24112024-LSTL-01.qxd 11/23/2024 8:08 PM Page 1 c m y b HAPPY BIRTHDAY Suhana Khan penned a sweet birthday wish for her The Archies co-star Agastya Nanda. Taking to Instagram Story, Suhana posted a picture showcasing her and Agastya in a goofy mood. Suhana could be seen pulling Agastya’s ear. Sharing the picture, she wrote, “Happy birthday.” TRIBUNE Global fame Life NEETU OPENS UP ABOUT JACKSON HALT Actor-producer Neetu Chandra is quite happy as her film Jackson Halt was screened at the 55th edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI). Neetu said, “The film is in the Maithili language. It’s a thriller. It’s available on Prasar Bharati’s new OTT platform Waves. Go watch it.” MEET ‘MRS’ MALHOTRA Sanya Malhotra-starrer Mrs. had its Asia premiere at IFFI on November 22. The actor spoke about her film and the message it conveys to the audience. She said, “It will help the audience learn and unlearn a lot of things. You will start questioning those things that come to your notice but that you still ignore.” Mrs. is directed by Aarti Kadav and stars Sanya Malhotra alongside Kanwaljit Singh and Nishant Dahiya. Director Aarti Kadav shared her experience of casting Sanya, saying, “I was very fortunate that Sanya was part of this project. When I met her for the first time, I found her to be such a genuinely good soul, and I thought she would do justice to the story.” FREEDOM OF CHOICE Director Nikkhil Advani talked about his series Freedom at Midnight, which is based on the events that took place around India’s Independence and Partition. In a conversation, he opened up on his research work and why he decided to make this web show. The reference for his project was “Freedom at Midnight, a book by Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre about the events around the Indian independence movement and partition. He said, “When I was 16 years old, when I was 25 years old, whenever I picked up this book...and I have three copies of this book in my house.” — ANI Konkona Sen Sharma is set to star as the female lead in the upcoming movie Mis(s)chief. The actress will be paired opposite Spanish actor Carlos Bardem. LUDHIANA | SUNDAY | 24 NOVEMBER 2024 PS -WE LOVE YOU! Mona T HE International Film Festival of India is that magical place where you meet your heroes. Even before the legendary filmmaker Mani Ratnam showed up on stage, the energy in the packed auditorium was palpable. On Day 3 of IFFI at Panaji, Ratnam was joined by Tamil filmmaker Gautham Vasudev Menon for a riveting session on Transforming Literary Masterpieces into Engaging Film! The talking point was the epic historical drama Ponniyin Selvan (PS), based on the novel written by Kalki Krishnamurthy. Ratnam gave credit to Kalki for her nuanced writing which, he said, made his work relatively easier. “Right from how Nandini looked, her hairstyle to place and time, the story has it all. It has the scale, it has the intrigue, it has a period, it has horses, it has adventure, it has characters which are brilliant. It was asking to be made into a film. I had to just focus on adapting it to new medium,” he said. But Ratnam did exercise creative liberty, both in terms of recreating the era and the story. “Change, if it What’s better than watching Mani Ratnam’s Ponniyin Selvan? Listening to the legendary filmmaker talking about the process of making it. We catch him on Day 3 of IFFI… ❝ I feel like a beginner. When I did my first film I thought with one film I would learn everything and then I would be the master. It’s still the first film every time. I go on the set, not knowing how to shoot, but wanting to do something great.❞ comes organically. Now, there were no real forts where we could shoot PS in South India, so we went to the North. We chose the Gwalior fort and with the help of technology we tried to match the look to the period. The fort is atop a hill, which does not match the description in the book. So, we used CGI to make it look authentic but didn’t achieve ❝ Making films is about sharing. It’s not about delivering a message or suggesting a change. It can be anything — something that bothers you, something that brings joy to you or something that you think is the truth. If you are able to identify with something and that is what you want to put on the screen. ❞ cent per cent result. The idea was to evoke the feeling, rather than copying the text!” Right from the characters, look, costume, production design, each department is significant when it comes to the making a film. Ratnam elaborated, “It’s all in a way part of cinematography. Nandini wearing a particular colour is not in isolation but matches with what others are wearing and the backdrop and that complements the whole palette.” Ratnam praised of his DOP Ravi Varman. “On a set, your DOP is your right hand. And I work closely with Ravi. He reads the entire script. So, he’s not just working on a scene, but the whole film, and that’s what makes all the difference.” The background score plays an important role in all Ratnam films. “It’s a pleasure watching AR Rahman when he composes music. Just to watch how he makes scenes come alive through music is fascinating!” Ratnam came across as just another man trying to do his job. But did the tag of a ‘legend’ ever get into his head? He said, “Starting a new project is a humbling and grounding factor. I still feel like a novice. Whatever good or bad happened with the previous film is negated the moment a new project starts,” said the man who has made critically and commercially successful films as Nayakan, Anjali Thalapathi, Roja, Bombay, Dil Se, Mouna Ragam and O Kadhal Kanmani. Which one is