Eye Spy: ‘Beauty gets the attention, personality gets the heart’

AN IMPACTFUL appearance on the recently concluded reality TV show Bigg Boss 16 combined with winning performances in drama serials has given rapidly rising TV star Priyanka Chahar Choudhary great momentum.

The multi-talented actress has seen her fan base skyrocket and is now looking forward to taking on more challenging projects in future. Eastern Eye took to Twitter to get that growing legion of admirers to share why they love the terrific talent and selected some of the best to shine a well-deserved spotlight on her.

@adhvikaverma22: She represents women of this generation, who is bold and sensitive at the same time!

@AnkitPriyankaBB: She is an inspiration. Watching her in Bigg Boss was such a treat. The fierce attitude, confidence, beauty, strength and trust on herself. She is a perfect example of beauty with brains. And her ‘don’t give up’ motto is what makes her so special.

@ashnak808: Her attitude is what we need in every girl.

@BiggBossBirdie: Priyanka is someone who not only outshines with her personality but also inspires people by just being herself. She has taught many of us to speak, express, laugh, cry, as and when we want without the fear of being judged. She has taught us how to take criticism positively.

@Dil_Doooba: Many actresses are talented and so is she, but something that makes her special is her smile. She looks at the positive outcome of everything and that’s her strength. I hope she will keep that smile.

@Fireflieee: The thing which makes her special is that she will put forward her strong opinions yet can be empathetic to people when really needed. That balance is awe worthy.

@happieeness_: “Beauty gets the attention, personality gets the heart” - this is Priyanka. She has a complex but a beautiful personality. Her empathetic nature, fearless attitude, alluring mental strength and dedication to being the best version of herself makes her a true gem.

@hellonijhihere: She is such a strong opinionated woman who can accept her defeat with a smiling face but always takes a stand against unfair things. A perfect definition of beauty with brains. A woman who knows how to love with her whole heart. And also, a very good actress too.

@MediaBB3: Priyanka’s forgiving nature, positivity, confidence, taking a stand for others, talent in acting, dance and even in singing makes her versatile. Next super star!

@Mona_Prifan: She is a pure powerful positive soul. She is strong and chooses the right path in most situations even if she faces hurdles. She does not change her path rather she overcomes challenges and emerges stronger. She also understands situations and other’s perspectives.

@nohasamir1250: She is a very hardworking and straight forward girl. She is doing everything to help her family. She has a very strong personality and caring nature, which make her a role model for all of us.

@ojjitoslindos: Her ability to see the positive in everything has to be my favourite talent of hers.

@Pooja__08: Not just one, she actually possesses many good qualities that anyone should definitely have. She’s indeed an angel! She just inspires many people with her amazing personality and the way she takes everything positively with a smile is something so special about her.

@Prilovebot: Her strength of character is admirable. She is very strong mentally, has a vibrant smile and positive outlook towards life. She’s extremely good looking and passionate towards her craft. All these traits would take her a long way.

@Priyanka__OFC: She is fierce, strong headed, with an upfront nature. She always stood up for what’s right. The real example of a true independent self-made woman. Her aura is unmatchable.

@priyankasimp: Priyanka Chahar Choudhary is a truly unique, beautiful, and rare personality, almost fictional, and seems too good to be true. However, the grace, strength, and kindness she’s shown even in most extreme situations has proven that she’s someone positive.

@priyankitforver: She is the strongest and has such a strong personality and can just make everyone love her. She is the best. Beauty with brains.

@sa_yaa_ni: The fact that she never holds grudges. People often misunderstand her and call her out for this trait by telling her that she doesn’t have any self-respect, but the truth is, she is built different. It takes a lot of empathy in oneself to forgive the one who did you wrong.

@ShyalSonika: No doubt Priyanka is an amazing actress. However, more than an artist she has become an inspiration. She’s taught us how to handle success and failure with a smile. Don’t give up. What’s in your destiny, will be yours. Her positive outlook has definitely touched many hearts.

@sirfpriyankit: Priyanka is special because she is unapologetically herself! I see her and realise what self-love truly looks like. When you love yourself, you love the world around you, and that is why she is always radiating positivity! This exact attitude makes her so inspiring.

@siya7891: The best thing about Priyanka Chahar Choudhary is she is such a strong woman that she can take even criticism and defeat with a smile. And that sets her apart because then nothing will be able to defeat her.

Zeenat Aman

ZEENAT IS AN INSTA SUCCESS

LEGENDARY actress Zeenat Aman has been winning hearts on Instagram (@thezeenataman), after recently joining. The Bollywood icon has quickly gained over 115,000 followers with eye-

catching photos, accompanied by thoughtful posts. Unlike most young Indian stars on the photosharing site, the 7l-year-old actress hasn’t felt the need to add fake followers or superficial posts. This authenticity has made a connection with cross-generational fans.

FLOP AKSHAY TOUR

A STAGGERING six flop films in less than 12 months isn’t the only bad thing that has happened to Akshay Kumar recently. According to sources, his recent America tour was a flop, including a cancelled concert due to lack of ticket sales. This was further evidence that audiences are sick of the horribly over exposed star, but that won’t stop his onslaught of films, with another five due to be released in 2023.

