Filmfare-ME-April-2023

ives! Changing L

Channel 4 Radio Network wishes you and your loved ones a prosperous Ramadan Kareem.

EDITORIAL TEAM

EDITOR

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BUSINESS MANAGER - EVENTS

Mayur Panchal mayur.panchal@starzmediainc.com

Sales Manager

Marlene Cruze marlene.cruze@starzmediainc.com

Magazine Co-ordinator

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Faith, gratitude & countless blessings!

It is the holy month of Ramadan, when prayers, fasting, charity and a deep sense of peace and gratitude fill our hearts and soul as we count our blessings.

This month also celebrates Filmfare Middle East turning FIVE. Relaunched here in 2018 by Mr Rizwan Sajan, Founder and Chairman of Danube Group, he not only envisioned its success in the region, but also nurtured and backed it passionately. And we are proud to share that we have only grown stronger with each passing year!

The past year especially has seen us raise the bar like never before, be it with our Cover Launches or the many star-studded events that were successfully hosted by us. November 2022 saw us host one of the grandest entertainment spectacles – the Filmfare Middle East Achievers Night 2022 - that celebrated and honoured some of the biggest names in the industry. Right from the superstar Ranveer Singh to Ayushmann Khurrana, Govinda, the legendary Hema Malini, Janhvi Kapoor, Bhumi Pednekar, Mouni Roy, Nushrratt Bharucha, Guru Randhawa, Vaani Kapoor, Shehnaaz Gill, Arjun Kapoor, Rana Daggubati, Mohamed Ramadan, Humayun Saeed, Sajal Aly and many more, it was a house full of talent with star hosts Maniesh Paul, Bharti Singh and Sophie Chaudry making it a night to remember. With a presence of more than 40 top stars from the entertainment industry it was an event that will be etched in the memories forever! Last year also had us hosting our very first F&B Night, besides pulling off another successful edition of the Arab Asia Starz 3. Now going ahead we are gearing up for the 2nd edition of the Social Night that honours the social media stars of the region. A power-brand in the region today, Filmfare Middle East along with all its verticals is a name that stands for the best in entertainment and lifestyle and we promise to continue this success run.

FILMFARE (INDIA)

Chief Executive Officer

D eepak Lamba

Chief Community Officer & Editor

Jitesh Pillaai

Executive Editor

Anuradha Choudhary

Brand Solutions Director

Jyoti Verma

Talking of success and talent, we have on the cover one of the most brilliant actors of this generation – Ayushmann Khurrana – who truly is a star like never before! Versatile in roles and fearless in choices, he’s the poster boy of disruptive cinema and this new-age hero has given us some of the finest films in Bollywood. Turn the pages to read our exclusive interview with this power-house performer who will soon be in Dubai for his concert.

Meanwhile, as we go to print, the global superstar or should we say superstaRRR - Ram Charan is here in Dubai. While the RC starrer RRR’s ‘Naatu Naatu’ bagged a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for the Best Original Song, the star himself was nominated at the Critics’ Choice Awards for Best Actor in an Action Movie. Winning hearts and nailing the red carpet looks with their elegance and grace, he and wife Upasana Kamineni Konidela - who are also expecting their first child - were quite the toast at the Oscars. I met them as they landed for their short visit here and was floored by their modesty and graciousness that belies the star craze they witness globally. In fact, Ram Charan’s fans across the world had celebrated his birthday a few days earlier and the videos had gone viral. I had witnessed this craze in Dubai too and was in fact a guest at one such cake-cutting party hosted by his fans. Well, here’s wishing the beautiful couple much love and happiness!

Meanwhile, buzzing with the Iftar and Suhoor, Dubai will soon be getting Eid ready. Well, while we get busy learning some special Eid recipes, here’s wishing you all Eid Mubarak in advance and till then, wish you...

Ramadan Kareem!

SUPERSTAR RAM CHARAN IN DUBAI!

WHEN NICK JONAS DROPPED HIS DAUGHTER’S BIRTHDAY CAKE!

SAMANTHA RUTH

PRABHU’S TEAM DENIES HER WORKING IN PUSHPA SEQUEL

CHECK OUT THE BEST PICKS TO PREP UP THIS EID

12

POWERHOUSE PERFORMER AYUSHMANN KHURRANA TALKS TO AAKANKSHA NAVAL-SHETYE ABOUT MAKING BRAVE CHOICES AS AN ACTOR AND REWRITING RULES AS A BOLLYWOOD HERO

PHOTOGRAPHS: KUNAL GUPTA

STYLIST: ISHA BANSALI

HAIR: MOHAMED JAVED

MAKE-UP:

GET YOUR HOMES EID-READY

SHAHID KAPOOR IN CONVERSATION WITH AAKANKSHA NAVAL-SHETYE ABOUT COMPLETING TWO DECADES IN THE INDUSTRY AND THE SUCCESS OF HIS OTT DEBUT FARZI

ASMI AHMAD ON THE IMPORTANCE OF ADAPTING A HUMANE APPROACH TO DISEASE MANAGEMENT

KING IN A CANDID CHAT WITH AAKANKSHA NAVAL-SHETYE TALKS ABOUT ‘MAAN MERI JAAN’ GOING INTERNATIONAL WITH NICK JONAS

ACE CRICKETER SHIKHAR DHAWAN CHATS UP WITH AAKANKSHA NAVALSHETYE ABOUT HIS FIRST SPORTS CAFÉ IN DUBAI

RASHMIKA MANDANNA TALKS TO MAYUKH MAJUMDAR ABOUT HER JOURNEY SO FAR

45 57 60

ACCLAIMED DIRECTOR SHEKHAR KAPUR DECODES LOVE AND TALKS ABOUT HIS AMBITIOUS FILM PAANI IN AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH AAKANKSHA NAVALSHETYE

55

RAKHI SAWANT LAUNCHES HER ACTING ACADEMY IN DUBAI

CELEBARTING WOMEN POWER

SPORTING SPIRIT AT ITS BEST AT DANUBE SPORTS WORLD

SANJAY YADAV

Highlights

HERA PHERI 3 BEGINS SHOOTING WITH AKSHAY KUMAR, SUNIEL SHETTY, AND PARESH RAWAL

a bird’s-eye view of show town’s happenings HERE’S THE REASON WHY SHAH RUKH KHAN’S NEXT IS TITLED JAWAN

Hera Pheri 3 was launched recently in Mumbai. According to reports by the leading news organisation, the lm stars the original cast i.e. Akshay Kumar, Paresh Rawal and Suniel Shetty. Previously, in November, it was reported that Akshay Kumar had backed out of the franchise due to script issues, and that Kartik Aaryan had been approached to play the role. According to reports, Kartik Aaryan will not be doing the lm now. The female cast of Hera Pheri 3 is yet to be nalised. The lm is also not being directed by Anees Bazmee but by Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan’s director Farhad Samji. Hera Pheri 3 is produced by Firoz Nadiadwala.

After making quite the splash with his rst release of the year - Pathaan, Shah Rukh Khan is all set to enthral audiences with his next two big releases for 2023 - Jawan and Dunki. The actor is busy shooting. But now and then he does take time to interact with his fans online. Recently, during one of these sessions, a fan said that an FIR should be led against SRK as he claimed to be 57 years old. Shah Rukh, being his witty self, had the best response to it. He said, “Please mat karo yaar. Theek hai main hi maan jaata hoon I am 30 years old. There, I have now told you the truth..and that’s why even my next lm is called Jawan.” Only Shah Rukh can come up with such instant hilarious remarks, and the fans love him for it.

DID YOU KNOW SHAH RUKH KHAN ALMOST WASN’T IN DILWALE DULHANIA LE JAYENGE?

FILMFARE MIDDLE EAST EXCLUSIVE! tells pre-Independence

SANJAY LEELA BHANSALI REVEALS WHY HE DIDN’T MAKE HEERAMANDI 14 YEARS AGO

After Gangubai Kathiawadi, filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali is now all set to make his digital debut with his much-anticipated web series Heeramandi. Giving a sneak-peek of the show at the launch event, Bhansali said that writer Moin Beg had come to him with the idea of Heeramandi 14 years ago. He said, “I didn’t make it back then, I got into Devdas and then I got into Bajirao Mastani and Moin told me please give me my script back.” Heeramandi the story of three generations of courtesans in the eponymous pre-Independence era district. It stars Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Richa Chadha, Sharmin Segal, and Sanjeeda Sheikh. The show’s teaser introduces the viewers to the central characters, with an Indian classical score playing in the background

Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol starrer Dilwale

Dulhania Le Jayenge is one of the most iconic and beloved lms we have in Bollywood. The lm is what made SRK one of the most romantic stars of all time. However, did you know that he almost wasn’t a part of the lm? Yes, you read that right! The Romantics director Smriti Mundhra revealed how Shah Rukh had to be convinced to do a romantic movie. She also went on to talk about how Yash Raj Films changed the way people looked at weddings in India. The director has also included Yash Chopra’s wedding footage in her docu-series.

Look who’s in town: Ram Charan made a brief visit to Dubai with wife Upasana Kamineni Konidela. We snapped the superstar with his adorable pet pooch Rhyme!

ALIA BHATT GIVES A SHOUT OUT TO HER ‘FRIENDS’ DEEPIKA PADUKONE AND KATRINA KAIF

Nick Jonas, who did a concert with his brothers in Las Vegas recently, revealed during a backstage interview that he had dropped the cake he bought for his daughter Malti on Valentine’s Day. Nick revealed that after he bought a cake for his daughter, he dropped it on the way out of the door of the pastry shop. So, he had to go and get a different one. The singer-actor also added that the person at the store was so nice that he gave him a new cake. According to him, that’s what Valentine’s Day is all about-giving back.

DUBAI CALLING!

Ace cricketer Shikhar

Dhawan was in Dubai for the opening of his rst international café - Flying Catch Sports Café!

Alia Bhatt might share a past with her contemporaries and friends like Deepika Padukone and Katrina Kaif. However, she never lets it come in the way of her love and admiration for them. In a recent interview with a news portal, Alia heaped praise on Deepika and Katrina for the sheer courage they have shown when it comes to career and business choices. Alia also mentioned how she has tried beauty products owned by both Deepika and Katrina and believes that they have done extremely well in the market. The actress also went on to add that she admired women producers and directors, not because they are women but because they have the ability to stand out and say, “This is something I will do myself.”

them.

BROTHERS UNITED

Shahid Kapoor and Ishaan Khatter are two of the handsomest stars of Bollywood currently. They look good, are consummate dancers and possess great acting chops as well. We wonder why any lmmaker hasn’t yet cast them together.

RANBIR KAPOOR SAYS PYAAR HOTA KAYI BAAR HAI SONG IS NOT ABOUT HIM

The Ranbir Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor starrer

Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar, directed by Luv Ranjan, is ready for its release. Recently, Ranbir stated that Pyar hota kayi bar hai is his favourite song from the movie and went on to clarify that the number has nothing to do with his real life romances. At an event, Ranbir stated, “Main yeh bayaan kar deta hoon ki yeh mera kuch ‘biopic’ wala gaana nahi hain. My character in this lm is not a casanova. I help people who have problems in their love lives. I come up with solutions for their problems. I’m a break-up artist. It is not based on my life.”

POSE FOR THOUGHT

Kareena Kapoor Khan sure knows how to make an entry . We love how the paparazzi give us a shot of her getting out of her building almost daily and yet it always looks unique.

NICK JONAS DROPPED THE CAKE HE BOUGHT FOR DAUGHTER MALTI ON VALENTINE’S DAY

HRITHIK ROSHAN TO RETURN AS KABIR IN WAR 2

expert advice

SAMANTHA RUTH PRABHU’S TEAM DENIES RUMOURS THAT SHE IS WORKING ON THE PUSHPA SEQUEL

There have been rumours that Samantha Ruth Prabhu has been approached to dance a special number in Allu Arjun’s Pushpa: The Rule-Part 2 but has declined the offer. The actress has previously been a part of the popular song Oo Antava from Pushpa: The Rise-Part 1. Samantha’s team responded by saying that the rumours were “not true.” They said, “It’s all random rumour.” Previously, a report stated that Pushpa 2 director Sukumar had contacted Samantha Ruth Prabhu for another special song. Samantha reportedly declined the offer because she is not yet ready to take on special numbers.

The industry mourned the loss of Satish Kaushik who passed away on March 9th, 2023 at the age of 66. While he juggled many roles in the Hindi lm industry as an actor, director, producer, comedian, screenwriter, he was most loved as the iconic character of Calendar in Mr India. Among Kaushik’s most notable performances was the 2007 British drama lm Brick Lane, as well as in the acclaimed play Salesman Ramlal. The actor’s last appearance on the big screen will be in the upcoming period drama Emergency

RANVEER SINGH MEETS JONATHAN MAJORS, MICHAEL B. JORDAN, SIMU LIU AT THE NBA ALL-STAR CELEBRITY GAME

Pathaan, starring Shah Rukh Khan, has laid the groundwork for Aditya Chopra’s Spy Universe by featuring an explosive cameo by Salman Khan as Tiger, the role he played in his previous spy lms, Ek Tha Tiger and Tiger Zinda Hai. In between, the Siddharth Anand-directed lm made references to Hrithik Roshan’s and Tiger Shroff’s War. And it looks like Hrithik is all set to return as Major Kabir in War 2. According to reports, Aditya Chopra and Shridhar Raghavan have already nished the scripting of War 2 and the lm will soon go into production. It will have major connections with the previous spy lms.

Ranveer Singh is NBA India’s brand ambassador. Recently, he was seen with former basketball players such as Karl Malone, Reggie Miller, and Shaquille O’Neal. He also met many Hollywood stars like Jonathan Majors, Michael B. Jordan, Simu Liu, lmmaker Lee, and comedian Hasan Minhaj. He played a basketball game against Team Ryan for former Miami Heat player Dwayne Wade, alongside Marvel’s Shang-chi fame Simu Liu, actor Janelle Monae, comedian Hasan Minhaj, and tennis player Frances Tiafoe, with a nal score of 81 to 78.

In summer, oily skin can get oilier. Use a face wash that can deep cleanse and remove all the dirt and grime. People with dry skin would need a nonfoaming cleanser.

FACE WASH TO REMOVE EXCESS OIL

OPT FOR A GOOD SKIN CARE ROUTINE

Choose gel-based (for dry skin) and water based (for oily skin) rather than cream-based products as the former are lighter and non-greasy.

INCLUDE ANTIOXIDANTS IN YOUR SKIN CARE REGIME

Antioxidant serums protect your skin from environmental damage, help to boost collagen, and scavenge free radicals to prevent damage to skin.

KEEP YOUR SKIN HYDRATED

You can use a hydrating face mask after you wash your face at night for some extra hydration while you sleep. Splash your face frequently with water or carry a facial mist to freshen your skin at regular intervals.

