28032024-LSTL-01.qxd 3/28/2024 12:26 AM Page 1 c m y b TRIBUNE Friends first Actress-singer Dot. has dropped the latest video of her hit single Girls Night, and called it an ode to the friendship she shares with her girlfriends. LUDHIANA | THURSDAY | 28 MARCH 2024 When love alone isn’t enough... Julia Roberts to headline Luca Guadagnino’s thriller After The Hunt Gurnaaz Kaur Julia Roberts will be seen in the lead role of director Luca Guadagnino’s thriller After The Hunt. As per the official logline, the movie follows Roberts as a college professor who “finds herself at a personal and professional crossroads when a star pupil levels an accusation against one of her colleagues.” As she navigates the difficult situation, “a dark secret from her own past threatens to come to light.” Nora Garrett has penned the script of the project. The project’s announcement comes after Roberts delivered one of the biggest hits in recent years with the Netflix thriller Leave the World Behind. — ANI ‘Be bold’ Former James Bond actor Pierce Brosnan has given his stamp of approval to actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson to play the suave spy. Taylor-Johnson is rumoured to be the next 007 agent. Brosnan said that Taylor-Johnson “has the chops” to take it on. If Taylor-Johnson becomes the next Bond, Brosnan advises the actor, “Be bold. Go out there, have a great time. Just love it. Just go for it.” — IANS Pierce Brosnan to Aaron Taylor-Johnson on playing Bond PHOTO: PRADEEP TEWARI A thrilling ride I N a world where societal norms often dictate the course of individual lives, there are stories that challenge conventions and inspire change. Ek Kori Prem Katha is one such narrative, poised to captivate audiences with its courageous stance against the archaic tradition of testing women’s virginity. The film tackles the deeply ingrained pracThe ritual of tice of Kori, a ceremoKori is a subject about nial ritual that subjects women to a test women to a great extent of their purity. It foland I think women can lows the journey of speak more eloquently Sabhyata, played by on it. Khanak Budhiraja, a POONAM DHILLON young woman who dares to defy convention by falling in love with the son (Akshay Oberoi) of the village Pradhan (Raj Babbar). Poonam Dhillon plays the mother-in-law. Their romance takes a turn into an exploration of the human spirit and resilience nobody talks about it openly, so when Sabhyata stands against how would it be handled was a the oppressive traditions. big question in my mind. It Poonam and Khanan need to be approached subtly believe there is need for more and sensitively. And I am glad such stories to be showcased that this film treats it with a on the big screen. But to take balance that makes it educaup such a project comes with tional without being offenthe initial hitch, which both sive,” says Poonam. these women experienced. “I Ek Kori... being Khanak’s was slightly nervous because debut film, she is both excited In Chandigarh to promote their film Ek Kori Prem Katha, Poonam Dhillon and Khanak Budhiraja talk about their cinematic crusade against the archaic ritual of testing women’s virginity and nervous. “It feels like a dream come true. For a debutant, to get such a meaty role is a huge deal. So many movies still portray their lead actresses for decorative purpose. I wanted to break those stereotypes. At the same time, there was nervousness and hesitation because of the subject. Honestly, I didn’t know about The grooming ground This World Theatre Day, we find out how some of the most well known actors we have today, first discovered their passion for the performing arts on stage. Liberating thoughts Sumeet Vyas Sumeet Vyas shares a long and rewarding creative relationship with theatre exponent and director Akarsh Khurana. With Khurana, he has worked across formats, including in Zee Theatre’s popular teleplay Gunehgaar. He retains his passion for theatre even today despite numerous assignments and success in TVF’s 2014 web series Permanent Roommates, and films like English Vinglish, Parched, Ribbons and I. As an actor he finds theatre to be creatively liberating. Passion unlimited Rasika Dugal Right from her days at Lady Shri Ram College in Delhi, where she acted in various plays, Rasika Dugal has lent her presence to varied productions, including The Vagina Monologues and Dastangoi. She can also be seen in acclaimed teleplays like Bombay Talkies and Hamidabai Ki Kothi. Whether it is her work in Humorously Yours, Mirzapur, the Emmy-winning show Delhi Crime, her poignant performances in films like Qissa, Hamid, or her recent work in the film Fairy Folk, Dugal approaches each role with the discipline and passion of a theatre practitioner. Childhood affair Raghubir Yadav It would not be an exaggeration to say that theatre is veteran actor Raghubir Yadav’s first love. At the age of 15, he ran away to join a travelling Parsi theatre group and found his calling. He went on to spend over 13 years at the National School of Drama and worked On World Theatre Day, a look at actors who transitioned from theatre to cinema extensively in the NSD repertory in classic productions like Girish Karnad’s Tughlaq and Dharamvir Bharati’s Andha Yug. He acted in over 2000 shows between 1977 and 1986. Despite his memorable performances in Massey Sahib, Mungerilal Ke Haseen Sapne, Lagaan, Salaam Bombay, Firaq, Dharavi, Bandit Queen, Peepli Live and Panchayat - 2, he remains connected with theatre even today. Chemical reaction Himani Shivpuri While studying for a postgraduate degree in chemistry at DAV Collage Dehradun, Himani Shivpuri fell in love with theatre and took the radical decision to join the National School of Drama. She worked with eminent names like BV Karanth, MK Raina, Surekha Sikri and Uttara Baokar. From performing as Desdemona in Othello during her days with the NSD Repertory to playing the titular character in Krishna Sobti’s Mitro Marjani, she emerged as a talent to reckon with. Despite