18052024-LSTL-01.qxd 18-05-2024 00:33 Page 1 c m y b TRIBUNE Pankaj again Life Streaming service Disney+ Hotstar has announced the fourth chapter of the series Criminal Justice, which will mark the return of Pankaj Tripathi as the lawyer Madhav Mishra. LUDHIANA | SATURDAY | 18 MAY 2024 PHOTO: NITIN MITTAL ‘Love and let love’ Urvashi Rautela CANNES 2024 …is the philosophy by which National award-winning director stands. In Chandigarh, he talks about his film Pine Cone, which is based on the story of queer characters Gown & glory! Actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan walked the Cannes red carpet for the premiere of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis in a stunning black gown by designers Falguni & Shane Peacock. A regular at the Cannes Film Festival for the past two decades, Aishwarya struck a pose in the monochrome gown adorned with 3D metallic elements and golden accents while walking the red carpet. The custom-made creation showcased a corset-inspired silhouette and a floor-sweeping train. The 50-year-old actress’right hand had a cast, which she has been wearing for an unspecified injury. Actress Urvashi Rautela also walked the red carpet for the same premiere. Aishwarya and her daughter, Aaradhya, who has been attending the film gala for the past few years as well, arrived at Cannes on Thursday. Besides Aishwarya, several industry celebrities, including Kiara Advani, Sobhita Dhulipala and Aditi Rao Hydari, are expected to walk the Cannes red carpet in the coming days. At the internationally recognised festival, several Indian movies and productions will be showcased. The highlight will be filmmaker Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light, which has been selected in the Competition section, where it will vie for the top prize, Palme d’Or. British-Indian filmmaker Sandhya Suri’s Santosh will be showcased at the 77th edition under the Un Certain Regard section, while Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know, a short film by Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) students, has been shortlisted in the La Cinef Competitive section. Karan Kandhari’s Sister Midnight will be screened in Directors’ Fortnight and Maisam Ali’s compelling In Retreat in L’Acid. A restored version of veteran filmmaker Shyam Benegal’s 1976 film Manthan was screened under Cannes Classics, a section created 20 years ago that features celebrations, restored prints, and documentaries. — PTI Sheetal M Aishwarya Rai Bachchan shines in a black gown by designers Falguni & Shane Peacock Heritage showcase Regional flavour The Bharat Pavilion at the 77th Cannes Film Festival has become a showcase of India’s rich cultural heritage. Exhibiting a diverse array of handcrafted souvenirs, the pavilion offers a glimpse into the country’s artistic diversity, featuring items from various regions across India. Each piece is a testament to the traditional craftsmanship that India is known for. Among the highlighted items are silk stoles, ties, and pocket squares featuring Mashru weaving and Ajrakh block printing from Gujarat. These exquisite pieces are crafted by award-winning artisans from Patan and Ajarakhpur, reflecting the intricate art of the region. — ANI Renowned Punjabi singer Sunanda Sharma, who is best known for her tracks Duji Vaar Pyar’ and Mummy Nu Pasand not only walked the iconic red carpet, but also performed at Bharat Parv at the ongoing 77th edition. She was also invited to a private dinner with the Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) of India. Sunanda shared, “I am truly honoured to have been a part of the Cannes Film Festival this year. Walking the red carpet, attending Bharat Parv, and sharing a private dinner with esteemed dignitaries were incredible opportunities. I am grateful for the chance.” — ANI ANY call him the ‘gay’ director and Onir doesn’t have a problem with that, but often wonders if there’s a term ‘straight director’! That’s how very simply and without provocation Onir puts out his viewpoint. One can say the same for his latest film, Pine Cone, which is semiautobiographical and is not over-dramatised as it puts forth the story of queer characters. The National Award-winning director visited Chandigarh on Thursday for the screening of Pine Cone, which is not yet released in India. The screening was held at The Lalit in association with Keshav Suri Foundation that hopes to empower marginalised, disabled and LGBTQIA+ community, which are often found at the receiving end of hate and rejection. GLOBAL STINT Pine Cone was released in the US in 2023. The director has travelled to about 20 countries across the world to showcase it. He says, “I thought of making a film Woman power to the fore Guneet Monga Oscar-winning producer Guneet Monga Kapoor and Women In Film Los Angeles (WIF) launched a new initiative to support Women Filmmakers in India at Cannes. At an exclusive Cannes Film Festival event hosted by the Paris Film Region and WIF (Women In Film, Los Angeles), the official launch of a new Women In Film chapter was announced; WIF: India. The initiative, part of the global WIFTI (Women In Film & Television International) network, is committed to advancing gender equity in Indian screen industries. — ANI Entry mode Director Francis Ford Coppola showcases Megalopolis Anushka Merchande joins Pukaar — Dil Se Dil Tak Giancarlo Esposito, Laurence Fishburne, Nathalie Emmanuel, Francis Ford Coppola and Adam Driver Francis Ford Coppola premiered his self-financed opus Megalopolis at the Cannes Film Festival, unveiling a wildly ambitious passion project the 85-year-old director has been pondering for decades. Reviews ranged from ‘a folly of gargantuan proportions’ to ‘the craziest thing I’ve ever seen’. But most assuredly, once again, Coppola had Dream project everyone in Cannes talking. No debut this year was awaited with more curiosity in Cannes than Megalopolis, which Coppola poured USD 120 million of his own money into after selling off a portion of his wine estate. Not unlike Coppola’s Apocalypse Now some 45 years ago, Megalopolis arrived trailed by rumours of production turmoil and doubt over its potential appeal. What Coppola unveiled defies easy categorisation. It’s a fable set in a futuristic New York about an architect (Adam Driver) who has a grand vision of a more harmonious metropolis, and whose considerable talents include the ability to start and stop time. Though Megalopolis is set in a nearfuture, it’s fashioned as a Roman epic. Driver’s character is named Cesar. — AP c m y b Anushka Merchande has been roped-in to play the feisty Koel in Pukaar — Dil Se Dil Tak. She essays an ambitious and daring girl. Separated from her birth mother and sister during a tragic accident, Koel has no clue about her past and she is brought up by Mayuri, a con woman. Says Anushka, “Broken by a sinister enemy, this story echoes a family’s heartfelt pukaar to reunite and find each other despite the circumstances. My character, Koel, is very different from the roles I have previously essayed; viewers have always seen me in the happy-girl-next-door image but with Koel’s character, they will see me as bold, feisty, and strongheaded person. It’s going to be a big challenge.” on my story, but also put some more elements in it to make it interesting.” The film has been co-written by Onir and Ashwini Malik. POINT OF VIEW Author of I Am Onir and I Am Gay: A Memoir, he thinks that a lot of LGBTQIA+ films have become more about straight people accepting us, which shouldn’t be the case. “We deserve happiness and joy, and by that we mean everything that a straight couple can do,” he says. Onir feels LGBTQ films have become more about, connecting gay, lesbian or transgender subjects with darker themes. “There are enough dark theme...love and let love.” OTT ZONE Onir is happy taking his film to other cities like Jaipur, Kolkata Kashmir, Bengaluru and Mumbai. He is planning to make a web series next, which is based on a book, The Lover Boy of Bahawalpur by Rahul Pandita, which will mark his debut on OTT. While he has no prior connection with Punjab or Chandigarh, Onir laughs, ‘I wouldn’t mind a Punjabi boyfriend’.
The Tribune, now published from Chandigarh, started publication on February 2, 1881, in Lahore (now in Pakistan). It was started by Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia, a public-spirited philanthropist, and is run by a trust comprising four eminent persons as trustees.
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