17072025-LSTL-01.qxd 7/16/2025 8:50 PM Page 1 c m y b ‘OUR HEARTS ARE FULL’ Kiara Advani and Sidharth Malhotra have been blessed with a baby girl. Both Sidharth and Kiara officially confirmed the news with their fans with a post on Instagram on Wednesday. The couple wrote in an adorable post, “Our hearts are full and our world forever changed. We are blessed with a baby girl.” TRIBUNE Diaz’s Bad Day Life Vaani on a mission Cameron Diaz, who made a return to acting this year with Netflix’s hit show Back in Action, is all set to be seen in Bad Day, an action comedy to be directed by Jake Szymanski. LUDHIANA | THURSDAY | 17 JULY 2025 Anupam Kher returns to direction after 23 years with Tanvi The Great Mandala Murders trailer hints at murder mystery loaded with supernatural elements The trailer of Vaani Kapoor-starrer Mandala Murders was unveiled on Tuesday. Directed by Gopi Puthran and Manan Rawat, Mandala Murders also stars Vaibhav Raj Gupta, Surveen Chawla, Shriya Pilgaonkar, Siddhanth Kapoor, Rahul Bagga, Raghubir Yadav and Monica Choudhary. Mandala Murders is set “in the quaint, mysterious town of Charandaspur, where two detectives unravel a chilling conspiracy of ritualistic killings tied to a centuries-old secret society.” Sharing his experience directing the show, Gopi said, “From the start, our goal with Mandala Murders was to create a world that feels unknown yet grounded — where every truth has layers and every answer leads to more questions. Crafting the tension, weaving in symbolism, and watching this brilliant cast bring it to life has been incredibly rewarding.” Vaani, who essays the role of an investigating officer, also opened up about her experience. She said, “Collaborating with Gopi sir on Mandala Murders is a masterclass in storytelling. His unparalleled ability to weave gritty realism with psychological depth transforms every scene into a layered experience. Gopi sir doesn’t just direct crime thrillers; he immerses you in a world where every character’s motive is a mystery, every symbol holds a secret. Working alongside him isn’t just inspiring, it’s a journey into the heart of nuanced, atmospheric storytelling that redefines the genre.” The show is the second series from Netflix and YRF’s creative partnership, following The Railway Men in 2023. It will be out on July 25. —ANI Vaani Kapoor and Surveen Chawla A team from the Italian fashion house Prada arrived in Kolhapur to learn about the history and craftsmanship behind the iconic Kolhapuri chappals. Italian fashion house Prada’s team in Kolhapur, interacts with chappal makers ‘I am not Kurosawa or Satyajit Ray’ Nonika Singh Q UESTIONS almost become redundant with celebrated actor Anupam Kher. The man, whose solo stage show Kuch Bhi Ho Sakta Hai ran for over a decade, can deliver a monologue on any subject. And, as his upcoming film Tanvi The Great, with which he turns to direction after 23 years, is ready for theatrical release this Friday, you can only expect a torrent of thoughts. First things first. The story of an autistic girl, Tanvi, is rather personal to him. One anecdote he never tires of telling is how when he saw his autistic niece staring into the vacuum, her repartee, ‘I am looking into my world’ set him thinking. Does he understand her world better now? He quips, “The world will certainly understand it better.” But when the subject is so personal, isn’t there a danger of losing objectivity? He insists, “The character is real, story is fictional.” In fact, it talks about an autistic girl’s desire to join the Army, which as of now has no room for such a person. Since the film has got a rousing reception during its screening for Army officers, does he think this would bring about a policy change? He replies, “That is not my job.” But to bring awareness certainly is. He does not consider autism a disability; rather deems it a superpow- er. Indeed, bringing this story of ‘heart and courage’ to light required more than gumption. How the film was almost not made is chronicled in his book, Different But No Less. Even though his producer backed out, Anupam never considered cutting corners. Made with a budget of Rs 50 crores, he has on board two Oscar winners, music composer MM Keeravani and sound editor Resul Pookutty. Game of Thrones actor Iain Glen was cast since Anupam’s association with him goes back to acting in the BBC series Mrs Wilson. His reasons for roping noted Japanese cinematographer Keiko Nakahara were simply, “I wanted a sensitive woman as DoP to capture the soul of the film and purity of my protagonist.” Cinema