memorable performances in some of the biggest blockbusters like Hum Aapke Hain Kaun and DDLJ, she has remained in touch with theatre. She is seen in teleplays like Hamidabai Ki Kothi and Rishton Ka Live Telecast. Nurturing a dream Aaditi Pohankar When Aaditi Pohankar was in her teens, she lost her mother. What remained with her was her mother’s wish to see her on a hoarding. She decided to become an actor and approached director, writer and actor Makarand Deshpande to fulfil this dream. Theatre, she believes, helped her heal. It was while working in the play Time Boy that she was first noticed by director Nishikant Kamat and went on to star in Marathi films like Kunasathi Kunitari and Lai Bhaari as well as OTT hits like Aashram and She. Aaditi can be seen in Zee Theatre’s teleplay Typecaste. Intensely yours Mita Vashisht Mita passed out of the National School of Drama in 1987. With her intense gaze, flawless diction and powerful presence, only she could have convincingly etched Durgeshwari in Zee Theatre’s teleplay Agnipankh. Or, pulled off a solo stage performance based on the life of Kashmiri poet Lal Ded. Not only did she become the muse of film auteurs like Mani Kaul, Kumar Shahani and Govind Nihalani in classics like Siddheshwari, Khayal Gaatha and Drohkaal, she also starred in shows like Bharat Ek Khoj, Swabhimaan, Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii, and Criminal Justice. She went on to establish Mandala, an initiative to catalyse interest in performing arts. Genetic inheritance Amruta Subhash Amruta Subhash inherited her love for theatre from her mother and actress Jyoti Subhash. Amruta is a National School of Drama graduate and was mentored by Satyadev Dubey. At NSD, she worked in many stage productions, including Urvashiam, Bela Meri Jaan, House of Bernada, Alba and Mrug Trushna. In Mumbai, her performance in Purushottam Laxman Deshpande’s Tee Fulrani also brought her critical acclaim and today Amruta is actively working in Marathi and Hindi films, television, OTT shows as well as in plays. Apart from her recent play Punashch Honeymoon, she can also be seen in Zee Theatre’s Hamidabai Ki Kothi. — TNS c m y b the tradition and it needed a lot of preparation. But we are living in a time where content is the king. People want to see good cinema.” Poonam explains her character undergoes a transformation in the film and that can be an inspiration for many. “She is a product of her own upbringing. Every character I am the hero in the film. I am the one who rides the bike while Akshay sits behind me. I also learnt to drive a bus for this one. KHANAK is, and she has been brought up believing in the tradition. As she passes the test, so she is this ruling queen bee, but when her rebel daughter-in- law refuses to undergo the test, she is in disbelief.” Poonam further elaborates on her character’s journey, “From presuming that Sabhyata has a history to finally confronting the deeply ingrained beliefs and challenging her perception of right and wrong, so much so that she eventually goes against her husband to support her daughter-in-law. That’s a big moment and it highlights the role of education.” And to be promoting the film without its actors, these women have a point. For Poonam, “It’s a subject about women to a great extent and I think women can speak more eloquently on it.” While Khanak says, “I am the hero in the film. Unlike your usual romances where a guy takes his beloved on a bike ride, in this film I am the one who rides the bike while Akshay sits behind me. I also learnt to drive a bus for this one, so it was fair to lead the promotions too.” Thrilled to be in Chandigarh, both these women also share a common love for the city. If it’s a city of childhood memories for Poonam, Khanak has spent her college days here. So, the two are hopeful that people in the City Beautiful would make time for such a ‘compelling story’, which will hit the theatres on April 5. And love happened… Eva Mendes spoke about meeting her partner and actor Ryan Gosling when they made their 2012 movie The Place Beyond the Pines. “I’ve never experienced anything like that,” she talked about working with her now-partner. “The way he works, his commitment to his craft, how he wants to make everything as best as it can be — and that means making his co-stars as best as they can be. Unfortunately — or fortunately — there’s only one Ryan, so I pretty much stopped acting after that,” she added. The two, who are private about their relationship, share two daughters together. The couple welcomed their first child, Esmeralda Amada, in September 2014, and then had Amada Lee in April 2016. Mendes also spoke about taking a step back from acting. “It was like a no-brainer. I’m so lucky, and I was like, if When Eva Mendes was smitten by Ryan Gosling after their first meeting I could have this time with my children. And I still work, I just didn’t act, because acting takes you on location,” she said. “It takes you away. It was almost just like a nonverbal agreement,” she added. —IANS Aditi Rao Hydari, Siddharth married? Aditi Rao Hydari and Siddharth have reportedly tied the knot secretly at Sri Ranganayakaswamy Temple in Wanaparthy, Telangana. According to reports, the two got married in a quiet ceremony but have not made any official announcement yet. The actors began dating after working on the 2021 film Maha Samudram. However, the two always kept their relationship away from the public eye. It was earlier this year, when the Wazir actress took to social media to confirm their relationship. Aditi was first reported to be married to Satyadeep Mishra. However, she never confirmed her marital status. It was in 2013 she revealed that the two have gone their separate ways. Siddharth made his acting debut with filmmaker S Shankar’s coming-of-age Tamil film Boys in 2003. The actor was married to his childhood sweetheart Meghna in 2003. However, in 2007, they got divorced. —IANS
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