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stoppress no khan, just call me malaika arora, please
Miley regrets bleaching her hair
PHOTO: Jim Urquhart/REUTERS PHOTO: Mark Sagliocco/Getty Images/AFP
PHOTO: VIRAL BHAYANI
Actor Malaika Arora Khan, who announced her split with actor-filmmaker Arbaaz Khan, has asked the makers of her reality show, India’s Got Talent, to address her by her maiden name — Maliaka Arora. According to entertainment website Spotboye.com, Malaika doesn’t want ‘Khan’ to be part of her surname.
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what Jennifer lawrence wanted to tell trump...
According to the Hollywood Reporter, during a chat show when actor Jennifer Lawrence was asked if she ever met US Presidential candidate Donald Trump in person, she said, “I was at a concert that I heard he was attending, I had my full security. I was like, ‘Find Donald Trump’. I was adamant on finding him and then making a video of me going, ‘Hey, Trump. F**k you!’ I think he knew I was looking for him.”
n ew d elhi, Tuesday, May 17, 201 6, 8 Pag es www.hin dustantimes.com
PHOTO: Eric Gaillard/REUTERS
On International Day Against Homophobia, we talk to celebs and activists about portrayal of LGBTQs in films
Sonam sizzles at Cannes
Aditi Caroli n
aditi.caroli@hindustantimes.com
A
fter Aishwarya Rai Bachchan gave us some impressive red carpet outings, all eyes were on Sonam Kapoor as she made her sixth Cannes appearance in a row. And boy, she lived up to our expectations in a whimsical Ralph and Russo sari-inspired gown with half cape. Her styling was bang on with pink lips, dewy makeup and middle-parted neat tresses. Designers give thumbs up to the actor, without a second thought. “Sonam looks spectacular. I love the dramatic outfit I loved the fact that Sonam wore no jewellery (except for a ring) and kept her hair straight with some interesting eye makeup,” says designer Manish Malhotra. “I love this look. It is a
>> more action from cannes page 8
In Student of The Year Rishi Kapoor plays a gay character in a stereotypical manner
great example of something experimentally grand and classic at the same time. I also like the jersey in the top portion, which adds a very modern and sporty vibe to a traditional embroidered half cape sari inspired gown. There is a duality I can sense here and it has surprising familiarity in terms of a classic Balenciaga vibe,” says designer Rahul Mishra. Designer Rina Dhaka also loves her look, but believes that subtler looks can also work the same magic. “I would call her a drape crusader,” she says, adding, “However, unlike Indian actors, international actors are going for understated, simpler looks. We guys tend to take on too much embroidery, making it look theatrical. These looks are bridal by western standards. But our audiences like this.”
all’s not gay in films, but it’s changing
Sonam looks gorgeous. The outfit has a lot of volume, and yet is controlled and figure hugging
Rina Dhaka, designer
what the industry says Yashika Mathur n
F
rom melodrama to hard-hitting drama, the portrayal of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Queer (LGBTQ) community in films has undergone a major transformation. Case in point being films like Margarita with a Straw (2015), Kapoor & Sons (2016) and Aligarh (2016) . Many popular actors had reportedly rejected Fawad Khan’s role in Kapoor & Sons because the character was homosexual. “Even if someone plays that character, why will he or she be an outcast? Give it some years, and things will be normal,” says Fawad Khan. Actor Sidharth Malhotra, who played Fawad’s brother in the film, feels it is a positive change. “We decided not to go over-board with his character and people enjoyed it. This means that
Our lives are not all about coming out. I’d s, like to tell filmmaker , we are human beings r, not a cause — Harish Iye
Delhi loves the trial run for trial rooms in fashion streets
Pallav Patankar, director (programmes), Humsafar Trust
ist for LGBTQ equal right activ
PHOTOS: AMAL KS/HT
Akshay Kaushal n
akshay.kaushal@hindustantimes.com
I
t can’t get better than this for fashionistas on a budget! Delhi’s favourite fashion streets such as Janpath and Sarojini Nagar will now have trial rooms to help customers try out outfits to ensure that perfect fit. One such trial room was recently setup in the heart of the Janpath street market. “We took permission from New Delhi Municipal Council for setting up a trial room in Janpath and the authorities allowed us to,” said Meghna Saraogi, founder, Styledotme, who set up the trial room. Set up for only two days, the concept was an instant hit among customers as well as shopkeepers. Gunjan Saxena, a homemaker, who shops regularly from Janpath, was excited to see a trial room placed in the middle of the lane. “I often pick up wrong sizes as there are no trial rooms. This must be made into a permanent feature,” she says. Vinay Yadav, who has been selling trendy dresses to girls in the cheapest rates possible for the past 10 years at the Janpath lane cites a valid reason behind the flea
A still from Dostana
A trail room that was set up at Janpath on May 14 markets not having trial rooms. “If it was possible, we would have set up trial rooms years ago, but since we don’t make that much money, we could never come up with it. Hopefully, there would soon be a permanent trial room in Janpath and other flea markets in Delhi.” Shopkeepers from Sarojini Nagar and Lajpat Nagar are also rooting for this. Yashwant Sharma from Sarojini Nagar markets says, “Many customers come to return the garment, with a trial room nearby, it will be really convenient for the customers and us.”