EXFOLIATE FOR HEALTHY SKIN

Use a face scrub at least twice a week to remove excess dirt and oil from the skin. Make sure you exfoliate the lips and the neck too.

WEAR SUNSCREEN

The sun’s UV-A and UV-B rays can give you a stubborn tan, they can cause premature aging, age spots, fine lines and wrinkles. A good sunscreen with SPF 30-50 is vital for the summer months for all skin types too.

Heavy makeup prevents the skin from breathing. Consider using a tinted lip balm and a tinted moisturiser if you need to wear some makeup.

AVOID HEAVY MAKEUP USE A GOOD TONER

The maximum number of sebaceous glands are found on the T-zone of the face. To prevent sweat and oil from clogging these pores, use an aloe vera or cucumber-based toner as they are lighter.

MOISTURIZE WELL Spike vitamins

Choose a non-greasy formula based on your skin type. But look for ingredients like antioxidants like vitamins A and C. If it has SPF, even better.

Director of American Aesthetic Medical Center HOW TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR SKIN IN SUMMER? Ask

DR. SANA SAJAN

Bollywood stars are known to dabble in various genres, it would be safe to say that powerhouse-performer Ayushmann Khurrana has created his own genre of sorts! Unconventional and seeped in realism, his brand of cinema has seen him bridge meaningful cinema with commercial success and though not your quintessential Bollywood hero, this Poster-Boy of Disruptive Cinema, is the front-runner as the new-age hero! That he is also a singer par excellence is an added. In fact he is all set for his concert in Dubai soon. With a simple middle-class upbringing and no film connections to boast of, his is a success story that proves … if you have the talent, dreams do come true! In this exclusive interview, we decode the star, talk about his flair for risks and he reveals why he always aspired to be an actor more than a star!

YOU CAN DO COMEDY, ACTION, PORTRAY REALISM, INTENSE ROLES, DRAMA, SING, DANCE… IS THERE ANYTHING THAT AYUSHMANN KHURRANA CAN’T DO?

I can’t multi-task. Probably, I have been gifted with varied talents, but I just can’t multitask (laughs). Thanks for the compliment though.

WHEN WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT YOU DECIDED TO BECOME AN ACTOR?

I was like four at the time when, I wanted to become an actor. I think it was after watching Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak or maybe, Tezaab. Tezaab was the first film that I watched in a single-screen theatre in Chandigarh. I saw Madhuri Dixit on screen and then when I saw Aamir Khan onscreen in Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, that was it!

SO MUCH FAME AND STARDOM… WOULD YOU SAY THAT YOU HAVE ACHIEVED THAT DREAM AND REACHED WHERE YOU HAD ASPIRED TO BE?

I always aspired to be an actor first because that’s where you have some control on your craft. Like you work hard on your craft. You develop a certain skill over a period of time. But, the love you get from people is a bonus. So, I aspired to be a decently good actor, give my best to my characters to get people’s love and in turn to see success and adulation. I think, I have always lived the life of a pure artiste. I live one day at a time, I would love to retain the innocence of the child-like

quality of an artiste.

YOU HAVE DISPLAYED SO MUCH VERSATILITY AND BEEN TAGGED AS THE POSTER BOY OF DISRUPTIVE CINEMA – HAS THERE BEEN A CONSCIOUS CHOICE TO OPT FOR ROLES LIKE THESE?

For me, the concept of the film is more important than my own character or my role. I think it’s a team effort and it’s a conscious choice to opt for stories that are unique and disruptive more than the roles. Of course, in that journey, you will discover roles like Article 15 or an Andhadhun or An Action Hero where you try to get away from your core genre. So yes, of course, I would love to have unique films, unique stories in my film journey.

YOU HAVE MADE SOME VERY BRAVE CHOICES AS AN ACTOR BY CHOOSING TO DO FILMS WHICH THOUGH ENTERTAINING HAVE OFTEN HAD A STRONG SOCIAL-RELEVANCE OR HAVE DEALT WITH ISSUE-BASED TOPICS AND HAVE ALSO BEEN AHEAD OF THEIR TIME. WEREN’T YOU WARY OF THESE BEING RISKY ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO BOX OFFICE VIABILITY BACK WHEN YOU SIGNED THEM?

I have built my entire career by taking risks and I have to be a risktaker to survive because I am an unconventional actor and go for unconventional choices. However, yes box office has become a little volatile in the past couple of years where people are opting for tried and tested formula films or big budget event films. To begin with, the core of my films has never been based on budget or a particular look. It has always been high on content and pretty much low-key on budget. So, I have been trying dabbling with different genres be it An Action Hero or a Doctor G but moving forward, Dream Girl 2 seems to tick all the boxes when it comes

to a theatrical. It’s a community watch. It’s a front bench, heavily funny film.

YOU HAVE BRIDGED THAT DISPARITY BETWEEN A STAR AND AN ACTOR…

I always aspired to be a good actor. Because that is something which is in your control. You can work on your craft and build a character but when you get love and adulation from the audience that’s when you get to know that you have become a star and that’s a bonus, but that’s something which is not in your hands. So, I have been blessed that I have treaded this journey where I have been recognized as an actor and also a star. So, I am just counting my blessings. I have consciously worked towards getting scripts that have a larger appeal but at the same time, they should be unique. So, it’s a difficult balance to crack.

YOU HAVE TAPPED ALMOST ALL GENRES OUT THERE, SO WHAT’S ON YOUR WISH-LIST NEXT? Yes, I have mostly tapped all the genres however I would love to do a horror-comedy and a hardcore masala film. So these two are on my wishlist.

FROM A FILM LIKE ANDHADHUN TO A BADHAAI HO TO AN ARTICLE 15… WHAT KIND OF SPACE DO YOU ENJOY THE MOST?

I really enjoyed Andhadhun and Article 15 because they were different from my core genre. Of course, I generally get scripts which are slice-of-life, comedy, taboo-breaking subjects but Andhadhun and Article15 are the films that stand apart as they are on international standards. Like Andhadhun scored quite big

internationally at the box office and Article 15 also went to a lot of festivals and at the same time it saw box office success in India. So yes, it is this genre I like the most.

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS THE PARAMETER OF SUCCESS FOR YOU – NUMBERS OR ACCLAIM? WHAT WOULD YOU PREFER?

The parameters of success would be respect, for the

subject, for the character, progressive cinema. I don’t want to be a sell-out. So, I would always want to choose scripts that give a certain value addition towards the end and a decent experience while watching the film and yes, that is the only aspiration I have.

WHAT’S THE ONE BIGGEST LESSON

LEARNT THROUGH YOUR UPS AND DOWNS SO FAR?

I have always said that success is a lousy teacher. Your failures are your friend, philosopher and guide. So I guess, it’s a journey you cherish both and you have to be immune to both. You should not take success to you head, neither failure to your heart.

WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH… Be the Same. Just, be the same person. Keep walking. Keeping moving forward.

WHAT’S BEEN YOUR GREATEST STRENGTH ALL THROUGH?

The greatest strength all through would be detachment from success and failure alike.

I have built my entire career by taking risks and I have to be a risk-taker to survive because I am an unconventional actor and go for unconventional choices.

Suit: Rajesh Pratap Singh|Neckpiece: Hiflyer Jewels

Dream Girl

Andhadhun

Article 15

Dum Laga Ke Haisha

Meri Pyaari Bindu

Badhaai Ho Bala

Vicky Donor

Hawaizaada

Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan

WHAT’S BEEN THE BIGGEST TAKEAWAY AS AN ACTOR HAVING DONE SUCH A MULTITUDE OF ROLES?

The biggest takeaway as an actor is detachment. You need to switch on and off. You don’t have to take your character back home. At times, you are doing two films at a time or maybe there is not too much of a gap between two films – so detachment is very important.

WHAT’S YOU PROCESS AS AN ACTOR? ARE YOU MORE SPONTANEOUS OR DO YOU INTERNALIZE THE CHARACTER THAT YOU PLAY?

It has to be a mix of both. Internalization is really, really important. I am not a very phony actor – sometimes you have to do it for the camera. I don’t like doing that. If the pain is internal it has to be just visible and pierce through your eyes and I believe in that. At the same time, spontaneity is a prerequisite because you are not acting in isolation, you have a co-actor and you have to respond. That response, that reaction is something that has to do with spontaneity.

IS THERE A CHARACTER YOU WOULD SAY THAT HAS BEEN THE CLOSEST TO THE REAL YOU?

Meri Pyaari Bindu - that character is very close to me – because I am a poet, I am an artiste and I could really resonate to the old songs – that was something that was really beautiful.

YOU ARE ALSO ONE OF THE CLASSIEST DRESSERS WE HAVE AMONG THE MEN, IS THAT ALL YOU, HOW INVOLVED ARE YOU IN THAT STYLING AND FASHION BIT?

It has been a journey, when it comes to my styling. I would like to give all the credit to my stylist Isha Bhansali, I think she is incredible. She understands my personality and my body type. She makes sure I look different and it goes with the occasion. Like if I go for a television show during promotions I have to dress up in a certain way or if I’m going

I have been blessed that I have treaded this journey where I have been recognized as an actor and also a star. So, I am just counting my blessings.

Suit: Pawan Sachdeva Thick chain: Hiflyer Jewels Thin chain: Drip Project. Co

Bareily Ki Barfi Gulabo Sitabo

An Action Hero

Doctor G Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui Anek

for an awards event there is a certain grammar to that – it’s solely on her. I am mostly busy with my films and my scripts. My mind is busy with a lot of things related to my core job so, Isha Bhansali takes care of the styling part.

WHAT ARE YOUR UPCOMING PROJECTS?

As of now, I’m looking forward to Dream Girl 2 which is releasing on 7th of July and after that I’m looking forward to my collaboration with Dinesh Vijan.

YOU WILL BE PERFORMING LIVE AT A CONCERT IN DUBAI SOON, TELL US MORE ABOUT THAT?

I am really excited to perform live in Dubai. This is my fourth public performance and music is food for soul and Dubai is really exciting because it is a great cultural melting pot and I love performing in Dubai. The city has a great vibe, great energy and I look forward to this performance at the CocaCola Arena on 23rd April.

HOW IS AYUSHMANN – A SINGER DIFFERENT FROM THE ACTOR AND A FAMILY MAN?

Well, I just want to be fluid and as natural as possible as a person. I don’t want to be different as a singer or an actor and a family man. I just want to be natural in my natural surroundings. Of course, you portray a certain character onscreen, you have a different energy onstage, but it’s the part of the same me.

ARE MOVIES THE USUAL TALK AT THE TABLE AT HOME?

Not really. It’s not just about the movies. Because most of my friends are not from the industry. I make it a point to have a mixed bag of friends from different walks of life. Because that’s where you get fodder for your films. I believe you should discuss life in general.

ARE YOU AND TAHIRA VERY INVOLVED WITH EACH OTHER’S WORK?

Yes, Tahira and I are quite involved with each other’s work. She normally narrates all her scripts to me. I am a good bouncing board and Tahira also reads and takes narrations on my behalf and we have this team – it’s me, Tahira and my manager Sunita D’Souza – we take calls when it comes to my films.

Qui

takewithAyushmannKhurrana

3 most-played songs on your playlist

Currently I am addicted to Libianca’s People and Kahani Suno of Kaifi Khalil. And the sound track of Tu Jhoothi Main Makkar… It’s quite cool I think.

The best compliment you got was from?

The best compliment I got was from Shah Rukh Sir. When I met him at Pathaan’s success party, he mentioned our first meeting whereby I was very confident about my talent. He mentioned he liked this quality about me. Since I look up to him a lot, that was the best compliment.

What's the worst advice you have ever got

The worst advice would have been not to do Vicky Donor, my first film because it was just not in the syllabus like a conventional Bollywood script.

Acting or singing, what's more creatively satisfying as an artiste?

Acting and singing both – I am more of an actor though. I wish I would have taken my music more seriously though as a teenager or as a kid however, I can’t live without music, that’s for sure.

Tahira-your favourite fan or your best critic?

Tahira is very critical. She is my best critic for sure.

To unwind...

I listen to music, write poetry and read books.

I am not a very phony actorsometimes you have to do it for the camera. I don't like doing that.

Jacket: Siddartha Tytler

Shoes: Melissa Shoes India

THAT ’90S SHOW

Shaleena Nathani has a polished palette that oscillates between minimally chic to high-end style statements. She marries the two seamlessly as has been showcased in the lookbooks of A-listers namely Deepika Padukone, Kiara Advani, Madhuri Dixit Nene, Kartik Aaryan and Shah Rukh Khan to name a few. Having Deepika Padukone on her speed dial is what sartorial dreams are made of. And together they make a winning combo like no other. The latest addition to her stellar portfolio is the splash she’s made with her styling in Pathaan. Its wardrobe has definitely grabbed eyeballs. Taking street-style glam for a spin, Shaleena has brought back uber-cool ‘90s trends such as crop tops, chequered prints, cargo pants and denim shorts. What’s more, she’s taken it a notch higher with an array of boots that’s definitely a conversation starter. Excerpts from a candid conversation with the talented fashionista.

Did you always plan to get into celebrity styling?

I am grateful for Anaita Shroff Adajania. I do not come from a fashion background and I started my internship with her. I started off styling celebrities with her and going on shoots with her. What was great is that I came in knowing nothing, just having an amazing passion for clothes. I got

to meet interesting people and I have made some of my best friends doing this. To be honest, it is not something that I thought I wanted to do. But I don’t think I could be more grateful for being able to do what I do right now.

Tell us about your big break in this eld.

Pathaan was a huge break into the industry. I have done films, and it has always been

with Anaita or someone else. I have always been a little scared of it because it kind of intimidated me. When you have a film with Deepika and Shah Rukh, two of my favourite people, I don’t think I could’ve gotten a better

opportunity.

Pathaan

Stylist Shaleena Nathani has made her presence felt due to her quirky choices. She talks to Tanisha Bhattacharya about what moves her world

Deepika

What went behind styling the wardrobe

Padukone

for Pathaan’s title track?

I love street fashion, and I thought that it would be a nice change from what we have done in Besharm rang. It was shot on the streets of Spain and has a fresh vibe. I don’t think there is anyone who wears a white shirt better than Shah Rukh Khan. So I used those basic elements and just made it our own, like with the denim holster. So I felt like whatever they are wearing should be casual. To summarise, I took a really cool casual style and simply tweaked it to make it our own, making it fuller and more song friendly.

What’s it like styling for Deepika? I have learnt a lot from her because she really pushes me to do my best and she is also trusting of my approach. She will always listen to your idea. I couldn’t have done what I did with her without the kind of trust she puts in me. And of course, she carries everything off beautifully.

