Armaan Malik
STAGE DOUBLE
Sid Sagar is currently part of some great British theatre shows. The actor plays a key role in the high-profile production Mrs Warren’s Profession at the Garrick Theatre in London, which is headlined by legendary actress Imelda Staunton. He has also written Biting Point, a site-specific show centred around a road accident, which will be performed in car parks during May and June. The multi-talented star on the rise has become one to watch.
Sid Sagar
MAAN MAGIC RETURNS
When it comes to songs, stage presence and showmanship, Gurdas Maan ranks among the very best in the world. That is why it is always a treat when the legendary singer returns for a major UK tour – as he will this July. The Punjabi music icon will perform at Mattioli Arena, Leicester (5), Bridgewater Hall, Manchester (9), BP Pulse Live, Birmingham (11), and OVO Arena, London (13). As with his previous electrifying shows, audiences can expect a high-energy set filled with his greatest hits. Tickets are on sale now.
Gurdas Maan
GREAT FESTIVAL MOVIE
This year’s UK Asian Film Festival offers a diverse selection of movies, screening at venues across London, Leicester and Coventry from 1–11 May, with one truly standout title.
The must-see film of the festival is The Glassworker, which will have its London premiere at BFI Southbank on 10 May, followed by a screening at Phoenix Cinema, Leicester on 11 May. Hailed as one of the finest animated films ever made in South Asia, it was Pakistan’s official entry to this year’s Oscars.
The story follows a romance between two individuals from distinctly different backgrounds, under the shadow of war. Director Usman Riaz will be in attendance.
The Glassworker
DELIGHTFUL DISNEY GEM
A 2023 American film that most have probably missed is now available on Disney+ – and it is well worth a watch. The feel-good, family-friendly musical comedy World’s Best follows a 12-year-old maths genius named Prem, who embarks on a journey of self-discovery after learning about his late father’s talent as a rapper. A hidden gem on the streaming platform, it is far superior to most English-language films featuring South Asian protagonists.
World’s Best
SUFI BROTHERS ALL SET FOR UK TOUR
Sensational Sufi act Najmuddin/Saifuddin Qawwal Group return for another UK tour in May and June. The sons of the late music legend Ustad Bahauddin Khan Qawwal are direct descendants of musicians who helped found the genre in the 13th century.
The fabulous five brothers have released a string of stunning songs and albums, but they are at their best in front of a live audience. Having witnessed their immense power, passion and grace during previous tours, I can highly recommend them. The Pakistani music maestros told me of their deep admiration for UK audiences and how much they are looking forward to recreating that same magic once again.
Najmuddin/Saifuddin Qawwal Group
DANCE ICON PASSES AWAY
Well- deserved tributes poured in for Kumudini Lakhia following her passing at the age of 95. The renowned Kathak dancer, choreographer, teacher and visionary left behind a remarkable legacy – from world-class performances to opening a dance school that produced many icons, and working on projects like the classic 1981 Bollywood film Umrao Jaan.
She inspired generations with her unparalleled technical expertise and immense artistry, while introducing elements that revolutionised Kathak. The Ahmedabad-based legend received numerous accolades, including India’s prestigious civilian honours – Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan – for her immense contribution to the arts.
Kumudini Lakhia
One of her students, dance icon Aditi Mangaldas, paid a heartfelt tribute, saying her guru’s presence and guidance would remain eternal. She added: “Thank you for being our guiding light and for giving ‘meaning’ to the life of so many of us across the globe. Your legacy will continue to light up the path, to inspire generations of dancers and to help each one of us find our own dance within ourselves.”
Kumudini Lakhia with Aditi Mangaldas
ZOMBIE INVASION
Action comedy Go Goa Gone introduced the zombie genre to commercial Indian cinema in 2013, but it failed to catch on. Now, films about the undead are being revived in India once again, starting with the upcoming Punjabi entertainer Jombieland, which is set to be released on 13 June. The story follows a couple trying to survive after a deadly virus unleashes zombies into their village.
