Where: Proud City, 1 Mark Lane, Opposite Fenchurch Street Station, London EC3R 7AH
What: Spicy new immersive Bollywood musical experience, featuring hip shaking dances, heart breaking romance, hilarious comedy, and delectable cuisine.
www.proudcabaret.com
DILJIT DOSANJH
When: Friday August 12
Where: The O2 Arena, 205 Peninsula Square, London SE10 0ES
What: The Punjabi music superstar kicks off a big UK tour and will perform his greatest hits with a full live band. Check website for further tour dates in Birmingham, Leeds, and Glasgow.
www.diljitdosanjh.co.uk
SAMSARA
When: Thursday August 18 – Saturday August 20
Where: The Lyceum, 30b Grindlay Street, Edinburgh EH3 9AX
What: British-Indian dancer Aakash Odedra and Chinese dancer Hu Shenyuan team up for this moving contemporary dance duet, inspired by the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West, which sees mythological storytelling bring East and West together.
What: The internationally acclaimed British tabla maestro Talvin Singh and eminent guest musicians deliver a one-off performance. Aakash Odedra Company will be presenting a short dance performance before the show.
www.curveonline.co.uk
AMJAD ALI KHAN
When: Sunday August 21
Where: Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Gore, South Kensington, London SW7 2AP
What: Legendary sarod master Ustad Amjad Ali Khan delivers a concert as part of this year’s Proms, with his music virtuoso sons Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash.
www.royalalberthall.com
RAHAT FATEH ALI KHAN
When: Friday August 26, Saturday August 27, and Sunday August 28
Where: Resorts World Arena, Pendigo Way, Marston Green, Birmingham B40 1PU; and First Direct Arena, Arena Way, Leeds LS2 8BY; and The O2 Arena, 205 Peninsula Square, London SE10 0ES
What: The qawwali maestro returns for another UK tour and will perform his greatest hits, with his music ensemble.
What: Charity music concert headlined by Bali Brahmbhatt, Saira Khan, and Vinod Shinde, with all funds raised going to educate children in remote parts of India.
www.becktheatre.org.uk
THEATRE
LIFE OF PI
When: Until Sunday October 30
Where: Wyndham’s Theatre, 32-36 Charing Cross Road, London WC2H 0DA
What: Theatre play based on Yann Martel’s Man Booker Prize-winning novel of the same name, which revolves around the sole human survivor of a shipwreck stuck on a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger, as they battle to survive an epic voyage across the ocean.
www.lifeofpionstage.com
CHASING HARES
When: Until Saturday August 13
Where: Young Vic, 66 The Cut, Waterloo, London SE1 8LZ
What: Award-winning theatre production revolving around a factory worker in West Bengal, who is recruited to write a play for a popular actress and sees it as a chance to expose injustice. The world premiere stars Ayesha Dharker, Zainab Hasan, Scott Karim, Saroja-Lily Ratnavel, and Irfan Shamji.
What: Acclaimed theatre play following the journey of one Sri Lankan Australian family over four generations, from 1956 to 2004. The story featuring 19 performers from six different countries, also tells the tale of Sri Lanka post-independence and Australia as an immigrant nation.
www.birmingham-rep.co.uk
BEYOND BOLLYWOOD
When: Wednesday August 24 – Saturday September 3
Where: Peacock Theatre, Portugal Street, London WC2A 2HT
What: The popular show returns to the West End. It takes audiences on a journey through Indian culture, dance, and music, while presenting the vibrancy and beauty of Bollywood.
www.sadlerswells.com
MRS KAPOOR’S DAUGHTER’S
WEDDING 2 MAURITIUS
When: Saturday September 10 – Sunday September 11 and Saturday September 24 – Sunday September 25
What: Fun-filled follow-up to popular theatre play Mrs Kapoor’s Daughter’s Wedding, which sees the dysfunctional family planning a destination wedding.
What: Acclaimed Indian stand-up comedian Vir Das brings his brand-new laughter-filled show to this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival and confronts important social issues head on.
What: Rising British comedy star Sunil Patel presents his new stand-up show at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where he discusses everything, from crypto bros to his own failed business enterprises.
