23102024-LSTC-01.qxd 10/23/2024 12:15 AM Page 1 c m y b PETER DINKLAGE ON BOARD Actor Peter Dinklage, who is known for the series Game of Thrones, is set to join Channing Tatum and Kirsten Dunst in the film Roofman, written and directed by Derek Cianfrance. The film is based on the true story of Jeffrey Manchester, a convict on the run who hides in a toy store where no one would find him. TRIBUNE Cameo! Life In Singham Again, which features a galaxy of Bollywood stars, there’s another addition to the mix. Word is that superstar Salman Khan will also be seen in a cameo. CHANDIGARH | WEDNESDAY | 23 OCTOBER 2024 PHOTO: VICKY Voice of inclusivity Singer Sudhir Yadhuvanshi, who has sung for the film Amar Prem Ki Prem Kahani, is happy to lend his voice to a story that promotes inclusivity Vikrant Parmar His is a voice of strength, of passion. Singer Sudhir Yaduvanshi, who has lent his vocals to the film Amar Prem Ki Prem Kahani, is in a happy space as he believes the year has been lucky for his career. “After eight years in the music industry, 2024 has showered me with blessings like never before. It’s like the universe finally sent me that overdue gift basket — filled with movies, web series and collaborations with stars. This year feels like a brand-new chapter and I’m loving every moment of it. I hoping more good things come my way,” he begins. Earlier, having sung Kawa Kawa in Karan Johar’s production Kill, Sudhir says receiving praise for him was a big pat on his back. “There were some jitters in the beginning, but soon enough the excitement took over and we wrapped up the project on a high note. He even said I performed like a ‘star’, which is motivation enough to do even better in the coming times.” In the film Amar Prem Ki Prem Kahani, which has a LGBTQ theme, he has sung the number Chah Chadheya that is all about love and longing. “It’s a love song that really captures the feeling of bonding. I am all for celebrating love, no matter what form it takes. This film’s story, with male love for male, is a beautiful expression of that. It’s bold, it’s genuine, and it’s about time we embrace all kinds of love,” he says. Music sure has the power to amplify emotions and connect people, and Sudhir vouches for that, “To lend my voice to a story that promotes inclusivity and understanding is a responsibility I shouldered with pride. In the coming times, we need more narratives that break down barriers.” He also believes that the music industry is evolving in terms of trends, themes and treatment. “Now, it’s not just about catchy hooks; it’s about heart and real stories. Who wouldn’t want to jam to a love song that captures the thrill of a first date or the chaos of a crush? With more artistes diving into diverse narratives, it’s like the industry is finally ready to remix the playlist. We’re celebrating love in all its glorious forms.” Inspired by the likes of Kailash Kher, Sukhwinder Singh, Daler Mehndi, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, AR Rahman, among others, Sudhir wants to carve a separate niche for himself. “Without even realising, just by following them and listening to their music, I somehow started my own journey. And now, my heart is convinced that one day I’ll be working with all of them,” he beams. As for the future, he shares, “I’m working on an EP of traditional songs with none other than Ricky Kej sir — the three-time Grammy Award winner from Bengaluru. He’s not only an incredible musician, but also a fantastic human being. Right now, I’m just enjoying performing live shows with him.” Stay tuned! MUNISH SAHNI, GURCHET CHITARKAR, JANGVIR SINGH, JAGJEET SANDHU, FIDA GILL AND PUNEET RANDHAWA Jagjeet Sandhu, who will be seen in the Punjabi film Chor Dil, believes while an actor is born, training is required to hone the craft Dil ki baat! Mona I N a world full of kalesh, it’s only art that can offer peace…Believes actor-filmmaker Jagjeet Sandhu. The Punjabi boy, who got recognition with Paatal Lok, is rather choosy about his projects. In his bid to do something different, Jagjeet, who has Oye Bhole Oye, Rupinder Gandhi and Dakuaan Da Munda to his credit, continues to be associated with his first love — theatre, his forever learning ground. Playing the lead in Chor Dil, which sees a big screen outing this Friday, Jagjeet, pretty pumped to play the titular character, talks about the film on late Monday evening. “It’s a very different concept — a man gets a heart transplant and turns to theft soon after.” If the concept of the film is different, so are Jagjeet’s looks — a clean shaven one! All the attention turns him diffident, “Changing looks is my profession’s demand and I quite enjoy it. But without the beard I am feeling a little shy.” A pass-out from the Department of Theatre, Panjab University, Jagjeet believes while an actor is born, training is required to hone the craft, “No film is shot in a