13112026-LSTC-01.qxd 11/13/2026 12:14 AM Page 1 c m y b AVENGERS SETS RELEASE DATE Marvel fans have a reason to revisit the epic superhero saga as Avengers: Endgame Encore, the extended version of the 2019 blockbuster, is set to begin streaming on Disney+ from November 13, ahead of the theatrical release of Avengers: Doomsday next month. TRIBUNE Life SRK SURPRISES DUBAI FANS Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan surprised fans in Dubai on November 11, with a live performance of Tu Mil Jaaye, the romantic track from his upcoming film King. The actor grooved to the song at the grand launch of Shahrukhz Residences by Danube Properties, where he also struck his iconic open-arms pose, sending fans into a frenzy. AUTOBIOGRAPHY TO FILM Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee Working President Jagga Reddy on Thursday announced that Congress leader Sonia Gandhi’s autobiography, Belonging: A Journey of Love, will be adapted into a Telugu feature film depicting her life and political journey. P ADAM SINGH and Heera Devi, both firsttime actors, came to Chandigarh on Wednesday, November 11, for a promotional event, joined by the film’s director, Vinod Kapri. Speaking to The Tribune, they described a story that has little to do with glamour and much to do with parents waiting for a phone to ring. Shot in the mountains of Uttarakhand, Pyre opened on October 30 in a handful of theatres, and its makers have sent it to the Oscars as an independent entry. “We began with very few shows and have watched the film slowly find its audience,” Kapri said. Exhibitors added shows by roughly 60 to 70 per cent in major cities, but screens later came down, and he hopes they return. “Every film that finds an audience deserves a fair chance,” he said. “I am hopeful that from Friday we will get more theatres and screens.” That hope has now been answered. In a post on X, Kapri announced that over 200 shows are being added from Friday, November 13, and thanked viewers for “standing by this little independent film.” Much of that support comes from people moved by the cast, none more than Heera Devi, a woman from the mountains, for whom the attention is still sinking in. “I never imagined I would come this far,” she said. “Now people meet me with so much love and respect.” Viewers have been leaving theatres in tears, and the closing scene nearly defeated her too. “I asked the director to cut it, because I had raised my own children through such struggle,” she said. “They reminded me it was only a role. I felt it would be wrong to let anyone down, so I finished what I had started.” Her co-star’s route to the screen was just as unlikely. Singh, the director’s uncle, served the Army for 24 years before returning to farming. At a birthday gathering for Kapri’s father, his own brother, he asked whether there was a part for him. Kapri set an audition on the spot. Nailing the act was only the beginning. “I had never faced a camera or acted in my life,” Singh said. “I kept reading the script and talking to a tree. This character carries the pain of the mountain.” That pain, Singh says, is loneliness. “This is the story of every ageing parent, in the hills or abroad,” he said. “Children go away to study and then settle down there, and parents are left wondering when they will call or visit.” It is exactly this honesty that Kapri says he wanted, which is why he chose non-stars deliberately. “Audiences are tired of stars. They know everything on screen is unreal,” he said. Getting the film released was harder. Kapri says he ran out of money, and that streaming platforms and studios turned the film down. “At one point, the film was dead for me. I thought it would release only when I lay on my own pyre,” he said. “Now, I feel their rejection was a blessing in disguise.” His pitch to Chandigarh is simple. “If you love your wife, your parents, your grandparents or your children, you should watch Pyre,” he said. “If you are a husband or a wife, you will see your partner differently. If you are a son or a granddaughter, you will look at your elders with new eyes.” PHOTO: RAVI KUMAR The ability of classical dance to transform poetry into movement and devotion into expression lies at the heart of Bharatanatyam. This interplay of music, mythology and rhythm formed the underlying theme of a recital by Vidushi Rimpi Saha, organised by Pracheen Kala Kendra as part of its 325th Monthly Baithak programme at the ML Koser Auditorium in Chandigarh on Wednesday. The repertoire brought together four compositions that explored different dimensions of the classical dance tradition, moving from the invocation of divine grace to the emotional world of Krishna and culminating in the rhythmic exuberance of a thillana. What connected the presentations was their devotional foundation. The invocation to Goddess Saraswati through Shringapuradhishwari, set to Raga Mohanam and Adi Tala, established the spiritual context of the recital. The composition celebrates the goddess as the presiding deity of Shringapura and its significance extends beyond a conventional invocation to reflect the reverence accorded to knowledge, learning and wisdom. The idea of divinity found another expression in Tunga Tarange, set to Raga Hamsadhwani