03022025-LSTL-01.qxd 2/2/2025 7:43 PM Page 1 c m y b LAAPATAA LADIES ONCE MORE Light-hearted satire Laapataa Ladies and horror comedies Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 and Stree 2 - Sarkate Ka Aatank have emerged as the top nominees in popular categories at the International Indian Film Academy Awards 2024, the organisers announced on Sunday. TRIBUNE Special act Life Singer-songwriter Armaan Malik, who is set to open for the global music icon Ed Sheeran in Hyderabad, has said that for him collaboration means creative chemistry. LUDHIANA | MONDAY | 3 FEBRUARY 2025 Return of Ganga Prasad PHOTO: REUTERS Mona A Beyonce confirms Cowboy Carter tour for 2025 It’s official Singing legend Beyonce has news to share that will leave her fans excited. The singer-songwriter has confirmed a 2025 Cowboy Carter tour. She has announced that she will take to the road in support of her 2024 country music album Cowboy Carter but no dates have been revealed yet. Beyonce wrote on social media, “Cowboy Carter Tour 2025”. The end of her ‘Beyonce Bowl’ special on Netflix also now says, “Cowboy Carter Tour”. As per reports, Netflix had earlier hinted at the announcement by sharing clips of her performance on Instagram with the caption, “tonight seems like the perfect night to rewatch ‘Beyoncé Bowl’ on Netflix”. It is believed that the tour announcement is what Beyoncé had been planning to announce on January 14 but she postponed it due to the Los Angeles fires. She said at the time, “The January 14 announcement will be postponed to a later date due to the devastation caused by the ongoing wildfires around areas of Los Angeles. I continue to pray for healing and rebuilding for the families suffering from trauma and loss. We are so blessed to have brave first responders who continue to work tirelessly to protect the Los Angeles community. To join our efforts in supporting those impacted, please visit @BeyGOOD. Love, B” —IANS MAR UPADHYAY won the hearts of audiences with his very first show Dekh Bhai Dekh back in 1993. Since then, he has been commanding the telly screen. The Mihir of Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, Ram of Kalash, Veerendra Pratapsingh of Molkki and now Ganga Prasad of Doree once more, he has garnered immense fame. Stepping up in films, and now on OTT, his fans have embraced him in different roles. An avid reader and now a producer, Amar speaks of his illustrious innings with The Tribune. Revisiting the role of Ganga Prasad, how was journey of Doree again? It is just amazing in this season; we have a new cast that is doing brilliantly well. Even my role has evolved. How was the experience of shooting at the ghats of Varanasi? It was a brilliant experience. This time we shot amazing scenes at the ghats of Varanasi. The ghats are so spick and span, clean and beautiful. It was lots of fun and I always enjoy shooting at the ghats. This was my fourth time there. You have navigated films, television and now OTT space; as an actor, what do these mediums mean to you? Exploring these three mediums, I am having huge fun. Television gives me more reach and I’m doing really meaty roles on OTT and also in films. So, I’m in a happy space and enjoying all three of them. Three decades in the industry, how has television changed? A lot. Now, we do live telecast from the office itself. The VHS tape that we used to shoot on earlier had a lot of glitches and we used to reshoot often. Now, with the 50 GB chips coming in, there is a lot of space to store. The glitches and reshoot process is gone. Earlier, we used to get time to shoot one episode. We used to shoot in two days and then it became one-and-a-half day. Now, we shoot in one day. So, it has also become more challenging than earlier. Actors have to be excellent to get that in one or two takes. You can’t get more than three or four takes. Otherwise, you’ll be in the red corner! In your journey, are there any roles that have stayed with you? My show Molkki was a brilliant one. I garnered a lot of Amar Upadhyay has had a commanding presence on screen for long. As his show Doree returns, he shares the experience of returning to the ghats of Varanasi again young fans. Then, of course, Doree 1 was successful and now Doree 2 has started. How’s been your experience as a producer? Do we see more shows/films by you as a producer? We are already planning a horror comedy, a film this time. I’m also launching my own channel on YouTube, in which we will produce crime-based shows and also a bit of supernatural stuff. here understand that. But, when you go outside, you have to be a little careful. You have to have security. How have you handled fame? Being this popular, how do you ensure the safety of your family? What do you when not acting? Fame is sure difficult to handle after I started as Mihir in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. But, slowly, I think in Mumbai it is pretty easy to get a grip. People I’m also into other businesses. I’m into construction, so I build buildings. I’m also working on the scripts that I’m going to produce. I’m an avid reader. I read at least two books a month. Any connection with Chandigarh or Punjab? Molkki was a very successful show and people from Punjab used to message me on Instagram, asking for BTS photos. They have given me immense love. Punjab has a special place in my heart. (Doree 2 is currently on air) PHOTOS PTI Sonam Kapoor Traditional touch Rahul Dev and Mughda Godse Eesha Gupta Emotional moment Sonam Kapoor breaks down at the ramp as she pays tribute to Rohit Bal Madhur Bhandarkar It was an emotional moment for Bollywood diva Sonam Kapoor as she paid tribute to the late fashion icon Rohit Bal during an event in Gurugram. Several videos of the actress walking the ramp at the Blenders Pride X FDCI Fashion Tour 2025 emerged on social media platforms. In the video, Sonam can be seen breaking down as she greeted the audience with folded hands. For the event, Sonam wore a white outfit under a heavily embellished long ivory jacket. She tied her hair and added red flowers for a retro look. The show paid tribute to Rohit with a special runway presentation that featured many prominent figures from various fields. Filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar, fashion designer JJ Valaya, actors Eesha Gupta, Rahul Dev and Mughda Godse also walked the ramp at the event. Rohit died in New Delhi on November 1, 2024, at the age of 63 from a cardiac-related issue. The late fashion icon Rohit Bal started his career with his brother Rajiv Bal in New Delhi in 1986 at the Company Orchid Oversea Pvt. Ltd and started his own first independent collection in 1990. —IANS Muzammil Ibrahim & Vijender Singh c m y b Ricky Kej drops pics from Grammy Nominees Reception Three-time Grammy Award winner Ricky Kej, who has secured his fourth nomination for Break of Dawn, shared a glimpse from the Grammy Nominees Reception in Los Angeles ahead of the ‘big day’. Taking to Instagram, the musician shared a series of pictures of himself from the event, looking elegant in a traditional outfit. For the reception, Kej opted for a maroon sherwani with gold embroidery designed by Bharath Jain of 108 Bespoke. Along with the picture, Kej added a caption expressing his excitement for the event. “At the Grammy Nominees Reception in LA. Tomorrow is the big day!!,” he wrote. In November last year, Kej, in an interview, described his album Break of Dawn as his best work to date. Sharing what went into the making of the album, he said, “This album, Break of Dawn, I believe, is my best work to date... I’m thrilled with this Grammy nomination... This album was entirely created by me. I’ve always been a lifelong environmentalist. The environment has always been on my mind when it comes to my music and my daily life.” “There is this very ancient Hindu and Buddhist philosophy that says the impurities of the environment are a direct reflection of the impurities of the mind... To purify the environment, we have to purify the mind first. I thought that I needed to concentrate a lot on mental wellness and mental health. And that is how this album was created. There are nine songs in the album. Every song is based on an ancient Indian raag. I’ve taken ancient Indian-rooted wellness music and created this album to combat the global burden of mental health,” he added. Kej first won a Grammy in 2015 for Winds of Samsara in the Best New Age category and later for Divine Tides, with Stewart Copeland, in 2022. In 2023, he and Copeland were honored again for Divine Tides, this time winning the award for Best Immersive Audio Album. — ANI