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

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.

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 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.