There is nothing in particular that he dislikes. The best part about him is that anything you give him, he just makes it better; he makes it his own. Also, the clothes should look cool and easy. He just carries them off effortlessly. He does love blacks, whites, those kinds of colours. It was a real treat for me to style him in the songs, especially the title song.

Having styled A-listers for various international events like Cannes and the Met Gala, what were the challenges like?

Cannes is all about walking the red carpet, and looking fabulous on it. Also, a lot of the events in Cannes happen in a day, so you can really go all out. It is about the drama that is created on the carpet for a couple of minutes. The only challenge you face is the pressure to outperform yourself from year to year. This year, Deepika was a jury member, so it was a different side of Cannes

How different is styling for a big Bollywood feature lm compared to ad lms?

that we saw. Also, when you do Cannes and Met, you get a little brief that comes with it, and you work with other designers to create an amazing outcome for those two minutes. There is a lot of pressure in that brief window of time where you have to express yourself. There is so much anticipation, and you always want to bring something new but you also know not to overdo it. For the Met, you have to do a lot of research, a lot of collaboration goes into getting that look right. The Met is purely fashion. Those are the kinds of constraints but it’s so much fun to push yourself.

There were lots of mixed reviews about Deepika’s look for the FIFA World Cup 2022 trophy unveiling... Honestly, I don’t know what the controversy was. She is the global brand ambassador for Louis Vuitton and it is about putting the best look out there. I think that is what we did.

For an ad film, it is important to stick to the script, the product you are trying to sell and who their target audience is and what their target market is. So you have to kind of adapt to those things. It is the product that you are selling. Even for a Bollywood feature, it is about the big screen and what’s going to look nice and what’s going to appeal to people. So you create a character, and you create a mood board of what things they would wear, for example, in their daily lives, to the office, or to an action sequence.

If you had to pick the most fun project you’ve had while styling a Bollywood star, which one would it be?

I would honestly have to say it was Pathaan because I had two of the actors that I love very much in one project. It was really special to me for many reasons. Just everybody who was on the team— Deepika’s team, hair and makeup, Shah Rukh’s team—we have all worked together for so long that we know each other so well. Everyone who worked on this is so special. There was a lot of pressure but I just wanted it to be the best that I could do.

Tell us a little about your own aesthetic sensibilities. I love the whole super oversized, baggy trend that

was there in 2022. I was really hoping that I could incorporate that into the work that I do or maybe one of the films that I am doing. Colour has also returned, such as bright pink and purple, as well as sneakers (like old school sneakers) and cycling shorts. There is so much cool stuff that has come in. A lot of the ‘90s fashion is coming back, which is quite interesting. I think that it would be great to do a film or do other things to kind of incorporate these trends. The thing is, in a film, you get a bigger canvas and a longer period of time to work on. You get to build. It’s almost like you are creating a whole new style for a person and then showing it over a period of time for it to really register. That is what I always feel when I style someone. It is important for me to style someone over a period of time and show what we are trying to do, it is not a one-time thing.

Tell us your favourite 2022 trends and the ones you look forward to in 2023 too.

There are so many trends that I hope to incorporate into movies. There is so much ’90s stuff that came back—like how Lady Diana used to dress. It’s just so cool. I would love to do something like that in a film. The whole oversized thing can be feminine, so I feel like just making it cool and easy. 

Shah Rukh looked so suave in Pathaan, are there any particular styles he does not prefer?

Pathaanwas a huge break into the industry…When you have a film with Deepika and Shah Rukh, two of my favourite people, I don’t think I could’ve gotten a better opportunity

Shah Rukh Khan in Pathaan

Tamannaah Bhatia

Deepika Padukone in Pathaan

amadan The R Edit

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Chattels & More

A Sweet Touch

Indulge in some rich and traditional desserts this Ramadan as we take a look at some of the most loved and popular delectable delights that add sweetness to this Holy month!

Kunafeh

A much-loved Levantine dessert, this Middle Eastern version of the cheese cake, is a popular delicacy made of semolina dough, stuffed with a white soft cheese such as Nabulsi cheese and topped with thin noodle-like phyllo pastry. Soaked in a sweet syrup, this is popular across all seasons.

Luqaimat

These crisp dumplings are made of deeply fried dough and are eaten topped and soaked with honey, powdered sugar or sweet syrup. Soft from the inside, very much like the Indian dessert Gulab Jamun, these are popular across the Middle East and are a favourite Arabic dessert.

Qatayef

Originally from Egypt, these dumplings are filled with Akkawi cheese, or any unsalted cheese. Qatayef can also be filled with nuts or cream. Fried or baked, Qatayef are drizzled with honey, sweet sugar syrup or powdered sugar and often topped with pistachio.

Basboussa

Basbousa is one of the most popular desserts across the Middle East. It is a sweet cake made of semolina and soaked in simple sweet syrup! Often the syrup is flavoured with coconut, rose water, orange or lemon. The Basbousa can also be eaten with nuts or cream.

Umm Ali

A much-loved Egyptian dessert, it is a delicious bread pudding treat of milk, cream, and nuts. It also has an interesting story behind its creation. It is said that Umm Ali was a rival of the ruler Ezz El-Din Aybek’s wife, Shagaret El Dorr. Upon the death of her husband, Shagaret El Dorr ordered Umm Ali’s death and to celebrate the death, she ordered her cooks to create the most delicious dessert and distributed it across Egypt. It has been quite a popular dish since then!

Baklava

Easily one of the most popular desserts of them all, this Turkish delight is said to have developed during the Ottoman Empire. However, the Baklava can also be found in Greece, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia too. The crunchy pastry is made of several layers of phyllo, chopped nuts and drizzled with sweet syrup or honey.

Shahid Kap r! TheArt of being

BOLLYWOOD STAR AND POWERHOUSE-PERFORMER , SHAHID KAPOOR IN A CANDID CONVERSATION WITH AAKANKSHA NAVAL-SHETYE TALKS ABOUT COMPLETING 20 YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY, HIS HIT OTT DEBUT FARZI AND REVEALS WHAT’S CHANGED ABOUT HIM AS AN ACTOR

Shahid Kapoor

is simply unstoppable! One of the hottest stars of Bollywood, while he continues to reign the Box Office as one of the most sought-after names in the industry, he backs up his super-stardom with some of the most power-packed performances seen in Indian cinema. Unafraid to take risks, we have seen him venturing to tap into the darkest and some of the most complex characters and play them out convincingly. Quite a contrast from the romantic hero image that he’d earned over the years, he’s traced all spectrums of different genres effortlessly, be it action, romance, drama, comedy or noir! From playing the sweet quintessential lover-boy in Ishq Vishq to acing as the romantic hero in films like Vivaah and Jab We Met , and to the intense role in and as Kabir Singh to playing royalty with aplomb in Padmaavat , his career trajectory also has him bring to life some of the most edgy, intense, dark and complex characters to life with an amazing ease in films like Haider, Kaminey, Udta Punjab… The actor now continues to raise the bar with the success of his latest show Farzi on Amazon Prime Video that also marked his debut on the OTT! That he proved his mettle as an actor with the role once again is clearly no surprise anymore. Interestingly, the star also completes 2 decades in the industry this year. As I catch up with Shahid Kapoor for this exclusive interview, it’s easy to see that he’s come a long way not only as an actor but continues to be far more settled on the personal front than he’s ever been as a loving husband to wife Mira and a doting dad to his two adorable kids. “It happens through step by step understanding of who you are and then you understand what you’re not,” he says looking back at the 20 years of growing and learning through all his experiences. Fun, witty, charming and one of the hottest stars… that’s Shahid Kapoor. Excerpts from our candid chat

What made you sign Farzi? Was it the directors Raj and DK or the character?

I had wanted to do something on OTT. It was on my mind because I had become a consumer who was watching a lot of content which was long form and as an artiste, I was really enjoying the space an actor gets to express and play and portray over a long… kind of six to seven hour show. And I had watched The Family Man and totally loved it. So, when they called me for a movie, I asked them for a show. And they said, ‘Are you sure?’ because that was right after Kabir Singh and I was like ‘yeah, I’m sure, I want to do it’. So then they told me that they had this show called Farzi which they had actually earlier offered to me as a film, but it never got made as they couldn’t put it into two hours. They needed more time to tell the story. And I was like “alright, I guess it’s in our destiny to do this together.” And I kind of knew the beats of the story and they told me how they’ve adapted it for the longer format, and I felt that that was even better than what it could have been as a movie and that’s just how it happened.

Farzi is being so highlyacclaimed globally… Did you expect such an amazing response?

You know you always want it, but then sometimes it happens and sometimes it doesn’t. So, when it happens, you feel a great sense of satisfaction and gratitude that OKAY! It happened. It’s landed the way we thought it would land. But Farzi went beyond that because the way it has performed globally, it’s absolutely unreal. And I think that goes to show that Indian cinema is really travelling and the audience, now there are no boundaries.

Good content can just travel everywhere. It’s done exceptionally well in Hindi and in the regional Indian languages and it has done exceptionally well in English. It’s doing exceptionally well in many dubbed languages which goes to show that there no boundaries now. Content can get consumed by various social strata, by various culture, countries, languages which is very liberating. And that’s something that the OTT platform is doing seamlessly. You can watch it everywhere together. It’s the same platform, right? So I think that is my biggest takeaway that the world is our oyster, let’s go do great stuff.

You really seem to enjoy sinking your teeth into layered characters like these… That’s what acting is about. It’s about playing challenging roles. I’ve been doing this for 20 years, if I don’t feel challenged, I’ll sleepwalk through something. So, it’s very important to feel challenged, it’s very important to try something that’s different… It could go right, and could go wrong. I think when you feel like you’re walking that thin line, it always brings out the best, at least for me. I always do my best when I feel like - agar ye galat chala gaya to ekdum off chala jayega. You know when you feel like that and then you really want to give it a try? So, it helps me be more focused and work harder.

You recently celebrated your birthday, how different is it today vs 20 years ago? Earlier I had my family and close friends. Now I have my wife, and I have my children. So, I’m still surrounded by the people that I love and the people that matter the most. And it’s still pretty much sticking to the basics. You

know, doing what I love and spending all my time with the people that matter and trying to grow and be better. Of course, at that time my life was different, and I was at different stage and age and now I’m in a different stage and age, but the basics are still the same.

You also complete 20 years in the industry and you’ve literally grown here! What’s been the biggest takeaway as an actor? The biggest takeaway is ki kisi ko kuch nahi maloom hai ki kal kya hone wala hai. Live in today, give it your best. Be authentic, be honest. Be real. Don’t try and be a version of somebody else. Don’t look around to figure out what’s successful and chase it. I’ve gone through all those beats in my life and come back to the first one. I’m just going to be me, and rest will figure itself out.

Yes, we have seen you in that phase where it was more about proving yourself. Today you seem more relaxed where it’s more about enjoying the craft…

Yeah, I am far more comfortable in my skin now. And I think it takes time to get there. You need to allow yourself to go through many beats in life and till you don’t figure out what’s not you, which would also happen through step by step understanding of who you are and then you understand what you’re not. And as you go through those beats, you finally come through - okay this is me. All those things I was trying to do was not me, this is me. This is who I am, and I feel like that’s where I am now.

So, what does it mean to be Shahid Kapoor today? It’s, simple. I’m doing what I love. I’m surrounded by people who are by my side and who love me very much and my feelings matter to them, and they are my world. Wanting to grow every day, wanting to enjoy life. There’s more to life than just work. As you grow older, you’re like… your best years are like ‘arey, now I’m 40, arey… 42, abhi kya hoga!’ So everyday becomes more valuable and there’s more you want to juice out of everyday.

is ki kisi ko kuch nahimaloomhaikikalkyahonewala hai . Live in today, give it your best. Be authentic, be honest. Be real. Don’t try and be a version of somebody else. Don’t look around to figure out what’s successful and chase it.

I am far more comfortable in my skin now. And I think it takes time to get there

The biggest takeaway

So, I feel like that, I feel I’m more driven, more focused, more engaged with life than I was maybe, 10 years back.

What about your roles? Do you ever think about doing the kind of roles that you might want to show to your kids?

(Laughs) Yeah, my wife just said that to me when Jab We Met was re-released in the theatres recently. She was like, that’s your one film which I can show the kids. In all these other films, you’re playing all these dark, edgy, complex characters. They can’t watch it… and I agree with her. I was like haan ye wali film dikha do unko. So at least they know what their father does (laughs). Unko to ye pata bhi nahi tha ki main karta kya hoon

And what was their reaction… Seeing you on the big screen?

They apparently had a great time. Actually, my mom took them to watch the movie and later told me that they seemed to have a really good time. So, I was happy, I was really happy. Now they know what their dad does at least, so it’s a good thing.

You’ve constantly been raising the bar with your performances. But do you feel a certain pressure to outdo your previous performance especially when you’re playing a kind of edgy, or complex and these intense characters like you have done… Like a Tommy in Udta Punjab or in Kabir Singh or Kaminey and now as Sunny in Farzi?

Not really. See, these things are not going to come every day. These kinds of roles don’t come every day. In fact, I feel in the last six to seven years, I’ve been fortunate to get a few of them. So, I hope more stuff gets written. My bigger concern is, let’s create the opportunity. Then once the opportunity is there, whether we do well or we don’t do well, at least we had the opportunity to give it a shot. So I’m looking for that opportunity as an actor. Every time I get it, I’ll just deep dive into it, but it doesn’t come every day. So it’s more about just enjoying the process and not really overthink it. The other thing is that I don’t want it to feel like I’m only doing certain type of roles. So, I also want to keep it fluid. Even as actor when you do something, after a while you feel, haan abhi I’ve done enough of this, let’s try something else yaar. I think I’m overdoing it. You get that feeling from inside.

I’ve been doing this for 20 years, if I don’t feel challenged, I’ll sleepwalk through something. So, it’s very important to feel challenged...

Healthcare consultant and young entrepreneur Asmi Ahmad is a strong advocate when it comes to leading a healthy lifestyle! But what sets her apart is the fact that not only does she believe in maintaining a balanced life for healthy individuals, but also works extensively on bringing about these healthy changes in lives of patients undergoing extensive treatments. A degree holder in MSc. Nutrition and dietetics, PG in Clinical Oncology and Nutrition for diseases and cancer nutrition management, it is her humane approach to disease management where symptoms can be managed through diet and lifestyle changes that can help patients lead a healthy and pain-free life. A rising star in health care industry, she is also a much popular lifestyle and health influencer. In an exclusive interview, she talks to us about making a positive change through her work and also reveals all about launching Diaeta - her first nutritional supplement line!

How has this city helped you achieve your dreams?

