21072025-LSTC-01.qxd 7/20/2025 8:40 PM Page 1 c m y b KILLER FIRST LOOK Actor SJ Suryah is set to don the director’s cap after almost a decade with the film Killer. The actor has shared the first look of his character from the film. SJ Suryah shared a poster featuring him holding a gun while standing next to a luxurious car. As per the first look poster, SJ Suryah appears to be playing the role of a gangster. TRIBUNE Billie’s special Life Billie Eilish says she is set to collaborate with the Oscarwinning director James Cameron on an upcoming 3D project. Although she didn’t specify the title of the project, fans speculate she meant the upcoming instalment of the Avatar franchise. CHANDIGARH | MONDAY | 21 JULY 2025 PHOTOS: VICKY WHAT’S HOT Shimla eat W ILLOW Banks, one of the most premier and popular hotel in the town, has brought Beyond Geleto, an eating points offering a variety of international desserts as well as ice creams, waffles and coffees. It has become a favourite spots of people who cannot get enough of these desserts. Designed like Kalka-Shimla toy train, the unique outlets also gives a feel of Shimla, and its heritage importance that gives it an attractive look. Megha Kochhar, owner of Willow Banks and Cafe Shimla Times, said that the idea behind Beyond Geleto was to provide a place to dessert lovers where they can get to taste international flavours that are not usually found in Himachal Pradesh. She said that the response of the people whether tourists or locals have been overwhelming and they are planning to introduce more new flavours and outlets in the state so that people can get a place where they can satisfy their cravings for desserts. play LOVE & LONGING chandigarh HARACTERS C Actor cum cricket show host Mandira Bedi has said that while people generally adopt infants, grown-up parentless children should also have adoptive parents. She also said the process should be made simpler to encourage people to go for adoption. Bedi, the mother of a biological and an adoptive child, said, “For us, adoption was never the last resort.” “Even when I was dating my husband, I told him I’ve always wanted to have a biological child and adopt one. It wasn’t just a passing thought — it was a dream I held on to from my early 20s,” she said. Motherhood is not defined by blood, but by intention, love and lifelong commitment,” Bedi said while speaking at a panel discussion Normalising and Encouraging Adoption in India. While adoption conversations often centre around infants, Bedi turned the spotlight on a reality often overlooked —the plight of older orphaned children in the adoption system. “So many children get missed out. Everybody wants a baby they can hold from the very beginning. But slightly older children remain in the system. Think of them too, because nobody else does,” she said. Speaking from her experience as an adoptive mother, Bedi said her daughter Tara was four years old when she came home. She recalled a heart-wrenching incident at the adoption agency — another young girl who had been picked for adoption thrice, only to be returned each time due to unforeseen circumstances. “It was heartbreaking. That little girl still hadn’t found a home. It’s very sad when older kids get left behind. But I’m living proof — it works. You can teach them your values, nurture them with love, and they grow into everything you dreamed of,” she said. The discussion was hosted by Sunfeast Mom’s Magic last week. — PTI over celebrities ALL ABOARD HAT do you get when two of Bollywood’s most unconventional voices walk into a room full of young performers in Chandigarh? Not a lecture — but a conversation. Add a splash of music, a few improv monologues and the odd off-script moment and you’ve got what happened at Tagore Theatre on Sunday: a creative huddle that felt more like a gathering of cousins who all secretly want to be on screen someday. Directors Imtiaz Ali and Mukesh Chhabra share raw advice, real laughs with Chandigarh’s young actors THE BUT LET’S REWIND. CROWD SHOW YatheshtPratiraj Phool W This wasn’t a red carpet affair. No sponsors, no formal press banners — just a poster, a mic and the electric buzz of possibility. The event was designed for actors, but what unfolded was a deeper and an honest reflection on the creative hustle. STAY ROOTED, STAY RIDICULOUS Imtiaz — yes the one who made Rockstar, Tamasha, Jab We Met — strolled on stage like someone who accidentally took a wrong turn from a cafe into a theatre. That’s part of his charm. Chandigarh, he joked, makes him feel like he’s “come from a third-world place.” Compliment... possibly? The crowd laughed anyway. “Films come to you,” he said. “You don’t need to go to Mumbai.” You could almost hear collective sighs of relief. He added local theatre groups, street plays and your mom’s terrace performances — they all count. “Stick to your roots. We’ll come find you.” He didn’t preach goal-setting or success hacks. In fact, he warned against them. “Be foolish in your plans. If you’re enjoying it, that’s enough.” TALENT ? FOLLOWERS R ENOWNED Punjabi singer Ninja has released his much-anticipated indie pop single Heer and it’s already creating waves for all the right reasons. The emotionally rich track features vocals by Ninja and Shehnaz Akhtar, with evocative lyrics penned by Raja and music composed