17052025-LSTL-01.qxd 5/16/2025 9:00 PM Page 1 c m y b TRIBUNE So what! Hit it hard Life True couture doesn't need a stage, sometimes; just the intention is enough to ignite the imagination, said Gaurav Gupta after Halle Berry skipped his gown due to new Cannes rule. Hailey Bieber has taken a stance against her critics, sharing a strong quote on her Instagram Story. It read, “Did all that hating and gossiping about me and still couldn’t stop nothing.” LUDHIANA | SATURDAY | 17 MAY 2025 Who trimmed the train? Mona M ILES of fabric following the silhouette of a celeb on the red carpet. A sight to behold! The Cannes Film Festival is known for fashion extravaganza. Ornate gowns with long trains! But this year, at the last minute, came an official order— no voluminous outfits, in particular those with a long train. And, yes, no nudity either, on or off the red carpet. It sent the celebs attending the gala into a huddle. The first casualty, unfortunately, was our own Gaurav Gupta’s gown, which jury member Halle Berry was to wear for the opening ceremony. The actress made a last minute change. “I had an amazing dress by (Gaurav) Gupta to wear tonight and I cannot wear it because the train’s too big. I had to make a pivot. But the nudity part I do think is probably also a good rule,” Berry said. She made an entry in a striped Jacquemus gown. The dress code, The 78th Cannes Film Festival has imposed a strict dress code – no voluminous outfits with long trains and no nudity. This is what we have seen on the red carpet so far… however, did not deter some celebs from following their hearts. The opening ceremony saw Heidi Klum dressed in a floral gown with a dramatic floor-grazing train. Cannes favourite Bella Hadid made an entry in a silky black Saint Laurent gown, which allowed ample skin show. A few took the middle path. Hannah Waddingham, Pom Klementieff, Eva Longoria and Aliia Roza opted for shorter trains. The restriction at one of the fashion’s hottest spots has left netizens divided. Many feel such a curb is wrong. It’s attire policing! Others welcome it. After all, they feel it’s a film festival and long trains are nothing but a hindrance. Ritu Kochhar, founder director INIFD, agrees in principal with the new rule. “Dresses with long train need four or five assistants and takes considerable time on the stairs, which can disrupt the flow of traffic and also complicate the seating arrangement in the theatre.” But a long train never fails to grab shutterbugs’ attention. “If the train is an intrinsic part of the design like Aishwarya Rai’s peacock gown with feathers, it works, but if the train is attached to just grab eyeballs, it certainly can be done away with.” THE RULES YAY ■ The guests attending the evening screening at the Grand Théâtre Lumière are ‘required’ to adhere to classic evening wear, specifically ‘long dresses and tuxedos’. ■ The alternate fashion options include ‘a little black dress, a cocktail dress, a dark-coloured pantsuit, a dressy top with black pants’ for women. ■ Men’s sartorial choices include a black or navy blue suit with bow-tie or a dark-coloured tie. NAY ■ Voluminous outfits, in particular those with a large train, which hinder the proper flow of traffic of guests and complicate seating in the theatre. ■ No nudity on the red carpet, as well as any other area. CHLOE LECAREUX HEIDI KLUM Hair-raising debut Nitanshi Goel marks her Cannes 2025 debut with heartfelt tribute to legendary Bollywood icons Making an unforgettable first impression at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, actress Nitanshi Goel made her red carpet debut with a powerful homage to the golden age of Indian cinema. The 17-year-old actress, known for her breakout role in the Oscar-shortlisted Laapataa Ladies, stepped into the global spotlight on Thursday with elegance and poise. Dressed in a custom ivory saree by Jade by Monica and Karishma, Nitanshi’s ensemble served as a heartfelt tribute to the women who shaped the legacy of Hindi cinema. Adorned with hairpins bearing the faces of screen legends like Madhubala, Nargis, Meena Kumari, Nutan, Waheeda Rehman, Asha Parekh, Vyjayanthimala, Hema Malini, Rekha, and Sridevi, the young actress carried with her a lineage of cinematic brilliance onto one of the world’s most prestigious stages. Shrey and Urja styled Nitanshi’s first look, which was complemented by an intricately beaded blouse crafted with pearls and delicate embroidery, echoing the aesthetic of heirloom Indian fashion. Accessories were kept