26062026-LSTC-01.qxd 6/26/2026 1:06 AM Page 1 c m y b TRIBUNE Life T among Indian invitees to Academy voting body Indian cinema has received a major boost on the global stage as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has invited a distinguished group of film professionals to join its prestigious membership class of 2026, granting them voting rights for future Academy Awards. The Academy announced 529 new invitees from around the world this year, with a notable representation from India spanning filmmaking, editing, casting, costume design, documentary filmmaking, animation, visual effects and production technology. Among the most prominent invitees is filmmaker and composer Vishal Bhardwaj, known for acclaimed films such as Maqbool, Omkara and Haider. Joining him arefilm editors A Sreekar Prasad and Deepa Bhatia. Prasad, a multiple National Award-winning editor with a career spanning 45 years, has worked on landmark films, including RRR, Dil Chahta Hai and Saathiya. Bhatia is widely recognised for her editorial contributions to films such as Taare Zameen Par, Rock On!!, My Name Is Khan and Kai Po Che. The invitee list also includes costume designer Eka Lakhani, casting director Dilip Shankar and documentary filmmaker Shalini Kantayya. Several professionals with strong links to the Indian film industry have also been invited. These include Avneet Kaur in the Animation branch, Farah Khan and Rajesh Ramachandran in Production and Technology. By accepting the invitation, the professionals will become part of an elite global body of more than 11,000 Academy members.— ANI HE summer of 2026 arrived early, stayed long, and has shown absolutely no intention of leaving. And while the rest of life has slowed to a crawl under the heat, something unexpected has happened to the way North India dresses. Walk into any boutique in Chandigarh right now and the shift is immediate. Linen where heavy fabric used to hang. Cord sets at the front of every rack. Bold floral prints—deep reds, cobalt blues, vivid yellows sitting alongside the softest dusty pinks and ice blues. The heavy anarkali, the structured silhouette, the stiff embroidered kurta—all moved to the back, if they are there at all. Fabric has become the first conversation. Linen, lyocell and Chanderi have gone from occasional choices to non-negotiables not because they are fashionable but because they breathe, they drape and they make a 42degree afternoon survivable. Silhouettes have followed. “Clients walk in now asking for something ‘relaxed and easy’ before they ask for anything else,” says Narendra Kumar, designer. Colour, this season, is not choosing sides. Dusty lavenders, muted pinks and ice blues dominate the quieter end of the rack- a palette built to look cool, not just feel cool. Right beside them, bold florals in deep, saturated hues are having their own moment. Neither is winning. Both are selling. This summer, a wardrobe can hold contradictions. Threading through all of it is the cord set, the single piece that has come to define summer 2026. Designer Sonu Gandhi is clear that its appeal runs deeper than practicality, “It is a serious style statement, it is not just for the heat.” Kumar agrees, calling it “modern, contemporary, and Diljit to star in Ranna Ch Dhanna comfortable” cord set is his pick for the one essential piece every woman in North India needs right now. style were never really at odds; people just needed a reason to stop choosing between them. Gandhi points to stitching as the one thing that quietly elevates everything. “Even a simple garment can look very nice on you, if the stitching is good.” Khanna keeps it even simpler a cotton or linen kurta, the piece that “everyone has in their wardrobe, or must have if they don’t.” The heat did not create a new trend. It just made people a lot more decisive about what they actually want to wear. The shift toward ‘looser’ dressing has been accelerated by social media. Kumar calls it “a global style filtering to India”, arriving not through fashion weeks but through phone screens. Designer Rachit Khanna sees Gen Z embracing oversized, tonal dressing as a statement clothes that reflect, in their words, “a free life.” Designer Sonu Gandhi’s older clientele moves differently, they still want to feel the fabric, try the fit, and take time before committing. Which is really the heart of it. Kumar says a 22-year-old shops to find herself