08052026-LSTL-01.qxd 5/7/2026 8:50 PM Page 1 c m y b WATCH OUT FOR BANDAR The teaser of filmmaker Anurag Kashyap’s latest film, Bandar , has been unveiled, offering audiences a glimpse of Bobby Deol in a different avatar. Dressed in a shimmering jacket and holding an electric guitar, the teaser introduces Deol in a flamboyant disco-inspired look. CHAT UP Nora Fatehi appeared before the National Commission for Women (NCW) on Thursday in connection with the controversy surrounding the song Sarke Chunar. Nora said, “I apologise as I have to be responsible as an artiste. There was no intention to offend anybody. After this matter, I have decided to sponsor the education of orphan girls.” The NCW earlier said the content of the song "appears to be sexually suggestive.” KHLOE WAS DRUGGED AT COACHELLA Reality TV star Khloe Kardashian revealed that she had a disturbing experience during her first and only visit to the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival after unknowingly consuming a drink she believes was laced with drugs. AMMA ARIYAN SET FOR CANNES Film Heritage Foundation is all set to return to the Cannes Film Festival for the fifth year, with the 4K restoration of late filmmaker John Abraham’s Amma Ariyan. The cult Malayalam film is the only Indian feature film to be selected this year for a world premiere. ELLE TEASER OUT Ahead of Amazon’s May 11 upfront presentation in New York, Prime Video released the official teaser-trailer for Elle, the highly anticipated Legally Blonde prequel. The series, produced by Amazon MGM Studios in association with Hello Sunshine, premieres on July 1. Season1 of Elle follows Elle Woods before she was a fish-out-of-water at Harvard. Lexi Minetree plays Elle Woods. WHAT’S HOT play PAINT YOUR EMOTIONS amritsar L ET your emotions flow onto canvas as we honour the beautiful bond we share with our mothers. The vent titled Roots & Wings – A Mother’s Day Canvas will be held at Fairfield by Marriott today at 3 pm. Participants are encouraged to bring their own drawing/painting materials to make your experience more personal and comfortable. laugh SIT DOWN FOR STAND-UP KHILEE MATTA was a senior corporate professional in Delhi NCR with a generous salary, and a diary full of jokes. Today, she has quit the job to do stand-up full-time. She has now done sold-out solo shows in four cities. She goes by the name Absolutely Akhilee, and will be performing at the Saturday Silent Book Reading party at Kafeine Cafe being hosted in collaboration with Timeless Amritsar today. It’s a wrap Life Subhash K Jha NORA FATEHI APOLOGISES A TRIBUNE A Halle Berry has officially completed filming for her upcoming film Fleur in Paris, marking the end of production on the erotic drama directed by Ellie Foumbi. LUDHIANA | FRIDAY | 8 MAY 2026 Abhishek’s Abhishek is playing a villain in King at the personal request of Shah Rukh Khan. faceoff BHISHEK BACHCHAN, who plays the antagonist for the first time in King, has deeply impressed Shah Rukh Khan and director Siddharth Anand. Abhishek is playing a nasty arch-villain in King, at the personal request of Shah Rukh Khan. The two will confront one another face-to-face at the climax. Shirtless! Both the actors have been asked by director Siddharth Anand to get into better physical shape than they are now. A source informs, “The faceoff between the two stars will be like Salman Khan and Sonu Sood in Dabangg. And they both need to look like they can take on one another.” Abhishek was reluctant to take on the villain’s role in King, until Shah Rukh requested him personally to do so. Abhishek’s role, which was originally a guest appearance, has now been extended to a full-fledged part. Abhishek plays SRK’s nemesis in King. The bone of contention between the two is the girl played by Suhana Kapoor. After the role extension, Abhishek has gone through rigorous preparation to get into character. The discipline for the character portrayal entailed extra hours in the gym, a well toned body, a sinewy look coming from a practice of a very special diet. A number of confrontational sequences between SRK and Abhishek have been added after the director and the producer (SRK) observed how Abhishek performed his morally challenged character. While the praise for his first negative character has already started coming, Abhishek has no intentions of doing any more antagonist’s role. This one in King was done on Shah Rukh’s request. SRK and Abhishek go back a long way. The latter looks up to the