21092024-LSTL-01.qxd 9/20/2024 8:12 PM Page 1 c m y b THE FAMILY MAN GETS GOING The cast of the spy action thriller series The Family Man — Sharib Hashmi, Dalip Tahil, and Shreya Dhanwanthary have offered fans an exciting glimpse behind the scenes of the upcoming season, recently being filmed in the picturesque landscapes of Nagaland. Anubhav Sinha, whose web series IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack ran into controversies, says though he has a point of view on geopolitics, he prefers to remain neutral on this hijack drama ❝ We tend to view war and aggression, especially in our cinema, as an act of bravado. We fail to see the collateral damage that comes along with it. All set for IIFA Life Nora Fatehi will be seen setting the stage on fire with her performance at the 24th edition of International Indian Film Academy Awards. Nora said that she cannot wait to bring her Agame forward. LUDHIANA | SATURDAY | 21 SEPTEMBER 2024 The drama is in the details Nonika Singh E ACH time he picks up the directorial baton, he takes us to the world hitherto not seen before on silver screen. Even though acclaimed director Anubhav Sinha picks up stories very much from the milieu around him and us, but gives it a new spin each time. So, Thappad becomes a stinging slap on the face of patriarchy, Mulk a sharp anatomy of what nationalism stands for from the perspective of minority community and Article 15 a scathing look at the glaring social inequality and discrimination. With his latest series IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack, he may have stirred a hornet’s nest and naysayers may have picked up unwanted cudgels. But the tribe of those who loved his recreation of the longest hijack in Indian aviation history is no less vocal, or enthusiastic. Anyway the gifted director feels that with the Netflix series he was not really flowing against the current so much. Rather, he avers, “This is the first time, I am not blaming anyone.” He adds, “Indeed, the moment when the plane landed in Amritsar, the situation could have been handled differently by the authorities. But who knows what disastrous consequences it would have entailed.” Even otherwise he feels that we tend to view war and aggression especially in our cinema as “an act of bravado, while it’s many things and fail to see the collateral damage that comes along with it.” Interestingly, when the series written by Adrian Levy and Trishant Srivastav came to him, his first thoughts were— what was happening outside while these passengers were being held captive? Thus many facets of the hijack drama fleshed out. The challenge of making the series steeped in factual reality lies in not only sticking to facts but equally importantly the VFX effects. Today, he is tickled pink that no one is talking about it which means it blended so well with the narrative. On his initial reaction of refusal to direct IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack, well, it had nothing to do with the politics or lack of it. He says, “I am happy making films. Unlike movies where I can control the experience of viewers, on streaming platforms I am not so sure IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack Bheed about how to make people watch the way I have designed it. People may not like what you have created for they could be watching on their small mobile phone screens or their speakers are not good enough.” No, he doesn’t think the audience for OTT is any different from cinema, only the attitude is. He says, “While in cinema halls you have the unwavering attention of viewers, on OTT they could be distracted by what’sapp status or messages or they can just go into the kitchen to make a cup of tea.” Yet, as he is receiving nearly 20 calls every day on how people have bingewatched the six episode series, he has realised that his misgivings on the power of storytelling on OTT were perhaps misplaced. And, our doubts on how he managed to hold together such a stellar cast sans ego clashes are belied too. Every sin- Thappad Article 15 gle actor in the series, be it Naseeruddin Shah, Pankaj Kapur, Arvind Swami, Vijay Varma or Yashpal Sharma is a name to reckon with. On the casting coup, he reveals, “There was no desire for one-upmanship among actors. It was the first time I saw actors working like one unit.” Manoj Pahwa, seemingly his favourite, who once again got a meaty part in the series after Mulk, is special, but it’s not like, “we hang out together.” In an otherwise serious series, Sinha gave Pahwa a few tongue-in-cheek one-liners for he believes, “Audiences’ appetite for humour is boundless.” While it is for others to comment on his inclination towards hard-hitting