30082026-LSTL-01.qxd 8/29/2026 10:43 PM Page 1 c m y b A MESSAGE FROM BIG B Amitabh Bachchan’s Raksha Bandhan message for his fans also carried prayers for those affected by the devastating floods in Nepal. Sharing his thoughts on Raksha Bandhan, the actor wrote, “May this bond of love, affection and care live eternally…” TRIBUNE Swine flu +ve Life Emraan Hashmi has tested positive for swine flu (H1N1), with the actor currently recovering after feeling unwell for the past few days. Hashmi has been in the news for the success of his latest release, Awarapan 2. LUDHIANA | SUNDAY | 30 AUGUST 2026 Turning small moments into big stories him toward film school instead. “As an actor, the power of yes or no stays on the other side. As a filmmaker, you create your own opportunities,” he says. Life, to him, works the same way. “Everything is transient. Just be present. Speak only when you have something important to say. Silence is truly golden.” AnanyaVerma I T took one week in Los Angeles to change the course of Manahar Kumar’s career. That week produced Beaten Down, a short film that premiered at the Samuel Goldwyn Theatre, where the Academy announces its Oscar nominations each year. “It wasn’t planned, but I feel really lucky, and the performances were very well received,” Kumar says. At its core is a dark comedy about desperation, about how far someone would go for legal status and family, played for laughs before the ache underneath surfaces. Asked why comedy for a subject this heavy, Kumar’s answer is simple, “Dark comedy is a sub-genre which is underutilised. If you tell a serious subject lightly, people start understanding the seriousness while laughing.” It’s a pattern in his work: an ordinary moment that stays with him until it becomes a film. The instinct goes back further than Los Angeles, to stage plays in Chandigarh, where Kumar first performed before he ever picked up the camera. That grounding shows in the run of recognition since: three Student Emmys so far, starting in 2018 with Kya Dekh Raha Hai?, a documentary marking his Chandigarh-based actor-filmmaker Manahar Kumar on listening before storytelling, finding films in the everyday life, and his hunger to make people laugh What’s next He’s writing two features, a family drama around an apple orchard, and a Partition-era story based on his great-grandmother’s journey. When it comes to acting, though, he’s ready to explore something lighter: “I’m hungry to act in a rom-com, something light, that makes people laugh.” For a filmmaker, who has spent years chasing weight and meaning, that’s its own kind of change. There are two or three philosophies that I follow in life. I try to keep my ears closed to gossip and speak only when I truly have something important to say. Otherwise, silence is golden. Everything is transient. Just be present. directorial debut, about children who make a living collecting and selling empty alcohol bottles. A thesis project at Savannah College of Art & Design later won him an Audience Award, and the most recent Student Emmy came not for directing but for acting, in Distant. Finding stories in the everyday His short Race began with a single image, in a park in Panchkula. “I saw a boy with striking yellow studs, competing against a boy who was barefoot. That image just stayed in my head,” he recalls. It grew into a film about a white American boy and a Black American girl in a bike race, carrying a double meaning in its title, the race between them, and the deeper one shaping how they're seen, set to an echo of Obama's 2008 speech. It won Best Indie Film at the New York Film Awards and Best Short Film at the Georgia Film Festival. Such stories, Kumar says, come from paying attention. "Everyone has a story. Be that listener." That same instinct led him to Badlaav Republic, born after he met a woman named Manju at a stitching station in Khuda Lahora, Chandigarh, and grew curious about her life. Manju is a member of Chhoti Si Asha, a Pearls are forever women-led non-profit that teaches underprivileged women traditional crafts like stitching and tailoring — the very skill through which she broke a patriarchal barrier. The film sets her story beside Badlaav, an after-school educational programme that tutors children from local village communities, weaving