within a trend; a 40-year-old already knows who she is and needs her clothes to say it cleanly. Both are doing exactly what getting dressed is supposed to do, just at different points in the journey. What this summer has proved, more than anything, is that comfort and Ananya Verma The Ministry of External Affairs clarified this week, on the occasion of the 14th Passport Seva Divas, that a passport is primarily a travel document and does not by itself constitute proof of citizenship. The statement drew sharp criticism, most notably from writer and lyricist Javed Akhtar. Akhtar called the position ‘absurd’. On X, he asked — “If the government is not fully satisfied that an applicant is a citizen, how is it issuing them a passport at all?” His post sparked a wider conversation online PASSPORT OR PROOF? As the row over passport-citizenship remark heats up, Javed Akhtar labels MEA statement ‘absurd’, celebs react and off it. Actress and naturopath Deepti Bhatnagar called for greater transparency from authorities. “If the law distinguishes between a travel document and proof of citizenship, people deserve simple and transparent explanations. The easier these policies are to understand, the more confident citizens will feel while dealing with official processes,” she said. Actor Darshan Dave offered perhaps the most ground- Ranna Ch Dhanna – Release date locked... The blockbuster team behind #HonslaRakh reunites for the #Punjabi entertainer #RannaChDhanna.” He further revealed, “#DiljitDosanjh will head the cast of #RannaChDhanna, directed by Amarjit Singh Saron... The film is set for a worldwide theatrical release on 25 June 2027.” Adarsh also confirmed the production team, stating, “RannaChDhanna is produced by Pawan Gill, Aman Gill and Dharminder Singh.” More details about the cast and storyline are yet to be announced. — ANI ed take. While he does not believe citizens will be stripped of their status overnight, he raised a concern that many will relate to. If a combination of older documents is now required to prove citizenship, he said, many people will simply struggle to produce them. Birth certificates get lost. Marksheets go missing. Parents’ records are not always traceable. “I hope for a solution,” he said. Javed Akhtar may be the first to say it out loud, but as more voices join in, the debate he sparked shows no signs of fading. From fabric choices to comfy silhouettes, why this punishing season is making designers rethink summer style WHAT’S HOT eat MANGO UTSAV M ANGO Utsav will be held at Shri Govind Gaudham on June 28. The event will feature divine darshan, a magnificent flower bungalow, and the serene Nauka Vihar. To mark the season, mango shake prasadi will be served. ISTOCK play SHOW TIME T HE National School of Drama is bringing a two-day theatrical event, Him Rang Shishti, at Gaiety Theatre. The festival will present Mai Ri Main Kaise Kahun on June 26 and will conclude with Aks Tamasha. ISTOCK love FOR BODY & MIND jalandhar Punjabi superstar Diljit Dosanjh is set to headline the upcoming Punjabi entertainer Ranna Ch Dhanna, bringing together the blockbuster team behind the hit film Honsla Rakh once again. The film is slated for a worldwide theatrical release on June 25. The announcement was made by film critic and trade analyst Taran Adarsh, who shared the news on social media along with a poster featuring Diljit Dosanjh. Sharing the update, Adarsh wrote: “Blockbuster team reunites... Diljit Dosanjh to headline Punjabi film CHANDIGARH | FRIDAY | 26 JUNE 2026 Cool clothes for hot times AnanyaVerma Vishal Bhardwaj Watch out The official teaser of Prahaar was released digitally on Thursday, offering the first glimpse of Rajkummar Rao in a powerful transformation as celebrated Indian public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam. ludhiana Amid the ongoing speculation, Samantha Ruth Prabhu has finally confirmed her pregnancy during Thank You Meet of her latest release Maa Inti Bangaaram in Hyderabad. The star also revealed that she will be taking a break from work and going on maternity leave. shimla SAMANTHA IS PREGNANT L OOKING to unwind without leaving the city? Hotel Radisson’s newly-launched Tattva Spa offers the perfect staycation indulgence. Designed to relax, rejuvenate and recharge the mind and body, the spa features therapy rooms, steam and shower facilities. ISTOCK JAVED AKHTAR, DARSHAN DAVE & DEEPTI BHATNAGAR c m y b