subjects, the Bheed director says, “I guess I have a point of view on society, on economy, on geopolitics. Often this could be at variance with others and whenever you have a Mulk contrarian point of view you are questioned.” Indeed, he has no problem with people asking questions as long as these are legitimate and relevant and not a question mark in themselves. On questions of his next being a superhero film, he reveals he is writing one. Since all his heroes have a super-heroic quality in a relatable sort of a way, he says, “My superhero would be like any other of similar genre.” He nods in the affirmative that we could be inching close to creating our own universe on the lines of MCU, he is not sure whether his Shah Rukh Khan’s Ra.One would have worked better today. He quips, “Who can say, such thoughts are a little pretentious.” And, Sinha judging by his cinema wears no blinkers, only a sharp lens that makes us relook and reanalyze the world we inhabit. When dreams take flight Sheetal On Saturday evening, an audio-visual presentation, Shades of Life, held at Alliance Francaise, Chandigarh, showcased paintings by renowned artist Aradhana Tandon, whose works demonstrate great strength, emotion and innocence. Tandon’s art presents the strength of women as the most authentic and prominent metaphor of nature, due to her ability to produce, nurture and contribute values. Women and structured buildings often find their way in Tandon’s work. She says, “It’s true that many who witness my work think of women as being a theme, but my intentions have always been to depict humans of all kinds. As for the structured buildings, they are also a presentation of my inner thoughts and dreams that come in many shapes, sizes and colour.” Tandon’s imagination takes off from her own source of artistic creativity that rises from her subconscious mind. Her work is creative expression of an intelligent soul, which can trigger some of the most challenging thoughts. While the event was mainly an audio-visual presentation organised by MN Sharma Architectural Society, Tandon displayed a few of her works in the art gallery for people to appreciate her 33year-long career. There’s also hint of mysticism in her works. Her ability to fuse one figurine into another and bring alive animals, birds or trees is remarkable. Even the choice of colours is unique. For her journey, Tandon specifically thanked renowned artist Prem Singh, who also served as the formal principal of Government College of Art, Chandigarh. “Under his tutelage, I was able to develop many skills. I also thank Diwan Manna for encouraging me to be out here with my works.” Apart from drawing inspiration from Chandigarh’s architecture, which she has seen and very much been a part of, she has painted other locations as well, such as Cappadocia in Turkiye. PRADEEP TEWARI Mysticism, emotion and innocence combine in the works of artist Aradhana Tandon, whose paintings are themed around women and structured buildings TRIBUNE witness my work It’s true that many who g a theme, but in think of women as be to depict ways been my intentions have al humans of all kinds. ❝ c m y b Rao on the go Finally, the makers of Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video unveiled the romantic song Tum Jo Mile Ho starring RajKummar Rao and Triptii Dimri on Thursday. After teasing fans with a teaser of the song, RajKummar dropped the full song video on his Instagram handle. Titled Tum Jo Mile Ho, the song is composed by SachinJigar and sung by Vishal Mishra along with the duo. The lyrics are beautifully penned by Priya Saraiya. Giving 90s vibe, the video shows the romantic chemistry between Rajkummar and Triptii. Sharing the video, he wrote, “90s ka wahi andaaz, lagega aur bhi khaas, aapke apne Vicky Vidya ke saath!#TumJoMileHo song out now! #VickyVideoKaWohWalaVideo in cinemas on 11th October.” A few days ago, the makers also released the film’s trailer, which offers a sneak peek into the hilarious journey of Vicky (RajKummar) and Vidya (Triptii), as they, along with their family, go all out to recover their missing suhagraat CD in the scenic town of Rishikesh. With help from Mallika Sherawat and the rest of the family, the couple leaves no stone unturned, from appealing to the police and family elders to even venturing into graveyards at night. Helmed by Raaj Shaandilyaa, Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video promises a “perfect blend of laughter and drama, immersing viewers in the charm and energy of the swinging 90s. RajKummar and Triptii Dimri-starrer Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video is all set to clash with Alia Bhatt’s Jigra. Both films are releasing on October 11. — ANI