18062025-LSTC-01.qxd 6/18/2025 12:37 AM Page 1 c m y b PERRY’S DOC FACES PRISON Salvador Plasencia, the doctor linked to the tragic death of actor Matthew Perry, has agreed to plead guilty to four charges of distributing ketamine to the Friends star, who passed away from an overdose in October 2023. Plasencia’s actions will result in a prison sentence of 15 to 21 months. TRIBUNE Carrie decoded Life Sarah Jessica Parker reflected on the backlash her iconic Sex and the City character Carrie Bradshaw received over the years. “I think, fundamentally, Carrie is an extraordinarily decent and good person,”said Parker. CHANDIGARH | WEDNESDAY | 18 JUNE 2025 Yajik hits gold Mona Hillang Yajik becomes the first woman from Arunachal Pradesh to win the top prize at the 15th South Asian Bodybuilding and Physique Sports Championships 2025 S OMEWHAT reticent, a little anxious and fiercely proud, Hillang Yajik, as she spoke to The Tribune, was a bundle of emotions. Something that started ‘randomly’ eight years back, catapulted Hillang to the world stage, winning her a gold at the 15th South Asian Bodybuilding and Physique Sports Championships 2025 in Thimphu, Bhutan. A dancer and a civil service aspirant, Yajik became the first woman athlete from Arunachal Pradesh to win a gold in physique sports at an international tournament. “When I started bodybuilding, many people told me that I inspired them. So, I continued my journey inspiring others and myself along the way,” she said. She won two medals at the recently held championship — a gold in the Women’s Model Physique (up to 155 cm) category and a silver medal in another category. Yajik credits Subhashish Patra, her coach, for this feat. “My coach did not charge a single rupee fee from me. He said he saw potential in me and helped me get to such a huge platform,” she shared. Daughter of a government employee and a homemaker, Hillang is the new queen of social media, with sportsperson and politicians lauding her win. “Last year I failed to win any international medal. Though disheartened I didn’t give up. I worked harder and gave my 110 per cent this time,” posted jubilant Hillang Yajik soon after her win. “This medal I dedicate to my nation, my state Arunachal, my coach @primeoptimus_123 and lastly to myself,” she posted on her Instagram account, adding “PS more championship are on the way ...,” she penned alongside the pictures of the win. She posed majestically in glassy heels and a glittery green bikini, flaunting her envious physique. Her coach Subhashish Patra took to the social media platform to heap praises. “U just lived a dream of millions…the moment when the national anthem being played for R MADHAVAN AND FATIMA SANA SHAIKH Back to romance R Madhavan’s romantic drama Aap Jaisa Koi gets a release date you representing INDIA, it’s bigger than every achievement... Proud of you…Bless You...We will definitely be achieving many more such moments of pride for our nation…” More power to this dynamic duo. Hillang’s win comes close to another prestigious Indian victory in body building. Recently the first turbaned IBBF athlete from Sirsa, Sunmeet Singh, qualified for participating in Mr Olympia 2025. R Madhavan and Fatima Sana Shaikh’s upcoming film Aap Jaisa Koi has finally got a release date. It is set to stream exclusively on Netflix from July 11. Starring Madhavan as Shrirenu, a reserved Sanskrit teacher, and Fatima Shaikh as Madhu, a spirited French instructor, Aap Jaisa Koi brings together two opposites in a story that’s as much about family and belonging as it is about romance. Marking Madhavan’s return to the genre he is loved for - romance- the film offers a fresh take on relationships — blending humour, vulnerability, and warmth against a layered backdrop of family ties and personal rediscovery. Director Vivek Soni said, “Aap Jaisa Koi is a film about breaking free from the walls we build around ourselves. It’s about embracing the awkwardness and vulnerability of love. Working with Netflix again after Meenakshi Sundareshwar has been a fulfilling experience, and I’m excited to present a love story that’s tender, messy, and intimate.”