31032025-LSTC-01.qxd 3/31/2025 12:15 AM Page 1 c m y b HELEN MIRREN BLASTS BOND Actress Helen Mirren has expressed her strong opposition to the James Bond franchise, citing its portrayal of women as a major concern. She said, “The whole series of James Bond, it was not my thing,” Mirren said, adding, “I never liked James Bond. I never liked the way women were in James Bond.” HOT chandigarh WHAT’S TRIBUNE Once more Life Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt on Saturday left moviegoers excited as he confirmed reuniting with his chota bhai Salman Khan for a film. Both actors will be seen together in a film after 25 years. CHANDIGARH | MONDAY | 31 MARCH 2025 OH BOY! Ishaan Khatter raises temperature as he flaunts his chiselled abs in shirtless avatar on the fourth day of LFW On the fourth day of Lakme Fashion Week in Mumbai, actor Ishaan Khatter caught everyone’s attention with his hot showstopper look. He walked the ramp for Lakme Sun Expert x Saaksha & Kinni, leaving the audience surprised as he removed his shirt and stood half-naked, flaunting his chiselled abs. eat GOING ORGANIC H YATT Centric Chandigarh welcomed Chef Amninder Sandhu and her all-women-led restaurant, Palaash, for an exclusive two-day pop-up at Corby’s. With open-fire cooking and organic, locally-sourced ingredients, Chef Amninder’s menu drew inspiration from her roots, travels, and regional heritage. This two-day culinary collaboration was a gastronomical escapade set against the backdrop of the award-winning Corby’s. The Degustation Menu was designed to highlight the season’s finest ingredients with a distinctive and innovative twist. Guests indulged in bold choices like slow-cooked raan, arbi with bhakri and lal thecha, relished the fiery saoji bater or saoji vange with paratha, and refreshed their palate with gendaphool sorbet. The experience culminated with bamboosmoked pork or phanas, followed by mahua kala jamun and a selection of dreamy desserts, perfectly complemented by a spiced Digestif. IT’S CLASSIC T chandigarh IBRAHIM’S CHARISMA ON DISPLAY Actor Ibrahim Ali Khan took the centre-stage as the showstopper for ace designers Shantnu and Nikhil at the Lakme Fashion Week in partnership with FDCI 2025. Ibrahim stole the limelight with his dashing personality. He wore a beige suit. Ibrahim’s charismatic presence left the audience captivated as he walked for the luxury fashion label. TARA SUTARA, VEER PAHARIYA TURN SHOWSTOPPERS AJIO, India’s premier fashion and lifestyle destination, partnered with Lakme Fashion Week to present the ASOS transition line. Bollywood stars Tara Sutaria and Veer Pahariya walked the ramp as showstoppers, embodying ASOS’ bold yet breezy aesthet- play HE 54th All-India Bhaskar Rao Nritya and Sangeet Sammelan brought a galaxy artistes on stage at Tagore Theatre. Among the distinguished artistes who performed were shehnai vaadak Lokesh Anand, kathak dancer Pt Rajendra Gangani, vocalists Nivedita Singh and Shubhra Guha, sitar and sarod jugalbandi duo Ayush Mohan and Lakshay Mohan santoor vadak Pt Abhay Rustum Sopori, flautist Pt Ajay Prasanna, Odissi dancer Guru Durga Charan Ranbir & Troupe, sitar-sarod duet Samrat Dutta & Santanu Roy. The Sammelan concludes today with performances of vilonist Santosh Kumar Nahar and tabla trio Vidushi Rimpa Shiva, Visushi Sangeeta Agnihotri and Vidushi Sunaina Ghosh. PHOTOS PTI ‘DON’T CARE FOR TRENDS’ Bollywood star Janhvi Kapoor says she doesn’t care about how she is perceived for her fashion choices and simply enjoys having fun with her outfits, no matter the occasion. The actor turned showstopper for renowned designer Rahul Mishra’s collection The Silk Route under his brand AFEW at the ongoing Lakme Fashion Week on Saturday night. Asked how her fashion sensibilities have evolved over the years, Janhvi said, “I have started caring less and less about trends. I don’t mind being repetitive. I take a lot of pride in being confident, wearing silhouettes, glamour, and all those things. I don’t really care how people feel about it, I enjoy myself.” ic. On walking the ramp, Tara said, “Fashion is about confidence, individuality, and ease - everything ASOS stands for. Walking as showstopper every year for LFW has always been special and this year is no different — A Summer of Style at Lakme Fashion Week with AJIO is a fabulous experience, celebrating a collection that blends global trends with modern Indian sensibilities.” MODEL MOVE Fashion designer Tarun Tahiliani left attendees spellbound with his latest collection on Day 4 of LFW on Saturday. His pret label, OTT, presented its second collection in partnership with FDCI, where it showcased a mix of both Indian modern aesthetics and modular separates. Models walked the ramp in hand-embroidered chikankari on linen and reimagined rabari craft. Models were also seen walking the ramp in