Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Eye Spy: Top stories from the world of entertainment

Eye Spy: Top stories from the world of entertainment
Malkit Singh

LEGENDS AT DESI LIVE

MUSIC fans are in for a real treat next Saturday (23) at Forum in Birmingham with the Desi Live show.


The actionpacked line-up of great British bhangra legends including Malkit Singh, Apna Sangeet, Shin DCS, Premi Johal and Channi Singh of Alaap will deliver their greatest hits, at what promises to be a brilliant concert.

The music icons will be supported by AJD, Dipps Bhamrah, Tarli Digital and host Harpz Kaur. www.fatsoma. com/desilive

SAWHNEY’S HEARTFELT PIECE

Nitin Sawhney

A FORTHCOMING performance from Nitin Sawhney at the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester on December 5 is set to take on added resonance.

Apart from performing tracks from his albums Prophesy, Beyond Skin, Immigrants, and Identity alongside the Hallé orchestra, the music maestro will deliver a specially written piece documenting his experience of a heart attack earlier this year.

He has tried to capture the feelings, internal psychology and aftermath of the cardiovascular episode.

TRACKING INSTA SUCCESS

Vivek Agrawal

AMERICAN r’n’b singer Vivek Agrawal regularly delivers English-language versions of Bollywood songs on his Instagram account.

Some of the popular film tracks he has put a western spin on include Tujh Mein Rab Dikhta Hai, Dil Deewana and Tu Hi Meri Shab Hai. He also creates a wide array of other songs including originals and fusion ones that mix up languages.

You can follow the talented star on Instagram: @Viagrawal

SEE NAYANTHARA IN NEW LIGHT

Nayanthara

SHE may be a major south Indian movie star, but many saw Nayanthara for the first time in 2023 blockbuster hit Jawan, opposite Shah Rukh Khan. This week, there is a chance to find out a lot more about the celebrated actress in a new documentary about her titled Nayanthara: Beyond the Fairy Tale, which has a Netflix premiere on her birthday, next Monday (18).

The film explores her journey from humble beginnings to finding huge success in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Hindi cinema. It also explores her relationship with director Vignesh Shivan, with whom she tied the knot in June 2022.

SONG ABOUT SIKH GENOCIDE

Beant

TALENTED young British rap talent Beant has impressed music fans with his lyrically strong tracks.

The MC has just delivered his most personal release with Widow’s Song. He told me the song is inspired by the Sikh genocide in 1984 and the colony in Delhi, where widows who survived the massacre live.

He explained: “These women experienced harrowing, state-orchestrated violence and subsequently suffered years of torment, harassment, and abuse as they sought justice. Their story is one that, in my opinion, is not known enough. I hope to bring some attention and a different perspective to audiences. 2024 marks the 40th anniversary of that genocide, providing a good opportunity to focus audience’s attention to it.”

Beant said he is trying to capture the pain of what happened and explore what Sikh philosophy and teachings say about events like this. Even though the events happened before he was born, the musician has had the subject close to his heart for a long time and spent many months working on the song.

“I hope my attempt does some justice to those personally affected by the violence. I’m keen to demonstrate the Sikh notion of chardi kala (rising spirits) while accurately portraying the events of the genocide.”

Beant is really happy with the song’s response and how it’s sparked conversations.

APPLAUSE FOR PAKISTANI QAWWALI GROUP

The Chahat Mahmood Ali Qawwali Group

THE brilliant Chahat Mahmood Ali Qawwali Group returned to Pakistan after an incredible 18 months that saw them play over 200 live shows across the UK.

The Pakistani music act has entertained many thousands of music fans and took their first big steps towards becoming a formidable force.

Midlands-based Abid Iqbal from Say Arts gave them a platform to show off their talent. He said: “What the Chahat Mahmood Ali Qawwali Group have achieved during their residency has been remarkable. They have worked incredibly hard, travelled all over the UK and gifted audiences’ unforgettable shows. They did all that while being away from their families. I look forward to bringing them back in February 2025 for a UK and Europe tour.”

