09042026-LSTC-01.qxd 4/8/2026 7:55 PM Page 1 c m y b ALLU GOES BALD FOR RAAKA Telugu cinema star Allu Arjun’s upcoming pan-India movie with director Atlee has been titled Raaka, the makers announced on Wednesday. The poster presents Arjun in a striking, menacing avatar — bald head, kohl-lined eyes staring intensely at the camera, a thick dark beard, and prominent animal claws framing his face. HOT shimla WHAT’S eat KAHWA ANYONE? T HE Waza Café, a Kashmiri Wazwaan restaurant in Shimla offers an authentic taste of Kashmiri cuisine, making it one of the unique restaurants of the hill station. The café was established in 2023 with a motive to provide authentic Kashmiri food to the people, giving them a taste of Kashmir in Shimla. The café offers a variety of traditional Kashmiri dishes such as Rista, Goshtaba, Kashmiri Dum Aloo, Kashmiri Tamar Paneer, Kahwa along with its most famous non-veg Wazwaan platter which includes Tabak Maaz, Rista, Kebab, Rogan Josh and Goshtaba which are served with rice. play chandigarh WOMEN POWER W E, the group of Indian contemporary women artists, has organised its 24th annual art exhibition, titled ArtAura, at The Government Museum and Art Gallery, Sector 10. This prestigious event celebrates creativity, expression and the powerful voices of women artists from across India. It invites everyone to witness creativity that challenges perspectives and honours the strength and imagination of women. The exhibition was inaugurated on April 7 and will conclude on April 10. love amritsar RUN FOR AWARENESS T EALATHON Amritsar 2026 is a special awareness run dedicated to the cause of cervical cancer awareness, bringing the community together to promote preventive health, early screening, and support for women’s health. This event aims to inspire individuals, families, and running enthusiasts to participate in a meaningful movement while promoting fitness and social awareness. The run welcomes beginners, families, and experienced runners, with both fun and timed race categories available. Phulkari Women of Amritsar will organise this marathon on April 19 at Dussehra ground Ranjit Avenue. TRIBUNE Show time Life Rajeev Khandelwal is set to host a reality game show, titled Tum Ho Naa. The show will premiere soon on Sony Entertainment Television as well as streaming service Sony LIV. LUDHIANA | THURSDAY | 9 APRIL 2026 Creator-writer Divya Nidhi Sharma of Chiraiya fame talks about the power of the spoken word Nonika Singh A SUBJECT as grim as marital rape can only call for serious treatment. When noted creator-writer Divya Nidhi Sharma made the series Chiraiya, now streaming on Disney+ Hotstar, he wanted ‘it to be an engaging story and a voice of resistance not victimhood’. As one of the dialogues in the series goes … Kranti dabe paaon rasoi mein billi ki tarah aati hai, the social statement is potently quiet yet deeply effective. If pithy one liners of the dialogue writer of Laapataa Ladies, Freedom At Midnight and Heeramandi stay with you, so do his quotable quotes in this exclusive interview. Indeed, he nods, “No country has so much affinity for the spoken word. Dialogues become our idioms, a part of our everyday lives.” He recalls how during the making of critically acclaimed Freedom At Midnight, creator Nikkhil Advani told him not to read speeches of the great leaders or do any research but write dialogues SalimJaved style. Writing for a historical, for luminaries like Gandhi, Patel and Nehru did put an extra pressure. He reasons, “While humanising them, you can’t cut them to size. If your Gandhi utters one wrong word, it can not only land you in trouble but also let down the audiences as well as the artist in you.” As for negotiating the subject of his latest Chiraiya, an issue so thorny that even courts are not ready to address it, he reveals, “Culminating the story was very difficult since right now no legal recourse is possible. Hence, we turned towards family for resolution. Either they should raise their sons better or set them right if they go haywire.” Though Chiraiya packs a significant message in its folds, he does not think that cinema can change society and adds, “That is too big an ask. All we can do is throw a pebble and create a ripple.” He does feel that if Chiraiya can make even one boy growing up in India’s hinterland, reconsider his thoughts their job would be done. To critics who have cast aspersions on the powerful series’ television aesthetic his counter is forceful. “We are not making content for Sundance festival. There is no point in preaching to the choir. We are addressing that woman in Meerut, the girl in Lucknow.” Growing up in India’s small towns, he truly understands the small city mind-set and the spell cinema can cast. Having watched movies in his formative years, he proclaims, “I am addicted to cinema and by that I mean the potboiler commercial masala ones.” Massy and popular are not negative words Dialogues that become idioms… DIALOGUES DON’T COME LIKE A FLASH. YOU HAVE AN IDEA AND YOU CHISEL IT. BESIDES, CHARACTERS CAN’T BE YOUR MOUTHPIECE, RATHER HAVE TO BE IN SYNC WITH THE MILIEU. for him. Rather he observes, “If writers have not got their due, to some extent they themselves are to be blamed. Industry does not understand good or bad, only success and ‘It’s about loving yourself’ Babil Khan recently shared a deeply introspective perspective on meditation while speaking at an event, offering a refreshing take on mindfulness and inner balance. Known for his thoughtful outlook and emotional depth, Babil emphasised that meditation, for him, goes far beyond a routine practice, it is a state of being. In a candid moment, Babil