According to reports, several frontline Bollywood stars are planning to headline similar zombie-style films, including a remake of the 2007 Hollywood drama I Am Legend. Ram Gopal Varma has announced that he will team up with actor Manoj Bajpayee for a zombie film centred on a police unit trying to survive a horde of undead criminals.
Jombieland
REIMAGINED DELARA COLLABORATION
Award-winning Norwegian artist Delara has delivered a unique listening experience with her new single Kalash Reimagined. The Scandinavian with Persian roots has teamed up with Pakistani electropop pioneer Talal Qureshi, Indian singer-songwriter Charan and Jamaican-American rapper BEAM on a standout track that blends a melting pot of global commercial musical influences.
Delara
Delara said: “I wanted to bring together voices that carry something real. With BEAM and two powerful South Asian artists, the Kalash remix became a meeting of cultures often boxed in, but with more in common than people think. To me, it’s not about representing everything, but staying open to what can grow in the spaces between.”
SUNNY REALITY CHECK
AfterGadar became a surprise superhit in 2001, producers overpaid lead star Sunny Deol to headline a string of films that ultimately turned into colossal disasters. Following 22 years dominated by failure, Deol finally scored another major win when the awful 2023 sequel Gadar 2 became a blockbuster success. History repeated itself – Deol was overpaid for his next project, which turned out to be another huge flop.
Just as I had predicted, the ageing actor’s recently released film Jaat gave him a reality check by becoming an expensive failure. It showed that it is time for the 67-year-old to take on age-appropriate roles instead of trying to pass himself off as a young action hero. If the producers of his forthcoming films are silly enough to invest big money again, they can also expect to feel the pain at the box office.
Sunny Deol
POETIC UK DATE
SPOKEN word poet Priya Malik has made such a huge impact that she now has over 569,000 followers on Instagram. She will be sharing her wonderful words with UK audiences at The Camden Club in London on June 1. The solo poetry show will feature some of her best works and will likely leave audiences feeling inspired. It is also a rare chance to see a different kind of live performance from a top Indian talent.
Priya Malik
COOL KAAVISH CONCERT
THEY may have been going strong since 1998 and delivered great songs during that time, but acclaimed Pakistani band Kaavish perhaps have not received the global recognition they deserve.
UK audiences will get to experience their signature sound on stage this week, with shows at Aviva Studios in Manchester next Wednesday (23) and Barbican Theatre next Sunday (27). The contemporary semi-classical band, led by Jaffer Zaidi and Maaz Maudood, will deliver hit songs blending diverse influences, including Bachpan, Tere Pyaar Mein, Moray Sayyaan, Faasle and Nindiya Re. Their music has rightly been described as deeply moving and timeless.
Kaavish
HUGE BIOPIC PROBLEM
A BIG problem with Bollywood biopics is that they bend the truth. Instead of focusing on what happened, films usually cater to the ego of their lead star and do a disservice to actual events.
That is why there are not high hopes for this week’s big Hindi cinema release Kesari: Chapter 2, which is based on the aftermath of the horrific Jallianwala Bagh massacre, where peaceful Indian protestors were locked into an enclosed space and gunned down.
From the trailer, it is already apparent that with lead star Akshay Kumar’s overly glorified portrayal of a lawyer, producers have attempted to commercialise the massacre of hundreds and likely added elements that did not happen.
This is one historical event that should be presented in a real manner and not tampered with.
Kesari: Chapter 2
MORE PLAGIARISM CLAIMS
INDIAN Oscar entry Laapataa Ladies was accused of copying the old TV movie Ghunghat Ke Pat Khol last year. It has now also been suspected of plagiarising key parts of its plot from the 2019 French-Arabic short film Burqa City.
With Laapataa Ladies producer Aamir Khan having a very long track record of starring in copied movies across more than three decades, it cannot be discounted that this was also a rip-off – although writer Biplab Goswami has strongly denied it.
Laapataa Ladies
TERRIFIC QAWWALI TOUR
BRILLIANT brothers Rizwan and Muazzam Ali Khan have entertained UK audiences for more than 25 years with thrilling concerts.