linear manner. To be spontaneous in each frame despite having rehearsed the scene a hundred times is what training prepares one for.” Paatal Lok’s stint got Jagjeet hordes of offers. “Lots of big production houses reached out with roles, but I pick up a project only if the role excites me. Most of them were on the same lines and I didn’t want to get typecast, so I let many roles go.” While entertainment from Punjabi film industry is always going to be its mainstay, Jagjeet looks for films that also convey a relevant message. “We Punjabis are outgoing by nature, so our films cannot move away from entertainment. But art can do wonders where everything else fails. Since I am blessed to have this platform, I want to say stories that can go a step beyond entertainment, clearing the ground for what can benefit society.” Amongst his projects he holds Jaswant Singh Khalra biopic as one of his most significant proj- ects to date. As the film awaits censor clearance, Jagjeet shares, “This one film made me change my wedding date.” As and when the film meets its audience, Jagjeet says, “It’s going to the best film of the year if it gets released.” Along with acting, Jagjeet is also into production. Realising early that he needed to get into filmmaking if he wanted cinema of his kind to see the light of the day, he launched his production house. “Our production Oye Bhole Oye wasn’t a grand affair but people have good things to say about it.” He is working on his next feature with the same team. On Punjabi industry taking strides, Jagjeet says, “All that talk about touching South Indian cinema levels is wishful thinking. With an average budget of Rs 5 crore, we can’t compete with their Rs 500 crore budgets for a film. But we sure can make sensible cinema.” Meet the team Chor Dil is also the debut venture of directorwriter Jangvir Singh. A law-aspirant-turned filmmaker, he holds to his credit short film Nani Maa. Anxious about the Friday release, he opens up, “It’s like I am waiting for my board results.” Jangvir approached Jagjeet with another script to begin with. The latter summarily rejected it, saying he was not interested in a wedding movie since it was there in every other Punjabi film. “My production house thought of approaching other actors, but I saw logic in Jagjeet’s call.” Another script later, Chor Dil sealed the deal. Shot in the UK, the film stars Fida Gill, Daman Sandhu and Gurchet Chitarkar. Fida, who makes her Punjabi film debut with Chor Dil, shares, “Working on my first with such a talented team is a perfect launch for me.” Fida holds an engineering degree but has dreamt of being an actor always. With the movie Full Moon and couple of web series to her credit, it’s in the entertainment industry that she sees her future. “I did engineering to appease my parents, now that they support my dreams I feel I am in the right space.” (Chor Dil releases on October 25) Jigra controversy: Director Vasan Bala deactivates X account War on social media Acclaimed filmmaker Vasan Bala, whose recent release Jigra, starring Alia Bhatt turned into a box-office debacle, has deactivated his X, formerly Twitter, account. This comes in the light of the dirty standoff between the producer of Jigra Karan Johar and actress-director Divya Khossla, and, of course, the underwhelming performance of Jigra at the box-office. However, the filmmaker is quite active on Instagram. Earlier, a war of words ensued between Divya and KJo as the former accused KJo’s prodigy Alia Bhatt of buying the tickets of Jigra. While Karan took to the Stories section of his Instagram, and wrote, ‘Silence is the best speech you will ever give to fools’, Divya replied by sharing a quote on her Instagram Stories, ‘Truth will always offend fools opposed to it’. When she felt that she hadn’t made her point, and her voice wasn’t heard enough, she uploaded another story. She wrote, “When you are shamelessly accus- c m y b tomed to stealing what rightfully belongs to others, you will always seek shelter in silence. You will have no voice no spine”. Divya felt that the collections of the film were inflated at the behest of the production house, which is considered one of the premier film studios in Hindi cinema. Interestingly, Divya’s Savi is said to follow the same basic premise of a jail break story as that of Alia’s Jigra (the difference being in Savi, the titular character played by Divya carries out prison break of her husband, and in Jigra, Alia takes her brother out of the prison). While Savi managed to make only Rs. 7.83 crore in two weeks of its theatrical run before it was ousted from cinemas for a more lucrative and financially rewarding Chandu Champion, Alia’s Jigra earned Rs. 4.5 crore on its opening day. Following the box-office debacle of Jigra, KJo also sold 50 per cent of stakes of his Dharma Productions to Adar Poonawalla. — IANS ALIA BHATT IN A STILL FROM JIGRA