05092026-LSTC-01.qxd 9/4/2026 9:14 PM Page 1 c m y b PRIYANKA DOES IT AGAIN! Priyanka Chopra has carved a remarkable space for herself, not just in the cinematic world but also in the global fashion industry. And now she is all set to present the prestigious Karl Lagerfeld Prize at this year’s LVMH Prize ceremony. TRIBUNE Life New single Miley Cyrus released Bass Persuades, the first single from her upcoming 10th studio album. Sharing the music video, Miley wrote on Instagram, “Bass Persuades. The Single. Out now.” LUDHIANA | SATURDAY | 5 SEPTEMBER 2026 Crispy crust, warm filling! Mona F Colour, chaos & secrets Inside the Bigg Boss 20 house Ravleen Kaur What if a house could hide a secret in plain sight? That seems to be the question at the heart of the Bigg Boss 20 house. It is bright, eccentric and almost deliberately overwhelming, filled with surreal objects and flashes of colour that refuse to behave like conventional décor. But beneath the visual excess is something more interesting: the feeling that the house is constantly withholding something. For its 20th season, Bigg Boss has turned its familiar reality-show setting into a world of fantasy and visual surprises. Conceptualised by art director Varsha Jain, the design is unapologetically maximalist. Nothing is quite what it first appears to be. When the familiar turns fantastical The house thrives on unexpected combinations. Ordinary objects take on extraordinary forms, oversized installations dominate familiar spaces and bursts of colour give even functional corners a sense of theatre. A circus master appears to welcome you in, while one of the bedrooms leans into a honeybee theme, with a hive and touches of gold shaping the space. The details are whimsical without feeling disconnected from the larger design. The kitchen, for instance, gets a street-style personality as the BB food truck, while a tap blooming with flowers turns an everyday utility into a playful visual. A giant gorilla takes over the washroom area, while oversized chess pieces bring the idea of strategy into the décor. Then there is the shark-shaped pool, surrounded by wolves, snakes, parrots and other larger-than-life elements. The result is deliberately excessive — somewhere between a fantasy playground, a circus and a wonderfully chaotic dream. The idea behind the illusion On World Samosa Day, meet celebs for whom this triangular delight is more than a snack—it’s an emotion, a ritual & a celebration OR some, a samosa is simply a snack. For a true samosa lover, it is an emotion, a ritual and a celebration. On World Samosa Day, meet Chandigarh actor Kanwalpreet Singh, whose relationship with the humble triangular pastry (as the West would call it) goes far beyond evening chai. A hardcore samosa lover, Kanwalpreet doesn’t order his samosas one at a time. He goes five at one go—finishes them and then orders another five. On a usual day, eight to 10 isn’t unusual. And if it’s the smaller PVR samosa, he orders two plates, with four in each.If you happen to accompany him, you can be rest assured, you’ll get your own. Kanwalpreet simply doesn’t share his samosas. “Samosayan di gall hi hor hai,” he says. Ask him where to find the best samosa in town and he doesn’t hesitate: Gopal, Sector 8. Visiting the joint with his cousins from abroad, he discovered that the humble snack goes far beyond the familiar aloo filling. There are gobhi, paneer and other varieties. “And not just a piece of paneer but an entire filling,” he says. “There are varieties for every preference too—thin-layered, double-layered and even four-layered samosas. As he describes them, one almost starts salivating. So, what makes the samosa worthy of its own day celebrated around the world? “The beauty of samosa is that it’s always served fresh. Nobody can serve you a stale samosa, for you will know.” From the crispness of the layer to the quality of the filling, one can tell with the very first bite. “Probably that makes it popular. Add to it the two chutneys – green and red – flaky layer falling all over as you dip it in chutney… aha ha ha ha,” he paints the complete picture. For an actor who has to stay fit, however, there are times when the samosa has to take the back seat. Sometimes, Kanwalpreet stays away from samosas for months altogether. Currently, he is off sugar too—but World Samosa Day is clearly an exception worth making. He is ready to tuck into 10–12 samosas, just like that. “I’ll balance it out by cycling as many kilometres,” he says. “That’s in one’s hands.” Patiala de samose Singer Ravneet Rabab loved samosas growing up and fondly remembers Maholtra Sweets, Patiala, where she grew up. “It’s like the OG, nostalgic place. I have relatives who would specially take their imli wali chutney to go with their classic aloo filling samosas!” If you are a learner, inspiration can come from anywhere and anyone. A fictional character, a family member, a colleague, a spiritual figure, a book, or even a place can leave a lasting impression and teach us something about life. This Teacher’s Day, actors reflect on the people and personalities they have looked up to, the lessons they have carried with them, and the unexpected sources that have shaped who they are today. Two rooms, two big questions LIKE MOTHER, LIKE SON I am a samosa lover. I think we all are. I mean samosa, it’s like a warm hug in food form. And in every house, if a guest comes, it’s samosa; it’s raining, so samosa. There’s nothing to eat, so samosa. And even the leftover samosa, I think the next day, I love eating cold samosa with tea. So, I think samosa is just love. I mean nothing can beat samosa at all. And, my core memory with samosa is that when we used to visit our grandmother in Himachal, she used to treat us kids to samosas and jalebis. You’re never tired of eating samosa every day. When we used to celebrate birthdays in the 90s, samosa was a must. So, samosa is a beautiful, beautiful feeling. And my son Saibhang has inherited my love for samosas. I usually prefer samosas from Gopal’s, and Sindhi (Sweets). Then there is Amrit Sweets in Mohali. Wherever we find good samosas, we have a samosa party.” — Surilie Gautam, actor, producer, entrepreneur Aloo samosas to chocolate twists For actor Davy Grewal, the samosa is as much a childhood memory as it is a snack. Growing up, samosas were the family’s go-to evening treat. In Ludhiana, Sharma Halwai was a familiar favourite, while in Chandigarh, the Sector 14 market at Panjab University continues to stand out for its simple, crisp, not-too-oily samosas— best enjoyed with jalebi. His samosa memories