Dubai gave me my wings! In Dubai, even sky is not the limit, this city makes you want to be the best version of yourself and the amount of opportunities we are exposed to here are remarkable. Also being in a city where you get to interact with people from around the world, see their culture, traditions, food, the mindsets, especially the local Emirati food which is so packed with nutrients that it’s purely inspirational… Living in Dubai just diversifies your thinking and that has really been a pivotal point for me in working towards my dreams and aspirations. Nothing is impossible when you are in Dubai! What aspect of healthcare as a profession do you find most challenging and what’s most interesting about it?

The most challenging aspect has to be the journey of earning your client/ patient’s trust, I believe unless your patient trusts you, they won’t trust your treatment methods and so you won’t be able to do your job. However, this journey is also the interesting part of my job when I see a patient getting results or being pain-free without medicines and just enjoying life, it gives me pure adrenaline rush to see people happy!

What’re the most common healthcare concerns you see that are lifestylerelated and can easily be rectified? Delusions about body positivity, not to say everyone should have abs, but be free of ailments. Nowadays, body positivity is a cover for ‘I’m lazy’ and that needs to stop! Excess body fat leads to a ton of problems such as imbalanced hormones, increased inflammation, increased risk of diabetes, CVD and cancer, not only health wise but also physically your appearance is compromised by the side effects of being overweight which leads to low self-esteem and social anxiety. These problems can be easily avoided by keeping most of your meals healthy and nutrient dense and of course sometimes enjoying the cheat meals along with choosing

a physical activity that keeps you toned!

Mental well-being and physical wellbeing go hand-in-hand, so how do you approach this and balance the two?

Your mind holds much more power than you can imagine! So always keep your mind on your side, one way of doing this, which also impacts your physical wellbeing is by eliminating the toxicity around food, people love terming foods as ‘bad’ and ‘good’, personally, I believe all food is good but quantity and frequency matters! So for my patients nothing is off the table, they can enjoy everything, but not every day. This allows you to be healthy and pain-free yet have no regrets. To tell yourself that something is ‘NOT ALLOWED!’ will only make you want it more and then you constantly having to resist and be sad over what, food! That according to me is not worth it! We have enough stress in our lives already we don’t need an ice cream to be added to the list!

Can you share some tips to have a healthier and balanced lifestyle?

My number 1 tip would be to always listen to your body and soul! If you feel like a certain diet or food is making you uncomfortable in anyway then simply eliminate it from your lifestyle and add something your body agrees with, but here, being honest is the key! Otherwise none of our bodies WANT to agree with spinach and instead want fries. Then comes the body itself, have at least 30-45 minutes a day for some form of physical activity, could be literally anything you like! Third and most importantly take care of your mind, in life many things / people / situations will try and tear you down but as long as you keep your mind positive you will always shine through, and yes it won’t be easy throughout, but we can all try! So in short, love your body, live your life and nourish your soul!

What is your approach to treatments especially in cases of cancer?

MY GOAL HAS FOREVER BEEN AND WILL ALWAYS BE TO EASE THE PAIN AND SYMPTOMS OF THE PEOPLE GOING THROUGH PAINFUL DISEASES AND NOW WITH THE NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENT LINE I’M ONE STEP CLOSER TO REACHING EVERY HOME AND HEART!

Cancer not only impacts you metabolically, but also physically and mentally, so I believe in treating all three. Once a person gets on chemo/ radiation or is even going for surgery or any of these cocktails, the side effects of these treatments start to show up, which can be quite a challenge to go through. So we provide a personalized plan that is custom made for each client to meet their needs and provide relief at the earliest! Along with a safe space to talk, this can be regarding the treatment, their own fears or even basic emotions, anything that helps, we are here through your journey!

What is the advice you’d share with patients suffering from long-term illnesses?

My first piece of advice to a long-term illness patient might sound weird but it is: DON’T STRESS, because stress makes everything worse. For example when an arthritis patient stresses they tend to create more inflammation that increases the pain. The most important thing to do in long-term illness is to figure out which type of diet / lifestyle can help you stay pain-free, increase the duration between flare-ups, help you reduce the pain meds and improves the quality of life!

Tell us about your new endeavor?

We are launching Diaeta, and its first nutritional supplement line which is purely focused on bettering the health of the people suffering from diseases. The line consists of supplements and meal replacements which will provide a delicious way of managing the symptoms. These products are non-GMO, all natural, gluten-free and just filled with helpful nutrients. My goal has forever been and will always be to ease the pain and symptoms of the people going through painful diseases and now with the nutritional supplement line I’m one step closer to reaching every home and heart!

What’s the way forward?

The world of treatment is changing altogether, people

are now more drawn towards side-effect free treatments and they also want something that will cure them rather than just hide their symptoms! That’s exactly what I aim to do as well! So we want to bring in personalized treatment plans which will make sure that the patient receives the maximum benefit from us in the shortest amount of time possible!

What would be your advice to people fasting in Ramadan who are suffering from arthritis?

Fasting has shown to reduce chronic inflammation however when someone fasts during Ramadan its sole purpose is spiritual! It’s such a beautiful month filled with immense amounts of blessings. Having said that, fasting

has been shown to reduce the inflammation in patients with chronic inflammatory diseases by reducing the proinflammatory factors in the body and also reduces insulin resistance which has been helpful in preventing cancer as well. So this month isn’t just helpful for your soul, but also for your body, so HAPPY FASTING!

THIS MONTH ISN’T JUST HELPFUL FOR YOUR SOUL, BUT ALSO FOR YOUR BODY, SO HAPPY FASTING!

Shining at the

India Oscars!

Itwas a historic night of pride and happiness for Indian cinema as two films representing the Indian film industry at the 95th Academy Awards in Los Angeles brought home the Oscars! Guneet Monga’s short documentary The Elephant Whisperer directed by firsttimer Kartiki Gonsalves won the Best Documentary Short Film making Kartiki the first Indian director to win in the category as well as the first Indian ever to win in any directing category.

Also adding to the laurels, MM Keeravaani’s RRR song ‘Naatu Naatu’ that had won the Golden Globes earlier this year, won the Oscar for the Best Original Song. The fast-paced number penned by lyricist Chandrabose and featuring the film’s lead heroes Ram Charan and Jr NTR made history as the first movie from the South Asian country to win the honour. The song also won a standing ovation when it was performed at the awards event.

The song was presented by Deepika Padukone who wowed the audience with her elegance and classy poise in a Louis Vuitton black dress accessorized by a Cartier neckpiece. Also attending the event were the film’s director SS Rajamouli, Ram Charan and Jr NTR. The South gone Pan-Global stars – Ram Charan and Jr NTR put their fashionable best foot forward at the event, winning hearts with their charm and scoring points with their dashing fashion statements.

Ram Charan who attended the awards event with his wife Upasana Kamineni Konidela celebrated homegrown artisans with his custom-made bandh-gala Shantanu and Nikhil creation, with the look styled by Nikita Jaisinghani. Upasana Kamineni Konidela complemented Ram’s look with perfection in a Jayanti Reddy customised silk saree made using hand woven silk of spun fabric, created from recycled scraps, and accessorized her look with a statement Lilium neck piece.

Meanwhile, Jr NTR not only carried India in his heart, but also on his sleeve sporting a gold-embroidered tiger on his black velvet custom-made bandhgala created by Gaurav Gupta. The tiger was a homage to his character of Komaram Bheem as well as his fight sequence with the animal in the film, and also draws parallels with the National Animal of India. Interestingly, the moniker of The Young Tiger is also used for Jr NTR by his fan base!

- Aakanksha Naval-Shetye

M.M. Keeravaani and Chandrabose Kartiki Gonsalves and Guneet Monga

Jr NTR

Deepika Padukone

Ram Charan, Upasana Kamineni Konidela and SS Rajamouli with wife

Ram Charan

You performed at the rst edition of the Wireless Music Festival in Abu Dhabi alongside international headliners Travis Scott, Lil Uzi, M.I.A and others. What was the headspace like ahead of the performance?

Really, really excited. It’s my first time in Abu Dhabi.

I’ve played in Dubai a lot of times and I know I’ve got a lot of fans here, so it’s exciting. Also we usually don’t get to play in Pakistan and my Pakistani fans get to come out here and watch me, so that’s definitely very exciting too.

Divine

Beats!

HIP-HOP STAR AND RAPPER-SINGER DIVINE CHATS UP WITH AAKANKSHA NAVAL-SHETYE ON PERFORMING IN ABU DHABI FOR THE FIRST TIME AND HIS JOURNEY SO FAR

One of the most popular rappers of Indie music scene, Divine has been a leading name in helping this genre of music spread its wings all across the country. Last year, the singer made his debut at the 64th Grammy Awards, making him the first Indian hip-hop talent to attend the prestigious event. Winning fans globally, he recently also performed at the first edition of the world renowned Wireless Music Festival in Abu Dhabi alongside international headliners Travis Scott, Lil Uzi, Wegz, Black Sherif, Ali Gatie, M.I.A. and more. There’s a lot of excitement in the air, as I catch up with the hip-hop star in Abu Dhabi. In between the prep ahead of his performance, DIVINE talks about his success and journey and reveals what keeps him going. Excerpts from our exclusive chat

You’ve come a long way, from Mumbai to enjoying global recognition, including at the Grammy’s, so what’s success to you, because you’re scaling that and adding onto that…

Yeah! It’s a good feeling. It’s been a while now and I’m grateful.

I think creating music on a regular basis is success for me… to keep making music. Just keep going. That’s it. Only upwards.

So do you have Bollywood on the mind?

No. It was never my plan to get into Bollywood for playback singing.

I love Bollywood but I do this and I still think that I have to release albums, release collaborations with other artistes who I love to play with. So that’s the way forward.

So, what are the big collabs that we are looking at right now?

There are a couple of artistes that I can’t name. There’re a lot of songs that’re going to drop this year for sure. For now, I have Jonita (Gandhi) here with me. I have a couple of songs with her.

So, from the time that you started, when the rap music scene in India especially was not that big to now. What do you see the biggest change has been, especially since you’ve been at the forefront of that?

That we are here.

It’s the biggest thing happening right now that we are playing on the same stage as Travis and all these guys are huge in the hip-hop scene and we’re here.

What’s been your strength throughout?

Actually, my team. My team is really solid, and they keep me going. And my fans. Always!

Living Life

KING SIZE

HIP-HOP ARTISTE KING IN CONVERSATION WITH AAKANKSHA NAVAL-SHETYE ABOUT GOING INTERNATIONAL AND HIS BIGGEST TAKEAWAY!

Making an impressive debut on the hip-hop reality show MTV Hustle in 2019, it was in 2020 that hip-hop artiste and singer-song writer KING first hit jackpot with his chartbuster Indie track ‘Tu Aake Dekhle’ and there has been no looking back for the singer since. Post the super-success of his ‘Maan Meri Jaan’ on the domestic front, he has in fact gone global this year with international artiste and pop star Nick Jonas recreating the hit track as ‘Afterlife’. We caught up with Arpan Chandel aka KING in Abu Dhabi where he was set to perform at the renowned international urban music festival Wireless alongside some of the world’s biggest stars across hip-hop, rap, R&B, including Travis Scott, Lil Uzi Vert, Wegz, Black Sherif, Ali Gatie, and M.I.A. amongst others. Ahead of the performance, KING admits that he’s more excited than nervous and says, “Besides, being my first experience at Wireless, it’s also my

first performance in Abu Dhabi. So, yes I’m really excited. Everything is so fresh and so beautiful. So yeah, I’m less nervous and more excited for sure.”

The singer, who has come a long way since being an aspiring artiste in Delhi, insists that there’s not been a specific gamechanger for him as all songs are equally special for him, but there’s no denying that the two songs that shot him to instant fame and then won him the spotlight are ‘Maan Meri Jaan’ and ‘Tu Aake

King

Dekhle’. “You never know what song is going to be a global one and a big one. You never know. You just put your heart out whenever you write a song. So, every time, and every song is special for me! But yeah people chose ‘Maan Meri Jaan’ and ‘Tu Aake Dekhle’ over the other songs. So, it’s fine for me. I’m happy.”

Attributing much of the success to his team as well, he adds, “I’ll be honest with you, my team, the Bluprint and the people I’m working with on the music. I’m just being honest right now because I’m just not me alone… the people behind me are welloriented in life. So, all credit goes to them.”

Talking about Nick Jonas recreating his song Maan

Meri Jaan (Afterlife) that has gone on to garner over 8 million views in less than 2 weeks since its release, he admits that it’s been amazing. “I have a long way to go, but yes, it’s been a good start,” he says. Open to more collaborations with other singers, he says there are far too many artistes to name on his wish list, adds collabs like these happen when they have to organically.

As for the biggest takeaway as an artiste, he says that it’s the adulation and the love he’s got from fans across. “I think the kind of love that we get every day. That’s my only takeaway. Like it’s everything for me so yeah.”

PICTURE CREDIT: @XO.VISUALS

stunning A

duo!

HIP HOP DUO YOUNG STUNNERS – TALHA ANJUM AND TALHAH YUNUS - TALK TO AAKANKSHA NAVAL-SHETYE ABOUT BEING THE FIRST PAKISTANI ARTISTES TO PERFORM AT THE WIRELESS MUSIC FESTIVAL IN ABU DHABI

It’s easy to mistake the rapper-duo Young Stunners – Talha Anjum and Talhah Yunus –as brothers! Besides, the similarity in names, the duo share their birth month and year. However they share that they have in fact been the best of friends since the two were 16 years old. Sharing a common passion for music, the two formed a band in 2012 and have since come a long way with hits like ‘Burger-EKarachi’, ‘Groove Mera’, ‘Afsanay’, amongst many other chartbusters. What’s more, the two are credited for bringing in Urdu rap and integrating it in the mainstream musoc scene of Pakistan. We caught up with them in Abu Dhabi where they are set to perform at the renowned international urban music festival Wireless alongside some of the world’s biggest stars across hip-hop, rap, R&B, including Travis Scott, Lil Uzi Vert, Wegz, Black Sherif, Ali Gatie, and M.I.A. amongst others. The two artistes reveal their inspirations and also about talk about handling all the female adulation. Excerpts from our candid chat

This is your rst performance here, how excited are you? Very excited. We’re actually the first Pakistani artistes to be performing at this music festival. So yes! That’s big. It’s really like a dream for us.

Who do you look up to as your inspirations?

There are so many artistes. So many singers, not just in the rap, there’s so much music coming out from Pakistan for all these years so, we’ve just been fans of Pakistani music. We’ve listened to a lot of that, all our life. But these guys, Travis, 50 Cent, even King, Divine - Bhai

hain hamaare (laughs).

So any Bollywood collaborations or any collaborations with King, Divine on the cards?

Yes, there’s something coming up. We don’t want to reveal it right now and wait for it. But it’s something very interesting and we can’t wait to share soon.

So are you looking at something which is more album driven or some collaboration?

At this time, we are actually looking into something of a collaboration, but at the same time, we’re also doing a lot of

Young Stunners

singles, features. So we’re always open because obviously we’re not signed band, we’re independent artists.

