the ‘Streeverse’ without them?” If that is a promise, yet another covenant he Amar Kaushik, the director of blockbuster franchise Stree, is not flattered by comparisons with Marvel Cinematic Universe. As he hints at a threequel, he says ‘let us be just what we are’ A still from Stree swears by is, “My films will always remain rooted, original and made with utmost honesty.” As the lead character from his other film Bhediya jumped verses and Varun Dhawan joined the Stree gang, the idea of marriage of different verses, he insists, “Was not copied from Hollywood.” In fact, he doesn’t watch too many films. And even when he did during his formative years, he can’t list a single film, the likes of which he would have cared to make. That’s why he does not find any comparisons with Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) flattering. Rather, he quips, “First we called Hindi film industry Bollywood, more an ode to Hollywood than our originality and now we are talking of Indian Cinematic Universe fashioned after Marvel Cinematic Universe. Let us be just what we are.” Though fairly young in years and in the industry, with four hit films to his credit, he would certainly not like to be associated with ‘horror.coms’ alone. He laughs, “After all I can’t keep selling shoes, need to market socks and may be a neck-tie too.” Precisely why he produced and not directed Munjya, and does not see his directorial Bala, a social drama about how ‘bald is beautiful’, as an aberration in his filmography. The mantra of this break-out director always is and will remain entertainment. Indeed, packaging messages around laughter is tough, “If you get carried away by talking down to viewers.” Both Stree and Stree 2, and even Bhediya, have many subtle inflections. Only he is not unduly perturbed by it nor intends to drum it in. Thus, he is okay with it if audiences don’t get all the cues and clues. Or even critics fail to see it. “Full house might be the best critic,” but he certainly values critics’ opinion. Viewers’ feedback is critical too. And if you care to value his advice, well, aspiring directors, in particular, better pay heed, “Don’t count the negatives or dwell in pessimism. Ro mat. Look at what you have and can do. I made my first short film Abba without any resources or stars. For Stree, I didn’t have enough money for VFX yet it is today rated as one of the best.” If with Stree 2 he upped the game, a threequel can only chart newer frontiers. Remember his salesman story… if you believe in something, don’t fret or fume, just go ahead and sell it. NO BAGGAGE OF SUCCESS Director producer Amar Kaushik can’t quite claim to know what will click with the audiences. But he is more than happy that brilliant actor Rajkummar Rao, now has a super-duper hit up his sleeve. He says, “We all vouch for his talent and I am happy that I have something to do with this megahit in which he plays the lead role.” Kaushik, however, doesn’t feel the baggage of success on his shoulders. Even as he goes about creating more universes and bigger scales, audiences’ love is what he seeks and is ready for censure too, in case there is any misstep. With his producer partner Dinesh Vijan, however, he is always in sync. He says, “We are like brothers, friends. There is no ego between us.” Artist Navpreet Kaur’s works delve into the complex emotions and challenges faced by women in a male-dominated society PHOTO: PRADEEP TEWARI Sheetal Dreams have many colours and no descriptions. Likewise, artist Navpreet Kaur’s 40 vibrant-coloured abstract and figurative works bear no title. Displayed at the Chandigarh Lalit Kala Akademi’s Open Hand Art Studios, Le Corbusier Centre, Sector 19, Chandigarh, Kaur’s exhibition, The Dreamland, brings our blurry dreams into vivid reality. Her paintings, centred on the theme of women, delves into the complex emotions and challenges faced by women in this male-dominated world. The parrot becomes a recurring motif in her art, symbolising a yearning for love and freedom. The elements of flora and fauna reflect the vibrant life within her soul. Animals like the frog, goat and cat make their way into her drawings and paintings, each serving as a conduit for her emotions. Pointing at one of her paintings, which has the figurative image of woman and an abstract formless frog, Navpreet says, “I do not decide what to paint. These paintings are like mere presentation of my thoughts and dreams. Frogs are mischievous creatures and you cannot predict their next move. As far as colours are concerned, I often pick a palette that inspires me. For instance, I was in Canada in the Fall, and the leaves and various hues of brown inspired me to make an art piece of it.” Without any formal academic training, she blossomed as an artist, experimenting boldly with various mediums. Despite her growing prowess, her creations remained a personal sanctuary, unseen by the world for a long time. Apparently, Navpreet’s journey into the world of art was ignited after her marriage to Prem Singh, a distinguished figure in the art community. Nearly 45 years ago, Navpreet began channelising her latent artistic impulses, drawing inspiration from the remnants of her husband’s and son’s art supplies — papers, canvases, and colours. Navpreet’s mastery of colour and rendering has reached a level of maturity that captivates I often asked my husband how he knew which colour to use next, it felt like he was doing it without thinking twice. He would say... a particular colour automatically invited the next one. Brush with reality the viewer. Her innate sense of space brings an intriguing quality to her work. The colour palette Navpreet chooses describes her expertise in painting and yet she calls herself a mere student, who learnt from the company she was exposed to. She recalls, “I often asked my husband how he knew which colour to use next, it felt like he was doing it without thinking twice. He would say... a particular colour automatically invited the next one. I didn’t understand it then, but now I do. Also, I pick vibrant colours for I have lived a vibrant life.” She celebrates the beauty of both nature and humanity with equal passion. Navpreet has also created pieces that reflect c m y b NAVPREET KAUR her social concerns and thoughts on life and death, deeply moved by the passing of artists like Manjit Bawa and MF Hussain. She even experimented in jugalbandi — a creative duet — with her four-year-old granddaughter, Ananya. While Navpreet has explored abstraction, she has never fully abandoned the imagery of form. Recently, this figurative element has resurfaced in her intriguing new series focused on faces. “But one thing is for sure, I would never dabble with digital form of art. It’s beyond my understanding and interest. The feel of holding a brush and painting is what I hold real and dear.” (On till September 15)