by Aden. Adding to the project’s allure is the presence of Shushmiita Singh and Mahi Sandhu. The music video shot at one of Rajasthan’s most iconic locations, beautifully complementing the essence of the song. The project has been creatively helmed by Sandeep Virk. Sharing his thoughts on the release, Ninja said, “I truly can’t wait to hear how the audience connects with Heer. This song isn’t just about melody — it’s a story of love, longing, and quiet sacrifice. Shehnaz Akhtar’s vibrant pop vocals brought a fresh contrast that beautifully balanced the emotion in the composition.” love GOLGAPPAS TO GENZ K ANPUR ka ladka has everyone in splits as he brought his comedy special Jo Bolta Hai Wahi Hota Hai to CP67, Mohali on Saturday. Harsh Gujral’s debut show in Mohali aimed at 16 plus was sold out. Right from golgappas at Chandigarh airport, kaleshi Bua to Gen Z and their quirks, Harsh has people wiping tears through the 100 minutes of sheer fun. Some crowd work, more jokes, the agile comic was quick on feet, read the pulse of the room and gave a memorable time to his audience. A Punjabi brought up in Uttar Pradesh, his track on Kanpur-Delhi distinction was riveting. On the last leg of his India tour, he is performing at Hyderabad on July 20, followed by shows in New Delhi and Mumbai next. He is all set for USA Canada Tour that starts in August. Mohali Bonds of HEART Mukesh Chhabra, India’s go-to casting guy, was more direct. Less dreamy, more “cut the fluff.” He said, “I never look for actors. I look for characters.” He wasn’t being mean — just honest. Social media reach? Not enough. “Even Bhuvan Bam and Prajakta Koli would have to prove they can act.” Cold, yes. Necessary? Also yes. He spoke about how social media has fractured our ability to focus. “When you’re preparing for an audition, stop using your phone for a few hours. Just sit with your work.” Not revolutionary advice, but when someone like him says it, it lands differently. His final nudge? Learn the craft. Between all this wisdom, Chandigarh’s own put up some impromptu singing and acting bits. There was laughter, a few shaky voice cracks, some genuinely moving moments — and nobody judged. The vibe? Warm, messy and joyfully unscripted. UNSPOKEN SCRIPT No one handed out acting contracts. There were no talent scouts scribbling notes in the dark. But you walked out thinking, “Okay, maybe I don’t have to move to Mumbai tomorrow.” Maybe your local stage, your voice note drafts, your weird poems — they’re enough, for now. Because as Imtiaz said, “Even if you don’t get too successful, at least you enjoyed it.” And honestly, that might be the most underrated advice in showbiz. Vir Das highlights India’s ‘amazing’ global soft power India is on the precipice of an “amazing, undeniable” global soft power whose “guardians” in equal measure are both those living in the homeland as well as the Indian diaspora, Emmy-Award winning comedian and actor Vir Das has said. “I think something that the diaspora does really well is to protect culture,” Das said in New York during a special interaction hosted at Asia Society the eve of the premiere of his latest comedy special Vir Das: Fool Volume. Das, who won the 2023 International Emmy for Best Comedy for his comedy special Landing, said amid applause and laughter from the audience at the event that what he finds “lovely” about the Indian diaspora is that while they have an American accent and American values, but “at your shaadi, you (dance) to Mehendi Laga Ke Rakhna. “India is on the precipice of an amazing, undeniable global soft power, and it only translates when the bridge happens from me to you. So we are both ends carrying that soft power,” Das said, a message for the Indian diaspora settled across the world. — ANI c m y b ❝ MANDIRA BEDI Baksho Bondi to open IFFM 2025 Tillotama Shome’s Bengali-language drama Baksho Bondi - Shadowbox will open the 16th Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) on August 14, marking the film’s Australian premiere after its world bow at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival. Baksho Bondi was co-directed by debutant Tanushree Das and Saumyananda Sahi and stars Shome as Maya, a woman working multiple jobs, while caring for her PTSD-afflicted husband and their teenage son. “Baksho Bondi is incredibly close to my heart,” said Shome, who is also one of the producers of the film. She continued, “Playing Maya was a lesson in listening to silences, in discovering strength in small acts, and in understanding how quiet resilience shapes women’s lives in a world that often overlooks them.” According to the outlet, the opening night selection signals IFFM’s commitment to championing regional independent cinema, with festival director Mitu Bhowmick Lange calling the film “a perfect start for the 2025 edition.” “Tillotama Shome’s performance as Maya is nothing short of extraordinary, and Tanushree Das and Saumyananda Sahi have crafted a tender, honest, and visually stunning film that resonates with the spirit of resilience and hope,” Lange added. — ANI Baksho Bondi is incredibly close to my heart. Playing Maya was a lesson in listening to silences, in discovering strength in small acts, and in understanding how quiet resilience shapes women’s lives in a world that often overlooks them. - Tillotama Shome