The Indie music in Pakistan is so amazing. You have the Coke Studio that has nurtured some of the best talents. In fact, you both were a part of the 14th season with Faisal Kapadia? How was it?

We’ve been a fan on him all our life. One day we just got a call and said you guys are going to do a song with him and we were like, ‘What’! But yes it was a milestone for us and a great experience.

But both of you have brought

in a lot of in uence of the roots of Pakistan into the music. It’s very real… I think the credit goes to hip-hop because, this genre of music itself has always been very candid. Come as you are. So that’s what we did all our life. Back in the day… the way we used to listen to it, usually nobody would listen to it, the music was different from what it is today.

How are you guys handling all the female fan following… We saw outside, you both have a very huge following here… We’re handling it pretty good (laugh).

Ace batsman

SHIKHAR DHAWAN talks to AAKANKSHA NAVAL-SHETYE about opening his first café in Dubai and the lessons learnt as a cricketer that he’s now applying as an entrepreneur

Cr cket t Café !

From being hailed as one of the most fearsome batsmen to now opening his first international café, the Flying Catch Sports Café, in Dubai, Shikhar Dhawan sure is looking at hitting the ball out of the park with his newest venture. With a unique concept where sports meets healthy, nutritious food and delicious taste, the ace cricketer now plans to conquer the culinary world. While fostering a community of sports fans, Shikhar also plans to expand into the cold press juice, healthy snack, and ready-to-mix ingredient markets. He will use the profits from Flying Catch Cafe to support the development of young athletes in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). We caught up with the sports star at the opening of his new cafe and came away impressed. Downto-earth and a charming appeal, we got to explore much of the lesser-known facets of this much celebrated sports personality. Excerpts

You are stepping into the culinary world, so what made you choose Dubai as the location for your rst café? Well, Dubai is the place to be, it’s one of the most popular tourist destinations and a huge margin of that are Indians as well and food resonates with everyone but especially us Indians. And the scope here is huge to tap food lovers from all across the globe. When you deliver right quality of food with ambience, great taste, vibe and service, it will make its own place with food-lovers, especially the healthconscious types who don’t want to compromise on taste. So, yes this is a start and we hope to have many more cafes coming up soon.

The café has very distinct sporty vibes and ambience, how involved have you been with the process in terms of planning the menu, etc… I believe in giving in myself completely to whatever it is I do, be it cricket or now the restaurant business. So I have been involved right from the inception to now and it’s also largely an extension of my personality. That’s why there is tremendous focus on the items on the menu being all healthy and nutritious and yet high on taste.

What lessons from your experiences and your life have you put to use here?

Whatever I learned from cricket about teamwork and all, I have put all of those qualities in my businesses as well. That is helping me a lot. Also lots of spirituality. Because once you learn to vibrate on a certain frequency you can attract what you want… So, I attract things in my life, I don’t chase. So I feel that these things I have manifested in my life, and I just hope they bring happiness to all my patrons, to my partners here, and to all involved. I’m a very process-oriented person, and as a team we make sure that the process is in place! Haar jeet ki baat nahi hoti hai, baat hoti

hai jigre ki aur process ki. Because we can only give in our best to the process, rest we have to leave to the Almighty and see how that goes. So, when we were looking at opening this café, the location, the menu, all were part of that process to bring an enjoyable experience for health conscious foodies. So these were things that we worked on intensively to make sure the boxes in the process are ticked.

Throughout your career, how have you not let fear or fame sway you?

I have my parents to thank for that. The learnings I had about respect, being grounded right from my childhood has held me in good stead. Also as I said, spirituality. It’s not like I wasn’t swayed by all the fame and stardom, that phase was there too at my young age. But I believe that I have also got a lot of love and blessings that have kept me on the right path. Even as a child when I dreamt of being a famous cricketer someday, I did want all that fame and love and public adulation, and now that I have it, there’s gratitude and a lot of appreciation for those blessings. I don’t take them for granted. Also I work on those aspects in my life that scare me. So when faced with a challenge, I don’t get scared, I believe in turning those challenges into an opportunity.

Is that how you have dealt with all the highs and the low phases too?

I have a very balanced nature. I have seen the good times, I have seen the bad times, whether personally or professionally! There were times I realised that I was running after some things which weren’t the right ones in the first place. So, I have seen and been through all of that. After passing those phases I understood what I should and should not have done. So, now when anything comes along, the approach is more balanced. If things don’t go your way, I analyse to see where I went wrong perhaps, but not be

sad about it. So I analyse it but I keep my vibration quite high. In the end, things work out good. If there’s something that the universe doesn’t want for you, it’s better to trust that process and make peace with it. So that’s the reason you work more on acceptance than expectations. Acceptance is very important. So when I face a problem, I look at it like a situation. I don’t call it a problem, it’s a situation.

with Shikhar Dhawan

Your favorite comfort food?

Aaloo parantha uske upar makkhan, saath mein achaar aur chai.

Any Bollywood plans?

I’ve already done one cameo role in a Bollywood movie baaki kabhi offer aaya toh zaroor.

If there’s a biopic made on your life, would you want to star in it yourself?

I don’t think I should be starring myself in my biopic. I don’t want to. But if there’s a problem and I am offered, then may be, why not!

You’re the crush of so many women across the globe, who’s your crush?

I like Disha Patani!

If not a cricketer, what would you be?

Maybe a businessman because I come from a business family. My brother is a businessman, so I would have supported him in business.

I attract things in my life, I don’t chase… Haar jeet ki baat nahi hoti hai, baat hoti hai jigre ki aur process ki.

RashmikaMandanna

It’s been only seven years since Rashmika Mandanna made her debut with the Kannada lm Kirik Party. But going by the stardom she has achieved, you’d think she has been around for a long, long time. Add to it the fact that she is only 26 years old and you can only marvel at her boxof ce presence.The Karnataka native has had hit after hit in lms of all languages, be it Kannada,Telugu or Tamil. Before pan-Indian movies became a thing, she starred in Geetha Govindam opposite Vijay Deverakonda.The movie went on to transcend boundaries, becoming one of the most successful movies of recent times. There was a time when she was known as “Karnataka’s Crush”. Her fans soon realised that she didn’t belong to Karnataka alone and dubbed her “Crushmika.” With the success of Pushpa: The Rise, the actress has added another feather to her cap. She made her Hindi debut in Vikas Bahl’s Goodbye (2022), where she is in the august company of Amitabh Bachchan and has impressed everyone with her performance. She plays a blind girl in her recently released Mission Majnu and wowed the critics once more. In the meantime, she notched up another hit in the Tamil lm Varisu down South. She’d next be seen in Animal opposite Ranbir Kapoor. Clearly, things are going swimmingly for her. In an exclusive interview, the actress gives us a glimpse into her journey...

Tell us about your latest release

Varisu. How did it come about?

The film happened just at the right time when I was getting done with all of my prior commitments. I was listening to new scripts; it was the right script that came at the right time. It’s a family film, which I always wanted to do.

What did you like about your character in Varisu?

That she is fiercely headstrong. She is someone who stands up for herself and

is supportive and protective of her people.

Have you always been a fan of Vijay?

Recently, I went to my best friend’s wedding and I met a friend whom I’ve known since I was 12. And all we were talking about was how we’d get our dads to get us Vijay sir’s film CDs and how we’d all watch and dance along with him. So I’ve always, always adored sir and finally getting to work

with him made me so happy.

Even though the movie was released a while ago, the Pushpa: The Rise craze continues. Did you anticipate this? Till a movie actually releases, you cannot know the outcome of it or how much the audience will love it. But Pushpa was massive and because it was a well written, wellcaptured, well-enacted piece of craft, we are still seeing the craze for it and I can’t be prouder.

What kind of feedback did you receive from the industry after Pushpa? I have received absolute love from all the industries, and the audiences from everywhere. Being called Srivalli everywhere I go and people singing Srivalli every time they see me is an amazing feeling.

What is the one thing you noticed about Allu Arjun during the filming of Pushpa that you remember to date? The man is a perfectionist. He is one of the most hardworking men I’ve met. He will forever be extremely close to my hear because while shooting, I loved him as an actor and during promotions, I started adoring the person he is. He takes extreme care of the people around him.

Pushpa, KGF: Chapter 2, RRR and Kantara—movies from down South are performing extremely well all over India. What are your thoughts about

this?

Now with each of these films, we are seeing the lines between the industries blur. I love that all of us are finally becoming one. What a lovely time to be in the Indian film industry.

Do you think the Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada film industries are finally getting their due in the North?

It truly depends on the craft now. If the story and the content of the film are good, people will watch it. A lot of the North audience are watching South cinema. Actually they’ve always been watching but now these movies are being celebrated Similarly, the South has always watched Bollywood films, now they are becoming a part of it. So the merger is beautiful.

What is your take on the term “panIndian star”?

I always wanted to learn different languages because I wanted to feel closer to my audiences through my movies and my voice. And the concept of “pan-Indian star” just came along. For me, as long as I can reach the heart of the audience across the globe, I will do it. Even if it means learning many more languages.

You’re only 26 years old but you’ve already achieved such massive success. What has been your learnings?

Patience and kindness go a long way. I have always treated people the way I would want to be treated. I respect others’ time and effort. Also as an actor, I learn something new each day. It’s all because

Ranbir’s extremely loving. I was, of course, nervous when I met him first. But he’s so easygoing that five minutes into the look test we were already comfortable with each other

Varisu

BIRTHDATE: April 5

BIRTH PLACE: Virajpet, Kodagu district, Karnataka

EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Journalism and English Literature from the M. S. Ramaiah College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Bangalore

DEBUT FILM: Kannada lm

Kirik Party (2016)

TELUGU DEBUT: Chalo (2018)

TAMIL DEBUT: Sulthan (2021)

HINDI DEBUT: Goodbye (2022)

FILMFARE AWARDS: BEST ACTRESS CRITICS’ FOR THE TELUGU FILM Geetha Govindam (2018)

of the people who I am working with. I feel so good and I am conscious of that with each film. I am becoming a better actor.

Recently, fans caught a glimpse of you and Ranbir Kapoor in Manali for the shooting of Animal. What can you tell us about this film? I am having a blast working on Animal with Ranbir and Sandeep (Reddy Vanga). The boys are the best.

How is it being on set with Ranbir Kapoor?

Ranbir’s extremely loving. I was, of course, nervous when I met him first. But he’s so easygoing that five minutes into the look test and we were already comfortable with each other. Thinking about it, it’s amazing how easy it’s been so far with Ranbir and Sandeep. He’s the only one in the industry who calls me “ma’am,” and I do not like it. I will get him for this one.

How do you deal with fame and the loss of privacy that comes with it? It comes with the job, I tell myself. Now everything about everyone is out there... If you want to be on the screen, you’ll have to be okay with articles written about you. That’s how it is. As long as I make my people smile, even if it’s just some gossip, I truly don’t mind. I am here to entertain my audience. If that’s achieved, then I will be happy.

Rashmika Mandanna Fact File

Pushpa: The Rise Mission Majnu

Story best! at its -telling

INTERNATIONALLY-RENOWNED OSCARNOMINATED DIRECTOR SHEKHAR KAPUR TALKS TO AAKANKSHA NAVAL-SHETYE ABOUT HIS PASSION AS A STORY-TELLER, BACKING WOMENDRIVEN CINEMA AND ALSO DECODES LOVE IN TODAY’S TIMES!

ShekharKapur

What took you so long to get back to directing a feature film?

Oh! You know I was exploring other ways to tell stories. I am a story-teller. And part of the job of a storyteller is to tell stories in any form that he or she can. So I also do theatre. I do musical theatre. In Expo 2020 Dubai I did a

Oneof the most celebrated filmmakers internationally, Oscar-nominated and the National Award winning director Shekhar Kapur has never let his creativity be bound by the platforms or mediums of story-telling. From making the big screen his canvas with feature films that have made an impact and tugged at emotional strings globally to his musical spectacles that have mesmerised audience in theatres, his artistic projects have proven his brilliance as a master story-teller. While the cult classic Masoom and the mega-entertainer Mr India continue to be cinema favourites of generations across, the National Award winning Bandit Queen, Academy Award winning period drama Elizabeth, and the Oscar-nominated sequel Elizabeth: The Golden Age, along with The Four Feathers, are just some of his works that have earned the cinematic genius, recognition as a filmmaker par excellence globally. His latest directorial offering - the British romantic comedy What’s Love Got To Do With It, starring Lily James, Shazad Latif, Shabana Azmi, Emma Thompson, and Sajal Aly, with a screenplay by Jemima Khan - has garnered acclaim worldwide. While the creative nomad is also based out of Dubai, we caught up with the filmmaker whilst he’s in London. In a candid chat we talked about his penchant for women-driven stories, his perception of love and find out why his ambitious Paani is a film that needs to be made! Excerpts from our exclusive interview:

huge show Why? The Musical with AR Rahman. I did a show in Switzerland and Vienna, in Germany. I did a show called Will about the young life of William Shakespeare. So it’s just that I’ve not made a movie, like a theatrical movie for a while, so now we came back.

So for us movie-goers, it’s been a long wait, I would say.

Don’t tell me you don’t watch OTT (laughs). Anyways, I also think it’s been too long since I made a movie.

So what made you take up What’s Love Got To Do With It because we know that you are extremely selective about the kind of work

you associate yourself with?

I just liked the script a lot. You know, the script is the platform on which you direct. So when the company with whom I had earlier done Elizabeth - The Golden Age sent me the script by Jemima (Khan) I found it to be a very modern script. And this idea of the search for love, the search for identity, this search for intimacy, is very relatable and real. The question is: Are you in love, are you in search for love, what’s love? And immediately, it’s the biggest conversation in the world. Where do you find it, how do you find it. Most people go through their life looking for it. So I thought it would be fascinating to tell a story and the new ways, like if you are on dating apps, are you going to be able to find the love and intimacy, which sometimes is almost casual and very frequent sex. Is that the way or is arrange marriage the way? What appealed about the script was that it did not make assumptions for you. So it’s you who has to find out what works for you. But love in itself is a constant journey. It’s a constant question, a constant mystery. And if the mystery goes away then the love goes away because we love that. Many may call it a rom-com, but this is not just a rom-com, it goes deeper into the idea of relationships. Deeper into the idea of intimacy. And so at one point it just becomes a very light look, but a look into what is love and intimacy and how do people perceive it. I have my own perception.

It’s almost like an arranged marriage versus love marriage with this generation caught between the two.Were you biased about one of the two? It’s like when I was 18 years old, I had come to London. I was caught in that London of the 70s. Drugs, music… no drugs for me, but people were taking drugs all around. And the fact is… well the film doesn’t say this or that either. My own personal opinion is not something that you can always say… accha ab ho gaya hai, pyaar ho gaya hai. Ab theek hai na abhi kya hai. No, that way you’ll absolutely lose it.

