12052025-LSTC-01.qxd 5/11/2025 8:40 PM Page 1 c m y b TRIBUTES POUR IN The film industry remembered one of its popular makeup artists, Vikram Gaikwad, who passed away in Mumbai on Saturday. The renowned makeup artist was one of the most respected names in both Hindi and Marathi cinema. From Aamir Khan to Ranveer Singh, several Bollywood celebs paid tribute to Gaikwad. WHAT’S HOT TRIBUNE Inner voice Life Shakira shared the story behind her hit Hips Don’t Lie. The song was not initially part of the album. Shakira had to convince her label to include the song. “I knew I had a hit,” she said. CHANDIGARH | MONDAY | 12 MAY 2025 As producers make a dash for the rights of Colonel Sofia Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh’s life stories, we look back at cinema that has often told tales of women, steeped in strength and valour LEADING FROM THE FRONT chandigarh Mona eat COLONEL SOFIA QURESHI AND WING COMMANDER VYOMIKA SINGH Women of GRAB A SANDWICH D UBAI-based quick service restaurant chain Doner & Gyros has now opened its doors in Chandigarh, launching its first outlet at the food court in Elante Mall. The brand brings the bold flavours of Berlin- and Chicago-style sandwiches to the city, combining international taste with a quick-service format. “The brand is inspired by the iconic street foods of Chicago and Berlin. We serve hot, fresh, and authentic offerings. Doner & Gyros has expanded to over 200 locations in less than five years, and by 2025, we aim to reach 30 more cities across India,” said Prateek Sachdev, partner at Doner & Gyros, alongside Roadies star Ranvijay Sangha. The “Doner”, a Berlin street food staple since 1971, features meat wrapped in fresh bread. The Chicago Gyro, originally Greek, involves meat cooked on a vertical broiler and tucked into warm, baked bread — first served in the US in 1965. Now, Chandigarh gets a taste of this global culinary fusion. COURAGE play BACK TO ROOTS A GANGUBAI KATHIAWADI JODHA AKBAR AN ARTIST’S JOURNEY I chandigarh N its endeavour to add a new dimension to the art scene, elevate the artscape and stimulate conversations centred around art in the Tricity, AIM Gallery and its founder-curators Gurpreet and Munish Jauhar have brought spectacular works on print, paper and canvas. The exhibition titled Art through Print and Paint is an exploration of how artists engage with materials and how textures, layers, and processes shape meaning. “This exhibition highlights the beauty and depth of printmaking, and conversations arising out of it will help people understand its history and process,” said the curators. Prints by some of India’s most renowned artists including M.F . Husain, S.H. Raza, Ram Kumar and Thota Vaikuntam are showcased. On at Government Museum & Art Gallery, Sector 10, till May 15. Alia Bhatt is one of the finest actresses of the times and her stellar act in Gangubai Kathiawadi led to the film’s commercial and critical success. Essaying the role of a duped girl sold to prostitution, Gangubai Kothewali/ Kathiawadi was a sex worker in the Kamathipura area of Mumbai during the 1960s. She later turned a social reformer and advocated for the rights of sex workers. The film, directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, not only gave hope to cinemas, which were lying low post the Covid pandemic by ushering in audiences back in February 2022, but also won the film five National Awards, including Best Actress for Alia Bhatt. NEERJA PHULE EMERGENCY TRIPLE CARD Sanjay Leela Bhansali often makes movies picking films from the past. While sure he glosses over the squalor, he also gave Hindi film industry some of the most memorable women characters. Here we are talking of Bajirao Mastani, where not one but two actresses gave brilliant performances. The Bajirao’s (Ranveer Singh) Mastani (Deepika Padukone) was made memorable by Priyanka Chopra’s Kashi Bai act! Dressed in Anju Modi and Maxima Basu costumes and finest jewellery, their dance in Pinga reminded one of Devdas’ iconic Aishwarya Rai Bachchan-Madhuri Dixit number Dola Re Dola. While Paro comes from literary world, Aishwarya Rai gave a memorable performance in Ashutosh Gowariker’s Jodhaa Akbar. She carried the character of Jodhaa Bai with utmost grace, delivering a box-office success opposite Hrithik Roshan, who played Akbar. She also shone in Padmaavat as the legendary Rajput queen. PANIPAT love BRINGING AUDIENCES BACK GUNJAN SAXENA Sonam Kapoor led Neerja, based on life on the bravery of Neerja Bhanot, not just won hearts but also National Award. Inspired by the real-life story of the ISRO scientists, Jagan Shakti directorial Mission Mangal celebrated the achievements of Indian women scientists, particularly those involved in the Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM). OF QUEENS & LOVERS patiala new chapter in Punjabi literature and knowledge-sharing begins with the launch of Awaaz Ghar, the first-ever Punjabi audio library. Awaaz Ghar is a revolutionary platform that brings a vast collection of Punjabi books, spanning literature, history, poetry, and folklore, to audiences worldwide through digital audio. Available via its own dedicated app on iOS and Android, and accessible through the web, Awaaz Ghar also distributes its content on global streaming platforms like Spotify. Speaking about the launch, Balraj Pannu, a major driving force behind Awaaz