06092026-LSTL-01.qxd 05-09-2026 23:34 Page 1 c m y b AKSHAY & SAIF IN THE HOTSEAT In the latest episode of Kaun Banega Crorepati, host Amitabh Bachchan welcomes Akshay Kumar, Saif Ali Khan, and Priyadarshan to the hotseat. Nothing brewing Rohit Saraf shuts down dating rumours with Pratibha Ranta, asks fans to watch The Revolutionariesinstead Rohit Saraf has had enough of the dating questions. When a fan commented on his Instagram post asking “Are you guys dating, or are you guys dating?” the actor’s reply was direct. “No, we acted in a show together that’s releasing on 11th September. Please watch The Revolutionaries on Prime Video,” he wrote. Rumours about Rohit and co-star Pratibha Ranta began in late 2025 after they were spotted dancing together at Nikkhil Advani’s Diwali party. — TNS TRIBUNE Doctor’s cut Life Miss World Uganda Elle Muhoza wore a custom creation, titled The Layers of Life, by designer Keesha Abdallah during the 17th edition of the Vietnam Beauty Fashion Fest. LUDHIANA | SUNDAY | 6 SEPTEMBER 2026 Breaking new ground Subhash K Jha N IMISHA SAJAYAN is a highly acclaimed actress who primarily works in the Malayalam, Tamil, and Hindi film industries. Known for her raw, powerful, and emotionally deep performances, she won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Actress in 2018 for her work in Oru Kuprasidha Payyan and Chola. With The Great Indian Kitchen (2021) she gained pan-Indian recognition for her powerful portrayal of a newlywed navigating patriarchal oppression. In her latest web series, Babita Singh Reporting, she plays a suspended police officer, who is investigating her childhood friend’s murder. She talks about her character and more. In Babita Singh Reporting your performance as the suspended cop leaves room for the character to be emotionally and physically vulnerable. What was your selfinstruction while playing Babita? We see her go through so much. I wanted all those emotions to feel real, raw and authentic. Babita is repeatedly fat shamed by Nimisha Sajayan, who became a pan-Indian favourite with The Great Indian Kitchen, talks about playing a cop in Hindi web series Babita Singh Reporting her husband and relatives and also exploited by her seniors. By all outward definitions, she is a loser and yet you made her a hero. How did you achieve this? As a woman, I can relate to what she is going through. She is constantly being fat shamed and exploited by her seniors at work. But at some point she starts recognising these patterns and finds the courage to break out of them. That’s when she begins to evolve as a person. Her heroism lies in finding her own voice. Most of your films are in Malayalam and South Indian languages. What was it like shooting in Hindi? This is my second Hindi film, and it was honestly one of the best experiences I’ve had on a film set. I really enjoyed the entire process of becoming Baby (Babita) and I’m so glad I got to experience this journey. The entire team was incredible and I got the opportunity to work with some amazing actors. Which among your enormously accomplished performances do you consider to be gamechangers? For me, every film that I’ve been a part of has played an important role in my journey. I’ve learned something different on every set and from every experience. The Great Indian Kitchen was very special because it helped me reach a larger audience. Dabba Cartel and my character Mala were loved by the audience. c m y b Do you find The Great Indian Kitchen a hard act to beat? I treat every film and every character differently. The Great Indian Kitchen is done, and I don’t really look back at it in that way. My focus is always on what’s coming next. You largely shoulder scripts. Was it liberating to do an ensemble piece in Dabba Cartel? Dabba Cartel was a completely different experience. I was surrounded by some of the most talented actors and imagine being supported by four amazing female actors. It was such a fun experience. Working with Jyotika and Shabana m’aam was truly special. They are brilliant actors, and just watching and sharing the space with them was a learning experience in itself. What’s next? I’m currently working on Tamil projects. There’s also a very interesting series that is getting ready to be released soon. Where do you see yourself five or 10 years from now? Five or 10 years from now…I hope I’ll still be doing films and continuing to be a part of good cinema.