Do you think that instead of becoming easier, finding love has become all the more complex now with all these dating apps and the instant gratification that the generation seeks? I think, finding love, you can make it complex for yourself quite easily. You have an arranged marriage, you live in a family, love them. But suddenly you find yourself very lonely. And when you find yourself lonely, it becomes very complex. There’s no more greater complexity than loneliness. At times we get very lonely and then you question love and relationships, and you get lonelier. So

it’s never not been complex. There is an assumption that these dating apps are a way to get out of those lonely complexes. And the fear of loneliness is very strong. So perhaps there’s a lot going on these dating apps because they just don’t want to be lonely, so they get into a relationship. But then the question comes: ‘Can I find my soulmate!’ And you think may be one of these would be my soulmate. Do they find it? Maybe, I don’t know. But you know that’s what I always keep saying, love will always be a mystery. The question is, did I find love and that’s it, that’s never going to happen. What you can say is - I found somebody with whom I can explore love with. And I would never get bored of exploring love with this person. Or I would never go bored

of exploring the idea of intimacy with this person because when I’m exploring love with this person, I’m exploring myself. That’s what you are you know. Whoever you fall in love with becomes a mirror to yourself. And that’s what a relationship is. And if you’re exploring and say, ‘accha ab ho gaya, its done,’ does that mean you stop exploring yourself!

You have just simplified one of the most beautiful and one of the most complex emotions. Taking that further, would you say that storytelling is your love?

Yes. But it’s something everybody does. All perception is storytelling. Anything that you look at it, if you cannot tell a story, even about an object. Then how do you perceive, how do you understand an object

Shekhar Kapur with Jemima Khan

without understanding some story that you tell yourself about that. Otherwise, it’s nothing. It’s an object. So, from the time when human beings looked up in the sky, and saw lightning, they had to tell a story. So, it was a God of lightning and God of this and that. And we all developed mythology around those ideas because we had to tell stories to understand it. So I love story-telling because it brings everything down to the common human perception. So I tell stories all the time. I used to do that even as a child, and my mother used to say, ‘Kahani banata rehta hai.’ Like, every time I would come late, I would tell her a story and then she used to get fed-up of me and say, ‘You’re just telling me another story, you’re lying.’ And I used to say, I’m not lying; I’m just telling you a story. So, I used to have that conflict with my mother. ‘You perceive that I’m lying, I’m just telling you a story!’

As someone who feels so passionately about story-telling, do you find yourself compromising to fit into the commercials of the movie-making business?

Yeah, it was a bit of a conflict in me. Constant conflict. But the fact is, you’re not telling a story unless somebody’s listening to your story. So that’s the point. If you tell a story that somebody’s listening to, that is the idea of being commercial. It’s not just marketing. If I’m making a film and nobody is watching and understanding their own life from my film, then what’s the point of me telling that story! So I’m telling stories from my life to people where they can comprehend it so they can understand themselves through my stories. So in that way, otherwise I wouldn’t tell a story. I did Masoom which is one way of telling a story. Then I did Bandit Queen which is a completely different way of telling story. Then I did a Mr India which was another way of telling a story too. And the fact with Mr India is like people have watched it for 30 years now and everybody’s still watching it and I fail to understand that. But obviously something was told that still affects their lives. So that time was a long ago and people still watch it, and that story continues the story doesn’t end. So even a painter tells a story. So when I go to an exhibition, I watch Van Gogh’s ‘Starry Night’. It was so many years ago but people watch it and each time you watch it, you’re mesmerised by it because it’s telling you your story, not Van Gogh’ story. So I always have to be very honest in this. I’m not making this one for myself. I’m making a film for other people.

This year you complete four decades as a director. What has been the learning, the takeaway from your journey?

Be as simple as possible. The simpler

you tell your story, the more effective the story is, the more honest the story is. Now there may be a lot of complexities in the simplicity. It’s not easy to attain that!

Your films are very women-sensitive, in fact, very women driven to a large extent. Is it a conscious thing about presenting femininity or being very pro-feminist like that?

I think that is more I am driven towards. I remember my filmmaking what it used to be at that time in Bollywood. The moment you make a story of a man, the genre of the filmmaking is that the man fights back with violence and fists. That’s boring. But when you’re dealing with women, they fight back with something that I call the Human Spirit. So if say Elizabeth was about a king, the king would have gone to war and there would have been a battle and somebody would have lost and somebody would have won. But then for Elizabeth, I had the chance to explore the spirit of a human being, because if she’s a woman, so she had to fight the country. Whether it’s Bandit Queen, same thing. Masoom, Shabana Azmi’s issue was the same. In this film also, Lily James’ issues are the same. So I find stories of women allow me a greater depth of storytelling. Stories of men, unless they are like the

Buddha or Mandela or somebody who has a very strong feminine aspect to themselves; and feminine I’m saying, we’re both masculine and feminine all of us. But I like to talk about the feminine side because it’s more spiritual because it’s more of the spirit. The masculine side is kind of violent. Then you can get it over with. That’s why I like stories about women. They are more complex, they are more about the human spirit. And I have more to explore about being human.

What’s next?

I’m going into a film which I’ve been trying to make for 12-15 years now - Paani. Because if I don’t make it now, the environmental changes that are coming, we are barely going to survive them. I had been planning to make it then, but I’m going to do it now. It’s a story about what happens when a city runs out of water. So the fundamental emotion behind it is: Is water a resource for us to manage or are we the resource for water to flow through? Every faith uses water for their spiritual aspect, yet if we don’t get it fresh, we get upset. We need to assess what water is to us.

I think that love is a mystery and love is a question. Always got to be. It’s a yearning. You constantly have to yearn for something called love. And the day you stop yearning for it, and you think yeah, I’ve found love, is the day you lose it.

Touched Destiny by

RAASHII KHANNA TELLS TANISHA BHATTACHARYA THAT SHE WAS FATED TO BE IN THE MOVIES

There’s an easy charm that takes centre stage when you converse with Raashii Khanna. She might initially come across as having a restrained personality but the minute she’s comfortable with you, she starts becoming more and more bubbly and her effervescence rubs off on you as well. Being a Delhiite, she loves to gossip and to eat. She groans she has to put curbs on both being an actress. While she’s easy and candid when it comes to questions pertaining to her profession, she draws a line when it comes to personal stuff, so no questions on her love life, please.

She grabbed eyeballs with her layered character in the OTT show Rudra: The Edge Of Darkness, where she was seen alongside Ajay Devgn. Making quite a memorable entry in the OTT space, her quirky character was much appreciated by the masses and the critics alike. 2023 looks exciting for her, not only does she have Raj and DK’s crime thriller Farzi in her kitty alongside Shahid Kapoor and Vijay Sethupathi, but she also has Yodha with Sidharth Malhotra under the Dharma Productions banner, which the actress quips is a dream come true.

While Rudra has been a complete game changer for her, she says that she didn’t relate at all to her character, Dr. Aliyah Choksi. Which is precisely why it was important for her to audition and convince everyone of her calibre. “I was ready to give auditions for certain kinds of roles which people thought weren’t my type. When you see me in Rudra, you will see my face and wonder, ‘How will she play a psychopath?’ But then I was like, ‘You know, I am ready to audition for this to dispel such myths,’.” She’s all about finding her depth as an actor and has no qualms about giving multiple auditions.

Speaking of how much fun she is having juggling characters who are so dissimilar to her own self, she elaborates on her role as Megha in Farzi. “When you now see Megha in Farzi, you will see a completely different side of me. Megha is a character who is extremely ambitious. If she wants something, she will go get it, she will not care about authority or anything,” she says. Saying yes to working with Raj and DK was a nobrainer, given their body of work. She is grateful to them for giving her such a layered character as Megha. She says women don’t have it easy even today. Despite all the progress it’s still a man’s world and says her female fans would surely relate to her character. “So all that a modern woman faces, you will see through Megha. She is also a little grey. But she is still relatable, so every

woman will probably love it. I would like to add that people are going to celebrate each big and small victory of hers and root for her. There is a lot of depth and layers to Megha and thanks to my directors, I was able to safely navigate everything,” she beams.

Not many people know that she signed Farzi way before Rudra. She shares, “I first signed Farzi and then Rudra happened. So technically, this was the first thing on OTT that I signed. And obviously, it was a whole new arena when it came to me. It was a Raj and DK show, it had Shahid and Vijay Sethupathi so I was like, ‘I don’t even know what’s in it, but I am for it.’ Divulging the initial process of the Raj and DK series, she adds, “Raj and DK sir had seen some old auditions of mine and a scene from one of my films called Tholi Prema, which had done well in Telugu, and they thought, ‘This is our Megha’ and that was it, I was onboard. And then I got to do Rudra and Yodha.”

She wants to push the envelope with every outing and not cruise by on her good looks alone. And hence, Raj and DK’s no-nonsense approach suited her. “They told me and said that they didn’t want any makeup on my face. And they didn’t want my hair to be nicely done because I wasn’t a heroine in this. I’m okay with playing any kind of character that, as an actor, puts me out of my comfort zone. And I don’t care about the way I look because I think I have done that enough,” she maintains. Having actors of the calibre of Shahid Kapoor and Vijay Sethupathi on the sets could have been intimidating. However, she laughs that off and talks about how comfortable they both made her feel. “Shahid is funny in an obvious way, he is extremely entertaining. Sethupathi sir has this dry sense of humour. That is something he brings to his character too in the series.”

Raashii, who’s originally

from Delhi, started her career down South. She initially had plans to become an IAS officer but destiny carved another path for her. In 2013, she made her Bollywood debut with a short but impactful role in Madras Cafe, where she worked with John Abraham. Subsequently, she got busy down South and made her presence felt with the Telugu film Oohalu Gusagusalade (2014), Malayalam film Villain (2017), and Tamil film Imaikkaa Nodigal (2018). The actress says that while she initially did suffer from a culture shock, later on she understood that there’s a language of cinema which binds all film work everywhere on earth. One just has to go with the flow and trust in the process. “Tamil people have a different culture, Telugu-speaking people have a different culture. You have to learn about it to convincingly play a girl from Tamil Nadu or Andhra Pradesh. But that’s just one aspect. The other is to follow the director’s vision as he’s the captain of the ship. You have to let go of your inhibitions. You have to forget the fact that you’re a North Indian and just be the character.

It isn’t easy at first but practice makes perfect, as they say.”

She says she’s thankful of the fact that her profession has helped her get a glimpse of the various cultures prevalent in our country. It has made her more tolerant, more accepting as a person. Having seen unity in diversity first hand, she says she’s proud to be an Indian citizen. “It’s humbling to know that despite our differences, we’ve continued to grow together as one. There’s so much we can learn and teach each other and this process, which has been going on since ages, is what makes us unique. And thanks to being an actor, I was able to experience it first hand,” she gushes.

She reveals that she has a Tamil film and three Telugu films in the pipeline. She is open to more opportunities in the Hindi industry as well.

“When I look back and see how my career flourished, I of course owe a lot to my hard work but it was also accompanied by destiny. It gives me a sense of comfort and pride that I’ve made it despite being a complete outsider. I asked the Universe for a chance to follow my dreams and it fulfilled my wish.” n

Megha (from Farzi ) is a character who is extremely ambitious. If she wants something, she will go get it, she will not care about authority or anything

With Raj, Dk and Shahid Kapoor on the sets of Farzi

Farzi

Yodha Rudra

ANKIT TIWARI recently came up with his own label. He tells

TANISHA BHATTACHARYA that singers need to invest in non-film music to stay relevant

Musical chair s

Ankit Tiwari was introduced to music from a tender age as his family runs a musical troupe called Raju Suman And Party in Kanpur. Having his mother as a devotional singer had a profound impact on him. He says he could pick up a tune even before he learnt to speak properly. His parents could gauge his passion and got him trained in classical music. “My mom is a devotional singer. I’ve grown-up om bhajans, mata ki chowki, jagraate. It started from there. My grandfather was a good Dholak player. Baba used to play in the temples and he would take me with him. My beginnings came from the temples,” he reveals. His mother herself isn’t a trained singer and wanted her son to get the basics right. He took the advice to heart and not only trained his voice but picked up on the intricacies of playing different instruments as well. “I can play the tabla, keyboard, piano, percussion, and drums. Every singer who wants to excel, it’s important for them to learn classical singing as your base becomes strong,” he emphasises.

Apart from religious music and classical training, Ankit also listened to film music and grew up idolising legendary playback singers Mohammed Rafi and Kishore Kumar. He says both Rafi and Kishore Kumar were known for their commitment to their art and one should learn from them. “Rafi saab had a unique voice, full of pathos and

Rafi saab had a unique voice, full of pathos and intensity. Kishore da had the most expressive voice. It was frothy and fun and also full of attitude. They’re an example to us all even now

intensity. Kishore da had the most expressive voice. It was frothy and fun and also full of attitude. They’re an example to us all even now.”

In the earlier days, playback singers tried to emulate the voice of the actor they were singing for but Ankit says that era is over now. Such connections no longer matter, according to him. “There are so many singers today whose voices don’t match with the actors they’re singing for. Earlier, Kishore Kumar was considered Rajesh Khanna’s voice. Rafi saab sang so many good songs for Shammi Kapoor and Mukesh was considered the voice of Raj Kapoor. Today, we don’t get to know who we’re singing for. And it actually doesn’t matter as the listeners, the audience have become okay with it.” As a composer, he has always looked up to AR Rahman, calling him a composer’s composer. He says you can go back to Rahman’s work and learn something new. “I listen to him even now. He always sounds so fresh, so relevant. His longevity is something we’d all love to emulate.”

He points out that today, most songs are remakes. They aren’t composed for a particular scene, like in the earlier days. He observes that listeners have taken to appreciating non-film songs and that has actually helped the singers. “This is the reason so many of us come out with singles and release them on YouTube and social media. Because we want the audience to respect us for our original work, which is coming less and less from films,” he reflects. He says indie-pop is here to stay and that conviction inspired him to come up with his own label, Mist Music. “People have been working a lot on indie-pop. So this label, which was launched in December, focuses on that. We started with zero subscribers and now we are almost at 80k,” he asserts. The latest single released by his label was Aye Dil, which featured him and Pooja Chopra. “It fetched 2.2 million views on the first day itself,” states Ankit. “In December we released two songs and both were in top 20, so the going has been good.”