Ghar, said, “With Awaaz Ghar, we are bringing our stories and wisdom to the digital age, ensuring that every Punjabi, no matter where they are in the world, can connect with their roots.” As filmmakers scramble to reserve film titles, and life stories of the women in uniform, who became the face of Operation Sindoor — Colonel Sofia Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh — the industry’s interest brings to the fore that an inspiring story is always a right fit for cinema. Patralekha essaying a poet, social reformer and the first female teacher in India during the 1800s in the just released film Phule to Yami Gautam Dhar gearing up to play Shah Bano, whose case is seen as a milestone for Muslim women’s fight for rights in India…cinema has often told tales of women steeped in strength and valour. With Hindi films’ love for the past getting stronger in the current times, we take a look at actresses who essayed strong female leads from history, giving memorable performances. Patralekha, who made her film debut with Hansal Mehta’s CityLights, teamed up with Mehta again for the role of Savitribai Phule. This outing has only cemented her mettle as an actor. Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl is a biopic based on one of the first women to fly in a combat zone. This Sharan Sharma directorial, that had Janhvi Kapoor in lead role, faced charges of exaggerating gender conflict in Forces and nepotism. But the film was well received as the moving tale of a daughter and a father (played by Pankaj Tripathi). The queen of Bollywood, Kangana Ranaut has played three very strong characters from history – Rani Lakshmi Bai in Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi, J. Jayalalithaa in Thalaivii and India’s first female Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in Emergency — a hallmark of her versatility. She also directed two of these films. She definitely got the look part right for Thalaivii and Emergency, although the films didn’t work well. Manikarnika that did well at the BO for its largerthan-life portrayal. Karan Tacker gears up to represent India with Tanvi The Great at Cannes The wait is finally over! Karan Tacker, the versatile powerhouse who stole hearts and headlines with his riveting performances on OTT, is now ready to command the big screen with Tanvi The Great — his first feature film, directed by none other than the legendary Anupam Kher. The newly released poster reveals Tacker in a fierce, uniformed avatar as Captain Samar Raina — a character cloaked in intensity, honour, and untold heroism. Sharing the poster socially Anupam Kher mentioned,” Karan has this unique ability to make his performances look effortless but still carry the weightage of a seasoned actor. The role he plays in Tanvi The Great had these requirements! He carries the Indian Army uniform and Cannes calling the responsibilities that come along with it with finesse, dignity and majestic grace. You will love him in TTG! Jai Ho and Jai Hind!” If you thought Special Ops was Tacker’s peak — think again. His razor-sharp por- c m y b trayal of Himmat Singh’s right-hand man had critics lauding his restraint and range, while Khakee: The Bihar Chapter cemented his standing as one of the finest actors of his generation. Each role, each performance, has been a calculated step leading to this moment. With Tanvi The Great, Tacker is all set to showcase his acting chops on the celluloid. Adding another layer of pride to this milestone, Tanvi The Great will be screened at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival 2025, with Karan walking the red carpet and representing Indian cinema on a global stage. Karan says, “This moment is incredibly surreal. To debut on the big screen with a film like Tanvi The Great, under the direction of someone I have admired for years — Anupam Kher sir — is not just a professional milestone, it’s a dream manifested. Playing Capt. Samar Raina challenged me in ways I’d never imagined. Getting the opportunity to represent India at Cannes with this film is humbling beyond words. — TNS PARVATI BAI IN PANIPAT Kriti Sanon has painstakingly built her reputation as a fine actress. Playing Parvati Bai in Panipat invited criticism for her ‘not on the point’ Marathi accent, her acting won praise! All eyes on Yami Gautam Dhar now, who makes a comeback post maternity break to get into the shoes of Shah Bano! Amitabh Bachchan salutes Indian Army Bollywood veteran Amitabh Bachchan has expressed profound admiration for the Indian Army’s valour following the recent Pahalgam terror attack and the military’s retaliatory Operation Sindoor. Bachchan reflected on the emotional toll through a reference to a line from a poem by his late father, renowned poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan. “Hai Chita ki raakh kar me, maangti sindoor duniya,” (“There are ashes of the funeral pyre, the world is asking for vermil- ion.”) He continued, invoking the name of the Indian army’s recent operation, “De diya sindoor, (“I gave you the vermillion!”) OPERATION SINDOOR!!!” Bachchan concluded his message with an impassioned salute to the nation’s defenders and the iconic lines of his poet father, “Jai Hind Jai Hind’s Army too na thamenga kabhee; too na mudega kabhee; too na jhukega kabhee, kar shapath, kar shapath, kar shapath. Agni Path! Agni Path! Agni Path! — ANI