13102026-LSTL-01.qxd 10/12/2026 7:56 PM Page 1 c m y b NAKHREWAALII ON OCTOBER 30 Upcoming romantic comedy Nakhrewaalii, starring newcomers Ansh Duggal and Pragati Srivastava, is set to hit theatres on October 30, 2026, promising a fresh take on love, relationships and gender roles. The film’s quirky poster carries the tagline, “Kabhi kabhi pyaar mein Majnu ko bhi Laila banna padta hai.” TRIBUNE Shoot begins Life Bipasha Basu has started shoot for Hansal Mehta’s new series. The project marks Basu’s return to acting after a long hiatus, following the birth of her daughter, Devi. LUDHIANA | TUESDAY | 13 OCTOBER 2026 N AVRATRI may be synonymous with vibrant Garba nights, colourful outfits and prayers to Goddess Durga, but its significance extends far beyond the festivities. For some, it is a time for introspection and confronting personal flaws; for others, it is a reminder to stand up for women’s dignity, choose kindness over bitterness and remain rooted in faith. Here’s knowing more… The many shades Right thing: Munisha Khatwani For me, Navratri is about good karma triumphing over bad karma. It is about controlling our minds and actions, resisting temptation and choosing to do the right thing. I spent much of my childhood abroad, so my memories of the festival are limited, but I remember attending Garba sessions in my early teens. The dancing and festive atmosphere remain special childhood memories. Following faith: Rinhee Suberwal Navratri is a colourful festival, and the significance of Navdurga as a healer is important to me and my family. We celebrate with Garba, rituals and mantra japa, with everyone following traditions according to their beliefs and cultural backgrounds. I believe that reciting a mantra with faith helps us find what we need in life. Some of my fondest memories are of accompanying my grandmother, a playback singer, to her programmes and performances. Those moments with her remain unforgettable. Ashtami prasad: Kislay Dutt The victory of good over evil is a daily choice. Today, our battles often involve doubt, ego, impatience, burnout and the temptation to compromise our values. Choosing discipline over Sunny Deol turns to crime As the year draws to a close, Bollywood superstar Sunny Deol is all set to surprise his fans with his upcoming film Suryaa. On Monday, the makers announced the film will be out on November 20. The film also stars Ravi Kishan and Pragya Jaiswal, bringing together a compelling ensemble for the crime thriller. Speaking about the film, producer Kamal Mukut said, “I signed Sunny Deol for two films — Gadar 2and SURYAA. We began with Gadar 2, and it became history. Motivated by its success, and drawing upon my experience of more than five decades in the industry, I created SURYAA. The film takes the audience through a never-before-seen avatar of Sunny Deol, interestingly woven across three phases of his life journey. This gripping thriller is designed to transport audiences into two different eras.” — ANI Family time: Jyoti Tiwari For me, the triumph of good over evil lies in everyday choices: choosing positivity over negativity, forgiving others and staying true to yourself despite difficult circumstances. Navratri has always meant family preparations, music, dressing up and the excitement of celebrating together. What I miss most is the simplicity of childhood, when festivals were about being with loved ones and enjoying little moments. Even today, Navratri music takes me straight back to those memories. Festive feel: Aishwarya Raj Bhakuni With age, the victory of good over evil has become more personal for me. It means choosing the right path even when life gives you reasons to become bitter. Difficult experiences may hurt us, but true strength lies in retaining our kindness, dignity and faith. My favourite Navratri memories are of dressing up and playing dandiya with friends for hours. Amid today’s hectic life in Mumbai, I cherish those carefree nights of dancing, laughter and togetherness even more. MUNISHA KHATWANI Women dignity: Sherleen Dutt I don’t think women need to be worshipped as goddesses for nine days if they cannot be respected as human beings for the remaining 356. We celebrate Kanya Pujan, yet women continue to fight for safety and dignity. Worshipping Shakti must go beyond rituals; it must reflect in how we raise our sons, speak about women and respond to injustice. The real celebration would be a society where women are treated with dignity every day. Mona Thriller Suryaa set for November 20 release laziness, empathy over anger and integrity over convenience is how we let light prevail. One of my fondest memories is the aroma of fresh prasad on Ashtami morning, as my mother prepared pooris, chana and halwa for Kanya Pujan. Visiting Durga Puja pandals, enjoying bhog and celebrating with family and friends made those days feel like home. For Dr Gurpreet Singh Dhugga, storytelling has always been about making sense of life. A physician by profession and a writer by passion, Dhugga’s creative journey has taken him from the pages of Punjabi fiction to the world of cinema, with his novel Chaali Din now available to audiences worldwide through OTT release. Born in Khambra village in Jalandhar, Punjab, Dhugga completed his MBBS from Government Medical College, Patiala, before moving to the United States, where he pursued an MD in Medicine from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He went on to specialise in Palliative Medicine and Geriatric Medicine. Yet alongside a demanding medical career, literature remained a constant presence in his life. That intersection between professional experience, personal observation and imagination lies at the heart of Chaali Din. “Any writing is a mix of author’s observations, experience and imagination,” Dhugga says. For him, authenticity is what allows a story to connect with readers, and he believes it is one of the reasons Chaali Din touched such a wide audience. The concept of Chaali Din remained with him for more than a year before he finally began writing it. The first draft took approximately six months, followed by another six months of revisions and refinement. The novel eventually found an audience far beyond what its author initially imagined. With around 1.5 lakh copies sold, Chaali Din travelled across the Punjabi diaspora, reaching readers in different parts of the world. As the popularity of the book grew, people from the film industry approached Dhugga about acquiring the rights. Even- PAGES TO PIXELS Dhugga’s bestseller Chaali Din enjoys OTT run tually, he realised that the transition from literature to