14072025-LSTC-01.qxd 7/14/2025 12:42 AM Page 1 c m y b BIDHU ON BOARD Actor Jackie Shroff has joined the cast of Tu Meri Main Tera, Main Tera Tu Meri, starring Kartik Aaryan and Ananya Panday. Directed by Sameer Vidwans and produced by Dharma Productions, the film hits cinemas on February 13, 2026. Shroff was last seen in Housefull 5, which crossed Rs 300 crore globally. HOT Shimla WHAT’S eat HERITAGE HOSPITALITY P EOPLE visiting Shimla can get the experience of Heritage Town Hall Building reminiscent of the British era while enjoying their favourite snacks and meals at popular restaurant chains such as KFC, Pizza Hut and Costa Coffee located inside the picturesque building. The Town Hall building, located at The Mall Road, one of the most popular tourist points in the town, has become a favourite snacking point of the locals and tourists alike with people in large numbers visiting the popular restaurants throughout the week. People can be seen enjoying their meals and sipping delicious cappuccinos in the restaurants while experiencing the heritage ambiance at the place. play NATURE & STILLNESS A chandigarh RTIST Shyam Karri is holding his first solo exhibition titled Prana — the Breath of Life at 105 Arts Gallery, Sector 11 will August 12. The show features 70 nature-inspired watercolour paintings, each intended as a meditative and emotional experience. Shyam, an architect and furniture designer, has been drawn to art since childhood in Visakhapatnam, inspired by its natural beauty. Though he never set out to become a professional artist, his art is a personal exploration of life and existence, deeply rooted in Zen philosophy. He discovered watercolours nine years ago and has since made them his primary medium, appreciating their fluidity, unpredictability, and spiritual resonance. His approach values stillness over spectacle, often leaving white space in his works to invite viewer imagination. Shyam is also a teacher, building creative communities through workshops and art camps in India and abroad. Love SOUND BATHS TREND S Aks turns 24 Life Bollywood star Raveena Tandon celebrated 24 years of Aks on Sunday, calling it a “magnificent film” in a nostalgic Instagram post. The supernatural thriller released on July 13, 2001. CHANDIGARH | MONDAY | 14 JULY 2025 Heartbreak, hope, and a story straight from the soul — Mohit Suri opens up on Saiyaara NonikaSingh A N eternal romantic, noted director Mohit Suri has often made hearts ache with his stories of heartbreaking love. But as the Aashiqui 2 director readies his latest, Saiyaara, he admits he’s more nervous than excited. Of all the love ballads he has created, this one is closest to his heart — “my voice,” he calls it, more personal than anything he’s ever done. The story, penned three years ago, took Suri back to his younger self — to those heady days “when you are head over heels in love for the first time and also trying to make your mark in your career.” Years after his first brush with love to today, when he’s happily married to actor Udita Goswami, he still considers himself a hopeless romantic — “even though my wife often calls me a fraud,” he laughs. Days before Saiyaara, his ode to love, hits the screens, the man behind superhits such as Ek Villain and Kalyug talks about taking chances — especially with new talent. Yes, the male lead Ahaan Panday is Chunky Panday’s nephew; however, Suri insists that had nothing to do with his casting. “I’ve never worked with Chunky ji, don’t know him personally. May have crossed paths once and bowed out of respect, but that’s all.” In Ahaan, he wasn’t looking for traces of Emraan Hashmi, Aditya Roy Kapur or Sidharth Malhotra. “It’s unfair to compare Ahaan with any of them. If I wanted their reflection, I’d cast them. Ahaan has his own style and talent must be seen without comparisons.” As for his leading lady, Aneet Padda, he believes the Amritsar-born is just the right fit for the role of a ‘Punjaban’ girl. But what truly set her apart was her natural presence — “a breath of fresh air, sans any cosmetic intervention.” While he has no judgement against girls who undergo cosmetic surgery, Suri wonders aloud, “Where do you see a girl over 18 not resorting to cosmetic surgery today?” To each their own, he quickly adds. But Aneet was perfect for the character — “a girl who is analogue, very simple, writes in a diary and isn’t obsessed with social media.” He beams, “Aneet Love, lights, & Saiyaara “I want this film to be about Ahaan and Aneet. I find it quite weird when people watch a love story and come out praising cameos in the film.” “It’s different when you work with known actors. With newcomers, all bets are off and many well-wishers advised me not to make a film with new faces.” Sadia Khateeb breaks the mould with her boldest role teeb in a fierce, raw avatar — one that promises to surprise audiences and redefine her on-screen persona. The makers recently unveiled the character poster, revealing a bold new look that hints at the emotional depth and tenacity of her role. Neha’s truth No filters Actor and producer Neha Dhupia recently delivered a strong message on self-acceptance and age-related judgment during an appearance at a dermatology conference, where she was asked