05112024-LSTC-01.qxd 11/4/2024 11:56 PM Page 1 c m y b VARUN IN ACTION ZONE The much-anticipated teaser of Baby John, starring Varun Dhawan, has been released, showcasing the actor in an action avatar. Directed by A Kaleeswaran and backed by acclaimed filmmaker Atlee, Baby John will also star Keerthy Suresh, Wamiqa Gabbi, Jackie Shroff and Rajpal Yadav. TRIBUNE Exercising! Life Actress Samantha Ruth took to Instagram and shared a video of herself doing some squats. She is seen dressed in a black oversized t-shirt paired with shorts and knee caps. CHANDIGARH | TUESDAY | 5 NOVEMBER 2024 PHOTO: PRADEEP TEWARI Dance K Mona chose me …says prominent Kathak exponent Meghranjani Medhi, who found her gurus in her parents — Marami and Joyparkash Medhi ‘I love challenges’ Ekta Tiwari, who is seen in the show Gudiya Rani, says playing a character quite in contrast to her in real life is interesting PLAY ON ATHA KAHE SO KATHAK KAHAVE… not just a beautiful dance form that tells a story, but the accompanying footwork, both slow and fast; hast mudras taken from nature and accessible languages — Sanskrit and Hindi — make Kathak stand apart from other classical forms. Two of its leading exponents, Marami Medhi and Meghranjani Medhi, were in Chandigarh on Sunday for their first-ever performance together in the city. Based out of Guwahati, this mother-daughter duo, which has been performing together for about 25 years now, were here for Triveni Kala Utsav, organised by the Chandigarh Sangeet Natak Akademi in collaboration with Triveni Sangeet Sabha. Meghranjani, who started dancing at five, feels fortunate to have gotten this in virasat. “I danced for fun when I was a child, and loved doing it with my mother,” opens up the dancer. In due time, she started training under her mother Marami Medhi in gurushishya parampara. “My training started at home. I was fascinated to begin with and in due time, fell in love with Kathak. It is my oxygen now; dance is my life.” Not just her mother, her father too has played a significant role in Meghranjani’s journey. Joy Prakash Medhi, a renowned classical vocal- ist, composes pieces for them to perform. “Together, we have travelled the world, taking Kathak far and wide.” Not just the dance, the mother and daughter are actors too. If Marami acted in a couple of films, for Meghranjani offers started coming rather early. For long she did acting and dancing, trying to balance both the worlds. However, lately, dance has taken precedence over films. “When you are called a Kathak exponent, the responsibility on your shoulders is huge. Most of my time now goes in practice and performances. Though I do take film projects off and on, dance is a priority.” She often practises with her mother. Together, they run the dance school Sur Sangam in Guwahati. Meghranjani’s journey is pretty different from her mother’s though. Marami is amongst the first few who introduced Kathak to the NorthEast. She would travel from Guwahati to Lucknow to learn dance from her guru, late Surendra Sethiya ji, and, at times, he would visit her. Running the school for over three decades now, they are happy to see enthusiastic learners every year. “There is a rich art scene in Guwahati today. Our dance institute has been playing its part in promoting Kathak in the NorthEast. My mother started it, and now, as her daughter and disciple, it’s my duty to promote and propagate Kathak further.” On the final day of the Triveni Kala Utsav on Tuesday, two plays, Punchlight and Hum, will be staged. Performed by Triveni Kala Sadhna Karyshala students, these are designed and directed by Aman Singh. Ekta Tiwari, who is currently essaying the role of Flower in Gudiya Rani on Dangal TV, is enjoying the positive feedback that she is receiving. Known for shows like Tere Mere Sapne, Ganesh Leela, Paramavtar Shri Krishna, Diya Aur Baati Hum, among others, she shares excerpts from her journey so far. How has the response for your character in Gudiya Rani been? The love and support I’ve been receiving has been overwhelming. It’s been truly heartwarming! I want to give a special shout-out to my friend and casting director Ashutosh Rai, and writer Bhavna Vyas for their beautiful writing and vision for Flower. I’m excited for what is coming up and I can’t wait for the audience to see her in action. What has been the most challenging part of portraying this role? Every new character comes with its own set of challenges and I thrive on that. With Flower, it’s her bold appearance — her flashy attire, heavy accessories and intricate hairdos, which sometimes give me a headache! Her loud, dramatic behaviour, combined with a mix of Hindi and English, also adds to the challenge. How do you prepare mentally and emotionally for playing an antagonist? Whether it’s an antagonist or protagonist, intensity isn’t based on the character type, but on their journey and the situations they face. When you deeply discuss a character’s traits with the writer and director, everything falls into place. I immerse myself mentally and emotionally through various techniques. I do solo performances and also with my troupe. But the energy, the vibe of being on stage with my guru, my mother, Marami Medhi, is unparalleled. MEGHRANJANI MEDHI Your character seems quite different from your real personality. How do you navigate that contrast? Tune of emotion Opposites attract, right? That doesn’t just apply to real-life relationships but also to characters on screen. In real life, I’m more of a ‘simple living, high thinking’ person, while Flower is flambouyant, carefree and doesn’t worry much. That contrast is what drew me to the role. Diljit Dosanjh professes love for India during Jaipur tour How do you handle criticism? I take it very positively. I try to let go of things that don’t make sense to me, but I’ll admit it’s not always easy. Sometimes, feedback can linger in your mind and heart, creating an ache. With time, though, it fades away, even if it leaves a little hole behind. But that’s part of the process. Constructive criticism helps me refine my craft and grow as an actor. What is your success mantra? Homework and revision are the keys. Whether you’re an artiste, writer, director or cinematographer, continuous improvement requires constant work on yourself. It’s about reading, writing, watching both old and new content, and creating. You take inspiration from everything around and implement it mentally, physically and with freedom. The important part is not to copy or be bound by influences. You need to keep growing and evolving, no matter what field you’re in. (As told to Dharam Pal) Diljit Dosanjh with Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Diya Kumari c m y b Punjabi sensation Diljit Dosanjh, during his Dil-Luminati Tour, expressed love for the country and said yeh pagdi hamari shaan hai. The singer-actor took to Instagram, where he shared a reel from his team’s profile. In the video, Diljit was joined by a fan on stage, who was sporting a traditional Rajasthani turban. Diljit was heard saying, “Inki pagdi ke liye zor daar taaliya. Yeh pagdi hamari shaan hai. Yeh humari desh ki khoobsurati hai… (Please clap for his turban. The turban is our pride. This is the beauty of our country.)” “Har do-teen chaar ghante baad humaari boli, khaana change hojata hai. Yeh humaari desh ki beauty hai. (In every two-three hours our language and food changes. This is the beauty of our country.)” He then talked about his love for the country. “Aur hum jaahan jaahan se hai — koi Jaipur se hai, Koi Gujarat se hai, Delhi se hai, Haryana se hai, Punjab se hai — Hum sab ko pyaar karte hai. Aur hum sab ke saath is desh ko pyaar karte hai. Marwariyo ke liye zor daar taaliyon. (And wherever we are from — Jaipur, Gujarat, Delhi, Haryana or Punjab — We love all. And together we love our country. Please clap for my Marwari brother.)” Diljit’s performance in Delhi marked the beginning of his extensive 10-city Dil-Luminati tour. The tour includes stops in various cities such as Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Pune and Kolkata, among others. The singer launched the Indian segment of his Dil-Luminati tour in the national capital on October 26. The tour is set to conclude in Guwahati on December 29. — IANS