PRIYANKA SET FOR A BIG TURNING POINT

HIGH profile film Love Again and big-budget web serial Citadel look like being huge turning points in the Hollywood career of Priyanka Chopra Jonas. If the soon-to-be-released romantic movie and spy drama do well, then she will get bigger projects as a lead instead of being resigned to smaller supporting roles. On the flipside, if both projects don’t do well then it will be a huge set back for her.

But early indicators are that both will potentially be gamechangers for the versatile Indian actress, who has worked hard to carve out a place for herself in America. Major studios seem confident because she is in talks for multiple projects that includes producing and playing the lead role in a drama series adaptation of Tanya Selvaratnam’s best-selling memoir Assume Nothing.

Anjali Sivaraman

ANJALI HAS GOT CLASS

THE striking resemblance between Anjali Sivaraman and a young Aishwarya Rai Bachchan hasn’t gone unnoticed by social media users. The talented newcomer has gained a lot of well-deserved attention for her role in hit Netflix drama Class. The Indian adaptation of successful Spanish series Elite looks like a major turning point in the talented newcomer’s career. She had previously starred in interesting 2022 film Cobalt Blue, which was adapted from a novel of the same name and is worth finding for its unique concept. The young actress has made herself one to watch.

Shakti

FUSION PIONEERS RETURN TO UK

IT IS IMPOSSIBLE to write the history of fusion music without mentioning pioneering band Shakti. Formed in 1974, they combined Indian classical sounds with western contemporary music and blazed a path for pretty much every Asian fusion act that followed in their giant footsteps. Although the line-up has changed across the years, the musical dream team of ace English guitarist John McLaughlin and Indian tabla maestro Zakir Hussain has remained the same. They will bring Shakti back to UK, with band members that include popular Bollywood singer/musician Shankar Mahadevan for two concerts at Hammersmith Eventim Apollo in London on June 27 and 28. These shows are part of a 50th anniversary world tour and promise to be some of this year’s best live music events.

www.shakti50.com

VISHAL MAKES WRONG CHOICE

DIRECTOR Vishal Bhardwaj did a decent job in turning William Shakespeare classics Macbeth, Othello, and Hamlet into acclaimed Bollywood films, but he has got off on the wrong foot with his planned Agatha Christie adaptation. Whether it was novels featuring iconic detectives like Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple or stunning standalone stories, the British crime writer left behind an incredible body of work. Instead of selecting one of the brilliant stories, he has opted to adapt lesser-known novel The Sittaford Mystery, for streaming site Sony LIV. Without giving spoilers, audiences will likely be underwhelmed by the big reveal of this murder mystery.

Rameet Rauli

LITTLE ENGLISH GEM IN CINEMAS

ACCLAIMED British Asian film Little English releases in cinemas on Friday (17), after delighting audiences on the festival circuit. Lead star Rameet Rauli delivers a stunning performance of a Punjabi girl from India, with limited English, who gets stuck with her would-be in laws in London when the man she is supposed to marry runs away. She is excited and thrilled about the sparkling gem of a movie releasing in UK cinemas and told me: “I can’t wait for everyone to meet our little English family. It’s one for the whole family to enjoy together. Very rarely do our stories and films get made let alone have a cinema release. Hoping the audience appreciates our efforts in trying to break that barrier. I hope everyone can leave feeling that they have seen a bit of themselves represented on the big screen.”

Nick Mohammed

EXCITING TIMES FOR TED LASSO STAR NICK

BRITISH actor Nick Mohammed returns for season three of super-hit web series Ted Lasso on Wednesday (15) and then from March 26, he goes on a UK tour, with his popular alter ego Mr Swallow. Tickets are selling fast for his The Very Best & Worst Of Mr Swallow comedy show, which promises plenty of laughs. He has other interesting projects on the way that include historical TV series The Ballad Of Renegade Nell. The double Emmy award nominee, who created and co-starred in comedy series Intelligence alongside Friends actor David Schwimmer, has also signed a deal with BBC Studios to develop scripted ideas for a global audience.

• Popular singer Satinder Sartaaj will return for another UK tour at the end of August, with shows in Glasgow (24), Birmingham (27), London (28), Leicester (2) and Bradford (3).
• There will reportedly be a Bollywood festival happening in Leicester this July. Promoters claim to have signed house-hold names for the two-day event, but I suspect the end result won’t match the hype.
• Hollywood actor Keri Russell has praised the performance of Indian actor Adarsh Gourav in Extrapolations, which is a forthcoming drama series focusing on the impacts of climate change.
• American battle rapper AP X recently released his new single I’m Him.
• The utter failure of Bollywood flops Selfiee and Shehzada enabled hit film Pathaan extra time in Indian cinemas, which added to its already mammoth box office collection.
• British stand-up comedian Eshaan Akbar recently commenced a debut solo UK tour with his new show The Pretender. Tickets for the tour, which runs until April 30, are available now. www.eshaanakbar.com