01122024-LSTL-01.qxd 11/30/2024 8:03 PM Page 1 c m y b AP DHILLON ARRIVES IN INDIA Punjabi music sensation AP Dhillon arrived in Mumbai on Saturday ahead of his much-anticipated The Brownprint Tour. He greeted shutterbugs warmly after exiting the airport and was accompanied by his music collaborator, Shinda Kahlon. In September, Dhillon had announced his India tour. TRIBUNE Life No sleep! Actress Sharvari has revealed that she is having troubles with sleeping. Sharvari wrote on Instagram, “Super exhausted.. But not getting any sleep...Tips please.” LUDHIANA | SUNDAY | 1 DECEMBER 2024 Sense of community Mona F OR filmmaker Shishir Jha, cinema is a way to connect with people and not just his audience. For his film Tortoise Under The Earth, he took three years. The first of those two months, he travelled in and around Jharkhand, creating his own personal experiences before embarking on the film’s journey. Taking their story, in their language — Santhali; non-actors as lead pair, he retained the rawness of real life. The film, set in a uranium mining area of Jharkhand, is based around a tribal couple coping with the loss of their daughter. For them, the land and forest bear witness to their daughter’s memory. It explores the deeply intertwined connections between tribal communities and the forest, which is their traditional home. Their festivals, folk songs and the sense of community, the film is an ode to a world that is rapidly disappearing, subsumed by unchecked development and displacement. “As most of the characters in my film are playing themselves, they also directed the story through subtle interventions. I let people, landscape, politics and seasons participate in this process to the extent that finding a form and a story becomes an organic process for everyone involved,” says Shishir. He feels privileged to have observed these tribal lives, who have maintained their sacred connection with nature. “While shooting in this format, the responsibility on one’s shoulders is huge. You want to protect their personal space and yet tell their story.” The film has done festival rounds all across the globe — Kazan International film festival, 2024, Russia; Nuremberg International Human Rights Film Festival, 2023, Germany; South Asian Film Festival of Montreal, 2024, Canada and International Uranium Film Festival, Rio, 2023, among many others. Growing up in Darbhanga, Bihar, the world of cinema always interested him. Shishir pursued a Bachelor’s degree in Film and Video Communication Design from National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad, which opened a brave new world of cinema for him. A huge inspiration for him has been renowned Iranian filmmaker, late Abbas Kiarostami. He had a chance to attend a workshop under him in Cuba in 2016, months before he died. “Kiarostami has made films in Iran, in France and in Japan — and that’s what made me try making Tortoise Under The Earth in Santhali, a language I was unfamiliar with.” For the film, he banked on intuitiveness and guidance of the locals. Real-life couple — Jagarnath Baskey and Mugli Baskey — play lead roles in the film. Shot over the course of a year, the film, with only two people in the crew, took about three years to complete. Shishir’s next is another feature film in Hindi. A love story, it has Sukant Goel and Priti Shroff in the lead roles. Freelancing in films, Shishir has found a way to keep making cinema of his choice on the side. “Mumbai is a very expensive place to live in, but here I am able to do the kind of work I wish to.” Fond of films from the world over, Shishir also has some Punjabi favourites. “I am fond of Gurvinder Singh’s cinematic language. I love Chauthi Koot and Anhe Ghore Da Daan.” Happy to take his film to the public finally, Tortoise Under The Earth was released on MUBI recently. Shishir says, “Entertainment is one of cinema’s objectives, but it can be so much more.” Shishir Jha’s film Tortoise Under The Earth explores the deep connection between tribal people and the forest, and the menace of unchecked development ‘Stay consistent with exercise’ Actor Vaibhav Tatwawadi prefers a mix of gym workout and yoga for overall fitness Vaibhav Tatwawadi, known for his roles in Article 370 and A Wedding Story, will soon be seen in the upcoming Hindi film Bebinka. He considers fitness a prime part of his daily schedule. Read on... What kind of diet plan do you have? My diet isn’t very strict. I focus on having less sugar and mostly stick to home-cooked meals. I don’t follow any fad diets, but keep it simple and balanced. What do you do on days you are busy? On hectic days, I ensure my food intake is correct. I try to balance it out by being mindful of what I eat, even if I miss a workout. ‘A very poor idea’ ...When Julia Roberts refused a potential mini-sequel of Notting Hill Notting Hill screenwriter Richard Curtis recently revealed that a potential minisequel to the film was rejected by actress Julia Roberts after she read the proposed plot. Curtis shared that Roberts refused to participate in the project upon discovering that the sequel would depict her character, Anna Scott, divorcing Hugh Grant’s William Thacker. Notting Hill is a 1999 romantic comedy film directed by Roger Michell. The story follows the blossoming romance between a British bookseller (Hugh Grant) and a famous American actress (Julia Roberts), who unexpectedly visits his bookstore in London’s Notting Hill district. Curtis admitted, “A mini Notting Hill reunion had been discussed. I tried doing one with Notting Hill, where they were going to get divorced, and Julia thought that was a very poor idea.” Hugh Grant, reflecting on his role in Notting Hill, described his character as ‘despicable’. — ANI On the red carpet Filmmaker Zoya Akhtar, who is a part of the jury of the 21st Marrakech Film Festival, walked the red carpet alongside panel head, director Luca Guadagnino, and Hollywood stars Andrew Garfield and Jacob Elordi. In a video shared on the official X page of the festival, Akhtar was spotted posing for the shutterbugs at Friday’s opening ceremony of the gala in Marrakech, Morocco. Iranian filmmaker Ali Abbasi, Hollywood actor Patricia Arquette, Argentine director Santiago Mitre, Belgian-French actor Virginie Efira and Moroccan actor Nadia Kounda were also a part of the panel. “The jury of the 21st edition competition is presided by Luca Guadagnino, and joined by Ali Abbasi, Zoya Akhtar, Patricia Arquette, Virginie Efira, Jacob Elordi, Andrew Garfield, Nadia Kounda and Santiago Mitre. Opening Ceremony of the #Marrakechfestival,” read the caption of the post shared by Marrakech Film Festival. According to the festival’s website, its main aim was to promote and develop the art of cinema and the film industry in Morocco. Marrakech Film Festival opened with The Order, directed by Justin Kurzel, who returned to the gala after winning the Jury Award in 2011 for Snowtown. The gala will come to a close on December 7. Akhtar’s last directed film was The Archies, which was released on Netflix last year. — PTI c m y b Zoya Akhtar joins fellow jury members at Marrakech Film Festival As an actor, do you feel the pressure to look a certain way? I actually don’t see it as pressure. Instead, I view staying fit as a responsibility. Health and well-being are important for everyone, not just actors. So, I approach fitness as something essential for my overall health, which helps me feel my best, both on and off the screen. Do you have a favourite type of exercise? I enjoy both gym workouts and yoga. The latter adds a holistic element to my fitness routine, balancing both body and mind.