explained that meditation should not be treated as a separate activity or a task to check off the list, but rather something that becomes an intrinsic part of one’s everyday existence. He highlighted how cultivating a mindful mindset allows one to remain centered and present, even amidst the chaos of daily life. Speaking about his personal journey, Babil said, “You should not do meditation as an act, you should set your mindset in your body in such a way that it should happen automatically throughout the day. You have to be okay with who you are, not to fight who you’re. Just to set that mindset, so that you can walk in with the day with that confidence in you. It’s also just loving yourself. To Babil Khan opens up about how meditation helped him stay grounded get there first you need to accept yourself.” Through his words, Babil underscored the importance of self-acceptance as the foundation of true peace. He believes that embracing who you are without resistance or judgment, naturally leads to a more balanced and disciplined life. Meditation, in this sense, becomes less about sitting in silence and more about carrying awareness into every action, thought, and emotion. c m y b All about ‘Sohrab Handa’ A new film, Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa, is all set to be released on ZEE5 on April 10. Written and directed by Rajat Kapoor, the film features Vinay Pathak, Ranvir Shorey, Waluscha De Sousa, Saurabh Shukla, Neil Bhoopalam, Koel Purie, Chandrachoor Rai, Palomi Ghosh and Rajat Kapoor himself. Ahead of the release of the film, Vinay, Ranvir, and Rajat opened up about their experience creating the murder mystery. On what made him come up with this project, Rajat shared, “I’ve always been drawn to genre cinema, even though I haven’t worked in it much myself...gangster films, musicals, horror, science fiction. Each of them has its own language, its own set of expectations. Murder mystery, in particular, fascinates me. It’s a genre with very specific rules and a distinct way of unfolding a story...So I wrote it and it became something.” Ranvir said, “But the real strength of the film lies in its characters, especially, of course, the wonderful Handa sir .” Vinay Pathak said. — ANI writers need to work towards creating superhits.” Of course, as a writer he will not pander to the lowest common denominator. Certain things are non-negotiable for him. Others might be busy debating politics in the entertainment world what worries him is gender politics. “Films are succeeding despite misogyny not because of it,” he says. Though he would write the part of a doormat he would never suggest she is an ideal. For instance in Chiraiya, the lead character Kamlesh, played by Divya Dutta, starts off as a woman with regressive beliefs but evolves into just the opposite. For a man to get into the mind-space of a woman is not difficult as his strong women portrayals in television series like Anupamaa have shown. He avers, “Emotional identification is part of any art form.” Just as patriarchy has no gender, he opines, “Women don’t have a monopoly over liberal feminist ideas. It would be very limiting if only women were to write women’s stories.” Of course, the industry could/ must do with greater women representation, of all age groups and it hurts him, “Not enough parts are being written for women in forties.” Incredibly happy with Divya Duta’s powerhouse performance, he says, “Divya is criminally underutilised, should be headlining many more projects.” His next, Nai Naveli, too is led by a talented actress — Yami Gautam. Then there is RS Prasanna’s directorial, the creator in him will kick into action soon as well. To aspiring film writers his one point advice is, “Read. If you want to be part of Hindi cinema, you can’t lose touch with Hindustani, else the language will ditch you.” His words, however, never lose grip over cinematic language, move with purpose and heart and tell stories even in one simple dialogue “Full English bol ke baatayein.” CHAT UP THE KARMA THEORY OUTSTATION’S NEW SONG Katy Perry has given her fans yet another glimpse into her personal life. The Firework singer took to Instagram to share a series of pictures, including a photo of Justin Trudeau, 54, along with glamorous shots of Perry, a fun candid moment, an adorable moment with her daughter, and a video of her riding a bike along the beach. Along with the post, Perry wrote, “Never knew karma could be so rewarding.” After enthralling music lovers with their debut single Tum Se, teen boy band OutStation have now come up with their second single, Aaj Kal. Speaking about their new single, the band members collectively shared, “Aaj Kal is special to us because it’s been part of our journey since our early shows.” OSCARS DATES LOCKED IT’S INSTA OFFICIAL The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced the dates for the 99th and 100th Academy Awards. According to the publication, the 99th Oscars will be held on March 14, 2027, while the 100th Oscars will take place on March 5, 2028. Both ceremonies will be held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood and will be broadcast live on ABC at 7 pm ET. These two editions will be the final Oscars ceremonies to air on ABC before the broadcast shifts to YouTube from 2029. Love seems to be in the air and on the streets of Tokyo. Kim Kardashian and Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton sparked buzz after an Instagram reel showed Hamilton driving a red Ferrari F40 with Kardashian by his side. On April 6, Hamilton posted this reel on his Instagram handle, confirming his relationship with Kim. The two are seen on a drive in the video.