05122024-LSTC-01.qxd 12/5/2024 12:26 AM Page 1 c m y b TRIBUNE KEIRA KNIGHTLEY PLAYS A SPY Happy for you Life British actress Keira Knightley says her new series Black Doves stands out for its tongue-in-cheek take on the world of espionage. Knightley, who also executive produced the show, plays Helen Webb, an undercover spy working for the secretive intelligence organisation. After Beyonce was named the greatest pop star of the 21st century by Billboard, singer and songwriter Taylor Swift showed her support and happiness for the pop icon. CHANDIGARH | THURSDAY | 5 DECEMBER 2024 The stamp of ingenuity Mona Girish Malik’s film Band of Maharajas enters the race for Oscars Hitting the high notes In a significant achievement for Indian cinema, Band of Maharajas, a musical film directed by Girish Malik, has been declared eligible for the Oscars in two prestigious categories. The film’s powerful song Ishq Walla Daku and its captivating original score, composed by the renowned maestro Bickram Ghosh, are now contenders for nominations in the Best Original Song and Best Original Score categories. This achievement highlights the remarkable collaboration between Girish Malik and Bickram Ghosh, who previously earned Oscar recognition for their acclaimed 2014 film Jal. Their latest partnership breaks new ground, captivating audiences globally. In a statement, Girish Malik shared, “We are overjoyed that Band of Maharajas is now in the race for the contention for nomination at Oscars. This film is not just a story; it is a heartfelt tribute to the power of music to transcend borders and bring people together.” Bickram added, “Band of Maharajas is a labour of love.” Band of Maharajas tells the inspiring story of three young musicians from a small border village in Punjab. Driven by their passion for music, they bravely cross into Pakistan, a country where music is often met with resistance from radical forces. The film chronicles their journey of resilience, and the unifying power of art. After Kiran Rao’s Laapataa Ladies was chosen as India’s official entry for the 2025 Oscars, Iman Chakraborty’s song Iti Maa and Bickram Ghosh’s Ishq Walla Daku are now being considered for the Best Original Song category. —IANS If film industry is a gaon, filmmakzzer Sudhir Mishra considers himself to be its chacha. “Everyone knows me, not necessarily likes me,” he chuckles. Joyous, honest, and spirited, Mishra admits of throwing tantrums often, that are well tolerated by his friends and co-workers. “These days Applause Entertainment head Sameer Nair is at the receiving end,” says the director of Tanaav as he opens up about its second season. Each project for Mishra is like a rollercoaster ride. “It’s a fun party. There is joy, excitement, fulfilment, tension, problems, and at times increased blood pressure – but all of it worth it!” He is happy about how Tanaav was received by audiences. When Mishra went back to Kashmir to shoot the second season, people who had watched the first season were happy about it. “Generally it doesn’t happen this way. People say portrayal theek nahi tha, but when we went back to Kashmir to shoot, people seemed to have loved it, and that’s a win,” he says. Tanaav is a remake of the Israeli TV series Fauda. Mishra believes remakes are great as long as someone has something to say. “In the original series, it’s the conflict between two countries, here we have set it in Kashmir. One has to bring in their life, customs, shadi, tyohar, gami, and rituals associated with it, and narrate the story through it all. It’s an amazing process, to adapt a story and tell it your own way,” he says. Now that Season 1 was received well, Mishra has doubled the efforts to present it in an interesting way. Mishra believes everything, anyway, is retelling of something or the other. “Kehte hain ki Ghalib ka hai andaaz-e-bayaan aur’. The way Ghalib says things is different, not that he has a different subject. So is it with re-makes.” In Manav Kaul, he has found the right match for his lead character Kabir Farooqui. “The character of Kabir is a complex one. He is in the midst of a number of things – Kashmir, his wife, developing love interest... We needed an actor who is robust, who takes himself seriously and can laugh at himself too. He also needed the ability to lead the unit. Manav has all these qualities and he has been fantastic in Tanaav.” Having