28012025-LSTL-01.qxd 1/27/2025 8:11 PM Page 1 c m y b TRIBUNE CHHAAVA DANCE TO BE SNIPPED Filmmaker Laxman Utekar on Monday said the lezim dance scene will be removed from his upcoming movie Chhaava, based on the life of Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Sambhaji, after it faced objection from politicians and history enthusiasts. HOT Nonika Singh “I regard the theater as the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being. This supremacy of the theater derives from the fact that it is always ‘now’ on the stage.” - Thornton Wilder/ Oscar Wilde Stage set in Bathinda Good news for theatre buffs in Bathinda as National School of Drama will stage five plays at Balwant Gargi Auditorium as part of its Bharat Rang Mahotsav 2025 A S the National School of Drama gets ready for what its director Chittaranjan Tripathy calls Mahakumbh of theatre, the famed Bharat Rang Mahotsav 2025, one of its tributaries will land right in Bathinda district in Punjab. The theatre extravaganza that opens in New Delhi today at Kamani auditorium would be celebrated across 13 cities, including two in foreign countries namely Colombo and Kathmandu, in a first of its kind initiative in foreign lands. Featuring more than 200 unique productions from nine different countries, the festival includes myriad flavours and colours of theatre. Though its credo line goes ek rang, shresth rang in actuality it will be a complete bouquet of theatre. From folk forms to tribal, from classical to contemporary, from non-verbal to verbal, the festival will showcase many traditions of theatre all through 20 days of its run time. In Bathinda the festival kickstarts on February 8 and concludes on February 12, offering five insightful plays. “Reasons for choosing Bathinda in Punjab,’ according to Tripathi, ‘is our endeavour to spread the fragrance of the 25-year-old festival in hitherto unexplored areas, where the festival has not gone before.” He further adds, “In Punjab since in the previous editions Chandigarh and Amritsar have been satellite locations, we decided to move to fresher pastures.” Besides he shares they got immense eat ELEGANCE & FLAVOUR O chandigarh MBRÈ, which was earlier known as The Upper House, is redefining the eating-out experience. This food destination, owned by Jasdeep Bindra, combines timeless elegance with a resort-like ambiance. At Ombrè, the culinary experience is unmatched. With a brand new menu crafted by Chef Sagar Bajaj, Ludhiana is witnessing flavours and dishes it has never experienced before. The new sumptuous dishes added in the menu include Chettinad chicken with Malabari parontha, Korean fish finger and Turkish Adana kebab. play LIGHT & SOUND ISTOCK amritsar love KILLER BELLS NE of the most popular fitness trends in 2024 was Kettle Bell exercise and it promises to ride on high on popularity in 2025 as well. The killer pull-ups, press, swing and all have not only helped fitness enthusiasts burn fat and build muscles but also strengthen the Kettle Bell manufacturing industry, which saw a surged growth of about 40 per cent in the previous year. Considered an easy and adaptable fitness tool for gym rats and beginners, both, kettle bell workouts are being picked up because of full-body workout benefits, power and endurance build-up. Most high-profile gyms and fitness studios in Amritsar offer customised workout routines with kettle bells. ANTIM RAAT (L-R) SUMAN VAIDYA, PRADEEP KUMAR MOHANTY, CHITTARANJAN TRIPATHY & BHARAT GUPT FROM NATIONAL SCHOOL OF DRAMA ABHIJAAN support from organising partners in Bathinda. Starting February 8, theatre buffs in Bathinda will get to savour Hindi play Antim Raat. Starring noted actor Rajendra Gupta, the play takes a leaf out of the Founder of Pakistan Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s life, days before the Partition of India. His fractured relationship with his daughter Dina Wadia who like him married a Parsi forms the dramatic core of the play. Other plays in the offing at the Balwant Gargi auditorium are Abhijaan in Bengali, which focuses upon the volatile period of Bengal, and Phoenix Pokhi in Assamese will be staged on February 11. SWAPNOLOK Swapanlok in Hindi is inspired by an interesting folktale of a woodcutter and realisation of his dreams in a fairytale fashion. If you are wondering why a Punjabi play is not part of the Bathinda capsule Tripathi has a credible answer. “For people in Bathinda must have watched plays in their language by Punjabi theatre stalwarts several times. The idea is to introduce them to plays in other languages and regions.” Bharat Rang Mahotsav will showcase plays in nearly 21 languages and Punjabi certainly is one of them. Noted theatreperson Navdeep Kaur’s play Sohni Mahiwal, a production of the department of Indian Theatre, Panjab University, Chandigarh is also an integral part of the festival, only it will be staged in New Delhi. No doubt, New Delhi which is where the hallowed institute was set up in 1959 as part of Sangeet Natak Akademi and later emerged as an autonomous entity will be the epicenter of majority of its allied activities. Besides interactive sessions with directors, master-classes, a dedicated programme on literary arts, Shruti will feature book launches and discussions on literature. Another major highlight of the festival is in line with its last year’s brainchild of