10112025-LSTL-01.qxd 11/9/2025 7:55 PM Page 1 c m y b SUSSANNE KHAN’S TRIBUTE Sussanne Khan is reeling from the loss of her mother and former actress Zarine Khan. The interior designer, penned an emotional note on Instagram, remembering her mother as her “bestest friend, God and life.” She talked about how Zarine taught her family members to live life with love and grace. WHAT’S Dhurandhar Life Ranveer Singh introduced R Madhavan as ‘Charioteer of Karma’ in Dhurandhar, portraying him as a powerful strategist. Directed by Aditya Dhar, the film starring Ranveer Singh, Arjun Rampal and Sanjay Dutt, is releasing in December 2025. LUDHIANA | MONDAY | 10 NOVEMBER 2025 HOT dharamsala Namit Das embraces new formats eat HEALTHY BITES P ERCHED on the main street of Dharamkot in Dharamsala, Bodhi Greens is more than a restaurant — it’s a mindful dining experience rooted in the belief that food is medicine. The café serves vibrant, wholesome dishes like the Indian Ashram Bowl, a nourishing mix of dal or vegetable stew with black rice or millets, topped with homemade soy yogurt. Refreshing drinks such as the Mint Lime Cooler and Green Detox Juice add zest to the menu. With serene mountain views, calm vibes, and flavours that heal as much as they delight, Bodhi Greens is a true haven for conscious food lovers. play MINDFUL SLEEP Y amritsar OGA nidra is trending as a powerful stressrelief and relaxation technique, especially relevant in today’s fast-paced world. The practice’s popularity is driven by its ability to induce deep rest comparable to sleep, its accessibility through guided sessions, and its use as a tool for managing stress and improving sleep quality. In Amritsar, the trend has been picked up, especially among the young entrepreneurs and students, who are choosing to relax and destress through Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR) techniques, which focuses on physiological benefits, and the continued interest in the practice’s holistic and spiritual roots. Several Amritsar based licenced practitioners and wellness studios including Be Well offer yog nidra sessions with one on one guidance. Nonika Singh V ERSATILITY has been the defining trait of actor Namit Das’ wide range of roles. Only in Hamara Vinayak, he not only plays an impish god in human form, but has also chosen a new format. A 10-minute episode on YouTube, gratis at that, would sound like a climb down for an actor of stage, cinema and long form of story-telling. But Namit is super excited with this new turn and avers, “Each medium offers a different experience and people go for it with that particular mindset. For instance no one would walk into a cinema hall and expect the movie to be over in few minutes. Similarly on social media they don’t expect long engagements.” Of course, on social media where scrolling is the ‘done’ thing, capturing audiences’ attention, dwindling by the hour, isn’t always easy. No you don’t require a different acting muscle for this micro format, for he asserts, “Once the camera rolls it doesn’t treat you any differently. But yes, the conversations with the makers (Siddharth Kumar Tewary of Swastik Stories) do keep in mind the short length and communication needs to be very sharp and clear.” Personally, Namit had no reference points, certainly not other actors who have played God, only wanted to capture the emotion; the child-like innocence of this Vighnharta. Born in ‘sat suron ki duniya,’ son of renowned ghazal singer Chandan Dass, and The versatile actor takes on a unique role as a playful god in Hamara Vinayak himself a trained singer, rhythm of roles does define Namit’s acting sensibilities. Words of theatre thespian late BV Karanth who would say, ‘act with a musical rhythm and sing as if you are talking to someone,’ have remained indelibly etched on his mind. Namit has always searched for musicality in his roles. But one role, we can’t forget is his Haresh Khanna in Mira Nair’s A Suitable Boy wherein he plays the perfect husband material. In real life, however, he can’t profess to be so “that is my wife Shruti Vyas’ prerogative to say so or not.” FESTIVE TRADITION T HE festive spirit of Christmas arrived early in Ludhiana with the cake mixing ceremony at Hotel Radisson, a beloved tradition that blends togetherness and taste. The ballroom was filled with vibrant colours and aromatic ingredients —ruby-red cherries, golden raisins, almonds, spices, and generous amounts of rum, brandy and wine, creating the foundation for a rich Christmas plum cake. This year’s ceremony also featured a special cake-cutting event to celebrate the recent victories of the Indian Women’s Cricket Team, adding an extra layer of joy to the occasion. General Manager Gaurav Mehta expressed how the tradition brings smiles to both guests and staff, while Executive Chef Avinash Jha emphasized the significance of the ritual in fostering community spirit. Bindusagar, one of the most awaited Odia films in recent years, has been selected for its World Premiere at the 