19062026-LSTC-01.qxd 6/19/2026 12:40 AM Page 1 c m y b TRIBUNE Mission India Life Cinema buffs in India are in for a treat as legendary filmmaker Christopher Nolan and Hollywood star Tom Holland will visit Mumbai soon for the global premiere of their film, The Odyssey. CHANDIGARH | FRIDAY | 19 JUNE 2026 PHOTO: PRADEEP TEWARI Rahman on ‘anti-national’ remark MARKUS, JAOUAD EL GAROUGE AND CHEB XAVI Alright Mela kicks off India tour in Chandigarh on Thursday as part of Fête de la Musique 2026 Anticipation continues to build around Alia Bhatt and Sharvari-starrer upcoming action thriller Alpha with the trailer adding more fuel to the excitement. Internationally acclaimed action director Craig Macrae, one of the film's key creative collaborators, is full of praise for the leading ladies, Alia and Sharvari. In a statement, Macrae credited their preparation, discipline and work ethic to pull off some really brutally hand-to-hand action sequences. Noting that Alia will bring the ‘unexpected’, he said, "What sets Alia Bhatt apart from those other female stars is that, I think, her work ethic is absolutely incredible. She's really put in a lot of time and a lot of effort into preparing for Alpha. She was really dedicated to the movie, and I think that's going to be the thing that really makes a huge difference in her on-screen presence." He further said that Alia's commitment extended beyond the film's demanding action requirements . "Not only just for the action preparation, she obviously did a lot of work for the preparation as the character as well. She's one of those people who you can really feel is willing to put in the amount of work that is required and then some, to go above and beyond what's needed for the film," Macrae added. — ANI When Gnawa meets electro beats erance, coexistence and identity, drawing on both historical experiences and contemporary realities. Vocalist Jaouad El Garouge grew up immersed in the tradition in Essaouira on Morocco’s Atlantic coast. Alongside him Cheb Xavi handles keyboards and electronics, while and Somalia arrive every day carrying experiences and losses that are hard to put into words. “It is not possible to not be sensible to that subject,” he says. He does not call it activism. “We don’t have time only to fight. We also bring a message.” Cheb Xavi adds, “We make poetry around these WHAT’S HOT play eat C Markus plays electric oud. Together, the trio moves between Europe, the Maghreb and the Middle East, creating music that reaches the body before the mind. The songs are not light. Jaouad lives in Paris, where he watches displacement up close—people from Syria, Iran love SOLO SHOWS POETRY MEETS MELODY HEATRE enthusiasts in Shimla will get a chance to witness three solo plays on June 21 at Gaiety Theatre. The festival, Ekant Sangam, will feature three solo plays, including one from Himachal Pradesh, and one each from West Bengal and Jammu and Kashmir. The event will kick off with Maa Mujhe Tagore Bna De by an actor from J&K. It will continue with Journey From Darkness to Light and will conclude with Antim Yatri. TUDIO MASTAANI is set to host a soulful evening of Sufi music with Saaz-e-Mehfil on June 27. Beginning at 9 pm, the threehour concert will immerse audiences aged 16 and above in timeless ghazals, poetic renditions and live acoustic instrumentation. Promising an intimate atmosphere where classic poetry meets melody, the event invites music lovers to experience a captivating sufiana safar. MANGO MANIA ELEBRATE mango season at Yazu, where the king of fruits takes the center-stage in a specially curated Pan-Asian dining experience. Guests can indulge in innovative sushi creations, chef-crafted specialties, and refreshing mango-infused beverages that blend tropical sweetness with rich umami flavours. From signature cocktails to vibrant culinary delights, every dish is designed to showcase mango in exciting forms. shimla ethic is incredible’ chandigarh ‘Alia’s work T HERE are songs that entertain. And then there are songs that we remember. On Thursday night in Chandigarh, Alright Mela played both at once. The band performed as part of Fête de la Musique 2026, the global French music celebration. At the heart of their sound is Gnawa, a tradition rooted in the history of sub-Saharan Africans enslaved in North Africa and sustained through trance, rhythm, and collective memory. Their music explores deep themes of