what to watch out for inside a trial Room hile you may want to go and try out that W outfit in one of these trial
rooms, make sure you don’t fall prey to voyeurism. Some easy tips to detect hidden cameras: 1. Mobile phone: Try making calls from inside, if you face network issues, there are chances that there is a hidden camera inside. 2. Finger nail test: A two-
way mirror allows a person to look from the other side of the mirror. If you touch a real mirror there would always be space between the tip of your finger and its reflection, if not, it’s a two-way mirror. 3. Torch test: Switch off the lights and switch on a flashlight in front of the mirror, if there is an observation room on the other side, you’ll see that.
NOTE TO READERS: We would like to inform our readers that some of the coverage of events that appear on our pages is paid for by the concerned brands. We would like to emphasise that no sponsored content does or shall appear in any part of HT without it being declared as such to our valued readers.
‘There’s no privacy in India. For some private time we go abroad’ Samarth Goyal n
samarth.goyal@hindustantimes.com
C
ricketer Yuvraj Singh’s life off the pitch has been as interesting as the sixes he sends off the field. The 35-year-old’s romantic link ups with actors Kim Sharma and Deepika Padukone have grabbed many a headline. So, it wasn’t a surprise for Yuvi when the news of his engagement to model-actor Hazel Keech came out even before the two announced it formally. “It (the news about the
engagement getting leaked) was meant to happen. I wasn’t really surprised about it,” he said adding that it’s “impossible” for him to have a private life and has gotten used to the fact. “I know that if I need to have some private time, it’s better to leave the country (laughs). You go out, spend some quality time and come back,” he says. However, the left-handed batsman does admit that too much of media attention affects him. “It’s just that sometimes it gets too much. I mean it’s important to
times have changed and we can portray and entertain people without selling them something over the top. This is encouraging,” he says. Filmmaker Hansal Mehta’s Aligarh got critical acclaim for the portrayal of a gay professor’s life. He says, “Earlier, the representations were very far and flattered. Between last year and now there are more examples of homosexuality being dealt in an intelligent way. There is an understanding that it cannot be represented as a caricature.” However, filmmaker Onir, who has helmed films like My Brother Nikhil (2005) and I AM (2010), says, “Nothing has majorly changed. My film I Am has been much more upfront than any of the recent films but we always forget what has been done in the past. But, I am really thrilled that there are films like Aligarh and Kapoor & Sons.”
Films like Aligarh and Kapoor & Sons have been applauded for their portrayal of gay characters
LGBT community speaks Etti Bali n
It’s a welcome change to see Bollywood portray homosexual characters, but we have a long way to go
yashika.mathur@hindustantimes.com
etti.bali@hindustantimes.com
M
ainly used for comic relief, with garish makeup and pronounced gestures, films often stereotyped LGBTQ characters. “It’s humiliating the way Bollywood portrays us. They are fearful to address these issues headon. These kinds of portrayals send a negative message,” says Abheena Aher, a transgender, who is the national programme manager at India HIV AIDS Alliance. Ashok Row Kavi, founder of Humsafar Trust, says, “There is no correct terminology for homosexuals. We are a marginalised sexuality.” However, from the Kantaben episode of Kal Ho Na Ho (2003) to Manoj Bajpayee’s Professor Siras
in Aligarh, Bollywood has come a long way. Lack of good scripts and a fear of rejection from the audiences are reasons that filmmakers refuse to tread on that path. Kiran, a transgender and social activist, who is part of Boney Kapoor’s upcoming film Mom, says, “There is a dearth of roles for us in Bollywood and with this project, I am glad I got a chance to represent my community.” Films with lesbian and transgender characters are even more difficult to come across. However, a positive change is coming about. “Dostana (2008) made all this more of a joke. However, now films like Kapoor & Sons and English Vinglish (2012) have brought about a refreshing change,” says Sonal Giani, an actor and social activist.
PHOTO: PTI
Yuvraj Singh with fiancee Hazel Keech
understand that everyone can’t be available 24x7 and people should respect the individual’s private time,” he laments. While he is quite active on multiple social media platforms, Yuvi says, “It has
its own advantages in the sense that you can interact with everyone directly. But then it has reached a point now, where everybody knows what you are doing, and it’s impossible to keep things private.”