together one woman’s quiet defiance and the “utopic” world she helps build for the First looks of Drishyam The Conclusion’s characters unveiled After the standout eye campaign earlier this week, Ajay Devgn returns as Vijay Salgaonkar alongside Tabu, Shriya Saran and Rajat Kapoor while Jaideep Ahlawat and Prakash Raj enter the Drishyam world as Rajveer Singh Tomar and Indrajith Shetty, respectively. Few characters in Hindi cinema have captured the audience’s imagination quite like Vijay Salgaonkar. Across two blockbuster films, his battle to protect his family has made Drishyam one of Hindi cinema’s most successful and celebrated family thriller franchises. Now, as the story moves towards its final chapter, the world of Drishyam expands with new characters, new threats and higher stakes. The makers of Drishyam The Conclusion have unveiled a striking series of first look character posters, bringing audiences face to face with the key players who will shape the final chapter. — TNS PEARL-FULLY AESTHETIC: Kiara Advani Kiara Advani brings a pop of pink to the fore by donning a bright pink lehenga and keeps it pearl-fully aesthetic with a choker piece and statement pearl bracelet, all adding up to her outfit’s mood. MAXIMUM EFFECT: Janhvi Kapoor Maximalism is Janhvi Kapoor’s go-to style as she dons an exaggerated outfit and adds weight to it with a stack of pearl neckpiece in varied shapes, patterns and stacks. If fashion decor is a term, this look of Janhvi Kapoor defines it. OFFBEAT FASHION: Pragya Kapoor Producer Pragya Kapoor has frequently kept it offbeat, and she does it again by donning a sharp pantsuit and peppering it with a low-lying stack of pearl neckpiece. The contrast is evident. The style impact is indelible. VINTAGE VIBE: Alia Bhatt Alia Bhatt looks serene in a pristine white saree with pastel tones and floral prints. She amplifies it by layering the drape with a vintagelooking pearl choker that somehow stands out and brings the look full circle. (Clockwise from left) Shriya Saran, Jaideep Ahlawat, Tabu, Prakash Raj & Rajat Kapoor ‘Gaaliyan dena talent hai?’ WEDDING READY: Ananya Panday c m y b Kumar once dreamt of acting, but his grandfather steered returns for the finale There is something fabulously classy about pearls. Not only do they bring a vintage vibe, but they simply carry the charm of making any mediocre outfit look extraordinary. At times when minimal and dainty pieces have become a fleeting trend, Bollywood shows that pearls will be an all-time signature. Ananya Panday channels core Indian princess energy in an ivory ethnic piece and layers it with a staggering pearl neckpiece, maangtika and exaggerated studs, serving a perfect wardrobe for the wedding season. One look at these celebrities donning pearls, and you’d see that pearls were never lost in time! They continue to be the moment! From actor to filmmaker In the latest episode of Traitors 2, host Karan Johar spoke about Krystle D’Souza’s approach to the game and praised the way she has handled the pressure. Talking about her strategy, he told her, “You have played very, very smart game.” Krystle has largely stayed away from trying to control every conversation in the house. Her role as a 'Traitor' means that she has to keep her identity hidden while trying to send the 'Innocents' in the wrong direction. Krystle has managed to keep her reactions under control and has picked each of her moves carefully. Drishyam Janhvi Kapoor From Pragya Kapoor to Kiara Advani to Janhvi Kapoor: celebs & their love for pearls (Clockwise from top) Kiara Advani, Alia Bhatt and Pragya Kapoor next generation. The film has since won Best International Film at the Oregon Doc Film Festival, Best Documentary at the Georgia Documentary Film Festival, and earned a Student Emmy nomination, alongside selections at five international festivals. Krystle D’Souza’s game plan Ananya Panday Archana Puran Singh had a quick response when comedian Samay Raina took a dig at her vlogging during the latest episode of India’s Got Latent 2. The episode featured Archana and Orry, on the panel. Samay took a dig at Archana while speaking to a contestant. He said, “Did you say vlog? Vlogging doesn’t need talent”. Giving Samay a sharp comeback, Archana said, “gaaliyan dena talent hai?”