stretch to his university days in Patiala, too. While studying law at Punjabi University, Grewal remembers a canteen run by Bhagwan Das, whose samosas came packed with paneer and peas filling. Grewal has also seen the hum- Lessons for life OWNING DECISIONS: Ashmita Bakshi And then comes Jeevandan The mystery becomes even more interesting with the season’s Jeevandan theme, which introduces the possibility of another chance after elimination — essentially, a second life in the Bigg Boss universe. Suddenly, the house’s obsession with illusion begins to make sense. An ending may not necessarily be an ending. A door may lead somewhere unexpected. And the contestant viewers believe has left the game may still have a story left to tell. “During my growing-up days, I used to have samosas at University Sweets at Panjab University! I had a pattern—samosa plus chai followed with one besan ka laddoo! Uff yaar, kya yaad dila diya. I will have to now come back to Chandigarh only for this!” — Aparshakti Khurana, actor ble samosa take some decidedly modern turns. One that stayed with him was the chocolate samosa from Samosa Junction. “Shaped like a traditional samosa, it swapped the savoury filling for something closer to a gujiya, with coconut and chocolate tucked inside. They also had different varieties, including non-vegetarian options.” A bite of history Samosa Day is celebrated on September 5 since 2013, giving the beloved snack its own moment on the calendar. But the samosa’s story goes back cen(Clockwise turies. Thought to have originated in from top) the Middle-East and Iranian plateau, Aparshakti Khurana, the snack travelled Eastwards and is Surilie Gautam with believed to have reached India son, Davy Grewal & around the 13th–14th centuries, Kanwalpreet brought by traders and travellers. Singh Actors open up about the people and personalities who have influenced their journeys, both personally and professionally The house is built around duality — the idea that what you see may not always be the complete truth. It is also one of the defining ideas of Bigg Boss itself. Contestants enter with one identity and, as the game unfolds, reveal another. Allies become rivals, the strongest can suddenly become vulnerable, and players who initially seem easy to overlook can become impossible to ignore. This season takes that contradiction and turns it into architecture. That question leads straight to Room No. 20 and 2XO. The two rooms add another layer of mystery to an already unpredictable house. Their purpose and surprises are being kept under wraps, making them among the most intriguing elements of the season. What is behind those doors? Who will get access to them? And could they change the dynamics of the game? For now, the house offers only enough clues to keep the questions alive. Together, Room No. 20 and 2XO suggest that the Bigg Boss house may have more dimensions than the ones viewers can immediately see. These spaces feel less like decorative additions and more like pieces of a larger puzzle. SAMOSA & CHAI The fictional character who has inspired me the most is Geet from Jab We Met. Her dialogue, “I don’t want to blame anyone for where I am today. I want to be the person that I am just because of my own decisions,” is something I strictly follow. KEEP FAITH: Arhaan Khan CRITIC & SUPPORTER: Rinhee Suberwal My father has been the most inspirational teacher in my life, not because he has always had an answer for me, but because he has taught me how to find my own answers. He has been my hero in the truest sense. If I had to define the greatest lesson my father has given me, it would be this: life will have its highs, its lows, its surprises and its lessons, but you should never let one chapter define the whole story. The only teacher in my life who has changed my life 360 degrees is my grandmother, Manjula Das Gupta. I look up to her because she is the one who believed in my potential and abilities and taught me how to lead life. She was my finest critic and helped me improve as an individual and as a human being. She was a big risk-taker and made her own name in the West Bengal playback industry. She managed to be a fantastic mother, grand- c m y b mother and friend. Till her last breath, she was very loyal and never complained about anything in life. I am nowhere close to her, but I am trying to be a little bit like her. GUIDING LIGHTS: Dinesh Soni When I look back at my journey, I realise I have had not one guru, but many. My parents were my first teachers, giving me my values and foundation. Teachers like R P Mishra sir taught me that failure is never the end. People like Navneet Rathi, Gurpreet Kaur Sethi, Mumukshu Mudgal and my acting mentors guided me at different stages of my artistic journey. My friends, too, taught me valuable lessons about life. Shekhar Suman sir inspired me to explore anchoring and presentation. For me, every person who has helped me grow has been a guru. SELF- BELIEF: Aishwarya Raj Bhakuni If I talk about someone from real life, I would say Sriti Jha has been a huge inspiration for me. The way she conducts herself is something I deeply admire. She is so grounded, humble, loving and caring. Despite being such a wonderful and successful actor, she has absolutely no airs about her. Whether she is interacting with a spot boy or a director, she treats everyone with the same warmth and respect. That quality is very rare. She has also unknowingly taught me something very important about being independent. I used to have this insecurity that if I didn’t get married or find the “perfect” person, how would I manage life on my own? Watching Sriti ji live so confidently and independently has changed that perspective for me. It has given me the courage to realise that I can build a beautiful life for myself, with or without someone beside me. DIVINE PATH: Gauri Jain When I think about the most inspirational teacher in my life, the first name that comes to my mind is Hanuman ji. For me, He is not only a divine figure whom I worship, but also a lifelong teacher whose qualities have deeply influenced the way I look at life, spirituality and my work as an astrologer. Hanuman ji teaches me that when our faith is strong, even the most difficult circumstances can be faced with courage. His complete surrender to Shri Ram is a beautiful example of unwavering faith. Hanuman ji reminds me that fear should never become bigger than our purpose. His courage inspires me whenever life presents a difficult challenge. Hanuman ji also teaches me the value of serving others with sincerity and dedication.