18072026-LSCB-01.qxd 7/17/2026 8:08 PM Page 1 c m y b THE UPRISING TRAILER DROPPED Andrew Garfield is set to take on an upcoming historical drama, The Uprising, stepping in as a rebellious leader against King Richard II. The trailer has been unveiled, showing Garfield in a never-before-seen avatar as Ploughman. The film is set to hit theatres on September 11. TRIBUNE Eating disorder Life Sana Saeed opened up about having the eating disorder, bulimia. In a video shared on Instagram, Sana shared how she would be worried about hiding and eating or having someone find her overeating. LUDHIANA | SATURDAY | 18 JULY 2026 Amit Rai’s film Ohh My Dog, which celebrates the bond between humans & dogs, is inspired by real-life experiences Mona A FTER winning hearts with Oh My God 2, filmmaker Amit Rai returns with another emotionally driven story — Ohh My Dog, a film that celebrates one of the purest relationships in the world: the bond between humans and dogs. Written, directed and produced by Amit, the inspiration was simple yet deeply emotional — the extraordinary love that dogs offer without expecting anything in return. “I just wanted to translate that love which a dog gives you. Unconditional love. To translate that, you need a story. And, a story is born.” ROOTED IN REAL EMOTIONS ‘Beyond extraordinary’ Shakira celebrates Messi after Argentina’s final spot triumph Pop queen Shakira turned cheerleader, passionately celebrating Lionel Messi and Argentina’s thrilling comeback victory over England in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-final in Atlanta. The singer, through a social media post, praised Messi’s extraordinary performance and wrote, “What @leomessi is doing is beyond extraordinary! It shows the values of a man who is deeply committed and disciplined, challenging times and all odds. Proving that a person is not defined by age or by what others say.” — ANI While Ohh My Dog is not based on one particular real-life incident, Amit says the emotion behind it comes from real experiences. “The story is not inspired by one incident, but the love is a reallife incident,” he explains. A dog lover himself, Amit reveals that his own pet inspired a personal connection with the film. His dog is named Oscar that is the name of one of the dogs in the film along with Bruno, who are the true heroes. The film features a strong ensemble cast, including Pankaj Tripathi and Pawan Malhotra, “Shooting experience was very good. If you have such good actors, your work becomes easier,” says Amit. Through he admits, he had never shot with a dog before. If, they posed any problems, Amit responds, “No no. They have done everything. I haven’t done anything.” Hindi cinema has explored emotional stories around animals before, but Amit believes Ohh My Dog comes from a different place. “I wrote a story of love,” he says. For him, the film is also a reflection on how humans treat the animals who have stood beside them for a long time. “They have been with us since we were A pawerful story THE EMOTIONAL JOURNEY OF DEAR JASSI A writer to begin with, Amit co-wrote Dear Jassi, a project that deeply affected him. He wrote the film during the pandemic while staying at a hotel. During that process, he felt a strong emotional Ohh My Dog is not just a connection with the story. “I felt like someone was saying in my film about a child and a ears that someone has suppressed dog, it is about learning to my story for years. You can make coexist with all living my voice heard,” he says. Amit beings. If audiences walk believes the story itself away with kindness in their guided him. “When the film was ready, I hearts towards animals, I sat in that room once will feel this film has truly again. I sat there for a achieved its purpose. long time. I felt like that girl herself told her story to the world.” born. They always follow their dharma. What we are doing with them is also the PEN AND PAPER Despite the changstory of our film.” ing landscape of SMALL-TOWN DREAMS TO CINEMA filmmaking, Amit Rai’s own journey has been shaped Amit remains by a lifelong love for films. Growing up old-school when it near Kalyan, he was introduced to cinema comes to writing. at home. “Back in time we used to watch Asked whether he films on VCR. I loved watching them, and writes on a computer or then started making them,” he puts phone, he smiles and says, humbly. His journey hasn’t been a piece of “I am an old man. I cake either. Though he studied science, write with pen and doing his bachelors in computer science, paper.” Writing, for followed by masters in arts, his heart him, never really stops. remained connected to storytelling. “My “I keep writing all the first film (Road to Sangam) came in 2009. time. Something or the other keeps running Mera bhi 14 saal ka banvas hai, had to wait in my mind,” he says. Amit also shares a 14 years for my next (OMG 2). warm connection with Chandigarh, having Gods TAAPSEE PANNU Actor Aamir Khan has rejected the long-standing claim that his character Phunsukh Wangdu in 3 Idiots was based on Ladakh-based engineer and activist Sonam Wangchuk, a clarification that comes as concern mounts over Wangchuk’s 20-day hunger strike. Speaking at a British Film Institute event in England, Khan addressed the question directly. “That is a misconception. I know I saw a video of Chatur (Omi Vaidya) recently. He is wrong. Neither director Rajkumar Hirani, nor