New play explores lives of a working-class Muslim family
By Eastern EyeJul 20, 2022
LIVE PERFORMANCE
MUMBAI MASALA
When: Until Sunday August 28
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
AN EVENING WITH PARRY & REKHA
When: Friday July 22
Where: Pump House Theatre and Arts Centre, 5 Local Board Road, Watford WD17 2JP
What: Versatile British Asian singer Parry Mad and Rekha perform an array of live songs, ranging from classic Bollywood to western pop, accompanied by a live band.
www.ticketsource.co.uk
NITIN SAWHNEY
When: Saturday July 23
Where: Wigmore Hall, 36 Wigmore Street, London W1U 2BP
What: Live performance headlined by musical maestro Nitin Sawhney. He is accompanied by acclaimed artists Aref Durvesh (tabla) YVA (vocalist) and Ian Burdge (cello).
www.wigmore-hall.org.uk
Srekala Bharath
SREKALA BHARATH
When: Saturday July 23
Where: The Bhavan, 4A Castletown Rd, London W14 9HE
What: Smt. Srekala Bharath presents a Bharatanatyam performance at the Bhavan as part of the Summer School teachers’ concert series 2022. There is also an opening performance from
Abbeyrame Hariharan, senior disciple of Bhavan’s resident teacher Sri Prakash Yadagudde.
www.ticketsource.co.uk
RIZWAN-MUAZZAM QAWWAL
When: Wednesday July 27 and Saturday July 30
Where: St George’s Bristol, Great George Street, Bristol BS1 5RR; and Kings Place 90 York Way, London N1 9AG
What: The globally acclaimed nephews of late great qawwali maestro Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan return to the UK for what promises to be an unforgettable musical experience of enchanting, majestic and intoxicating Sufi music.
www.asianartsagency.co.uk
EK SHAAM QUEEN OF SUFI MUSIC LEGEND ABIDA PARVEEN JI KE NAAM
When: Saturday July 30
Where: Elliot Hall in Harrow Arts Centre, 171 Uxbridge Road, Middlesex HA5 4EA
What: A special tribute performance dedicated to Sufi great Abida Parveen, headlined by rising singing star Tahseen Sakina, who is also a student of the music legend.
www.harrowarts.com
VISHAL & SHEYKHAR LIVE
When: Sunday July 31
Where: OVO Arena, Arena Square, Engineers Way, London HA9 0AA.
What: The massively popular Bollywood duo return with a full live band to perform their greatest hits, in what promises to be an explosive concert.
www.rockonmusicuk.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 August tour dates in Birmingham (20), Leeds (26), and Glasgow (28).
What: Internationally acclaimed British tabla maestro Talvin Singh and acclaimed guest musicians deliver a one-off performance. Aakash Odedra Company will be presenting a short dance performance before the show.
www.curveonline.co.uk
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 some of his greatest hits, with his music ensemble.
www.ticketmaster.co.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
FAVOUR
When: Until Saturday August 6 Where: Bush Theatre, 7 Uxbridge Road, Shepherd’s Bush, London W12 8LJ
What: The new play from Ambreen Razia is a touching and hopeful drama of a working-class Muslim family that tackles duty, addiction, and the battle of putting oneself back together.
www.bushtheatre.co.uk
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 injustices. The world premiere stars Ayesha Dharker, Zainab Hasan, Scott Karim, Saroja-Lily Ratnavel, and Irfan Shamji.
www.youngvic.org
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
COMEDY
SINDHU VEE
When: Sunday July 23
Where: Alexandra Palace, Alexandra Palace Way, London N22 7AY
What: The stand-up comedian joins an entertaining line-up as part of the Kaleidoscope Festival, which also includes live music performances and fun activities on different stages.
www.alexandrapalace.com
ROMESH RANGANATHAN – THE CYNIC’S MIXTAPE
When: Wednesday August 3 – Thursday August 4
Where: The Hawth, Hawth Avenue, Crawley RH10 6YZ
What: The stand-up comedian delivers a brutally honest laughter-filled show about all the things he finds unacceptable, including why trying to save the environment is a scam and why none of us are truly free.
www.romeshranganathan.co.uk
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 like political upheaval, Covid, current uncertainty, and why he is taking it personally.
www.nishkumar.co.uk
CLASSES
BOLLYWOOD DANCE CLASS
When: Saturday July 23, 30
Where: CRATE, 35 Saint James Street, London E17 7FY
What: Fun Bollywood dance class, focusing on movement and mindfulness.
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
INDIAN DRUMMING WORKSHOP
When: Monday July 25
Where: The Pavilion Community Sports and Social Club, The Grove, Swanscombe DA10 0AD
What: Free family friendly event that will introduce various rhythms and beats in order to get you engaged and learn how to use traditional Indian drums such as the dhol, followed by a bracelet making class.