about the “secret” to her youthful glow in her 40s — and whether it was the result of cosmetic surgery. Neha took the moment to highlight the often normalised scrutiny women face about their appearance, especially as they age. She credited her glow not to surgical intervention but to years of dedicated yoga practice. “I’ve been practising yoga for years and it has helped me stay balanced, calm and healthy from the inside.” c m y b Kuberaa set for OTT debut Actor Dhanush’s latest film Kuberaa is set to premiere on Prime Video on 18 July, the streaming platform announced on Friday, following its theatrical release last month. Directed by National Award-winning filmmaker Sekhar Kammula, known for Dollar Dreams, Anand and Happy Days, Kuberaa is a pan-Indian political thriller featuring an ensemble cast that includes Telugu superstar Nagarjuna, Rashmika Mandanna, Jim Sarbh and Dalip Tahil. The film, released on June 20, will be available in five languages — Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Kannada and Malayalam. Chiranjeevi remembers Kota Srinivasa Rao Silaa unleashed After the success of The Diplomat, Sadia Khateeb steps into her most intense role yet in Omung Kumar’s upcoming action-drama Silaa, blending emotion, grit and high-octane sequences. Marking a significant shift from her earlier portrayals, Silaa introduces Kha- will go a long way.” Discovering and promoting new talent has always been Suri’s strongest suit. If earlier he introduced us to a soulful Arijit Singh, now Saiyaara marks the debut of two Kashmiri singers — Faheem Abdullah and Arslan Nizami. Working with fresh voices, he says, “keeps you relevant and contemporary.” But he doesn’t believe in reinventing love stories just to make them ‘modern’. “Heartbreak still feels the same,” he shrugs. “I cried when I watched Titanic, a film set in the 1900s, when I was still in school.” And it’s this emotional reaction — not intellectual analysis — that he trusts most. “Often, we overstate the importance of watching a film with the head. The body reacts better.” While Vishesh Films — where Suri began — was known for thrillers, he found his true calling in love stories. After the success of Murder 2, he pleaded with his uncle Mahesh Bhatt to let him make Aashiqui 2. The rest, as they say, is history. Or as he puts it: “Your genre finds you.” Today, Saiyaara is being produced by none other than Yash Raj Films. When two romantics such as Mohit Suri and Aditya Chopra collaborate, the result is pure emotion. Meeting Chopra, he says, was a fan-boy moment. “When I watched Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, everyone was gaga over the actors. I wanted to know who the director was.” Now, he’s grateful to Chopra for believing in his vision. As Saiyaara readies for a July 18 release, Suri has no pre-release pitch or marketing hook. “I’ve made a film I’d want to watch as an audience — a pure love story.” For Suri, true love is that rare feeling when you simply can’t imagine living without someone. That emotion, he insists, doesn’t change — whether it’s a letter, a text or an Instagram post. And quoting Honore de Balzac, he signs off: “True love is eternal, infinite, and always like itself.” amritsar OUND healing therapy, also known as sound bath is the latest wellness practice that fitness and wellness enthusiasts swear by. Working on the ancient principles of vibrations and patterns of sounds at different frequencies, it uses these resonating sounds to promote relaxation, reduce stress, and improve overall well-being. While to each his own, but a growing number of people taking up sound bath sessions proves it popularity. Be Wellness, a holistic wellness centre in Amritsar, is one such place to offer sound healing therapies. “We have our in house sound healing expert, who helps in meditative and healing therapies. A lot of clients seek walk in sessions,” said Parneet, from Be Well. Therapeutic sounds are produced by instruments like gongs, singing bowls, and tuning forks, or even human voices like chanting. These sounds are believed to resonate with the body’s energy centres, of chakras, helping to release blockages and restore balance. TRIBUNE Megastar Chiranjeevi, who visited the residence of late veteran actor Kota Srinivasa Rao in Hyderabad to pay his last respects, remembered the long journey he shared with Rao and also recalled their early days in cinema. Srinivasa passed away early this morning in Hyderabad. The actor was 83. Speaking to the media outside the actor’s residence, the megastar called him a “legendary character actor” and shared how their careers began together with the film Pranam Khareedu in 1978. “Kota Srinivasa Rao was a legendary character actor. We both started working from the same movie, Pranam Khareedu. I had a great relationship with him; every movie with him was special,” said Chiranjeevi. “The passing of Kota Srinivasa Rao is an Kota Srinivasa Rao irreparable loss to his family and the industry. It’s a big loss. I pray to God that his soul rests in peace. I pay condolences to the family,” he added. Soon after the news of his death broke, several political leaders, film stars, and close friends began arriving at his residence to pay their last respects. — ANI