The nephews of late music icon Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan will return with their incredible qawwali group in May for what promises to be another great UK tour. You can catch them at Alhambra Theatre, Bradford (14), Royal Festival Hall, London (18), Birmingham Town Hall (23) and Bristol Beacon (25).
Rizwan Muazzam told me: “We’re really looking forward to this tour and the opportunity to perform our new album At The Feet Of The Beloved to the UK. It’s also a special moment for us to pay tribute to our late uncle, Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, by presenting some exclusive songs from his recently released album. His legacy continues to inspire us, and we’re proud to carry it forward.”
Jaswinder Singh from tour organisers Asian Arts Agency added: “Sufi and qawwali music continue to resonate deeply and grow in popularity here, and we’re thrilled to be producing this national tour – bringing this powerful, spiritual musical tradition to major UK venues and festivals.”
Rizwan Muazzam
INDIAN IDOL WINNER
NEWLY crowned Indian Idol 15 winner Manasi Ghosh will deliver her first big international performance in the UK this May, with shows at Indigo at The O2, London (9), De Montfort Hall, Leicester (10) and Blue Room Sports Venue, Harrow (11).
The talented singer will be joined on the line-up by fellow finalists Anirudh Suswaram and Sneha Shankar.
Looking ahead, Ghosh has already recorded her Bollywood debut song with Lalit Pandit and Shaan. She also has a duet lined up with rapper Badshah and plans to produce solo independent songs.
With big names lining up to work with her, music fans will be hearing a lot more of the young sensation.
Manasi Ghosh
KAVYA DELIVERS SUPERB SONGS
IN TERMS of quality, UK-based record label Sufiscore is consistently delivering some of the finest songs. The top tracks, connecting contemporary music to classic traditions, are also giving a great platform to stunningly talented singers.
The latest of these wonderful vocalists is Kavya Limaye. She teamed up with the Budapest Symphony Orchestra and a great creative team for a stunning cover version of the classic Bollywood song Rahein Na Rahein Hum, taken from the album Boundless Melodies.
This follows on from her other recent fabulous release with Sufiscore, Intezar-e-Saba, a mesmerising ghazal from the forthcoming album Nuqoosh, due for release in May. In February, she teamed up with Rahat Fateh Ali Khan for an incredible cover version of the classic qawwali Tere Bin Nahi Lagda, which also featured the Budapest Symphony Orchestra. These songs have shown that Limaye is a music star on the rise, and Sufiscore is a record label that is becoming a world leader.
Kavya Limaye
MALAYALAM MEGA-HIT
CERTAIN corners of right-wing politics in India have been so desperate to destroy the recently released Malayalam film L2: Empuraan that they have inadvertently turned it into a record-breaking hit.
Being forced by the government to make cuts in the movie, which most agree were unjustified, has given the Mohanlal-starrer huge global publicity, including for the unedited international release. The hit sequel got further attention when it was reported that its director and producer had seemingly unjustified investigations launched against them.
This desperation by powerful forces to crush the movie and those involved with it has led it towards becoming the highest grosser in Malayalam cinema history.
L2: Empuraan
RAHAT RETURNS
RAHAT FATEH ALI KHAN resurrected his reputation with his recent UK tour, and a large part of that was due to him teaming up with top British live concert producer Vijay Bhola.
The qawwali maestro had been on the back foot after a deeply damaging video resulted in widespread negative media attention in 2024, but he turned that around with stunning sold-out concerts produced by Bhola.
The new dream team showed that Rahat has quite comprehensively reconnected with making good music again. He also interacted with the media and fans in what turned out to be a great tour.
An added extra-special touch was a refreshed Rahat introducing his talented son Shah Zaman Ali Khan to UK audiences.
Rahat Fateh Ali Khan
Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer wants to “reset” the post-Brexit relationship with the EU at a summit this month – but can he agree on a youth mobility scheme for young people without reviving Brexit divides in Britain?
