Bobby Deol has been having an excellent year. His last film, Animal, directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga and released globally last December, is currently the eighth highest-grossing Indian film of all time, earning more than 9 billion rupees (US$108.67 million) on a 1 billion rupees budget. His portrayal of a mute antagonist in the action thriller earned him the International Indian Film Academy Award for Best Performance in a Negative Role this year.
And if Kanguva is any indication, he's just getting started. The fantasy-action adventure, directed by Siva and co-starring Suriya, marks the Bollywood actor's debut in the Tamil film industry. The Gupt actor plays the bad guy for the fifth time after Naqaab (2007), Love Hostel (2022) and the web series Aashram (2020-present).
"There's so much I've gained throughout the 29 years I've spent in the industry. So there's a bank of memories that help me while I perform; of people I've met over the years, and I've seen behave," he tells The National. "Those have been my points of reference, actually, when playing the antagonist – because I've realised seeing and working with the people who've been in my life, that bad people don't necessarily know they're bad; they believe what they're doing is the right thing to do."
Siva, Bobby tells us, made the process of doing a movie in a language he's never known or spoken before a whole lot easier for him. "He'd explain the meaning of each dialogue, and I'd first make a run for it in Hindi, mostly to know what the emotion needed to be. It was a massive challenge, but Siva was there every step of the way, and guided me through every day of the shoot schedule."
Made on a reported budget of 3 billion rupees, Kanguva is among India's most expensive films and goes back 700 years. Without a reference point or a cornerstone for the timeline it's set in, Deol explains the director offered significant help when explaining exactly what he wanted out of the story and the actors playing a part in it.
"If you've seen the trailer, you know how different our body language is compared to how people behave today. We're more larger-than-life expressively, because that's how raw humans were back then."
While Animal may have cemented his meteoric revival as an actor, it didn't start there. Since his return to acting in 2017, he's had at least one box office success every year between then and 2019. Vanga's film was only the cherry on top – in stark contrast to the downward turn his career took between 2008 and 2013.
What changed?
Deol credits his streaming projects. "After my pivot to streaming, people both within and outside the industry looked at me in a different way," says Deol who worked with Shah Rukh Khan's studio, Red Chillies Entertainment, on two films: Atul Sabharwal's drama Class of '83, which premiered on Netflix in 2020, followed by romantic thriller Love Hostel, which released on Zee5 in 2022.
"Those films somehow influenced a lot of filmmakers who probaby thought, 'alright, Bobby Deol can do more; he's got it in him'. And then Sandeep Reddy Vanga came and changed my life."
Deol doesn't plan on letting go of the momentum in his professional life just yet. He's following Kanguva up with another Tamil project, in which he co-stars with superstar Vijay. He also has two projects in the Telugu language – the historical action-adventure Hari Hara Veera Mallu, starring Pawan Kalyan, and another as yet untitled one in the works with veteran Telugu actor Nandamuri Balakrishna. There are also some Bollywood projects on the horizon.
"I can confirm that I'm working with Anurag Kashyap," he says. "But, and while I'm really excited for a lot of stuff in the future, I can't say more than that, because we're in the age of contracts and NDAs."
Kanguva will be released in cinemas globally on Thursday
Despacito's dominance in numbers
Released: 2017
Peak chart position: No.1 in more than 47 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Lebanon
Views: 5.3 billion on YouTube
Sales: With 10 million downloads in the US, Despacito became the first Latin single to receive Diamond sales certification
Streams: 1.3 billion combined audio and video by the end of 2017, making it the biggest digital hit of the year.
Awards: 17, including Record of the Year at last year’s prestigious Latin Grammy Awards, as well as five Billboard Music Awards
MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City, Tuesday, 11pm (UAE)
Matches can be watched on BeIN Sports
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Coffee: black death or elixir of life?
It is among the greatest health debates of our time; splashed across newspapers with contradicting headlines - is coffee good for you or not?
Depending on what you read, it is either a cancer-causing, sleep-depriving, stomach ulcer-inducing black death or the secret to long life, cutting the chance of stroke, diabetes and cancer.
The latest research - a study of 8,412 people across the UK who each underwent an MRI heart scan - is intended to put to bed (caffeine allowing) conflicting reports of the pros and cons of consumption.
The study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, contradicted previous findings that it stiffens arteries, putting pressure on the heart and increasing the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke, leading to warnings to cut down.
Numerous studies have recognised the benefits of coffee in cutting oral and esophageal cancer, the risk of a stroke and cirrhosis of the liver.
The benefits are often linked to biologically active compounds including caffeine, flavonoids, lignans, and other polyphenols, which benefit the body. These and othetr coffee compounds regulate genes involved in DNA repair, have anti-inflammatory properties and are associated with lower risk of insulin resistance, which is linked to type-2 diabetes.
But as doctors warn, too much of anything is inadvisable. The British Heart Foundation found the heaviest coffee drinkers in the study were most likely to be men who smoked and drank alcohol regularly.
Excessive amounts of coffee also unsettle the stomach causing or contributing to stomach ulcers. It also stains the teeth over time, hampers absorption of minerals and vitamins like zinc and iron.
It also raises blood pressure, which is largely problematic for people with existing conditions.
So the heaviest drinkers of the black stuff - some in the study had up to 25 cups per day - may want to rein it in.
Rory Reynolds
'Cheb%20Khaled'
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Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Why does a queen bee feast only on royal jelly?
Some facts about bees:
The queen bee eats only royal jelly, an extraordinary food created by worker bees so she lives much longer
The life cycle of a worker bee is from 40-60 days
A queen bee lives for 3-5 years
This allows her to lay millions of eggs and allows the continuity of the bee colony
About 20,000 honey bees and one queen populate each hive
Honey is packed with vital vitamins, minerals, enzymes, water and anti-oxidants.
Apart from honey, five other products are royal jelly, the special food bees feed their queen
Pollen is their protein source, a super food that is nutritious, rich in amino acids
Beewax is used to construct the combs. Due to its anti-fungal, anti-bacterial elements, it is used in skin treatments
Propolis, a resin-like material produced by bees is used to make hives. It has natural antibiotic qualities so works to sterilize hive, protects from disease, keeps their home free from germs. Also used to treat sores, infection, warts
Bee venom is used by bees to protect themselves. Has anti-inflammatory properties, sometimes used to relieve conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, nerve and muscle pain
Honey, royal jelly, pollen have health enhancing qualities
The other three products are used for therapeutic purposes
Is beekeeping dangerous?
As long as you deal with bees gently, you will be safe, says Mohammed Al Najeh, who has worked with bees since he was a boy.
“The biggest mistake people make is they panic when they see a bee. They are small but smart creatures. If you move your hand quickly to hit the bees, this is an aggressive action and bees will defend themselves. They can sense the adrenalin in our body. But if we are calm, they are move away.”
TO ALL THE BOYS: ALWAYS AND FOREVER
Directed by: Michael Fimognari
Starring: Lana Condor and Noah Centineo
Two stars
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
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ACL Elite (West) - fixtures
Monday, Sept 30
Al Sadd v Esteghlal (8pm)
Persepolis v Pakhtakor (8pm)
Al Wasl v Al Ahli (8pm)
Al Nassr v Al Rayyan (10pm)
Tuesday, Oct 1
Al Hilal v Al Shorta (10pm)
Al Gharafa v Al Ain (10pm)
Brief scores:
Manchester City 3
Bernardo Silva 16', Sterling 57', Gundogan 79'
Bournemouth 1
Wilson 44'
Man of the match: Leroy Sane (Manchester City)
