19042025-LSTC-01.qxd 4/18/2025 11:07 PM Page 1 c m y b TRIBUNE Director’s hat Life Actor Anupam Kher is set for his second directorial, titled Tanvi The Great. Taking to Instagram, Anupam shared a photo in which he was seen wearing a director’s shirt while posing for the photograph. CHANDIGARH | SATURDAY | 19 APRIL 2025 All glamour at Kesari 2screening As Kesari Chapter 2 showcased the ‘untold story of Jallianwala Bagh tragedy’ in theatres, the lead actor Akshay Kumar urged his fans to not miss the initial 10 minutes of the film. He requested the audience to arrive early in theatres. At a special screening of the film in Mumbai on Thursday, the actor said, “To all the people who will be coming to watch the film, I request that you not miss the beginning of it. The first 10 minutes of this film is the most important thing. I am sure that it will reach everyone through your camera. The R MADHAVAN people who have decided to watch this film will know that they should not be late. LOGIN FOR WISE TALK Nonika Singh W ISE beyond years yet carrying the trademark exuberance of youth, legendary actor Irrfan Khan’s son Babil Khan could teach a thing or two to mature adults. Of course, the 26-year- old is in no preaching mode. His latest Zee5 film Logout, which started streaming this Friday, deals with the problem of digital addiction. Interestingly, Babil is not addicted to anything except love, both ‘giving and receiving’. Most of the credit for digital detox, of course, goes to his parents for ensuring that he was in constant touch with all things organic and natural, ‘my friends had gaming consoles while I had lego.’ In fact, he was given a phone only when he was 16, which too at one point he deliberated upon dumping in the Andaman sea for, “I value freedom over anything else and often my phone does seem to be an intrusion.” As for Logout, the gifted would not like to spell out the message. Rather, he says, “Messaging limits the film. I would like viewers to form their opinions and draw their own interpretations.” Besides, he adds, “Social media is not the problem or even a threat, rather, how we use it is.” Logout, he feels, is more about our inherent and constant need for external validation. Since there is a thin line between self-love and external validation, he agrees that often one crosses it. Why, he is candid enough to admit that he too forgot the distinction. “My image, based on the opinions of others, became more important to me. When you fall into a trap, even you don’t realise you are manipulating yourself. Soon after Baba’s (Irrfan Khan) death, I mistook the outpouring of collective grief and read their love as expectations from me. The truth is Baba’s real legacy is not to follow in his footsteps, but to be your own person.” Miss you, dad Years have not lessened the pain of losing him. He says, “Time per se is not a healer. You have to learn to live with your pain and then it evolves. It can transform you into a better person and the reverse can happen too.” Since one of the actors in Logout is the talented Rasika Dugal, also his father’s co-star of the much-acclaimed Qissa, did he feel his presence more around her? He says, “I feel his presence all the time. It has nothing to with his co-stars. Babil Khan, who is seen in Logout, feels the OTT series is more about our inherent and constant need for external validation Being with such great actors only makes me marvel at their skill sets, their enviable balance between craft and art.” From a sterling debut in Qala to making an impactful presence in The Railway Men to now headlining a film, does he feel the pressure of being the lead actor? “Pressure will always be there. It can hone your craft and ruin you too, depends entirely upon how you take it.” Comic line Of course, more meaty parts are in the pipeline. But for Logout, yes, it is, “Just me and my computer and a third person who is a part of the reveal.” Since Amit Golani, director of Logout, has previously produced comedies like Mamla Legal Hai, humour is part of the narrative. He nods his head but also goes into selfreflection mode, “I don’t know whether I have pulled it off. I think humour is most difficult aspect of acting.” Saying a punch-line for 18 takes and not losing the sting, he states, “Requires huge effort and precision.” On whether he is happy with the way his journey is panning out, the philosopher in him surfaces. He says, “Happiness is not a metric with which I measure my life. Happiness is not a constant, the moment we presume so, we put pressure on ourselves and create a lot of anxiety in our lives.” Spoken like a true wise man and to paraphrase George Bernard Shaw, clearly wisdom is not wasted on him. Look out for the same manifest (transform) in his acting. Though so far we have seen him only in OTT offerings, he is ready to take a chance with a theatrical outing. For someone who follows his gut rather than his intelligence, instinct drives him and his choices. Whether he has truly logged into Bollywood, well, as he puts it, “I have logged into myself, the moment you log out of your desires and dreams, yet be aware of them somewhere, things begin to fall in place.” So watch him log-in, in Logout. c m y b ANANYA PANDAY They should come at the right time. And the 10 minutes of this film start from there.” The special screening of the film was attended by numerous stars of Bollywood, including Kajol, Saqib Saleem, Tiger Shroff, Vicky Kaushal, Anjali Anand, Manish Malhotra, Ibrahim Ali Khan, Dino Morea, Maheep Kapoor, Bhavna Panday, and Urmila Mantodkar. Akshay Kumar has played the legendary advocate C Sankaran Nair in the film. It has been directed by Karan Singh Tyagi and produced by Karan Johar. Ananya Panday and R Madhavan are also a part of Kesari Chapter 2. — ANI AKSHAY KUMAR WITH WIFE TWINKLE KHANNA