15122025-LSTC-01.qxd 12/14/2025 8:09 PM Page 1 c m y b DHURANDHAR JOINS ~300-CR CLUB Ranveer Singh’s latest spy thriller continued its recordbreaking run at the box office, setting a “new benchmark” with the highestever second Saturday collections in Hindi cinema. The Aditya Dhar directorial crossed the mark of ~300 crore nett at the box office on Sunday. HOT chandigarh WHAT’S TRIBUNE Life NEW PARTY PAIRINGS P ARTY season has officially arrived, and with plans doubling and night-outs stretching longer, Social is giving guests a brand-new way to dial up their evenings. The neighbourhood café-bar built for addas, after-hours, and everything in between is dropping a list of must-try munchies and classic cocktail pairings crafted straight from its Big Drop Menu. The pairing list includes Not Chilli Chicken & Picante. A Social staple with a spirited twist. The Picante’s citrusy kick cools, balances, and sharpens the stir-fry’s spice, giving every bite its perfect comeback sip. others on the menu include — Gochujang Glazed Mushrooms & Negroni, Bang Bang Chicken & Manhattan, Fully Re-Loaded Nachos & Espresso Martini and Prawn On A Podi-Yum & Paloma. play THE COMIC SINGH LIVE L ludhiana UDHIANA is set to welcome an evening of hearty laughter and family-friendly entertainment as Manpreet Singh, popularly known as The Comic Singh, brings his latest stand-up special Na Sir Na Pair to Nehru Sidhant Kendra on December 20 at 6:30 pm. Renowned for his clean humour and distinctive Punjabi dialect, The Comic Singh has carved a niche in the comedy circuit by blending everyday observations with witty storytelling that resonates across generations. Na Sir Na Pair promises to be a refreshing escape from routine, offering Ludhiana residents a chance to embrace the winter warmth with laughter. love Akshay Kumar visited Bhubaneswar, attracting large crowds. He urged youngsters to avoid drugs and respect parents, emphasising their importance as a source of strength in life. LUDHIANA | MONDAY | 15 DECEMBER 2025 From Aneet Padda to Ahaan Pandey, these are the standout debut performances that defined the year T HE year 2025 has truly been a standout period for fresh talent, with several young actors delivering debuts that left a strong impression. Aaman Devgan, Ahaan Pandey, Aneet Padda, Rasha Thadani and many others won over audiences with performances that showcased both promise and individuality. Their work not only put them firmly on the industry’s radar but also added a refreshing new energy to the screen. While some of these debutants chose unconventional roles to make their mark, others challenged long-held assumptions around privilege and opportunity. Ahaan Pandey (Saiyaara) eat No to drugs Ahaan Pandey has been the talk of the nation with his outstanding debut in Mohit Suri’s Saiyaara. Ahaan’s striking screen presence and compelling performance has left an impact on the audiences and the industry. Ahaan is the new lover boy in the block. Aneet Padda (Saiyaara) Aneet Padda has made a permanent place in people’s hearts with her refined acting chops in the Yashraj film Saiyaara. She portrayed the complex role with sheer brilliance and perfection and made her the girl next door that the nation is in love with. Aneet post the massive success of Saiyaara has been roped in to play the lead in Dinesh Vijan’s Shakti Shalini. ANEET PADDA stars Breakout who stole hearts Aaman Devgan (Azaad) Aaman marked his debut with the period-drama Azaad, and instantly caught audiences’ attention for his promising performance. Aaman and his simplicity has always won hearts and it is going to be an interesting watch to see what Aaman has in store for us in 2026. Rasha Thadani (Azaad) Rasha Thadani wooed the audiences with her terrific dancing skills in the popular track Uyi Amma from Azaad. Rasha captured the innocence of her character perfectly on the screen which impressed the audiences. She brought her freshness to the period drama and her chemistry with Aaman also won hearts as it reminded us of that early stage of falling in love. Aaishvary Thackeray (Nishaanchi) The talented Aaishvary Thackeray marked his debut in Anurag Kashyap’s Nishaanchi. The revenge drama set in a small town was appreciated by critics and audiences alike and Aaishvary was seen in a double role in his debut film. He won a lot of appreciation for his acting skills that were quite authentic and he perfectly fit the part in the film. AVNEET KAUR Avneet Kaur (Love in Vietnam) The gorgeous Avneet Kaur marked her big screen debut with Love in Vietnam. Avneet played a typical Punjabi kudi in the film named Simmi and she made everyone fall in love with her for her bubbliness and vibrant punch of energy. Audiences are waiting eagerly to watch her in more Bollywood films soon. FOR THE LOVE OF BOOKS AAISHVARY THACKERAY A S a countermeasure to the social media and digital overload we have self-inflicted upon us, Silent book reading parties are quietly trying to engage people away from the madness of tireless phone surfing. A new trend to emerge in Amritsar, these silent book reading parties are essentially social calls for likeminded readers, who want to spend a few hours away from their mobile phones and in company of stories, characters and figments of someone’s imagination. These parties have members, who pay for their spots and a cup of coffee only to sit in silence, reading their favourite books. Sounds basic, yet it’s a privilege considering the decreasing number of readers we have in every generation now. Kafeine Amritsar and other cafes like Bontastic and Cafe Delhi Heights host these parties over the weekend. amritsar AHAAN PANDEY AAMAN DEVGAN RASHA THADANI Not married, just engaged Vin teases Ronaldo’s role in Fast & Furious Hollywood star Vin Diesel has teased that footballer Cristiano Ronaldo may feature in the upcoming Fast & Furious film. Diesel, who also produces the franchise, shared an Instagram photo with Ronaldo, revealing that a role had been written specifically for the soccer star. “Everyone asked, would he be in the Fast mythology... I gotta tell you he is a real one,” Diesel captioned the post. “We wrote a role for him...” Although Ronaldo’s appearance has not been officially confirmed, the news has created excitement among fans of both the franchise and the footballer. Diesel previously provided details about the final film, scheduled for release in April 2027. He said the movie will reunite his character, Dominic Toretto, with Paul Walker’s Brian O’Conner. “Just yesterday I was with c m y b Universal Studios. ... The studio said to me, ‘Vin, can we please have the finale of Fast & Furious in April 2027?’ I said, ‘Under three conditions because I’ve been listening to my fan base,’” he explained, noting that he wanted the franchise to return to Los Angeles, “return to the car culture, to the street racing” and also reunite his and Walker’s characters onscreen. — ANI Actor Arjun Rampal has announced his engagement to his long-time girlfriend and model Gabriella Demetriades. Both Rampal and Demetriades featured on Rhea Chakraborty’s podcast. When Demetriades said they aren’t yet married, Rampal added the couple is engaged. Chakraborty shared a promo video of the episode on her Instagram handle on Saturday. In the video, Demetriades said, “We’re not married now, but who knows?” To which Rampal replied, “But we are engaged...We just broke it on your show.” Demetriades and Rampal started dating in 2018 and welcomed their first son, Arik, in 2019. Their second son, Arav, was born in 2023. The actor was previously married to model and film producer Mehr Jesia, with whom he has two daughters. — PTI