27032025-LSTC-01.qxd 3/26/2025 7:25 PM Page 1 c m y b TRIBUNE BHOOL CHUK MAAF ON WAY Fan mail Life Maddock Films has announced that the upcoming romantic comedy Bhool Chuk Maaf, starring Rajkummar Rao and Wamiqa Gabbi, will hit the theatres on May 9. The film was initially scheduled for release in April, but has been postponed. Miley Cyrus fans have something big to look forward to, as the singer has announced that she will release a visual album alongside her upcoming ninth studio album Something Beautiful. LUDHIANA | THURSDAY | 27 MARCH 2025 OPENING ACT On World Theatre Day, stars recollect their first play on stage PANKAJ TRIPATHI SHWETA TRIPATHI F OR them, it all began with their first act on stage that laid the foundation. It is theatre that has paved the way for some of Bollywood’s finest actors, shaping their craft and bolstering their confidence to own the big screen. On World Theatre Day, stars recollect moments when they stepped on to the stage for the first time. PATNA ACT: Pankaj Tripathi Based on a story by Bhisham Sahni and directed by Vijay Kumar, an NSD alumnus, Pankaj Tripathi’s first play was Leela Nandlal Ki. “The story is about a scooter that gets lost and the protagonist goes to the police station to file a complaint. I played both a cop and a thief,” he shared. Performing in front of an unfamiliar audience in Patna, Pankaj AKSHAY OBEROI ABHISHEK BANERJEE was pleasantly surprised by the positive response he garnered, despite his lack of training at that time. EXTRA SPECIAL: Richa Chadha In Class 11, Richa Chadha first appeared a play called Aur Kitne Tukde. Directed by Kirti Jain, it featured seasoned actors from the NSD. “I was cast as an extra in a period play, which worked well for me because I got to observe amazing actors from the National School of Drama (NSD) from close quarters. That was a great learning experience. Interestingly, I had braces at that time,” she shared. FIRST STEPS: Ali Fazal Written and directed by American playwright Michael Puzzo, A Guy Thing marked the beginning of the theatrical journey for Ali Fazal. However, his very PARUL GULATI first experience on stage was in a boarding school in Dehradun, thanks to filmmaker Sudhanshu Saria. “I remember holding on to the light on the steps of the famous amphitheater of The Doon School and being tasked with the allimportant task of uttering this single line – You blithering nincompoop,” Ali recalled with a smile. ALI FAZAL RICHA CHADHA to do in life. But one day, as I anchored an event, an irritated teacher said, ‘ You’re only good for this.’ Others might have felt insulted, but to me it was a sign. I got into Kirori Mal College through an acting audition—the same college where the great Amitabh Bachchan was,” he recalled. LIFELONG GIFT: Shweta Tripathi GOOD SIGN: Abhishek Banerjee Abhishek Banerjee discovered theatre during his school days, but honed his craft at Kirori Mal College (KMC), Delhi, through the prestigious Players’ Society —the same group that nurtured filmmakers like Kabir Khan, and actors like Siddharth and Divyendu. “I was not a very serious or good student, hardly attended classes and low marks was how it was. So, I wasn’t sure what For Shweta Tripathi, it was an act by Yashpal Sharma on stage that kindled the fire for theatre in her. “There was a scene on top of a train and I fell in love with it. Another one was Graffiti, a musical choreographed by Shiamak Davar and directed by Roshan Abbas, which I remember vividly,” shared Shweta, who now owns a theatre company. Theatre also gave her a lifelong gift—her husband, rapper Chaitnya Sharma (Slow Cheeta)! QUALITY MATTERS: Akshay Oberoi Akshay Oberoi’s theatrical journey started while he was studying at the Johns Hopkins University. He later trained at Stella Adler Studio (New York) and Playhouse West (Los Angeles). “Theatre is the place where I learned what good quality acting was. I dabbled in all genres and that helped. I am grateful to have gotten this opportunity to fulfill my dreams,” he shared. HEART’S CALL: Parul Gulati Parul Gulati started her acting career at a young age, but always felt a deep connection with theatre. She has performed in several plays and continues to train with her mentor Saurabh Sachdeva. Recently, she expressed her desire to produce a play. “Theatre keeps me alive,” she said. All We Imagine As Light wins best feature film, Diljit Dosanjh best actor, Darshana Rajendran best actress at Critics Choice Awards Payal Kapadia’s acclaimed directorial All We Imagine As Light emerged as the winner of the best feature film at the 7th Critics Choice Awards in Mumbai. Actor-singer Diljit Dosanjh won best actor award for his role in Amar Singh Chamkila and Darshana Rajendran bagged best actress for her performance in Paradise. Other winners include Ravi Kishan as best supporting actor for Laapataa Ladies and Kani Kusruti, who won best supporting actress for Girls Will Be Girls. “I dedicate this award to Amar Singh Chamkila and to Imtiaz sir, who brought this beautiful film to life. I just had the chance to be a part of it was entirely Imtiaz sir’s hard work. A big thank you to the entire cast and crew of the film,” Dosanjh shared. Kapadia, who also won the best director award, expressed gratitude for another acknowledgement. “This year has been filled with incredible films, and it means so much to be among such inspiring filmmakers. The The right choice awards hold a special place in my heart, as so many critics have been wonderfully supportive of All We Imagine As Light. Thank you for supporting our film every step of the way.” Poacher, the drama series from Richie Mehta, won best web series and got Nimisha Sajayan, the lead actor of the project, a best actress award in the web series category. Barun Sobti took the best actor in web series award for his work in Raat Jawaan Hai. “It’s an honour to have our series Poacher be awarded by the critics, as it was a series made with immense love and passion, by so many, to honour the guardians of all species, who themselves are never recognised,” Mehta said. The latest edition also introduced a new best docu- mentary category, where Nocturnes emerged as the winner. Among others, Shivkumar V. Panicker won best editing award for Kill, Anand Ekarshi got best writing award for Aattam and Ranabir Das for best cinematography in All We Imagine As Light. Obur became the best short film and Faraz Ali got best director and best writing for it. Harish Khanna took best actor in short film category award for his work in Jal Tu Jalaal Tu and Jyoti Dogra got best actress for her role in Taak. Best cinematography award went to Anand Bansal for Obur. — PTI c m y b Diljit Dosanjh BARUN SOBTI RAVI KISHAN PAYAL KAPADIA