former as an elder brother. with SRK ‘Thande Thande Paani Mei convinced me’ Ayushmann Khurrana, Sara Ali Khan, Wamiqa Gabbi and Rakul Preet Singh — the lead cast of the upcoming comedy film Pati Patni Aur Woh Do offered a glimpse into the film’s take on relationships. The actors also shared intriguing details about their characters, explaining that the story equally balances humour with emotional depth. Mentioning that he has always been a big fan of Sanjeev Kumar’s 1978 classic Pati Patni Aur Woh, Ayushmann shared, “In my childhood, I used to sing the song ‘Thande thande paani se nahana chahiye’. That song convinced me to do this film. When the first film was made in 2019, and my brother (Aparshakti Khurana) was a part of it, I really loved it. It was an organic transition for me.” Speaking about his character, Ayushmann explained how he is shown as a “trapped husband.” “The audience will enjoy seeing his problems. There is a comedy of errors in this film. It is situational comedy, and the audience will understand it better when they watch the film,” he added. Ayushmann heaped praises on his co-stars Sara, Wamiqa and Rakul and director Mudassar Aziz. It was fun working with them. Mudassar’s writing is topnotch in this film,” he said. The film will release in theatres on May 15. —ANI How a military mission became a national emotion One year of Mona Wamiqa Gabbi, Ayushmann Khurrana, Sara Ali Khan and Rakul Preet Singh c m y b A year after India launched Operation Sindoor in the aftermath of the deadly Dibyendu Pahalgam terror Bhattacharya attack, the mission continues to hold a strong emotional and cultural presence across the country. What started as a decisive counter-terror operation quickly transformed into a larger symbol of national unity, sacrifice and resilience. Beyond strategic and political discussions, Operation Sindoor sparked an outpouring of sentiment on social media, inspired patriotic campaigns, drew support from public figures, and even Shivangi ignited interest within the Verma film industry. The operation’s codename struck a particularly emotional chord. Deeply embedded in Indian cultural identity, sindoor came to symbolise the pain and loss endured by families affected by the attack, especially the women whose lives were altered forever. Over the past year, online conversations repeatedly described the operation as “powerful,” “symbolic” and “unforgettable,” reflecting how deeply it resonated with the public imagination. Filmmaker Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri, who announced a film around the operation, posted on the anniversary of Operation Sindoor, along with a video issued by Indian Army, on X, “A year since India showed the world that peace is our nature, but silence is not our weakness. Today, I bow my head to the courage of our leadership led by @narendramodi and our brave army, and the spirit of every Indian who stood united in a moment of national resolve. And perhaps the greatest tribute we can offer is to ensure the story of Operation Sindoor is told to the world. Truthfully. Powerfully. So the world remembers what was defended, what was sacrificed, and what it cost to keep humanity alive. History remembers wars. Civilizations remember courage. Jai Hind…” Agnihotri reportedly joined hands with Bhushan Kumar and acquired the adaptation rights for the book Operation Sindoor: The Untold Story of India’s Deep Strikes Inside Pakistan by Lt Gen KJS Vivek ‘ Tiny’ Dhillon, Agnihotri announcing a film project “not to create noise, but to confront it: with facts, with clarity, and the magic of cinema.” Actor Dibyendu Bhattacharya, shared with Lifestyle, “As an Indian, I have always been immensely proud of my nation, the world’s largest democracy and that is something we always cherish. Since Independence, our soldiers have protected us with unmatched courage and selflessness. On the oneyear anniversary of Operation Sindoor, I salute our armed forces for safeguarding not just our people, but also the dignity and spirit of our peace-loving nation. This battle has always been for peace and for protecting our country against terrorism and external threats. ” Shivangi Verma shared, "Operation Sindoor is not just a military mission, it's an emotion that reflects the courage, sacrifice, and unwavering spirit of our armed forces. As India marks the first anniversary of this historic operation, I feel immense pride in being part of a nation that stands united in the face of every challenge."