Ironically, he himself remixed his song Galliyan from Ek Villain in the film’s sequel, Ek Villain Returns (2022). He states that one can’t run away from remakes as they’re the order of the day. He defends his remake, stating that the song was branded as Galliyan 2 to resonate with new listeners and was appreciated. “Some songs

become the identity of the film, like Galliyan did with Ek Villain. So when the makers decided to make a sequel, they asked me to remix the song as they wanted the connection to continue,” he reveals. He and director Mohit Suri have collaborated the most and understand each other well. He shares that the best thing that works in this collaboration is the liberty that comes with it. “Whenever I work with Mohit or Bhatt saab, they never ask me to repeat my work instead they always push me into a different direction. That works better for both them and me,” he reveals. “After a long time, I worked with Mohit on Malang. Then I worked with him on Ek Villian returns, where we made Galliyan Returns and another song which is our favourite, Shaamat, which is inspired by the earlier era.”

Seeing the musical blockbusters he has worked on, namely Aashiqui, Ek Villain, Manmarziyaan, Malang - one would think that he loves making romantic songs. And one would be right. Nodding his head, he says, “There’s a whiff of romance in my creations. I can’t deny that. But I’m not sure I want to be tied down to being tagged as someone who only makes romantic songs. I always push the envelope with every outing and try to give something different to the audience.”

The outsider from Kanpur, today is a playback singer, music director, live performer and composer and has a music academy as well. He tells us that between the period of 2014 - 2020, he’s the only singer to have received the Filmfare Award for Best Playback Singer (Male) apart from Arijit Singh, and that indeed is a reason to celebrate. He bagged the Black Lady for Best Music Director for Aashiqui 2 in 2014 and then Best Male Playback Singer for Galliyan from Ek Villain in 2015. He shares his delight in what it means to him, “Filmfare is a dream, who doesn’t want to bring home the Black Lady? I do consider myself lucky. This tells me that people are taking my work seriously

and I need to further push myself to win more trophies. When I won the first award, I was clueless as to what was happening. You only realise the enormity of it with the passage of time. I couldn’t utter a word then,” he recalls.

As we near the end of the conversation, he candidly points out that he owes it big to the people who took a chance on him. “I’d forever be indebted to people like Tigmanshu Dhulia, Habib Faisal and Bhatt saab They gambled on me when I was a no one. Working with them gave recognition to my work. One should never forget the people who helped you initially. You should constantly remind yourself that you wouldn’t be where you are if not for them.”

Wise words, indeed.

Whenever I work with Mohit (Suri) or Bhatt saab, they never ask me to repeat my work instead they always push me into a different direction. That works better for both them and me

 Aashiqui 2

Swifter, Higher,

TANISHA BHATTACHARYA CHATS WITHTRIPTII DIMRI,WHO HAS MESMERISED THE AUDIENCE WITH HER PERFORMANCE IN QALA

Like Stronger... Triptii Dimri

an Olympic athlete, Triptii Dimri has only soared higher with every release. She has a sense of mystery about her that makes one want to get to know her better. Triptii Dimri belongs to that rare breed of actors whom you feel compelled to watch scene after scene because they make acting look so effortless. She and fellow rookie Avinash Tiwary were cast as the leads in Imtiaz Ali’s 2018 romantic drama Laila Majnu. Both have charted their own paths. She says she is so close to Avinash’s family that they showered her with love after the release of Anvita Dutt’s Qala. “They said we’re always here for you and we hope things only get better from here,” she beams. Qala marks Triptii’s second collaboration with Anvita Dutt, Anushka Sharma, and the production company of Kkarnesh Sharma. She’s said to be in a romantic relationship with Kkarnesh and reportedly even shared some rather cute photos of herself with him recently. But she refuses to discuss her personal life. Bulbbul was the first film they

did together. Through her haunting portrayal of the Chhoti bahu in the spooky thriller, which also starred Rahul Bose, Paoli Dam, Avinash Tiwary, and Parambrata Chatterjee, Triptii demonstrated her merits as an actor. With Qala, she has cemented her image as a performer. It’s a psychological drama that tells the tale of a tumultuous relationship between an aspiring singer and an intimidating mother. Shedding light on the core context of the film, which is about a mother-daughter relationship, Triptii shares that she was full of questions when director Anvita Dutt approached her to play the role. “There are so many questions that I was asking myself. I found out that as a kid, as a teenager, I had accused my own mother of so many things. I was kind of unknowingly holding so much grudge against myself and her. I was able to let go of it just by following the process of this film. And that’s such a beautiful thing.”

Talking about her on-screen mother, Swastika Mukherjee, she says she’s grateful for the opportunity to work with such a fine performer as Swastika, as it helped her fine tune her own craft. She reveals that when they were shooting, her director would not let her get too close to Swastika. “Anvita reasoned Swastika might get a little weak because she, too, has a daughter and would want to console Qala’s character and thus step out of the character subconsciously.

Nevertheless, despite the restrictions, we did manage to grow a bond between us, which is priceless. I’ve got a lot to learn from her.”

I don’t want to be just another pretty face. People are considering me for bigger films. Today I am in a position where I can say, ‘This is something that I don’t feel is right for me.’

Triptii

says that because of the difficult nature of her role, it was important that she be on the same page as her director. Thankfully, that was achieved quite easily because of their past association. “I’m glad that Anvita and I have that special bond where I understand her language pretty well and she understands me well. It’s not just me. I think she inherently knows what to say to whom and when.” Anvita skillfully guided Triptii to free her inhibitions and just live and breathe her character without saying much. “I understand her pretty well, and vice versa, because we worked on my character in Bulbbul for two months prior to the shooting, and here too we spent three months in preparation. When you spend that amount of time with someone, you start knowing that person in and out, so communication becomes that much easier.”

It takes complete immersion and blurring the line between real and fictional to make realistic portrayals light up the screen the way she did

as Qala Triptii describes her character as “completely relatable,” both as a woman and as a performer. “I could relate to the pain,” she says. “I could relate to her insecurities and the challenges that she was facing. I was asked to emote through my eyes and gestures and rely less on dialogue. It was challenging at first but I managed it. We wrote down my thought process for one particular scene and when the scene would come, I would just go back to that and think about

everything that we’d written down on that piece of paper. I believe that is how we cracked it.”

At one level, the film underlines the importance of mental health. It’s something that’s not taken seriously enough in our country. People are afraid of being ridiculed if they open up about issues. Triptii thinks that open and healthy discussions will definitely change the scenario for the better. Says she,“I’ve heard people say that whenever someone’s talking about their mental health issues, they’re accused of overthinking and unnecessarily putting themselves under pressure. And that’s exactly what’s there in the film when she’s talking to the doctor and the doctor says, ‘aap soch bohot rahe ho.’ (You’re thinking too much). When someone is trying to seek help, instead of understanding the person, you question them, which isn’t right.” While she’s happy with all the compliments coming her way ever since the release of Qala, the one that she cherishes the most

came from Anushka Sharma, who also had a cameo in the film. “I think the film did move her a lot as she was like, ‘It’s such a beautiful film!’ She said this is something that you’ll always be proud of Triptii, when you look back at your filmography 20 years down the line, and when you think, okay, I did a film like Qala, you’ll always feel proud.”

While compliments do feed the heart, a girl needs a good bank balance for her trinkets and baubles. You can’t survive on praise alone and need to sign on to lucrative offers, something the actor has stayed away from, at least till now. Triptii claims she’s getting the kinds of films she wants to make, which she considers more important than money. “I don’t want to be just another pretty face. People are considering me for bigger films. Today I am in A position where I can say, ‘This is something that I don’t feel is right for me.’ And that is such a beautiful thing, to have the ability to choose. To have the ability to say no.”

I’m glad that Anvita and I have that special bond where I understand her language pretty well and she understands me well. And it’s not just me. I think she inherently knows what to say to whom and when

Having had both of her notable hits come from the OTT platform, she is unconcerned about declining large commercial offers. She says she isn’t insecure about such things. “What ultimately matters is my happiness and that’ll only come from doing things I enjoy doing.” She counters that, at a time when OTT has become as big as theatrical releases, it’s more practical to do both. “Everybody is doing that. There is no urgency, no desperation. Soon my films will come out in theatres. And then yeah, it will all be cool.”

Qala

Bulbbul

Dancing Rakhi Sawant with

Rakhi Sawant opened her first dance and acting institute in Dubai. The Bollywood actress launched the Rakhi Sawant Academy, Dubai at a grand event hosted by the co-owners Aftab Ahmed and Zeynep Ahmed. Check out the highlights of the entertaining event that created quite a stir in the city

If you have a dream of making a career in films and are willing to work hard, then I am here to make it come true. Nothing will stop you from succeeding and my academy will help you build your skills be it acting or dancing! If there is Bollywood and Hollywood, why can’t Dubai have a Dollywood!

– Rakhi Sawant

Aftab Ahmed and Zeynep Ahmed with Rakhi Sawant

Rakhi Sawant with Dr Bu Abdullah

Muhammad Junaid and Issa Hawk

Rakhi Sawant and Yaqoob Al Ali

Rakhi Sawant, Aftab Ahmed with Sherlyn Chopra and Shweta Subram

Firoza Khan, Aakanksha Naval-Shetye, Poojashree, and Shakeeb Hayath

Wethe Women

The International Women’s Day celebrations at Danube saw several prolific women take centrestage as well as a fashion show that showcased stunning collections from Alish Apparel supported by Ms Shabnam Kassam, Director Danube Welfare Centre and Mrs Sameera Sajan

Photography : Yasir Arafat

Mrs Sameera Sajan with Shweta Subram

Shobhika Kalra with Ms Shabnam Kassam) and Shweta Subram

Ms Shabnam Kassam and Mrs Sameera Sajan with Shobhika Kalra and Dr Alka Kalra

Ms Shabnam Kassam, Lavanya Vikram with Mrs Sameera Sajan and Shweta Subram

Meena Sapera

For women, fashion is often a form of selfexpression, and the clothing we wear can make us feel confident, powerful, and ready to take on the world. This Women’s Day, we are proud to provide our female colleagues and guests a gift from Alish Apparels that celebrates their unique style and beauty. This brand believes in celebrating diversity, inclusivity, and body positivity, and offers a wide range of sizes and styles to suit every woman’s unique tastes and preferences. We hope that this gift will inspire our female colleagues to feel confident and empowered, and remind them that they are valued and appreciated.

-Ms Shabnam Kassam

Alish Apparels makes an impact at various events and (below) models sporting clothes from the brand

The

Sporting Spirit

Check out the highlights from the 3rd Season of Danube’s Annual Sports Festival held at the Danube Sports World. An event that saw more than 1,500 players compete in over six sports at the worldclass venue that provides the best in sporting amenities!

CEO - Mr Madhusudhan Rao, Mrs Sameera Sajan, Founder and Chairman of Danube Group - Mr Rizwan Sajan, with

(extreme right) Danube Group Managing Director - Mr Adel Sajan

Mr Shubhojit Mahalanobis, Mr Madhusudhan Rao and Mr Anis Sajan- Vice Chairman Danube Group with the team

Mr Adel Sajan with Mrs Sameera Sajan and Mr Rizwan Sajan

Mr Rizwan Sajan with Dr Sana Sajan and Azhar Sajan

Mr Anis Sajan, Mr Madhusudhan Rao, Mr. Shams Bawany with the teams

Mr. Anis Sajan, Mr. Rizwan Waheed, Mr. Ghayyour with the Winning Womens Cricket team

Winning Cricket team

Winning Volley ball team

Winning Football team

Power Packed!

TAHA SHAH BADUSSHA TALKS TO AAKANKSHA NAVAL-SHETYE ABOUT BELIEVING IN HIS DREAMS AND SEEING THEM COME TRUE WITH THE SUCCESS OF HIS RECENT OTT OUTING TAJ

TahaShahBadussha

Taj is garnering much acclaim across, especially your role as Murad is being very highly appreciated…

Yes, it feels amazing to see how well it has been accepted. I mean, we’re here in Dubai talking about this show. Taj is all about heart, it’s all about family dynamics, family politics. And that’s what makes the show better.

Has playing Murad changed you in some way on the personal front?

I think while playing Murad, I had to reach out to places where there was a lot of pain, trauma and angst in me. I remember that I was in my 12th grade,

and for some reason that I do not know till date, all my friends just blacklisted me and cut me off. Like a decade of friendship, just over! So in my desire to internalize the character, it made me realise where my own pain originated from, and I tapped into that pain, all my heartbreaks and the rejections. So I think going back and deriving energy from all of that changed me as a person because now I faced it and I know that I have control. Now I know that I can be better than that, I can be forgiving. So Murad’s not forgiving but I

UAE born and bred Taha Shah BaduSsha cracked Bollywood with an impressive debut in YRF’s Luv Ka The End with Shraddha Kapoor. And while he went on to do interesting projects, it’s his most recent outing as Prince Murad in the successful Zee5 Global original series Taj : Divided by Blood that put the spotlight back on the young star! We caught up with the actor in Dubai and in a candid chat, he bares his heart about the struggles, his dreams, and garnering acclaim as he plays Murad to perfection! Excerpts

learnt forgiveness. I don’t personally want to be the way Murad was! But playing Murad made me sort of face my demons and helped me overcome my own pain in a way.

As a kid were you fascinated by history?

To be very honest, as a kid I think it was more like studying history than knowing it because there were exams and all. So I wasn’t fond of the subject per se because dates yaad karne padte the aur dates ke maamle mein to main bilkul hi bakwaas hu.

Has that changed now? Yes, because as

you grow up, you understand the greatness and richness of our country’s history, especially India’s history of Independence. There’s so much to learn, imbibe, be proud of! I actually got very involved and engrossed in history as a story and not as a subject to be studied. I think it’s very fascinating to revisit and try to recreate that era. There’re so many more stories waiting to be told from our glorious history.

So, are you better with dates? (Laughs) When you grow older the word ‘dates’ means so much

more. So, yes ab toh dates mujhe bahut pasand hai (laughs).

What’s your idea of a perfect date?

Well, I don’t know! I never eat outside and always carry my food with me even when I go to my friends place for dinner. Even my friends are like, ‘What do you do on a date… You don’t drink, don’t eat out!’ And I’m like… yes, but that’s why it’s very difficult to get a girl who’ll understand all of that. Because there’s a lot of sacrifice there. I don’t go out partying, I have to sleep early, wake up early. So no one on the scene right now?

There was somebody I was serious about, but it’s ended now. It’s very easy to be attracted to people, but it’s very rare to find that special person! Everything today has become like instant gratification. So, I do have somebody that I really like but I have not told her yet. It’s that kuch kuch hota hai pyaar dosti hai! So there’s friendship, respect, but more than that, it’s selfless. I feel like that’s a blessing to find someone like that!

Tell us more about your own journey… What are the lessons learnt here?