silhouettes such as evening dresses and day jackets. Salman’s Eidiis so disappointing FILM Sikandar DIRECTOR AR Murugadoss CAST Salman Khan, Rashmika Mandanna, Kajal Aggarwal, Sathyaraj, Sharman Joshi, Prateik Babbar, Anjini Dhawan, Kishore, Jatin Sarna, Sanjay Kapoor, Nawab Shah and Vishal Vashishtha RATING ★★ Love RETAIL THERAPY T amritsar HE Minute Log and Vogue and Vibes will bring together an array of designer wear, jewels and all things luxury at the Spring Summer edition on April 2 at Taj Swarna. The concept of trunk shows now getting popular among women, who prefer trending designer wear and shopping experience at one platform rather than hopping from one address to another, this event will showcase some of the rising and already established names in fashion and jewellery from the region. Amritsar has become a rising market for luxury fashion and given this reputation, the market for trunk shows has only grown. So, it’s time to wear those pearls, use the plastic money and enjoy some retail therapy. ISTOCK MOVIE REVIEW Nonika Singh Logic has never been the strength of Salman Khan’s ‘suspension of credulity’ variant of films. But at least massy entertainment high on actiona and drama with right tadka of comedy has been his and his kind of cinema’s forte. Alas, the superstar’s Eidi, Sikandar, falls flat on this front too. Some films look good on paper and are lost in execution. Only Sikandar that starts off with the usual bad guy getting bashed up by our superhero is probably a project that should have remained on paper. Till the first half, the Raja saheb aka Sanjay Rajkot (Salman Khan) and Rani sahiba’ s (Rashmika Mandanna) cute love story in the backdrop of action is still bearable. By the second half, the narrative simply spirals out of context and control. Biting into innumerable concerns, from land grabbing to environmental pollution and even patriarchy, much of it is meant to be a bleeding heart’s cause celebre. Only the churn of events is yawn inducing with boredom writ all over it. Good news, unlike zillion Bollywood films, the villain is not gunning after the heroine and using her to get even with the hero. But even worse than bad news is, he goes after persons who have benefitted from her philanthropic act. Actually, momentarily our expectations rise what with the heroine portrayed as a saviour. She saves our superhero couple of times till she herself is caught in the crossfire. Her wish for organ donation is honoured by the grieving hero. Door opens for another romantic interest? Wrong. Our hero Sanjay Rajkot is so guilt stricken that he sets en route his mission to meet all the three persons who have benefitted from his wife’s magnanimity. Letting the cat out of the c m y b bag is not quite our style of reviewing a film. But in a strangely stitched plot, we have no idea what to reveal and what to conceal. Salman’s ‘being human’ nature is amplified to an unimaginable level, a messiah with deep pockets. Royalty might be long dead, this Raja saheb squanders his wealth left, right and centre, all for the common good. The Good Samaritan would go to any length for his janta of Rajkot. If you are scratching your heads over why a film circling around a Raja’s ceaseless generosity towards his people is called Sikandar, the expla- nation is as incredulous as the plot. Among its many tortuous and torturous twists is one which brings him to Mumbai. Face-off with the antagonist is imminent. Endearing Kattapa of Baahubali, actor Sathyaraj as Minister Rakesh Pradhan is created with such broad-strokes of villainy that he makes no impression whatsoever. Another talented actor Kishore, as Inspector Prakash, gets enough scenes but no room at all to work his way into audiences’ memory, let alone hearts. Talking of heart, well only one man, need we name him, owns it. And he would go to any length to ensure his wife’s heart continues to beat in another woman. More drama ensues and more characters are introduced. What can fine actors like Sanjay Kapoor or Sharman Joshi do in a Sallu bhai film? Kapoor appears in a miss-and-blink part. Joshi doesn’t get to do much except utter Raja saheb ad infinitum. The only actor who manages to make a mark is Jatin Sarna as De Niro. Others like Kajal Agarwal, Prateik Babbar appear and disappear. So does Rashmika Mandanna, chirpy and robust. Indeed, our superstar Salman Khan retains his swagger, looks good too and does not overact either. But the writing is so hyperbolic that histrionics or no histrionics, Sikandar boils down to one word; listless. One of Salman’s dialogues in the film goes, “Itni popularity to hai ki CM, PM ka to pata nahi par MLA, MP toh ban jaaunga… par apna field nahi hai. ’ Only Sikandar makes us wonder is Bhai losing his chosen turf. As a rule Salman’s films are critics-proof but Sikandar is likely to be his fans’pet peeve too.