minimal. Later that evening, Nitanshi made a second appearance on the red carpet in a striking black gown adorned with gold embroidery by Jade by Monica and Karishma. Nitanshi was present at Cannes for the screening of Dossier 137. Her Cannes debut comes alongside a wave of Indian talent at this year’s festival, including All We Imagine As Light director Payal Kapadia. Apart from this, Karan Johar’s Homebound and legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray’s Aranyer Din Ratri are also set to be screened at Cannes. — ANI Gidderbaha-based artist Sureel Kumar explores existential themes through his art Gurnaaz In a quiet, almost meditative tone, artist Sureel Kumar begins, “Yeah, artwork… Who Am I… yes?” The hesitation in his voice isn’t from uncertainty, but reverence—for the question he’s been circling for years. “‘Who am I?’ I feel this is the most important question,” he says, his words like fragments of a slow-burning mantra. “If I don’t know myself, what sense is there in knowing somebody else or the world outside? There is no sense.” This existential interrogation forms the backbone of Sureel’s art, a striking collection of wooden mosaic works—each piece weaving a story, every colour igniting a new thought, all shapes beautifully creating a world of self-inquiry and awe, at his recently concluded solo exhibition Who Am I. Curated by Professor Dr Tirthankar Bhattacharya, Chairperson and Director of the Museum of Fine Arts, Panjab University, the exhibition marked a profound moment in Sureel’s creative journey, both deeply personal and widely resonant. “This question came to me in 2017. Back then I was playing with the question, but not so strongly. Since then, it’s still very dominating.” ART AS A DREAM LANGUAGE When asked how the question Who Am I finds shape in his work, Sureel smiles. “It’s like... I get ideas in COLOUR my dreams,” he explains. “Sometimes two lines like a poem, sometimes just a flash of design. Or something is humming in my mind and I wake up in the night to write it down.” This nocturnal muse— drifting in the quiet moments between dreaming and dawn—is where Sureel’s inspiration brews. “Then in the morning, I read what I wrote and sit with it. That’s when imagination starts. And from there, emotions, logic—they both begin to frame the piece.” WHY WOOD? Wood came to him not from art school, but from life’s accidents and detours. “From childhood, I was sketching. Then I tried oils, water colours but something was missing,” he recalls. Then a moment with friends working on wood sculp- c m y b THERAPY I get ideas in my dreams. Sometimes like a poem, sometimes a flash of design. I wake up in the night to write it down. I saw myself playing with pieces of wood... and I felt this was it. I make mosaic. But not just any mosaic. I carve each piece. tures changed everything. “I made something small and I loved the fragrance, the softness, the grains of wood. I knew— this is it.” That was nearly two decades ago. being. “Even when I wasn’t selling, I kept making. I must have made over 300 of them in the last 12 years. I felt if I stop, ideas will stop. So, I didn’t.” SILENT WITNESS MOSAIC MOMENT Sureel’s exhibition featured 88 pieces—each an intimate inquiry into his Sureel’s process is deeply internal, spiritual, without needing religion. “I see my mind, my thoughts, my emotions, my body, how they behave in different situation and with different people and I ask—who is watching?” he muses. “There’s something in me that just observes. It doesn’t judge sadness or happiness. It just watches.” This watcher, this formless presence, is the force behind Who Am I. “With each piece, something clears up in me. I realise I’m not this. I’m not that. Things are clarifying.” He even wears his art— literally. “My face is my canvas now,” he says, referencing the asymmetrical facial styling he’s embraced as part of his exploration. “If someone looks and thinks, ‘Who is this guy?’ their laugh or smile or surprised look takes me back to my question— yes, who exactly am I?” CHANDIGARH & BEYOND “Chandigarh is special,” he says with warmth. “The people here are educated, aware. They understand art.” But when it comes to collectors, “Maybe with more and more artists bringing their stories to the city, we’ll get there in time.” After having a fair share of love for his art in Vienna, Austria, where he spent a considerable part of his life, Sureel feels he should now shift his focus towards cities like Kolkata, Hyderabad and Mumbai for more solos.