largest number ‘I couldn’t be happier’ H UNDREDS of candles flickering away, a majestic piano taking the centre-stage, the surreal ambience set the bar high as Candlelight’s spectacular show Queen vs ABBA opened at dusk on Sunday at Hyatt Centric. Without much ado, pianist Gaurav Arora broke into Dancing Queen, with his swaying fingers and broad smile, he spread joy among his audience. The ballroom dazzled in the glow of candles as with little talk and more play, Gaurav paid tribute to two of the most iconic bands of all times – ABBA and Queen. O Sharvari attended Sabyasachi’s 25th anniversary celebration in Mumbai. Draped in a stunning Sabyasachi saree, the actress embodied the timeless elegance. LUDHIANA | TUESDAY | 28 JANUARY 2025 ludhiana WHAT’S Stunning! Filmmaker Shekhar Kapur has been awarded the prestigious Padma Bhushan, one of India’s highest civilian honours, as part of the Padma Awards 2025. The announcement was made on the eve of Republic Day, and the film industry has been quick to shower Kapur with congratulatory messages acknowledging him for his remarkable contributions to cinema. Reacting to the news, Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor took to his Instagram handle to congratulate Shekhar Kapur. In his heartfelt message, Kapoor shared nostalgic throwback photos from the sets of the iconic 1987 film Mr India, where the two, along with the late Sridevi, had worked together. The pictures captured the magic of their work together and evoked fond memories for fans of the classic film. “Congratulations to my dear friend @shekharkapur on receiving the Padma Bhushan! Your brilliance and unwavering dedication to cinema is truly an inspiration. This honour is a testament to your incredible journey, and I couldn’t be happier, Shekhar,” Anil Kapoor wrote, expressing his joy and admiration for the filmmaker. In response to the honour, Shekhar Kapur expressed Anil Kapoor shares priceless moments from Mr India to celebrate Shekhar Kapoor’s Padma Bhushan ANIL KAPOOR SHEKHAR KAPUR his gratitude on X (formerly Twitter), writing, “I am humbled that the Government of India has considered me to be deserving of a #PadmaBhushan. Hopefully, this award will make me strive c m y b harder to serve the industry that I am part of, and the beautiful nation that I am so fortunate to belong to. Thank you also to our film audiences of India, for I am because you are.” Shekhar Kapur is widely celebrated for his diverse and impactful films, including Bandit Queen, the British biographical drama Elizabeth, and its critically acclaimed sequel Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007), which earned Cate Blanchett an Academy Award. His work continues to resonate globally, with The Four Feathers (2002), a film starring Heath Ledger, marking another milestone in his illustrious career. Despite his global recognition, Kapur’s roots in Indian cinema remain strong, with his films Masoom (1983) and Mr India still being loved by audiences. He is currently working on a sequel to Masoom, titled Masoom 2, with a fresh storyline while staying true to the heart of the original. — ANI PHEONIX POKHI RANI NAGPHAI KI KAHANI of artistic performances themed around a common subject. This year through an interesting programme Vishwa Jan Rang, a short play bringing out the relevance of Natyashastra, will connect people and cities across different continents. Noted actor Rajpal Yadav, NSD’s distinguished alumnus, is immensely excited by this idea in particular and one day would like to feature in a play based on Bharat Muni’s treatise on performing art of theatre. For now Yadav is too happy to be the festival’s brand ambassador. Of course, NSD’s real brand value lies in its vast repertory of plays. Incidental- ly, Bharat Rang Mahotsav coincides with the 65th Anniversary of the National School of Drama, and the 60th Anniversary of the National School of Drama Repertory Company. Hence The Repertory Company which is celebrating Rang Shashthi theatre festival series, staging some of its most popular plays on various platforms across the nation, will also present some of its productions during the Bharat Rang Mahotsav. If the live medium of theatre ignites your imagination, get ready for Bharat Rang Mahotsav 2025, where NSD is expected to fire on all four cylinders. Patriotic fervour Coldplay’s frontman, Chris Martin paid a heartfelt tribute to India, on the occasion of the 76th Republic Day, by singing famous songs Vande Mataram and Maa Tujhhe Salaam during the Ahmedabad concert on Sunday. The soulful performance immediately enthralled the audience, and they reciprocated with loud cheers and applause. He ended the concert with, Salute to Mother India and extended Republic Day wishes to everyone. In another special moment during his concert, Chris also dedicated a beautiful song to the Indian cricketer Jasprit Bumrah. In a cheeky dig, Martin admitted that he didn’t like him ‘destroy’ the English batting lineup with his fiery bowling. “O Jasprit Bumrah, my beautiful brother. The best bowler in the whole of cricket. We did not enjoy watching you destroy England, wicket after wicket,” Coldplay’s India tour included performances in Mumbai on January 19 and 21, followed by two shows in Ahmedabad on January 25 and 26. — ANI Chris Martin sings Vande Mataram, Maa Tujhhe Salaam during Ahmedabad concert