and Adi Tala. Celebrating the sacred River Ganga, the composition draws upon the river’s spiritual significance in Indian tradition. Its verses describe the Ganga as a universal purifier, capable of washing away sins and releasing souls from worldly attachments. The imagery also extends to the cosmic order, invoking the reverence of Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara. The composition offered a rich canvas for exploring the relationship between nature and divinity, with the river emerging not merely as a geographical entity but as a symbol of Music, mythology and rhythm came together in a recital by Vidushi Rimpi Saha, organised by Pracheen Kala Kendra as part of its 325th Monthly Baithak c m y b spiritual liberation. The narrative dimension of Bharatanatyam came into focus through Ayar Sheriyar, a shabdam presented in Ragamalika, comprising Kambhoji, Shanmukhapriya, Nattakurinji and Madhyamavati, set to Mishra Chapu Tala. Centred on Lord Krishna, the composition captures the enchanting power of his flute and its ability to transcend it. The imagery moves from Krishna’s playful musical moments to the stillness of forest animals captivated by his melody and the gopis overwhelming devotion. It is this movement between visual imagery and emotion that gives the shabdam its expression. Rimpi Saha tells The Tribune “Raag (melody), taal (rhythm) and angika abhinaya (bodily expression) are the fundamental pillars of Bharatanatyam. These elements do not function in isolation; rather, they seamlessly merge to create a harmonious interplay of music, movement and storytelling, bringing out the deeper meaning and emotional essence of abhinaya.” In contrast to the narrative elaboration of the preceding compositions, the thillana in Raga Hindolam and Adi Tala brought the recital’s focus to rhythm and movement. A traditional concluding piece in the Bharatanatyam repertoire, the thillana places considerable emphasis on rhythmic patterns, footwork and coordination. Its musical structure celebrates the technical and aesthetic dimensions of the dance form. Through a repertoire rooted in devotion, mythology and rhythm, the recital brought into focus the many layers of Bharatanatyam, by stating how the classical form continues to serve as a medium of storytelling and spiritual expression. Rimpi Saha is a dancer based out of Siliguri in West Bengal, and a founder of Nritya Mallika Dance Academy in 2009 which nurtured several dancers. CAKE MIXING zirakpur Akhil Kumar WHAT’S HOT eat R ING in Christmas with the age-old tradition of soaking dry fruits and spices in rum for the plum cake. It’s on at Water Bench Restaurant, Velvet Clarks Exotica on November 13. play chandigarh Exploring the divine through ragaand taal HEERA DEVI & PADAM SINGH COFFEE PAINTING P AINT with coffee instead of colours and see how different shades create unique effects in a calm, beginner-friendly session with a fun twist. At Sector 7 Social from November 15. laugh THE MAD MIC BATTLE mohali O SAATHI RECOMING SOON What if the secret to better health began not in the kitchen, but in the fields? Actor and author Soha Ali Khan is taking this idea quite literally by bringing biofortified farming to the historic Pataudi family farms in Haryana. In partnership with Better Nutrition, India’s first biofortified food brand, Soha has kick-started the cultivation of iron and zinc-rich wheat across nearly 45 acres of family farmland this rabi season. The crop, sown in November 2026, is expected to be harvested in April 2027, with the produce finding its way into the brand’s atta range. “What excites me about biofortification is that it makes the food itself more nutritious, without changing what we eat,” she says, highlighting how important this is for families, particularly growing children. The idea is simple: grow wheat and rice that naturally contain higher levels of essential nutrients. Ananya Verma hearts Vinod Kapri’s Pyregets a new lease of life, with 200 additional shows set to hit theatres from Friday This December, Netflix brings to its audiences O Saathi Re, a series premiering December 4. Created, written and showrun by Imtiaz Ali, and directed by Arif Ali, this Window Seat Films production stars Aditi Rao Hydari, Avinash Tiwary and Arjun Rampal in an exploration of complex emotions and a relationship in which love was never equal. Soha Ali Khan sows the seeds of better nutrition PHOTO: VICKY first-timers win CRISTIANO RONALDO ACTS IN DAY 1S Former Portugal football icon Cristiano Ronaldo has taken a new step in his professional career with an entry into drama with a new TV series. Cristiano posted on his official Instagram handle alongside famous British producer and director Matthew Vaughn, “Great news, production has just begun on my first TV series Day 1s, more coming soon.” LUDHIANA | FRIDAY | 13 NOVEMBER 2026 Pyre’s CHAT UP Pataudi farms to plate Hey Gal! Gal Gadot attended the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s annual tribute dinner in Beverly Hills, California, US, on November 11. She presented the Humanitarian Award to Skydance Co-CEO Ynon Kreiz. E IGHT comedians go head-to-head while the audience votes to crown the winner. Enjoy the intense fight at The Mad House, Mohali, on November 14.