migration, tol- problems, to welcome people to understand.” The result is music that holds grief and joy in the same breath, which is, in fact, exactly what Gnawa has always done. “It is like a ceremony,” Jaouad says. “You dance until you are in a trance. The body has to talk also.” Asked what he wanted the audience to take home, he did not hesitate. “A moment of joy. People live together in love. This is our first and last message.” By the end of the night, it did not matter where the music came from. It only mattered that the room was moving. The band performs next in Hyderabad on June 21. T ludhiana Ananya Verma Oscar-winning composer AR Rahman has reacted to the social media debate surrounding Imtiaz Ali’s latest film Main Vaapas Aaunga, dismissing criticism that branded the movie ‘antinational’ with a laughing emoji on Instagram. A section of social media users questioned its portrayal of Pakistan in a mocking way. — ANI S Backlash, course correction & a bigger question Nonika Singh Creative liberty vs social responsibility is not a new debate in Indian cinema. Makers often cross the line of decency, especially while portraying women. Lewd items numbers are often forced into the narrative with equally obscene matkas and jhatkas. The raison d’etre; to titillate certain section of viewers. Objectification of women has been, far too brazen and risqué for women’s ( any sensitive person’s) comfort. Yet, nothing matters more than commercial success. So, when Ram Charan’s sports drama Peddi stirred a hornet’s nest, one dismissed the natter around it as just another social media pastime. Chorus rose against Janhvi Kapoor’s representation in Peddi. As a rule, sports films come under flak for not getting the technicalities of the sport right. Only Peddi sparked outrage among netizens for the manner in which camera panned over Janhvi’s anatomy. REWIND & RAMBLE The outrage over the hypersexualisation of the heroine in Peddi made director Buchi Babu Sana take corrective measures. But has the film industry truly learnt its lesson? Movies come and go… yet what remains constant is women’s representation, invariably leaving a lot to be desired. A Ma Behen and A Shape of Momo are exceptions rather than the norm. Yet, strangely enough the POV on Jahnvi’s Achiyyamma was near unanimous. So much so the heroine herself ended up liking a post which criticised her portrayal dubbing it c m y b the ‘most expensive disrespect to a woman.’ More news stories followed public indignation. One even suggesting that hero Ram Charan had actually stood up for Janhvi when she felt uncomfortable during the shooting of the scenes. If on one hand outrage grew, on the other so did business of the movie clocking nearly Rs 400 crores on the box office. Given the fact that audiences had given Peddi their stamp of approval, one didn’t expect any reaction let alone an apology from the makers. Yet, the director, Buchi Babu Sana, wrote, “We have heard the feedback regarding certain scenes in Peddi and have taken it seriously. If any part of the film has been perceived that way, we respect those sentiments, understand the concerns being raised, and sincerely apologise.” Furthermore, he also promised to make necessary changes in the film. In the light of defence of the film by his lyricist Anantha Sriram, one didn’t make much of his new posturing. But guess what! Sana walked the talk and the edit- ed version of the film sans those objectionable scenes is apparently running in theatres. Clearly, what critics—despite their scathing reviews of Peddi—could not achieve, social media has. Is social media the new censor… the robust new voice ushering change? Let’s see what stance the vigilantes take when Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Animal Park, which he has threatened will be meaner, and more vicious (read more misogynist too) releases. For now, we can take solace in the fact that the industry, which rarely sees beyond the curves of a woman, has seen reason. Acceptance is the first step in attitudinal transformation. But before you say three cheers to power of social media, remember men like lyricist Anantha, who perceives this entire debate around Peddi as unwarranted online intrusion in creative choices, are still around. Perhaps, next time when a heroine is hypersexualised, don’t expect makers to buckle down so easily. But as James Baldwin said, “Nothing can be changed until it is faced.”