29112024-LSTL-01.qxd 11/28/2024 7:41 PM Page 1 c m y b FARAH TO WORK WITH TOM? Farah Khan has expressed a desire to work with Hollywood star Tom Cruise. She commented on a post shared by Cruise on Instagram, which featured a picture from his upcoming film, Mission: Impossible—The Final Reckoning. Farah wrote, “Tommmmmmmmm... waiting to work with you…” TRIBUNE In Mumbai Life Singer-songwriter Dua Lipa has arrived in Mumbai ahead of her concert on November 30. On Thursday, the singer was clicked arriving at the Kalina airport in Mumbai. LUDHIANA | FRIDAY | 29 NOVEMBER 2024 Making his own muqaddar Nonika Singh T ILL date, his Special 26 remains a benchmark of how to marry entertainment with intelligent cinema. As National Award-winning director Neeraj Pandey returns to the subject of heist with his upcoming film Sikandar Ka Muqaddar, he talks about a range of issues. From being genre agnostic to how he has no idea what critics think of him and why espionage fascinates him, the acclaimed director of movies like A Wednesday and Baby, however, is measured in his responses. Just as his films are, which invariably shun the superfluous language of excessive jargon. ❝ OTT is a medium of storytellers. I am very happy to work both in theatrical films and on streaming platforms. It is like having the best of both worlds. ❞ NEERAJ PANDEY, DIRECTOR Acclaimed director Neeraj Pandey, whose Sikandar Ka Muqaddar streams on OTT today, says one of the reasons for this playful take on Amitabh Bachchan’s blockbuster is that it fits the spirit of the original First things first; Sikandar Ka Muqaddar is indeed a tribute to Amitabh Bachchan’s blockbuster Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, a film Neeraj so loved while growing up. But beyond tipping the hat in the title, he insists there is no similarity between the 1978 film and his thriller. Rather one of the reasons for this playful take was that it fits the theme and spirit of Sikandar Ka Muqaddar, and draws as much from its storyline. He elucidates, “Sikandar is being chased relentlessly by cop Jasvinder Singh. Even though there is no evidence that Sikandar has pulled off the diamond robbery, Jasvinder’s instinct tells him otherwise and over 15 years, he keeps following his moves and in that sense he is shaping/disrupting his destiny.” As a dialogue in the trailer uttered by Jimmy Sheirgill’s character of Jasvinder goes, Yeh Sikandar ka muqaddar hai, aur mein is film ka director hoon, we wonder if that is the director’s voice? He laughs, “Oh no, I am not that narcissistic as to devise such ways to express my thoughts. It’s just a character speaking.” His characters indeed have always spoken in a unique voice, often as brave-heart spies, a world he understands well for he has many friends in the armed forces and intelligence agencies. Yes, a lot of research goes into creating series like Special Ops and The Freelancer. Delectable touches like Manoj Bajpayee’s character receiving the hundred rupee note from a conman, played by Akshay Kumar, in movies like Special 26 too are not off the cuff decisions. Rather, he reveals, “Everything is woven in the bound script.” At the very onset of writing, he also knows whether it is going to be a film or series. Characters become actors much later when he is closing the script or at times halfway through when he begins to see actors in characters. But be it OTT or theatrical outing, his reasons for casting (actors or stars) have nothing to do with the platform on which his work is premiering. Promoting young talent, opening doors for them, however, is a conscious decision. And that’s why his Khakee franchise, whose first outing was directed by Bhav Dhulia, will always have a new voice helming it and a new captain will take over the Bengal Chapter of Khakee. On (re)discovering Avinash Tiwary in Khakee: The Bihar Chapter, even though the gifted actor made his debut in Imtiaz Ali’s brother Sajid Ali’s Laila Majnu, he says, “Avinash is a fantastic actor, has lot of untapped potential. And he is only going north.” He promises that if viewers loved Tiwary’s negative turn in Khakee: The Bihar Chapter they will appreciate him even more in a different avatar as Sikandar. As the film streams on November 29, he doesn’t agree with the widely held presumption that OTT platforms