56th Edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), Goa. Produced by Shiladitya Bora’s Platoon One Films, the film will debut as part of the prestigious Gala Presentation at IFFI 2025 — a milestone not just for its creators, but for Odia cinema itself. Directed by Abhishek Swain and written by Abhishek Das, Besides, perfection according to him, “is only a process and in marriage the game changes every-day.” A great believer in the institution of marriage, he feels, “Marriage is a ‘self-seeking’ step towards one’s own growth and development.” Interestingly, he happens to be the brother-in-law of another fine actor Sumeet Vyas. You bet, often they end up auditioning for the same part. But Namit has not kept any score card for competition within family would certainly lead to animosity. “One-upmanship,’ he observes, ‘does not exist even when he is acting with superstars like, Ranbir Kapoor (Wake Up Sid) Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt (Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani) and more.” He further shares, “They are professionals and so am I. Gone are the days when stars would throw their weight around.” Having worked with some heavyweight directors in the industry, from Mira Nair to Ram Madhvani to Vishal Bhardwaj to Karan Johar, he does, however, admit, “Directors do define your craft. What you finally see is always the director’s call.” In future, Namit would love to work with young voices, ‘so full of excitement.’ Perhaps, they possess the same ‘nervous energy’ which he had when as a student of St Xavier he was part of the cool theatre brigade. From stage to screen, validation has kept him going. Yet, there is no dream role, “There is nothing I have set myself up to. If this doesn’t happen I am done.” In fact, if Vinayak were to whisper in Namit’s ears he would advise, “Be in the moment and be happy.” Happiness observes Namit, “is often underrated even considered borderline boring, but is the real key to life.” Expect more doses of happiness from Namit and ensuing episodes of Hamara Vinayak too. CHAT UP Odia film on global stage love ludhiana TRIBUNE AT ‘HOME’ WITH SCORSESE Bindusagar’s entry into IFFI 2025 signals a growing recognition of Odia stories in the wider cinematic landscape. The film features a strong ensemble cast — Prakruti Mishra, Dipanwit Dashmohapatra, Sonalli Sharmisstha and Satya Ranjan, alongside veteran performers Sukant Rath, Robin Das and Pranab Rath Bindusagar will be released in theatres early 2026. The team of Neeraj Ghaywan’s directorial Homebound, including the filmmaker, and actors Ishaan Khatter and Vishal Jethwa, attended the film’s special screening hosted by Hollywood legend Martin Scorsese in New York. Scorsese serves as an executive producer on the project. South actor Siddharth and filmmaker Mira Nair were also among the attendees. CRICKET MEETS BOLLYWOOD Delhi Crime 3 team bats for proper structure around working hours ‘Don’t make it a norm’ In an industry known for long and irregular hours, the cast of Delhi Crime 3, including Shefali Shah, Rasika Dugal and Huma Qureshi, expressed the need for a work environment which is “not exploitative and allows creative aberration when the situation demands”. Shah, who has been in the film industry for three decades, said she is now in a position to say “I want to go home”. The actor explained she loves being on set, but sometimes it becomes exhausting. “After all these years, I can say, ‘I need to go home’. We are very reasonable actors, we are not badly behaved, we understand when. It’s like we’ve to finish this, we get c m y b that. But you can’t make that a normal,” the actor, who returns as DCP Vartika Chaturvedi in the third season of the International Emmy Award-winning series said. The debate about working hours in the film industry started after Bollywood star Deepika Padukone opted out of Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s film Spirit due to differences with the makers over her request to limit her working hours to eight per day. Dugal, who is seen in the role of cop Neeti Singh in Delhi Crime, said proper rules should be laid out in terms of working hours on a set. Delhi Crime 3 will stream on Netflix from November 13. — PTI Amid the ongoing celebrations in honour of Team India’s historic maiden World Cup win, former cricketers Jhulan Goswami and Anjum Chopra appeared on the reality TV show with Salman Khan. Sharing pictures from the sets of Bigg Boss 19, Jhulan on Instagram wrote, “This month so far has been filled with many unforgettable nights, and this was definitely one of those nights.” SUNIEL SHETTY IN KASHMIR Bollywood actor Suniel Shetty announced that the film industry is set to return to Kashmir for shooting, expressing confidence that the region will regain its “lost glory.” His remarks came months after the terror attack in Pahalgam. Shetty, who is known for his role in war film Border, also praised the BSF for organizing the Jammu Marathon, calling it an honour to participate.