Delaying a little longer may help. The rear-view mirror drives immigration politics, looking back at the exceptional peak numbers of the last parliament. Net migration was 728,000 in the year before the general election – but immigration visa numbers fell sharply from 1.2 million to just under 800,000 since. The post-election rate of net migration is heading much closer to 300,000 than 700,000 – as the next rounds of headline figures in May and November will show. The Starmer government will be the first in living memory to exceed expectations on reducing immigration numbers, albeit mostly by sticking to the policies it inherited. But how far will anybody notice? Immigration salience reflects the visible lack of control of small boats and asylum hotels more than net migration statistics. The political debate will not shift unless government seeks to reframe it.
In this drone view an inflatable dinghy carrying migrants makes its way towards England in the English Channel, August 6, 2024. (Photo: Reuters)Getty Images
Falling immigration highlights a curious gap. This government’s policy is to reduce immigration – but with no public account of its preferred level or why. That mattered less given the common-sense consensus that inflows of up to 900,000 were unsustainable. Would this government keep saying that at 350,000 or 300,000? What about if it was 200,000 – with political opponents saying it should be net 100,000 or net zero? The past two decades show the limits of ‘pick a number’ sloganising about immigration levels if there is no serious mechanism in government or parliament to bring together the choices that decide them.
No other major democracy makes the net migration statistic so central to politics as Britain does. Home secretary Yvette Cooper and chancellor Rachel Reeves have criticised net migration targets for many years. The measure does not differentiate between different flows. Cooper often emphasises the futility of governments setting targets they always missed – but that does not quite answer the question of whether this government thinks net migration is a metric that does or does not matter.
Overall inflows to the settled population do make a difference to housing demand. Net migration running at over one per cent of the population (685,500) is unsustainable; yet the peak rate rose as high as 1.5 per cent under the Conservatives. The previous peak had been an inflow of 0.5 per cent of the population in 2016. This government could realistically treat that as a future ceiling for policy planning. Politicians – in government or opposition – who want to reduce numbers below that level need serious answers about the social care and NHS workforce and how to fund universities. They will also need to account for the hole in the public finances if governments reduce income from international students, visa fees and the NHS surcharge.
In such volatile times, declaring the right level of migration in four years’ time is impossible. A successful white paper should set out the framework for more accountable future decision-making. There is an emerging new consensus about this among policy wonks. A new Institute for Government proposal for an immigration plan – analogous to the three-year spending review and annual Treasury budget – reflects a new consensus on process from IPPR and Labour Together on the centre-left, Onward and the Centre for Policy Studies from the right, as well as non-partisan expertise from British Future and the Institute for Government itself. Politicians can see the merits too. Robert Jenrick backed the idea after he resigned from the previous Conservative government. Cooper supported this proposal when she chaired the Home Affairs Select Committee. The question is which politicians will support greater accountability when they are in power, not just in opposition. This government has an interest in producing a white paper that could reframe how we talk about the pressures and gains of immigration. An Immigration Plan could be the practical means it needs to move the argument on.
Sunder Katwala is the director of thinktank British Future and the author of the book How to Be a Patriot: The must-read book on British national identity and immigration.
One evening, I am invited to dinner at the Bengal Club by a friend, Devdan Mitra, deputy editor of the Telegraph, an English-language newspaper. The club, the oldest in India, will celebrate its 200th anniversary in February 2027.
Devdan’s position as a member of the food sub-committee is an exalted one, for the Bengal Club prides itself on its culinary excellence. It has a reputation for its lobster thermidor, though I am happy with the grilled beckti.
The beckti, or barramundi fish, is known by many names around the world, including giant perch and Australian seabass.
“Our beckti is the fresh river variety, not sea beckti, which isn’t as nice,” says Devdan.
The Calcutta Club
For dessert, I am persuaded to share a soufflé with him.
Once upon a time, Indians were not allowed into the club, as Lord Minto discovered when he invited Sir Rajendra Nath Mookerjee, a Bengali nobleman, to dinner in 1906. “But he’s my guest,” protested Minto when the doorman barred the Indian from entering the premises.
The doorman was not impressed that Minto was viceroy and governor-general of India (from November 1905 to November 1910).
“Rules are rules,” he said.
An embarrassed Minto promised his guest: “I will get you the land to start your own club where there will be no discrimination.”
