17012025-LSTC-01.qxd 1/16/2025 11:31 PM Page 1 c m y b LEO TO DONATE $1 MILLION Leonardo DiCaprio is donating $1 million to help Los Angeles recover from the devastating wildfires. He announced this on Instagram. “I am committing $1 million in partnership with @rewild’s Rapid Response Program to support both urgent needs and post-fire recovery efforts,” he wrote. TRIBUNE Life On shoot The cameras have started to roll for the upcoming film Border 2 and Bollywood actor Varun Dhawan has joined the cast in Jhansi, Madhya Pradesh, for the shoot. CHANDIGARH | FRIDAY | 17 JANUARY 2025 Nobody is safe anymore! Kareena Kapoor Khan Nonika Singh D ETAILS about the attack on popular actor Saif Ali Khan are still unfolding. The good news also is that the actor, who underwent surgery after six stabbings, is out of danger and recovering well. While the identity of the attacker is not known as yet, the incident once again raises concerns about stars’ safety. It has prompted a host of actors like Ravi Kishen, Pooja Bhatt and Raveena Tandon to demand stronger security measures. Naysayers are likely to argue that in a country where the common man is a sitting duck on an everyday basis, why do we raise hue and cry only when an incident involves a celebrity? On the other side of the divide stand people from the entertainment industry. They believe and not without reason that celebs are invariably soft targets, inviting all kinds of breaches on their security and privacy. DS , FRIEN AL FAMILYHOSPIT nds VISIT d close frier hearing s an ital afte i Khan. l mber sp ly me ilavati Ho on Saif A areena Fami at L tack ctress K e the e at red d a gathenews of th wife and tted outsi an and e f’s as spo a Ali Kh ed th Sai n w r, it h Earlie or Kha sister So emmu vis n Kapo al. Saif’s Kunal K a Ali Kha r it w hosp ther-in-la al too. Sa came to pit m also — ANI bro os the h d Ibrahi father. an et their me The attack on Saif Ali Khan raises the question whether stars are soft targets and what needs to be done to ensure their security DANGER ON THE DOORSTEP Karisma Kapoor Sara Ali Khan and Ibrahim Soha Ali Khan Noted filmmaker Rahul Mittra recalls how during the shooting of a chase sequence in Lucknow for his film Bullet Raja, starring Saif, they had to literally run for cover as the star actor was being mobbed aggressively. Whether an insider is involved in the attack on Saif or not, Mittra deems, “It’s horrifying that the threat has now reached one’s doorsteps and stars are not safe within the four walls of their homes too.” Threat to superstar Salman Khan became more ominous when two assailants on motorcycles fired multiple gunshots outside Galaxy Apartments, his residence. If stars are more susceptible, even known faces from the industry can land in trouble owing to their visible presence in public domain. Recently, Mushtaq Khan, actor of movies like Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke, Welcome and Stree 2, and comedian Sunil Pal were kidnapped in separate cases and the miscreants demanded ransom. While they were fortunate enough to escape the clutches of kidnappers, back in 1997, T-Series founder Gulshan Kumar was shot outside a temple in Jeet Nagar in Juhu area of Mumbai. His gruesome killing was provoked by his refusal to pay protection money. Salman Khan Sanjay Leela Bhansali Sunil Pal NT Ramaswamy Mushtaq Khan Gulshan Kumar VULNERABLE STARS Kunal Kemmu The industry today can heave a sigh of relief that days of D-gang and underworld’s hold over Bollywood, when stars were forced to dance to the tunes of gang-lords are now over. But that does not mean threats to their physical and mental health have vanished, these have only assumed new facets. If on one hand celebrities constantly face the barbs of the faceless army of trolls, on the other there is the righteous brigade demanding a ban at the slightest provocation. While democratic protests can be justified, often the censure crosses all limits of legality and decency. Who can forget the assault on the celebrated director Sanjay Leela Bhansali at Jaigarh fort in Jaipur during the shooting of his magnum opus Padmaavat? Even as we go into print, insensitive trolls are having a field day cracking jokes about Saif. No wonder Mittra observes, “People from the entertainment industry have always been vulnerable. If toxic Celebs shocked A string of Indian film personalities, such as Jr. NTR, Chiranjeevi, Pooja Bhatt and Kunal Kohli, have expressed shock after learning that Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan was injured during an attempted burglary at his residence, sustaining six stab wounds. Jr NTR, who worked with Saif in the film Devara: Part 1 took to X and shared a picture with Saif. He captioned the image: “Shocked and saddened to hear about the attack on Saif sir. Wishing and praying for his speedy recovery and good health.” “Shocking and scary incident. Praying for Saif’s speedy recovery. #SaifAliKhan,” wrote filmmaker Kunal Kohli on X. Filmmaker Pooja Bhatt talked about law and order. “Law & Order. We have laws…what about order?” Bollywood actor Neil Nitin Mukesh wrote, “My prayers are with Saif sir and the entire family. This is very sad indeed! May your bravery and love for your family be rewarded with healing, strength, and peace. Get well soon #SaifAliKhan”. Emphasising on the need to upgrade our security system, Mamta Kulkarni was quoted saying, “I am really concerned regarding the security in the city...” — Agencies c m y b fandom makes lives miserable, we are held accountable for all socials evils.” REAL VS REEL So, a Diljit Dosanjh is told not to sing songs which include words like daaru. The makers are often questioned about why they make movies on gangsters. Last year, Telugu actor NT Ramaswamy was assaulted by a woman during the screening of the film Love Reddy. She was so annoyed with his negative portray- al that she slapped him on the stage, quite forgetting that reel is not real! Trolls’ pet peeve, protestors’ common grouse, entertainment industry is click-bait to both deflect and draw attention. Blame them for all that is not well with this world is a popular sentiment too, which ignores the fact that they are entertainers and not educators. In the process, it is often forgotten that beyond the reel world, stars are real human beings and deserve empathy and not mere curiosity!