What: Following his critically acclaimed Soho Theatre Live Amazon comedy special, award-winning comedian Kai Samra returns with a brand-new stand-up show about race, class, immigration, youth homelessness, India and 2010 indie-rock bands.
www.edfringe.com
PAUL SINHA: ONE SINHA LIFETIME
When: Until Sunday August 28
Where: New Town Theatre, Freemasons Hall, 96 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 3DH
What: Popular TV personality and comedian Paul Sinha returns to the Edinburgh Fringe with a hilarious new show filled with surprises, which demonstrates that Parkinson’s hasn’t robbed him of his ability to do stand-up, but enhanced it.
www.edfringe.com
NISH KUMAR – YOUR POWER, YOUR CONTROL
When: Thursday August 18
Where: Weymouth Pavilion, The Esplanade, Weymouth DT4 8ED
What: The popular stand-up comedian’s brand-new stand-up show tackles important subjects such as political upheaval, Covid, current uncertainty, and why he is taking it personally.
www.nishkumar.co.uk
CLASSES
FREE BHARATNATYAM CLASSES
When: Wednesdays August 17, 24, 31 and Thursdays August 18, 25
What: The Consulate General of India in Birmingham is organising free and weekly dance classes on its premises. Participants need to register beforehand and will be allocated places on a first come first serve basis.
www.eventbrite.com
FULL DAY INDIAN VEGETARIAN COOKERY COURSE
When: Sunday August 21
Where: Hounslow, London
What: A trip to the local Indian shop to learn about ingredients will be followed by a
practical hands-on cooking course learning how to make a variety of Indian dishes. Check website for more courses.
The actress defended her claim that acting demands more than desk jobs in a recent interview.
She said office workers can "chill out" during work hours, unlike film stars.
Fans and working professionals called her comments privileged and out of touch.
The backlash started after her appearance on Amazon Prime's Two Much with Kajol & Twinkle.
Critics pointed out the financial gap and support systems actors have compared to regular employees.
Kajol probably didn't expect this reaction when she sat down with Twinkle Khanna on Two Much. But her comments about actors working harder than people with 9-to-5 jobs have blown up, and not in a good way.
Fans slam Kajol after she says actors work harder than regular employees sparking online outrage Getty Images
The comments that started it all
Kajol was speaking out about her earlier comments on Two Much with Kajol & Twinkle on Amazon Prime, where she said actors work harder than most people. This time she was explaining why she thinks that.
She told The Hollywood Reporter India that her days are full of shoots, events, and very early flights. One day involved waking at 5 AM to catch a flight to Jaipur for a 3 PM event.
But it was her take on regular jobs that got people talking. She claimed desk workers don't need to be "100% present" and can take breaks, "chill out," and relax while working. She kept coming back to the unending scrutiny actors face like the feeling of always being watched or something as simple as how you cross your legs or who's snapping a picture in the background becomes a constant calculation. You have to be switched on, she insisted, all the time.
The internet, frankly, was having none of it. YouTube and Reddit exploded with responses. "For the kind of remuneration actors are paid, they shouldn't have a problem working 12 hours a day for 4 days a week," one user wrote. Another pointed out that films typically take 3-4 months to shoot, while regular jobs run year-round.
The responses got more pointed. "Vanity mein naps or massages bhi toh hum lete hain," a Reddit user commented, referencing the comfort of vanity vans. Someone else joked: "If you work poorly, you get fired. If you act poorly, you get a Filmfare award."
The bluntest response yet? "Respectfully, Kajol, shut up."
Nobody denies acting is demanding. Long hours, public pressure, and constant judgement are very real. But comparing it to regular employment ignores some major differences.
Most people work 12 months a year with two weeks' holiday if they're lucky. They don't have spot boys fetching drinks or vanity vans for rest breaks. One netizen nailed it: "A working parent's schedule is continuous, every single day, with no wrap-up party or off-season."
Online erupts as Kajol defends claim that acting demands more than everyday 9-to-5 workGetty Images
There's also the money. While her fee for a single film is probably more than most people earn in a year, she says that doesn’t make the work easy. Still, it does provide a comfort that regular employees don’t have. Kajol has not yet replied to the backlash.
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