moved to Mumbai three decades Filmmaker Sudhir Mishra, whose web series Tanav 2 will stream this Friday, finds the entire process of adapting a story and telling it his own way quite rewarding ❝ Filmmaking is a constant process of rewriting. You write a story, then rewrite it when you cast your characters, then again while you shoot and finally on the editing table. Everything—the act, the set, the light— tells the story. Sound design tells it from its own perfective. I enjoy it all. Sudhir Mishra A still from Tanav 2 back, Mishra loves being part of the industry. Ask him of his favourite filmmaker, he rattles off a long list – right from Jallikattu director Lijo Jose Pellissery to veterans like Hansal Mehta to younger filmmakers as Avinash Arun. “These are the times of women director – Reema (Kagti), Kiran (Rao) Payal (Kapadia) — all are doing great work. Mishra is open to criticism. He can take constructive criticism from those whom he After Vikrant Massey’s much-talked-about break from acting, here’s a look at actors who quit the industry ... It’s my life! T HE entertainment industry has often seen talented actors making surprising career choices, and that include sometimes opting out of the limelight at the peak of popularity. The recent example is the talented actor Vikrant Massey, known for his stellar performances in films like 12th Fail and The Sabarmati Report, who stunned the industry and his fans by announcing a long break from his acting career at the age of 37 to focus on his family and health. Here’s a look at actors who called it quits when they were in the peak of their careers. FAITH OVER CAREER: Zaira Wasim The young and talented actress, who shot to fame with her performances in Dangal and Secret Superstar, announced her retirement from acting in 2019. She believed that her acting career was in conflict with her faith. Her last release was Shonali Bose’s The Sky Is Pink. TO SERVE HUMANITY: Sana Khan The former Bigg Boss contestant and actress, known for her role in Salman Khan’s Jai Ho, made headlines when she announced her decision to quit the entertainment industry as she wanted to “serve humanity and follow the order of her Creator.” On November 21, 2020, Sana married a Muslim cleric Mufti Anas Sayed. FOR LOVE ONLY: Gayatri Joshi BIDDING GOODBYE Imran Khan FAMILY COMES FIRST: Ayesha Takia After delivering notable performances in films like Wanted, Ayesha Takia decided to step away from the industry post-marriage. Ayesha made her debut with the action thriller Taarzan: The Wonder Car for which she won the Filmfare Best Debut Award and IIFA Award Star Debut of the Year Female. Aamir Khan’s nephew Imran Khan made a promising debut with Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na in 2008. However, he delivered a string of flops, before bouncing back with I Hate Luv Storys in 2010 and Delhi Belly in 2011. He took retirement from acting after starring in Nikkhil Advani’s Katti Batti in 2015. Renowned for her role in Swades, Gayatri Joshi left the industry after her debut to marry businessman Vikas Oberoi. Before entering Bollywood, she won the title of Femina Miss India International in the year 2000 and represented India at Miss International 2000. DOMESTIC BLISS: Asin Asin Thottumkal, who worked in Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Hindi films. She made her Bollywood debut with AR Murugadoss’ Ghajini, starring Aamir Khan. She also starred in hit films like Ready, Housefull 2 and Bol Bachchan. The actress retired from acting after marrying entrepreneur Rahul Sharma. Her last film was All Is Well in 2015. c m y b respects. But critics with little knowledge, who would attack his films for an agenda, he can’t be bothered. “We filmmakers like to connect with people, old or young, though our stories. If you watch my films with affection and criticise, I would like to learn from you.” Pretty active on X, he implores people to watch his works and engage with him. A frequent visitor to Chandigarh, he loves the city and its dilchasap log and ever ready to visit it, but for now he wants people to watch Tanaav 2 and share their feedback with him. Among his upcoming projects there is another series, titled Summer of 77, and three films. “I want to connect with the young boy who directed Dharavi and Is Raat Ki Subah Nahin,” he smiles. Tanaav 2 streams on SonyLiv from December 6.