03022025-LSTC-01.qxd 2/2/2025 11:54 PM Page 1 c m y b 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. CHANDIGARH | MONDAY | 3 FEBRUARY 2025 Ganga Prasad returns PHOTO: PTI Mona Emotional moment Sonam Kapoor breaks down as she pays tribute to Rohit Bal 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 A 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! 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 What do you when not acting? 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. Doree 1 was successful and now Doree 2 has started. In your journey, are there any roles that have stayed with you? How’s been your experience as a producer? Do we see more shows/films by you as a producer? My show Molkki was a brilliant one. I garnered a lot of young fans. Then, of course, We are already planning a horror comedy, a film this time. I’m also launching my c m y b own channel on YouTube, in which we will produce crime-based shows and also a bit of supernatural stuff. How have you handled fame? Being this popular, how do you ensure the safety of your family? Fame is sure difficult to han- dle 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 here understand that. But, when you go outside, you have to be a little careful. You have to have security. 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)