— ANI Up close & personal with Kay Kay At the trailer launch of Special Ops Season 2 in Mumbai, we catch up with the talented actor, Kay Kay Menon, who reprises his role of Himmat Singh in this much-anticipated Neeraj Pandey series. Did your personal life influence your portrayal of Himmat Singh, especially since your father was in the police? Never. I play the version that exists in the writer’s imagination. Sometimes if you meet the real person, you may not even be impressed. For example, when I played Rakesh Maria in Black Friday, I never met him. My goal is to bring alive what’s written—not to copy someone. Special Ops has made a distinct space for itself in the espionage genre. How do When I play you raise the stakes for a second season of a a character, my show that’s already goal is to bring alive well-established? How do you view marketing vs acting in your process? what’s written—not to copy someone. For me, each scene is a fresh challenge. I don’t carry the weight of previous perKAY KAY MENON formances or future expectations. I didn’t know writing and the that Himmat Singh would be acting process fresh. loved this much when we did the first season. My job is to How did Special Ops impact your give my best within what’s cinematic journey? written and leave the rest to It came at a time when I destiny. That’s really all an became more mature as an actor. After years of experience, actor can do. everything came together— Himmat Singh is now an iconic the timing, the writing. When character. Do aspects of him still the writing is solid, half the batsurprise you? What keeps the tle is already won. You just portrayal fresh for you? have to feel it, understand the Each new script gives me complexity, and bring it alive. something new to explore. Even if the situations feel Himmat juggles duty with personal familiar, the emotional texture life, which makes him relatable. How changes. That keeps things important is that balance in the story? exciting. We’re constantly dis- That complexity is what covering new dimensions of excites me as an actor. HimHimmat as we did in Season mat follows a nation-first life 1.5, and now again in Season 2. motto. We saw that clearly in That evolution keeps both the 1.5 when he sacrifices his love for his duty. Now, with a family in the picture, it adds layers. Acting is one thing, marketing is a completely different beast. What we’re doing now is marketing. But acting? That’s where you pay the price for your craft. When you first heard about the role, what was your reaction? What do you think sets this season apart? When I first heard of Himmat Singh, many others had already auditioned. The way the role was written gave a lot of scope for an actor. You’re portraying someone under constant pressure from all sides, and that kind of complexity is exciting. That’s what makes it special. This season has an internal narrative, a quiet intensity, and a lot of calm before the storm. We’ll also see younger characters emerging, so it will connect well with younger viewers. Is it fair to say — No Kay Kay Menon, no Special Ops? I wouldn’t say that. It’s not about me. But if people feel that without us it doesn’t feel complete, then it means we’ve done something right. Is there a behind-the-scenes memory that still makes you smile? We’ve built tons of memories. There’s never been a day on set when I thought, “Oh no, I have to work again.” It’s always with a smile that we turned up. We knew we’re doing something we would remember fondly for years to come. —TNS c m y b TAHIR RAJ BHASIN & VINAY PATHAK SAIYAMI KHER & KARAN TACKER Enter the digital war zone When the enemy hides behind screens and strikes without a sound, only one man can decode the chaos — Himmat Singh! JioHotstar unveiled the trailer of Special Ops Season 2, reigniting the nation’s love for high-stakes storytelling that blends real-world relevance with blockbuster intensity. With Kay Kay Menon reprising his iconic role as RAW officer Himmat Singh, the new season promises a deeper, darker, and more urgent mission than ever before. Set in a volatile geopolitical landscape, Special Ops 2 mirrors the heightened security anxieties of our times where wars are no longer fought solely on battlegrounds, but in the cloud, and the enemy is embedded in everyday life. As coordinated cyber breaches With Tahir Raj Bhasin’s entry into Special Ops Season 2 as the villain, the newly launched trailer has all our attention threaten national stability, Himmat and his elite squad are thrust into a silent war, one without warning, smoke, or visible scars, but with consequences that strike at the very soul of the nation. Directed by Shivam Nair, the season features a stellar ensemble cast that includes Prakash Raj, Vinay Pathak, Karan Tacker, Saiyami Kher, Muzammil Ibrahim, Gautami Kapoor, Parmeet Sethi and Kali Prasad Mukherjee among others. With his trusted team by his side, Himmat races against time to stop a faceless adversary one who plays by no rules, leaves no trace, and is always one step ahead. Creator Neeraj Pandey said, “This season reflects the times we live in, where the enemy doesn’t announce their arrival. The new-age warfare has altered everything we know about threat, security, and sacrifice. Special Ops 2 is about the war we don’t see, until it hits home. — TNS