There’s one big lesson and that’s what is not meant to be won’t happen no matter how hard you try and at the same time, what’s yours will find its way to you. It’s not like I don’t believe in hard work a hundred per cent, I do! I’ve done a lot of legwork and I’m completely for it, you know the networking, trying and hustling and hustling. But at the end of the day, it’s not going to happen agar aapki kismet mein na ho. It’s very simple. As an actor your craft is in your hand, not your

success. So you work on your craft. I think the biggest takeaway for the last 13 years of my life in this industry, I would say is that what has to happen will happen. We just got to give it our 100 per cent and not keep any grudges, not put our heart into something ki agar ye nahi hua then I will be unhappy. No. what makes me happy is my regular routine, whether I have success or failure! You wake up, you work hard on your skill, go out there and try the best you can!

Even with the OTT? It has changed the dynamics of the game especially for actors and filmmakers! And that’s why there’s more creativity, more opportunity. Casting also happens basis the requirement of the role. At times, it’s the performance, or a certain look that matters the most and you can be an absolute newcomer and then there is content that needs you to have a very large social media following and influence. To sum it up, there is enough space for everyone to thrive! Thank fully The system is as diverse as it can get.

How was it working with Naseer Sir (Naseeruddin Shah) in Taj?

He’s a legend! And yet when he was around us, he was never like ‘I think we should do this.’

He was always like ‘How do you guys think we should do this?’ and I’m like… it’s a trick question (laughs). There was just so much to learn from him, I would constantly talk to him about his roles and films. He’s a lover of the craft.

I’ma complete UAE kid. And in my biggest of dreams, I’d never imagined doing something like Taj and coming here to talk about it. I’m an outsider and I want to make it happen, not just for me but all the people in Dubai too. For all the people who are NRI’s and who aspire to be there. To say that yes, it is possible. Might take 1 year might take 13. But if I can do it, anybody can do it. And this is still just the start.

What’s been your strength through it all?

You need trainers, coaches, a team… I have big dreams but if I didn’t have my mom sacrificing to help me sustain my dreams, I would have succumbed to the pressures and expectations all around me and may have packed off and come back permanently. She has so much faith in me. I just want to show that she was right all along!

What’s next for you?

I’ve some interesting projects coming out soon. It’s a dream and unki kahani bilkul alag hai. I can’t mention

anything but it’s the biggest thing in my life and I just want to say that like I said, I didn’t plan for it and it just happened.

Any more period dramas on the cards for you?

Now that you ask, yes I’m planning to go something even more periodic than this. We’re in the writing process right now. It’s going to be a complete action film and we’re going to try and show something that’s not been seen in Indian cinema before. We plan to an international crew with Indian crew. I’m very excited about it.

MOVIES

TO WATCH OUT FOR IN

2023

TANZIM PARDIWALLA COMPILES A SET OF MOVIES YOU MUST WATCH IN THE MONTHS TO COME

JAWAN

Director: Atlee

Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Nayanthara, Vijay Sethupathi

Shah Rukh Khan is clearly in his action hero era. After Pathaan, the actor will take us on another action-filled ride in Jawan. With Atlee at the helm, the film will reportedly see not one but two sides of SRK. Yes, the actor is playing a double role. If the film’s teaser which features a bloodied and beat-up SRK is any indication, fans can expect an intense narrative. While that’s enough to fill theatres, the film doubles up on the star power with Nayanthara and Vijay Sethupathi. Need we say more?

Release Date: June 2

Where: Theatres

BAWAAL

Director: Nitesh Tiwari

Cast: Janhvi Kapoor, Varun Dhawan, Parth Siddhpura

The year’s movie line-up is stacked with fresh pairings and Bawaal is one of them. The comedy film will see Varun Dhawan and Janhvi Kapoor share screen space for the very first time. While the film’s plot has been kept tightly under wraps, we do know that it’s a love story revolving around characters from a small town. Moreover, the film was shot in Poland, the Netherlands, and even Lucknow over the past year. That should give you a sense of its sprawling scale. Both Janhvi and Varun were in films that made waves last year - Mili and Bhediya. That’s always a good sign.

Release Date: TBA | Where: Theatres

TEHRAN

Director: Arun Gopalan

Cast: John Abraham, Manushi Chhillar

After the rousing success of Pathaan, John Abraham’s next entry on the slate of films arriving in 2023 is Tehran. The geopolitical thriller is inspired by the true events that took place during the Russia-Ukraine war. While the film was initially expected to arrive on Republic Day, a day after Pathaan, the date has since been pushed. Looks like John’s double feature will have to wait.

Release date: TBA | Where: Theatres

ROCKY AUR RANI KI PREM KAHANI

Director: Karan Johar

Cast: Alia Bhatt, Ranveer Singh,Shabana Azmi, Jaya Bachchan

Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh are perhaps two of Bollywood’s finest actors. We’ve seen what they can do together on screen in Gully Boy and we get to witness it again in Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani. The upcoming film is Karan Johar’s next after Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, which was released seven years ago. His comeback directorial is yet another starstudded entertainer. The film’s production faced a few delays amidst the pandemic but it will finally hit screens this year.

Release Date: July 28

Where: Theatres

Blockbusters are back! Kickstarting 2023’s loaded slate of tentpole films was Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan. The Sidharth Anand directorial which also featured Deepika Padukone and John Abraham opened to packed theatres full of movie-goers who celebrated the release with unabashed whistling and dancing. The next few months bring in a slew of hotly anticipated movies led by some of the biggest stars in the Hindi film industry. For starters, Pathaan isn’t the only Shah Rukh Khan-led title from the year. The star will also appear in Atlee’s Jawan and Rajkumar Hirani’s Dunki This is also the year of exciting onscreen pairings. Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani reunites Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh after their successful stint in Gully Boy. Katrina Kaif and Vijay Sethupathi are all set to share screen space in Merry Christmas

*Disclaimer: The release dates mentioned in the article are subject to change

THE ARCHIES

Director: Zoya Akhtar

Cast: Suhana Khan, Khushi Kapoor, Agastya Nanda, Vedang Raina

This title is sure to invoke nostalgia for comic book fans. It also left audiences divided with its cast line-up. The Archies for you. The Zoya Akhtar directorial is a musical drama inspired by the popular Archie comics and will mark the debut of Shah Rukh Khan’s daughter

Suhana Khan, Boney Kapoor and Sridevi’s daughter Khushi Kapoor and Amitabh Bachchan’s grandson Agastya Nanda. It also features Vedang Raina, Dot, Mihir Ahuha, Yuvraj Menda and more. The poster and teaser promise a period drama drenched in the aesthetics of India of the 1960s. Colour us intrigued!

Release Date: TBA | Where: OTT

TIGER 3

Director: Maneesh Sharma

Cast: Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Emraan Hashmi

KISI KA BHAI... KISI KI JAAN

Director: Farhad Samji

Cast: Salman Khan, Pooja Hegde, Shehnaaz Gill

When we say 2023 is the year of blockbusters, we mean Kisi Ka Bhai… Kisi Ki Jaan is arriving in theatres. Who doesn’t love it when bhai arrives on the big screen? Its plot reportedly revolves around a man whose siblings are trying to get him married. From everything we know so far, the film is as meta as its title. It also comes with a stacked cast that includes familiar faces and newcomers.

Release Date: April 21 | Where: Theatres

DUNKI

Director: Rajkumar Hirani

Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Taapsee Pannu, Boman Irani

THE DEVOTION OF SUSPECT X

Director: Sujoy Ghosh

Tiger 3 is the third installment of Salman Khan’s film franchise. Watching the star reprise his role in the spy-thriller alongside Katrina Kaif’s Zoya drums up enough excitement but there’s so much more. The film promises a crossover with Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan as a part of YRF’s Spy Universe. Pathaan featured Salman’s Tiger in a whistle-worthy action sequence. The character also shows up in the film’s post-credits scene confirming more tie-ins.

Release Date: TBA | Where: Theatres

Cast: Kareena Kapoor, Jaideep Ahlawat, Vijat Varma

Based on Keigo Higashino’s novel, The Devotion of Suspect X will be Kareena Kapoor Khan’s OTT debut. The plot revolves around a single mother and her daughter who cover up a crime. The film promises to see Kareena in a never-seen-before avatar.

Release Date: TBA | Where: OTT

Dunki is Shah Rukh Khan’s third movie arriving in 2023. It will mark the star’s first collaboration with Rajkumar Hirani. The film will take on the illegal migration practice called “Donkey Flight” which is rampantly used by Indians to migrate to nations like the U.S. and Canada. Earlier, set photos from Dunki were leaked and they offered a blurry glimpse of SRK and Taapsee Pannu’s characters.

Release Date: December 22

Where: Theatres

AKELLI

Director: Pranay Meshram

Cast: Nushrratt Bharuccha

Nushratt Bharuccha has seemingly perfected the craft of playing the everywoman. In Akelli, the actress plays a girl who navigates financial hardships as she’s trapped in a desert-like terrain. It’s an interesting change of scene from her other 2023 film - Selfiee.

Release date: TBA | Where: Theatres

METRO...IN DINO

Director: Anurag Basu

Cast: Sara Ali Khan, Aditya Roy Kapur

With its relevant subject and a soulful soundtrack, Life In A... Metro is a film audiences are unlikely to forget. And now, Anurag Basu is back to recapturing some of the film’s magic in his next film Metro...In Dino. Like its predecessor, the film will have music by Pritam and a star-studded cast. Featuring a fresh pairing - Sara Ali Khan and Adity Roy Kapur the film will follow stories from Mumbai nearly a decade after the original hit screens.

Release Date: December 8 | Where: Theatres

ANIMAL

Director: Sandeep Reddy

Vanga Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Rashmika Mandanna, Anil Kapoor

SAM BAHADUR

Director: Meghna Gulzar

Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Sanya Malhotra

In Meghna Gulzar’s biopic Sam Bahadur, Vicky Kaushal is set to play Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw. The actor looks unrecognisable in BTS images that emerged from the film’s set. Not that his physical transformation is surprising. The actor has a stellar track record after his role in Sardar Udham.

Release Date: December 1

Ranbir Kapoor in a rugged look complete with a bloodied shirt? Sign us up because that’s exactly what Animal promises. The film is a gritty gangster drama in which the protagonist slowly finds himself turning into an animal. Expect Sandeep Reddy Vanga to deliver another gritty drama.

Release Date: TBA

Where: Theatres

HASEEN DILLRUBA

Director: Jayprad Desai

Cast: Taapsee Pannu, Vikrant Massey

Haseen Dillruba saw Taapsee Pannu play the femme fatale alongside Vikrant Massey. While the film did not open to the best reviews, its sequel - Phir Aayi Haseen Dillruba is in the works. The romantic thriller promises another tale of love, lies and revenge. But before the film wraps up production, Vikrant Massey who suffered a shoulder injury while filming the original film, is due to undergo surgery for it. However, the actor reportedly continued to work on the sequel’s first schedule before taking time out.

Release Date: TBA

Where: Theatres

THE CREW

Director: Rajesh Krishnan

Cast: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Kriti Sanon, Tabu

Where: Theatres he

While little is known about The Crew, the film has a star-studded cast including Kareena Kapoor Khan, Kriti Sanon and Tabu. The film is written and co-produced by Rhea Kapoor.

Release Date: TBA

Where: Theatres

CHAKDA ‘XPRESS

Director: Prosit Roy Cast: Anushka Sharma, Renuka Shahane

The year will also see Anushka Sharma’s comeback after the 2018 film Zero. The film will see Anushka flex her cricket skills as former cricket captain Jhulan Goswami.

Release Date: December 16 | Where: OTT

ADIPURUSH

Director: Om Raut | Cast: Prabhas, Kriti Sanon, Saif Ali Khan

2022 was a big year for VFX and special effects. Be it Phone Bhoot Brahmastra or Bhediya. This year will see another experiment in the form of Adipurush, a film inspired by Ramayan starring Prabhas as Ram. After the trailer footage garnered some flak from the internet, the makers have been reworking the film’s visuals. It will be interesting to see where Adipurush ranks in a slew of films based on Ramayana.

Release Date: June 16 | Where: Theatres

BADE MIYAN CHOTE MIYAN

Director: Ali Abbas Zafar Cast: Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff

The original Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, a David Dhawandirected comedy-drama starring Amitabh Bachchan and Govinda was released in 1998. Twenty five years later, the title is ready to be revived in the form of an action flick featuring action stars of two generationsAkshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff. Filming for the project began in January 2023 with Akshay Kumar sharing an update in which he mentioned that his co-star Tiger Shroff was born in the year he started his career. The film’s makers are calling it their most ambitious project so far. Well, it’s safe to say the casting is on point. Akshay’s and Tiger’s team-up comes with exciting possibilities for the action genre in Bollywood.

Release Date: December 25 | Where: Theatres

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Cast: Katrina Kaif, Vijay Sethupathi, Sanjay Kapoor

The release date of Merry Christmas - the film that will feature the highly-anticipated collaboration between Katrina Kaif and Vijay Sethupathi was pushed by a whole year. It was initially expected to arrive in December 2022. According to some reports, the reason for the delay was to avoid a clash with Cirkus which was the Christmas release of the year. There is little to no information about the film’s storyline but we do know that it is a thriller. Earlier in 2022, Katrina had shared BTS snaps from the film’s table read with Vijay.

Release Date: December 23 | Where: Theatres

DHAK DHAK

Director: Tarun Dudeja

Cast: Ratna Pathak Shah, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Dia Mirza, Sanjana Sanghi

There aren’t enough road trip movies and there certainly aren’t enough female-led road trip movies. Enter - Dhak Dhak. The film boasts of a powerful ensemble cast that includes Ratna Pathak Shah, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Dia Mirza and Sanjana Sanghi. The story follows four women who decide to take a bike trip to the world’s highest motorable pass - Khardung La Pass. The film is backed by Taapsee Pannu who is onboard as co-producer.

Release Date: TBA | Where: Theatres

LAXMAN UTEKAR’S UNTITLED NEXT

Director: Laxman Utekar

Cast: Sara Ali Khan, Vicky Kaushal

Sara Ali Khan and Vicky Kaushal have teamed up for Laxman Utekar’s next which is currently untitled. Although filming for the project wrapped in January 2022. While the plot details aren’t out, we do know that Vicky and Sara play a couple as teased by the first look that sees the two locked in an embrace.

Release Date: TBA | Where: Theatres

SATYAPREM KI KATHA

Director: Sameer Vidwans

Cast: Kiara Advani, Kartik Aaryan

Satyaprem Ki Katha was previously titled Satyanarayan Ki Katha before the makers changed the title to avoid hurting religious sentiments (Satynarayan is another name for the Hindu God Vishnu). In the film, Kiara Advani will reunite with her Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 co-star Kartik

Aaryan. Details about the plot are still under wraps but a first look still which sees Kartik and Kiara locked in an embrace, surfaced not long ago. So we do know that it’s a romantic drama. The film which also stars Supriya Pathak and Gajraj Rao marks the Bollywood directorial debut of National Award-winning Marathi director Sameer Vidwans.

Release Date: June 29

Where: Theatres