writer Abhijat Joshi knew Wangchuk while making the film.” Khan added that Wangchuk’s contributions deserve recognition on their own terms, separate from any assumed connection to the 2009 film. “Mr Sonam has also said before that the character is not about him,” red carpet …three times celebrity jewellery caused an uproar At the Mumbai premiere of Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey this week, veteran actress Dimple Kapadia wore an oversized eye-shaped pendant inspired by Lord Shiva’s third eye, paired with amuletstyle hoop earrings and matching bangles. The look was widely praised, with coverage calling it a standout moment rooted in Indian craftsmanship rather than borrowed symbolism. Not every star gets that reception. For a handful of global celebrities, the same instinct to wear a Hindu deity or sacred symbol as an accessory has led to police complaints, official statements and years of unrelenting criticism. Here are three cases that defined that pattern. Rihanna’s Ganesh pendant, 2021 In February 2021, Rihanna posted a photograph of herself in Savage X Fenty boxers and a diamond-studded pendant of Lord Ganesh. The image spread rapidly online, with many commenters accusing her of reducing a sacred figure to a prop in a lingerie campaign. The controversy escalated beyond social media, drawing public criticism in India and prompting an official response. Kim Kardashian’s Om earrings, 2021 Kim Kardashian wore large Aamir denies Wangchuk link to 3 Idiots on the Ananya Verma visited the city several times for work. “I have come to Chandigarh four times. I love Chandigarh,” he says, adding that he may shoot his next project in the city. With Ohh My Dog, Amit Rai hopes audiences experience the simple but powerful emotion at the heart of the film — the love of a companion who never leaves your side. Ohh My Dog hits cinemas on July 31. hoop earrings bearing the Om symbol, one of Hinduism’s central spiritual signs, chanted in prayers rather than worn as jewellery. The images drew sharp criticism from users who felt a sacred sound was being treated as a fashion motif. Not every response was hostile; some Hindu commenters defended her, saying she was drawing attention to the symbol rather than disrespecting it. Taapsee Pannu’s Lakshmi necklace, 2023 Actress Taapsee Pannu faced a police complaint over a similar choice. As showstopper at Lakme Fashion Week, she wore a plunging-neckline gown with a gold necklace carrying a carved Lakshmi pendant. A religious organisation filed a complaint accusing her of hurting religious sentiments and the image of Sanatan Dharma, and police confirmed the case had been registered. drew comparable heat for an Instagram post showing an image tied to the goddess Kali, casually captioned, which critics said reduced a revered figure to a throwaway caption. A recurring fault line, with one recent exception Beyond jewellery: Bindis and Instagram posts Across pendants, earrings and bindis, the objection has stayed remarkably consistent: sacred imagery loses its meaning the moment it is treated as merely decorative. Dimple’s reception last week shows the calculus isn’t fixed. The line between reverence and appropriation was never really about the object itself. It was always about who wore it, why, and whether the story behind it was told with the same care as the craftsmanship. The backlash has never been limited to what a celebrity wears around the neck or ears. Selena Gomez drew similar criticism for a bindi, the forehead mark rooted in Hindu tradition, worn during MTV Movie Awards performances in 2013 and 2017; Hindu community leaders both times said the mark carried religious significance and was not meant to be used as a passing fashion statement. Katy Perry DIMPLE KAPADIA c m y b Khan said, noting that everyone was concerned about Wangchuk’s life and health and hoped he would end his fast. Wangchuk himself has repeatedly said that while the film may have been influenced by his work, the character was not his story. During an appearance on Kaun Banega Crorepati, he said, “If you say inspired, then I won’t deny it. A lot of people say the film is based on me, but I don’t agree with that. The right word is that it may have been inspired or influenced. At the same time, I don’t want people in this country to accept something simply because it is associated with a film. So, even if the film is influenced by me, I am not very proud of it. And if it is not inspired by me, I don’t regret it either.” — Ananya Verma ‘Main abhineta hun, neta nahin hun’ Actor Vivek Oberoi has declined to take a position on activist Sonam Wangchuk’s hunger strike, telling reporters that he prefers to steer clear of political subjects altogether. Asked about the protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, Oberoi said, “Yaar main abhineta hun, neta nahin hun. Toh main political cheezon pe dhyaan nahi deta hun. Hum toh observe karte hai, seekhte hai. Life mein bohot kuch dekhne aur seekhne ko mil raha hai.” Pressed further on what he made of the protest, Oberoi turned the conversation toward the health of India’s democratic system rather than the specifics of Wangchuk’s demands. “Observe ye kiya hai ki ye bhi ek nayi cheez thi aur mujhe lagta hai ek healthy democracy mein har awaaz ko apni jagah milti hai. Ye logo ne agar apni awaaz vyakt ki hai toh ye healthy democracy ka sign hai,” he said.