closest to his heart? He said, “One can never be satisfied with what one has done. Each film of mine could have been better.” When during the session the topic of a collaboration between Ratnam and Gautham came up, Ratnam said he would love to collaborate with Vasudev, but he possibly couldn’t afford him. Gautham invoked Dead Poet’s Society and asked Ratnam — ‘What will his verse be’? Ratnam’s answer simple, “I don’t know!” SPADE WORK SATISH NARULA Water is life for all the living beings and so essential for plant life too. In plants, water is important for transportation of nutrients and keeping the plant parts turgid. Any stressed, be it deficient supply or overwatering, is reflected in the sick look of the plant and loss of turgidity, which is visible as wilting. Feeling the fear of wilting or water deficiency we indulge in frequent and more watering, which most of the time exceeds limits. Nothing could be more damaging. Besides, there are many more factors. Let us understand some of these. The factors that matter are the kind of plant species, the place of plant placement, the method of watering, frequency of watering and quantity of water applied, and container or pot used. Mostly, one learns it by experience but it is not uncommon that we lose costly plants during such a learning process and hence the It is essential to know the right amount of water that your plants need enthusiasm. When once you develop interest in gardening, you cannot resist getting all kind of plants that attract your taste. The plants could be shade-loving indoor ones, or outdoor, bulbous or rhizomatic plants, succulents, xerophytic or even water plants. The succulents are normally very attractive and one falls for these instantly. It’s love at first sight. Some of these are Haworthias, Kalanchoe, Gasterias, Luxmi Kamal, Sensevieras and Aloes. Normally, the mistake is made when we water them like other plants. The growth in some cases is such that the water does not percolate down and stays up WATER WAYS... entangled in the closely knit leaves. Then how to water such plants? There are two ways, one you put the plant pot in a trough and let the water rise up from the base hole. But in that case, there could be more than required Here are five TV actors who are ready for the silver screen Pratibha Ranta Parth Samthaan uptake. Another, but a safer method, is to add water in the pot like you pour a drink — with a fizz from the bottle and into in glass. I am sure the people of this region will understand better! In case you have kept such plants indoor, water these scantly and after a long duration. Suppose you have kept a dwarf sensevieras planted in a plastic or ceramic pot indoors, give about a cup of water after 10 days. This holds good for other succu- lents too. At times, when we water plants with a hose or fountain, the plant holds some water on leaves like dew. It happens during winter too, when in the morning time you can see natural dew drops on leaves. It looks very pretty and as the sun rises, most of it goes. But the big drops stay and as the sun starts becoming harsh, these start acting as lenses. To understand this, recollect your childhood adventure of burning papers by holding a lens on paper against the sun. The leaves too get burnt. It is most frustrating when this happens to those plants that are costly and are admired only for their foliage; for example, poinsettias. Otherwise too during these months we give less water, only meagre amount just needed to occasionally moisten the surface of the soil. (The author is a retired horticulturist from Punjab Agriculture University. He is based in Chandigarh) Let’s make it big Several popular television actors are now stepping into the world of cinema, capturing hearts in a new arena. Here’s a look at these five actors who are either gearing up for their big-screen debuts or have recently made a significant mark in films… untitled and details are under wraps. BANKABLE STAR: Parth Samthaan Parth Samthaan’s transition to cinema came with his debut film Ghudchadi. The film showcased Parth’s potential as a bankable actor in Bollywood. DAZZLING DIVA: Nimrit Kaur Ahluwalia From ruling the small screen with her compelling performances in hit TV shows, Nimrit Kaur Ahluwalia is ready for her silverscreen debut. Starring opposite singer-actor Guru Randhawa in Shaunki Sardar, Nimrit promises to bring her charisma to theatres. KILLER INSTINCT: Lakshya Lakshya recently delivered a breakout performance in the action thriller Kill. Transitioning seamlessly from TV to films, Lakshya’s journey is an inspiring tale. THE LADY HAS ARRIVED: Pratibha Ranta TAKING THE PLUNGE: Dheeraj Dhoopar Dheeraj Dhoopar Nimrit Kaur Ahluwalia Lakshya Having already won hearts with his roles in popular TV dramas and OTT ventures, Dheeraj Dhoopar is preparing to take the plunge into cinema. The project remains c m y b In what can only be described as a dream debut, Pratibha Ranta has taken the cinematic world by storm with her performance in Laapataa Ladies. Directed by Kiran Rao, the film has garnered widespread acclaim. Saira Banu and AR Rahman ‘Baseless’ AR Rahman’s son reacts to divorce rumours Social media has been abuzz ever since musician AR Rahman and his wife Saira Banu announced their separation recently. Surprisingly, a few hours after Rahman and his wife Saira broke the news about their separation, the Jai Ho singer’s bassist Mohi- ni Dey also revealed the end of her marriage with Mark Hartsuch. Netizens speculated about a possible link. Amid the ongoing rumours, AR Rahman’s son AR Ameen took to Instagram and strongly condemned the “baseless” reports. —ANI