for Anupam has the magic of truth and of make-believe truth. “I am not a Kurosawa or Satyajit Ray, only I wanted to make a pure film,” says Anupam. Severance leads Emmy nominees with 27 and The Studio tops comedies as Apple TV+ dominates Severance separated itself from the field with 27 Emmy nominations, while The Studio led comedy nominees with a record-tying 23 in a dominant year for Apple TV+. No other dramas came close to the dystopian workplace series Severance, which achieved a convergence of acclaim and audience buzz for its second season that brought an expected Emmy bounty. Lead acting nominations came for Severance stars Adam Scott and Britt Lower for what amounted to dual roles as their characters’ “innie” work selves and “outie” home selves. Tramell Tillman got a supporting nod for playing their tone-shifting, pineapplewielding supervisor. Patricia Arquette was nominated for supporting actress for playing an ousted outcast from the sinister family business at the centre of the show. And Ben Stiller got a nomination for directing the season two finale. Apple’s Hollywood satire The Studio was expected to make a significant showing for its first season, but it romped over more established shows like Hacks, which got 14, and The Bear, which got 13. Netflix’s acclaimed Adolescence got 13 limited series nominations, including a supporting actor nod for 15-yearold Owen Cooper, who plays a Emmygets rolling nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn (Clockwise from top) verance, Hacks, Se Adolescence & The Bear nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn 13-year-old suspected of a killing. His psychologist scene partner, Erin Doherty, was also nominated, for limited series supporting actress. HBO’s high-end soap The White Lotus got its usual flow- Footnote: Prada & Kolhapuris ering of drama acting nominations for its Thailand-set third season, with four cast members including Carrie Coon c m y b getting supporting actress nods, and three including Walton Goggins up for supporting actor. It pulled in 23 nomina- tions overall. The Pitt, HBO Max’s prestige medical procedural, got 13 nominations, including best drama and best actor for its star, ER veteran Noah Wyle. One of its nurses, Katherine LaNasa, was able to squeeze in among the women of The White Lotus for a supporting actress nod. ABC’s Abbott Elementary, which has kept hope alive for the networks in recent years, got six nominations, including acting and writing nods for creator Quinta Brunson. The Last of Us brought in 16 nominations in drama categories for HBO to add to its totals run up by The White Lotus, The Pitt and The Penguin. Bella Ramsey got a nod for best actress in a drama for The Last of Us. Pedro Pascal was nominated for lead actor despite appearing in only about half of the season’s episodes. Netflix followed with 120 nominations overall, including 11 for Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story and 10 for Black Mirror. Apple TV+ had 79 nominations overall. The broadcast networks rotate on who airs the Emmys. This year is CBS’s turn. It will air the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards from the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles on September 14. Nate Bargatze is slated to host. —AP The Prada team visited Kolhapur and met the artisans and shopkeepers to know more about the iconic Kolhapuri chappals. Following a massive backlash for plagiarising Indian artisans’ work, Prada accepted that its latest summer wear collection was “inspired by Indian artisans”. However, the petitioners claim that the fashion brand (Prada) has not issued any “formal apology” along with any “damages”, “compensation” and “entitled remedy” to the Maharashtrian artisans. —ANI Akshay to make Hollywood debut? The buzz is strong around actor Akshay Oberoi, who is reportedly set to make his international debut. According to industry insiders, the actor has flown to the US after receiving an offer for a prestigious Hollywood project. Born and raised in New Jersey, Akshay’s return to the US appears to be more than just a family visit. Sources close to the actor suggest that he has been auditioning for a key role in an international series or film, and the word is, he landed it. A source reveals, “Akshay has been quietly working toward expanding his horizons internationally. He auditioned for a highprofile international show, and we hear he has been selected. He is currently in the US with his family and is expected to begin prep soon. Something big is definitely brewing.”