take off the pressure on creators for there are no box-office figures to chase. He says, “It’s a myth that numbers don’t matter on OTT. Only there is a different mechanism to gauge that. Otherwise how would we have a sense of budgets, feasibility, et al?” On the possibility of his ambitious project Chanakya coming to life, well, right now it is on the backburner and much-anticipated psychological thriller Crack won’t be happening at all. Nor is he, the director of super-hit sports drama M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story, likely to do any sports biopics anytime soon. “For aren’t enough being made already,” he quips. Clearly, as a storyteller, Pandey may not have aspirations to go down as the greatest, but to tell stories with a difference and differently is certainly his inimitable style. To the naysayers who think his series at times veer close to Islamophobia and are overtly nationalistic, he offers no defence, except lament the critics’ ‘poor judgement’. Besides, as he says, “We make films for audiences and not critics.” Of course, more often than not he gets thumbs up from both. Melody man AR Rahman praises Lata Mangeshkar at IFFI; talks about musical documentary he has produced Oscar-winning composer AR Rahman honoured the legacy of Lata Mangeshkar in a memorial talk at the 55th International Film Festival of India (IFFI), highlighting the legendary singer’s invaluable contributions to music and Indian cinema. During the special session, Rahman reflected on Bharat Ratna awardee Lata Mangeshkar’s unparalleled artistry, and said, “Getting praise from her was very difficult because she had attained that level of perfection.” Praising the legendary singer, Rahman added, “Her body of work, aura, sacrifice and dedication to the art inspire all of us.” Rahman has also taken on the role of producer for Headhunting to Beatboxing, a musical documentary on the evolution of music in Nagaland. He attended a special screening of the film at IFFI. About the project, Rahman not- SHEKHAR KAPUR AND AR RAHMAN ed, “Headhunting to Beatboxing is a very inspirational tale. I visited and observed what was happening. The evolution was so inspirational that I felt it was a story that could inspire many. Most people don’t even know about this new Nagaland.” The documentary, which was previously screened at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) in August, explores Nagaland’s rich musical history. It traces the evolution of rhythm and sound across cultures, tribes, and generations — from the traditions of headhunting tribes to the state’s modern musical renaissance. Expressing his excitement about the film’s premiere at IFFM, Rahman remarked, “The film is very special to us as it sheds light on the beautiful state of Nagaland and highlights its rich cultural and musical history.” The 55th edition of IFFI concluded on November 28. — ANI PRATIK GANDHI, SAIYAMI KHER AND DIVYENNDU The cast and crew of upcoming film Agni talk about the sacrifice of firefighters Director Rahul Dholakia, along with actors Divyenndu, Pratik Gandhi and Saiyami Kher, were seen promoting their upcoming film Agni in Mumbai on Wednesday. Saiyami shared, “I wasn’t aware of the significant representation of female firefighters, so my learning began there. I play the role of an investigative officer. Becoming a firefighter involves a very scientific process and these small details were fascinating to explore. I thoroughly enjoyed the physical drills we did — it was an enriching experience.” Directed and written by Rahul Dholakia, the film, produced by Excel Entertainment, also features Sai Tamhankar, Jitendra Joshi, Udit Arora and Kabir Shah in pivotal roles. “They’re not even seen as heroes. We often think of them as just workers — some come, c m y b Fired up! do their job, get a thank you and then move on. Awareness about their contribution is vital,” added actor Divyenndu. Pratik Gandhi reflected on his role too, “We underwent extensive physical training with firefighters and interacted with them and their families.” On his part, director of the film Rahul Dholakia shared, “Delving into the subject, meeting people and understanding their lives, I realised it’s a very unique and extraordinary way of life.” Agni will premiere on Prime Video on December 6. — ANI