cinema was perhaps inevitable — and that he wanted to be personally involved in the process. The resulting feature film, directed by Tarnvir Singh Jagpal and featuring Gurpreet Ghuggi in the lead role, presented Dhugga with an entirely new creative challenge. He was involved in the film as its writer and producer, giving him the opportunity to help ensure that the essence of the novel survived the transition to another medium. “The first challenge was to capture the soul of this nov- c m y b el within a screenplay of 60–70 scenes,” he explains. Compressing the inner world of a novel into a finite number of scenes therefore required a different approach. The film that released in June this year, got positive response. Yet Dhugga does not see the book and film as competitors. Instead, he considers them complementary works. His primary concern during the adaptation was to preserve what he calls the “soul” of Chaali Din — its understanding of human struggles as a universal experience that transcends time, race, gender and geography. “Over the years I realised a common thread which transcends our cultures and beliefs,” he says, “and that is what raw human survival is.” That insight has also shaped his worldview as an immigrant. Living away from India, Dhugga says, pushed him outside his comfort zone and exposed him to different cultural beliefs and ways of life. Much like travelling, he believes that experiencing another society broadens one’s perspective. It also helped him recognise that beneath outward differences, people are fundamentally alike. Now, with Chaali Din on OTT, Dhugga is particularly excited about the film’s ability to reach audiences beyond the traditional Punjabi literary world. The novel has already travelled extensively through the global Punjabi community; he hopes the film will follow the same path and bring the story into homes across the world. For him, however, the journey is not about simply turning a successful book into a film. It is about carrying a particular understanding of human life from one medium to another. Chaali Din is streaming on KableOne. Actor Sanjay Dutt has lauded 21-year-old producer Anupriya Nagar for her work on the film Hanuman Ansh, calling her journey remarkable and wishing her success in her future projects. Sanjay shared a picture on Instagram that showed him posing with Anupriya and praised her for the work she has done at such a young age. The actor, who has been part of the film industry for decades, said he had seen many films come and go, but Anupriya’s work stood out to him. Congratulating the young producer, Sanjay wrote, “I’ve seen films come and go, and some make history. But what you’ve achieved for @Hanuman Ansh at just 21 is truly remarkable! @anupriyanagar2709.” The actor also lauded Anupriya for bringing people to support the film. The actor said her passion had helped turn a small film into something much bigger. “It takes passion to turn a small film into something so big, and the way you’ve brought people together, with everyone’s blessings, is outstanding!” he wrote. “God bless you, bachcha. I’m so proud of you and will always stand by you in all your projects. Your story has only just begun,” he added. Hanuman Ansh is written and directed by Vishal Chaturvedi. The film is based on the life and teachings of Neeb Karori Baba, popularly known as Maharaj Ji. — ANI WHAT’S HOT laugh R 90’S WAALE AJIV Thakur, known for his performances on The Kapil Sharma Show, brings his signature comic timing with a hilarious stories and spontaneous humour. It’s on October 17. Studio XO, Mohali play GARBA FUSION 3.0 T WO nights, two powerpacked experiences, one massive Garba celebration, featuring DJ Suketu with iconic remixes. It’s on from October 17 to 18. HLP Galleria, Mohali learn U TIE DYE ART NLEASH your creativity in this vibrant workshop, learning cool tiedye techniques and colour combinations to create bold, personalised patterns on fabric. It’s on October 18. Olive Cafe and Bar, Chandigarh. ISTOCK Celebs reflect on finding festival’s meaning in faith, family and celebratory outfits mohali Singer Diljit Dosanjh is all set to embark on his muchawaited India tour, with his first stop in the national capital. As announced by Diljit’s team, his concert has been preponed in New Delhi, as it is now scheduled to take place on October 30, 2026, at the JLN Stadium. Earlier, the New Delhi concert was set to be held on November 1. “The Delhi show of Diljit Dosanjh’s RuPay Aura India Tour has been rescheduled to October 30th, 2026. Dilli, paaji will definitely be performing for you! All existing tickets will remain valid for the rescheduled show. If you’re unable to attend on the new date and wish to request a refund, you will receive a refund request link on your registered mobile number with further details. Thank you for your patience and understanding,” read an official statement from BookMyShow. Following the Delhi show, the India leg of the tour will move to Indore, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Lucknow. Chandigarh will also be part of the tour, with details of the show to be announced later. Ahmedabad was earlier announced as the first Indian stop of the tour, with Dosanjh set to perform at the Narendra Modi Stadium on November 21. The tour will now cover seven cities over a period of six weeks. Dosanjh, who has built a strong fan base in India as well as overseas, said he was looking forward to performing in different cities across the country. Sharing his excitement, the singer-actor said, “Apne desh vich perform karan di vibe hi hor hundi aa. Iss tour de naal ik vaar phir Delhi ton Indore tak apne desh de shehraan vich apne fans de naal milan da mauka mil reha hai, te main is safar layi bahut excited haan...” During the tour, Dosanjh is expected to perform some of his popular songs, including G.O.A.T., Ikk Kudi, Lalkara, Lover, 5 Taara, Case and Water. The tour is being co-produced and promoted by BookMyShow Live and Live Nation. It follows Dosanjh’s international run of the Aura tour, which has taken him to major venues across the world. — ANI ROHIN JOSHI mohali Diljit’s Delhi show advanced to October 30 For me, Navratri is about identifying what is wrong in the world, but more importantly, examining our own conditioning and questioning how it shapes our actions. We must challenge what is false through self-reflection and enquiry. Having grown up in Vadodara, Navratri also takes me back to my school days and the festive atmosphere surrounding the city’s famous United Way Garba. FEAT’ chandigarh Garba nights: Rohin Joshi of Navratri ‘Remarkable