WHY I WANT TO TALK WILL FAIL

Abhishek Bachchanin I Want To Talk

FORTHCOMING film I Want To Talk will be a huge box-office flop when it is released next Friday (22). Of course, lead star Abishek Bachchan has been on a downward trajectory for a long time, largely due to his poor film choices, but that isn’t the biggest problem associated with this comedy-drama.

The movie’s director, Shoojit Sircar, hasn’t had a major success since his 2015 film Piku and his career has had far more failures than successes. Another huge negative is its terrible title. I Want To Talk is too English for Bollywood fans, while the content will be too Indian for western audiences.

A better strategy would have been to dump it onto a streaming site, but they likely didn’t have anyone willing to pay for it, largely due to all those red flags.

CHARLI’S BRAT POWER

Charli XCX

CHARLI XCX having an incredible impact in 2024 was recently illustrated by ‘brat’ being named as the Collins Dictionary’s word of the year.

What started off as an eye-catching title for her sixth studio album spawned a ‘brat summer’ movement that inspired social media trends, fashion, and inner confidence. She also redefined the word to incorporate, elements like, ‘confident, independent and hedonistic’, which resonated with people globally.

That momentum of a hit album, global ‘brat’ movement, superb songs, awards and sold-out arena shows will continue this week on iconic American comedy show Saturday Night Live. The half-Indian British pop sensation will host the episode on Saturday (16) and be the special musical guest. This means that fans will get to see Charli show off her comic acting skills and perform some of her hit songs. UK fans can catch her live at O2 Arena in London on November 28.

More For You

Essence of Ramadan

Ramadan is a time for self-reflection and to become better human beings

Essence of Ramadan

THE word Ramadan conjures images of fasting, shared meals, and a sense of community, but there is a deeper, more profound purpose beneath the surface of this holy month for Muslims.

Ramadan is not just about abstaining from food and drink; it is a transformative journey of self-discovery, offering a chance to shed old habits and cultivate inner peace. It is a month of selfreflection, a time to become better human beings and reconnect with our values.

Keep ReadingShow less
Asian health workers paid
heavy price during Covid

The National Covid Memorial Wall on the Covid-19 Day of Reflection, marking five years since the start of the pandemic in London last Sunday (9)

Asian health workers paid heavy price during Covid

BEREAVED families and friends came together last Sunday (9) to remember the loss of loved ones as the UK marked five years since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Public memory is remarkably short; there was a time when people were prevented from even saying goodbye to their relatives as they died in hospital. To prevent contamination, their bodies were slipped into body bags for funerals where almost no one could come.

Keep ReadingShow less
Sunak symbolised how high
ethnic minority talent can rise

Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty

Sunak symbolised how high ethnic minority talent can rise

“MY POLITICAL journey was so quick,” former prime minister Rishi Sunak told Nick Robinson during a two-hour BBC podcast on his lessons from Downing Street.

Sunak’s meteoric rise and demise makes him a former prime minister at 44. Was it too much, too young? Did he make a mistake in grabbing a couple of years as prime minister after the implosion of Liz Truss?

Keep ReadingShow less
Are Tamil cinema’s big stars failing the industry?
Indian 2

Are Tamil cinema’s big stars failing the industry?

BOLLYWOOD’S recent string of big box of fice disasters has been well-documented, but Tamil cinema is also experiencing a tough period.

The industry, known as Kollywood, had one of its worst years in 2024, with a jaw dropping amount of money being lost on big-budget blockbusters that were rejected by audiences. Although there were a few successes, like Amaran and Maharaja, 2024, just like previous years, was dominated by expensive flops headlined by big-name stars that didn’t live up to expectations.

Keep ReadingShow less
Vulnerable and targeted: The shocking reality for British Asians

Bhim Kohli

Vulnerable and targeted: The shocking reality for British Asians

FOR British Asians, perhaps the grimmest story of the week has not been the saga from the White House, but something closer to home.

A boy and a girl, aged 14 and 12 respectively, are accused of killing an 80-yearold Asian man in Leicester. Bhim Kohli died in hospital a day after the attack on September 1 last year.

Keep ReadingShow less