The countdown to the last season of Stranger Things has officially begun, but fans might be waiting longer than expected to see how it all ends. Though Netflix has confirmed the show will return in 2025, a new rumour suggests the final season could be released in three waves, with the concluding episodes potentially dropping in 2026.
According to an unverified leak circulating on Twitter, Stranger Things 5 could be split into three volumes: one in October 2025, another in November 2025, and a third sometime in 2026. If this is true, the finale might not land until well into next year, stretching the goodbye even further.
— (@)
So far, Netflix hasn’t confirmed this staggered release. More clarity may come on 31 May, when Netflix’s annual Tudum event goes live. The streaming giant is expected to reveal updates on several big titles, including Emily in Paris, Squid Game Season 3, and possibly the official timeline for Stranger Things Season 5.
Here’s what we do know: filming wrapped up in December 2024, and the new season will have eight episodes set in the autumn of 1987, about six months after Season 4. Netflix has already released the episode titles, which include The Crawl, The Turnbow Trap, Escape from Camazotz, and The Rightside Up, all titles that hint at returning themes from earlier seasons.
Stranger Things season 4 poster Wikipedia
The core cast will be back for one last mission in Hawkins, including Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Sadie Sink, and Gaten Matarazzo. Veteran actress Linda Hamilton is also joining the final chapter, although her role remains under wraps.
Behind the scenes, the mood has been emotional. At the final table read, several cast members reportedly broke down in tears. David Harbour (Hopper) described it as “waves of people crying,” while Millie Bobby Brown shared a heartfelt message on social media, reflecting on her journey from child actor to global star.
Once Season 5 wraps, the Stranger Things universe won’t close entirely. An animated series titled Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 is in the works. Details are scarce, but it promises to explore new corners of the show’s world, whether or not the original cast returns.
For now, fans will have to hold tight as Netflix prepares to bring one of its biggest shows to a dramatic, and possibly drawn-out, conclusion.
Hrithik Roshan isn’t interested in playing it cool anymore. With War 2, he’s traded sleek for unhinged, and he’s loving every bit of the madness. The teaser’s already clocked over 25 million views, but Roshan’s excitement goes beyond the numbers. For him, it’s about diving headfirst into a character who’s damaged, dangerous, and deeply fun to play.
“There’s something about Kabir,” he says of his return as the rogue RAW agent. “He’s flawed. He’s unpredictable. And I love that.” For Roshan, this isn’t just a hero’s clean comeback but also a chance to get his hands dirty again.
Hrithik Roshan gets candid about the scale and challenge of making War 2Getty Images
Directed by Ayan Mukerji and featuring Telugu star NTR Jr. alongside Kiara Advani, War 2 throws polished action out the window in favour of something grittier and riskier. “It’s not easy making a film this big,” Roshan admits. “But we didn’t want to play it safe. We wanted to shake things up.”
That meant pushing boundaries both in scale and performance. Roshan talks about arguments on set, reworking scenes, and a kind of creative chaos that only happens when the entire team is invested. “This isn’t a formula film,” he says. “It’s something we all fought for.”
With the film hitting cinemas on 14 August, expectations are sky-high, but Roshan seems unfazed. He’s not chasing box office records. He’s chasing impact. “I want people to walk out of that theatre feeling something,” he says. “Not because it’s part of some universe but because it landed.”
Hrithik Roshan reflects on the scale of the film and why returning as Kabir Dhaliwal felt rewardingGetty Images
In the end, War 2 might be Roshan’s biggest gamble yet, and perhaps, that’s what makes it worth watching.
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Deepika Padukone was expected to lead Spirit opposite Prabhas before exiting the project
Deepika Padukone is no longer part of Spirit, the high-profile film directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga and starring Prabhas. The news comes amid reports of rising tensions between the actress and the filmmaker over working terms that didn’t quite align.
Initially, Deepika was expected to headline the film and take home a career-best paycheck of £1.9 million (₹20 crore). Her presence in the project had created early excitement among fans of both the actress and Prabhas. However, things reportedly soured during early discussions.
Industry buzz grows as Deepika walks away from SpiritGetty Images
According to several industry reports, disagreements began when Deepika reportedly requested fixed work hours for an 8-hour workday with approximately 6 hours spent filming. She also wanted a share in the film’s profits, in addition to her fee. Further, there were claims that she was unwilling to deliver her lines in Telugu, which became a sticking point in a multilingual project.
While none of these details have been officially confirmed by Deepika or Vanga, sources close to the film suggest that the director was not on board with the terms and decided to part ways. The production team is now said to be on the lookout for a new lead actress.
Earlier, Deepika had already stepped back from the film due to her pregnancy. The film’s shooting schedule, initially set for late 2024, had to be adjusted. When the filmmaker returned with a revised timeline, she was reportedly back on board. But the situation appears to have shifted again.