In such a manner was the Calcutta Club born in 1907. Its first president was the Maharajah of Cooch Behar, Sir Nripendra Narayan. The Prince of Wales, later King Edward VIII, had lunch at the club on December 28, 1921.
Today, the club has a ‘Nirad C Chaudhuri corner’, housing rare books, paintings and awards that had once belonged to the eminent author who spent the last decades of his life in Oxford.
The Bengal Club lawns
In fact, I actually rescued his belongings when they were about to be stolen and arranged for them to be shipped to the Calcutta Club after the author died in Oxford in 1999. But that is another story.
Meanwhile, in the dining room of the Bengal Club, the turbanned waiters were moving about like Jeeves. I asked Devdan about one of the several portraits of Englishmen that still hang in the club. It was that of Charles Metcalfe, the son of a major general who was the club’s second president and held the post for 11 years until 1838.
The Bengalis have decided not to take down the portraits of those who once lorded it over India.
“They are part of our history,” Devdan points out.
As I leave, I notice a marble plaque which says the Bengal Club had once been Lord Macaulay’s house. He had considered it to be “the best in Calcutta”.
I believe it’s the same (Thomas Babington) Macaulay who once boasted: “A single shelf of a good European library was worth the whole native literature of India and Arabia.”
Part of me wishes the British had settled in India and, in time, said the opposite of Rishi Sunak: “Of course, I am Indian.”
At independence in 1947, some 565 princely states joined the Indian union. As an inducement, the rulers were promised they would be allowed to keep their titles and given an annual privy purse.
His Highness Arvind Singh Mewar preferred to be called by an affectionate term of respect – “Shriji”.
I see from my notes that he attended two events organised by the Indian Journalists’ Association (IJA) in the UK.
On June 21, 2013, he was present at a lunch at Lord’s, where the IJA launched a book, Pataudi: Nawab of Cricket. Shriji did the formal honours at the event, with guests including Pataudi’s wife Sharmila Tagore, and their children – daughters Soha and Saba as well as actor Saif Ali Khan – and his wife Kareena Kapoor Khan.
A month later, the IJA hosted a lunch for Shriji at Carluccio’s, behind Oxford Street, where he talked about water being a scarce resource in an arid state like Rajasthan.
His portrait in the City Palace
Far from behaving like a Maharana – the title signifies he was one step up from being a Maharajah – he went round the table, greeting each journalist and gifting them a copy of a book he had written about the House of Mewar, which claims descent from the Sun God.
On one occasion, someone asked him what he thought about the British royal family.
“Very good family,” he quipped, “but a bit new.”
He regarded himself as a “custodian”, rather than a ruler. He was 76th in a dynasty whose origins date to AD 566 (in contrast, the House of Windsor came into being in 1917, replacing the historic Germanic name of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha).
Like many erstwhile rulers, Shriji went into running hotels, in his case in partnership with the Taj Group. The Lake Palace, which is probably the most magical hotel in the world, is one of his properties.
On a previous trip, he had invited me to go round for drinks in a corner of the City Palace he occupied with his family. He didn’t like to say, “Come to my palace.” Instead he said, “Come to my place.”
When I casually mentioned to a friend I was thinking of sending him a message this time, he showed me on the internet on his mobile that Arvind Singh Mewar had died on March 16 at the age of 80.
This was very upsetting.
The following morning, high up in the Aravalli Hills above Udaipur, I spoke to some locals about their beloved Maharana.
“All the development you see around Udaipur was because of him,” remarked one man with a sweep of his hand.
There was a huge turnout out for Shriji’s funeral.
As I went round the City Palace, I took note of Shriji’s portraits and those of his ancestors.
Preparations were already under way for the coronation of his son, Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar.
Although Mrs Gandhi scrapped the old princely order, considering it to be an anachronism in modern India, Air India is bringing back its Maharajah service.
When I routinely flew Air India from Heathrow to India as an undergraduate – those were the days of the legendary Maneck Dalal – the airline’s famous symbol was a bowing Maharajah.
That is considered too subservient for today’s India, I have been told, but the nation’s flag carrier aims to return Air India to the glory days of old.