This development has sparked chatter on social media, with fans and insiders weighing in. Some question whether the actress was ever keen on doing the film, while others point out that Vanga’s films haven’t offered substantial roles for women. The debate has only intensified in the absence of any official statement from either party.
Deepika Padukone’s Spirit exit fuels debate on demands and director controlGetty Images
Meanwhile, Spirit remains a highly anticipated release, with plans for a global rollout in multiple languages, including Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, and Korean. The film is still in its early stages, and casting updates are expected soon.
For now, what could’ve been a major collaboration has ended before it began, not with a bang, but with a breakdown in expectations.
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Brat was a cultural moment but Charli is already thinking ahead without fear
After the explosive success of Brat, Charli XCX isn’t trying to bottle lightning twice. In fact, she’s more than ready for her next album to sink. Not because she’s lost her touch but because she’s no longer creating music to top charts or break the internet. She’s doing it for herself.
Speaking at Cannes in an interview with Culted, Charli shared that she doesn’t feel the weight of trying to outdo Brat. “When I made Brat, I believed in it, but I didn’t know how people would react,” she said. “It just clicked with the audience. That wasn’t something I planned.” Now, with her next record on the horizon, she’s bracing for it to miss the mark and she’s completely okay with that. “You can’t repeat the same thing twice,” she added, “and honestly, if it flops, I’m fine with it.”
Charli XCX attends the 2025 Kering Women In Motion Awards and Cannes Film Festival Presidential Dinner at the Cannes Film FestivalGetty Images
Released in mid-2024, Brat catapulted Charli into mainstream stardom. From viral TikTok trends to sold-out arena shows, the album became a cultural mood board. That neon green cover wasn’t just aesthetic; it became a statement, one even Kamala Harris welcomed when Charli jokingly dubbed the U.S. presidential candidate “brat-coded.”
The album didn’t just resonate with fans. It grabbed three Grammy wins, including Best Dance/Electronic Album and Best Recording Package. But despite the acclaim, Charli admits she never expected to be on the Grammys’ radar. “Last year, I didn’t think I’d even be in the conversation,” she said.
Charli XCX at the Magnum Crack Into Pleasure party Getty Images
Her older track Party 4 U is also getting a second life, blowing up years after its quiet 2020 release. “It reminds me of lockdown, recording vocals alone, stuck inside. It was a strange, lonely time,” she reflected.
Now, while fans anticipate new music, Charli’s exploring other creative lanes too. She’s stepping into acting, with several films lined up, including an A24 project she helped create, The Moment.
Charli xcx attends the 2025 Met Gala Getty Images
Whether the next album flops or flies, Charli isn’t chasing legacy. She’s just showing up, creating from instinct, and letting go of the scoreboard. That’s what makes her cool and maybe even braver than ever.
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Aishwarya Rai stuns in a white Manish Malhotra saree paired with a 500-carat ruby necklace at Cannes
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan arrived at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival with the grace and impact only she can command. For her 22nd appearance, she skipped the usual fashion formulas and stepped onto the red carpet in a handwoven ivory Banarasi saree by Manish Malhotra. With her sindoor clearly visible and a smile that lit up the red carpet, Aishwarya didn’t just attend Cannes but took it back to its roots, on her own terms.
The saree, built like a gown but rooted in tradition, featured hand embroidered zari in silver and a flowing lace train that moved like a dream. She paired the look with a dramatic cape style dupatta that shimmered under the lights, and jewellery that turned heads, over 500 carats of Mozambique rubies and uncut diamonds wrapped around her neck. The red lip, the signature hair parted with sindoor, every element was deliberate, and every detail carried a message.
Aishwarya greets fans and photographers and pose for photographs at Cannes 2025Getty Images
Her look felt like a quiet celebration of Indian craftsmanship, but it was also personal. She greeted the cameras with a folded namaste, waved to fans, and blew kisses, making her presence feel like a moment of stillness amid all the flash. As a long time ambassador for L'Oréal Paris, she attended the premiere of The History of Sound, holding her own among the global fashion elite.
With sindoor and a smile Aishwarya brings Indian elegance to the global red carpetGetty Images
But this year, Cannes wasn’t just about Aishwarya. India showed up strong. Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound received a standing ovation after its premiere in the Un Certain Regard section, with stars Janhvi Kapoor, Ishaan Khatter, and Vishal Jethwa walking the red carpet alongside him. Satyajit Ray’s restored classic Aranyer Din Ratri was screened in Cannes Classics, introduced by Wes Anderson. Veterans Sharmila Tagore and Simi Garewal were present, marking a moment of reverence and recognition for Indian cinema’s legacy.
Filmmaker Payal Kapadia, who made history last year, returned as a member of the main competition jury, a proud moment in itself.
And yet, despite all the big names and powerful moments, when Aishwarya stepped onto the red carpet in that saree, everything paused. For many fans, Cannes truly begins when she arrives. As one put it simply online: “Queen is always a queen.”