Aishwarya Rai Bachchan – who on Sunday walked the red carpet at Cannes in an off-the-shoulder Rami Kadi "May Blossom" gown and purple lipstick that set Twitter aflutter – chose a sober gold-and-black creation by celebrity Indian designer Rohit Bal for the screening of her new film, the biographical drama Sarbjit.
In cinemas from today, the film stars Rai Bachchan as Dalbir Kaur, the sister of Indian farmer Sarabjit Singh, who was convicted of spying and terrorism and put on death row in a Pakistani prison after wandering across the border into Pakistan in 1990.
At the Cannes premiere of the film, the 43-year-old actress talked to The National about the responsibility that came with taking the weighty role, and the political implications of the film.
Did you know much about Sarabjit Singh's story before you were offered the role?
I had an idea because 10 years ago I was asked to sign a petition to bring Sarabjit back to India. So I felt some kind of connection and responsibility – a natural and human one. I wanted to come on-board and be part of the narrative and share the family’s perspective with the world.
Has the family’s version of events not been publicly aired already?
There is a lot that is already documented by the media, as well as a few interactions with Dalbir, because she was reaching out to the media as she wanted her voice to reach the higher corridors of power, to be able to meet her brother and bring him back. But the other side, the family side, has not really been shared with the world in detail.
Did you meet Dalbir as part of your research before filming?
No. It was a conscious decision not to do so because for basic referencing by an actor to depict a personality, there already existed a lot of information in the media. So I didn’t feel the need to meet her for referencing. I wanted to meet her but only because her personality was of immense interest to me. She came down to the set in Mumbai, just after the film began shooting, so I was glad to have met her in person because there is some light that just shines when you meet her.
There are still many people who do not believe the family's story, and think Singh was a spy. What do you say to them?
It is not for us, as creative people who have come on-board, to tell people to play judge, so this is the story that I had heard before as well. Like I said, 10 years ago when the petition had reached me, this is the story that came to me. Now, when it presented itself as a film, I felt it had to be made. We have told the story from the perspective of what Dalbir has shared with Omung, and it is her family’s perspective of the trials that they went through, as individuals and as a family.
How was it playing someone in a film covering such a long period of their life?
Approaching it purely as an actor, it was an opportunity to essay 23 years of a person’s life, and a person who is going to be there and coming to view it. So I felt a conscious responsibility. It was important for me that at the end of this entire journey that the lady concerned and her family felt comfortable.
It has been noted that you are physically very different?
I knew that the first thing people would say is we are visually nothing like each other in terms of our physicality. She's a smaller lady and I'm a taller woman and her entire physical features are just so different. So I was very clear with the fact that when I play a real life character – I did it once before in Provoked, with Kiranjit Ahluwalia – that we clarify with the director and the world that this is a depiction and not a mirror-image of life.
The film calls for unity between India and Pakistan, in terms of showing each other respect, if nothing else. Was this important to you?
The call is something that we believe, of course. At the time when Sarabjit crossed over by mistake, in the fields the barbed wire didn’t even exist between the countries, so it just goes to show that you can barely tell the difference. We were once one nation. Standing at Wagah, on the border, I experienced the same love on the left and the right. People would come to the border and interact and you do wonder, on a human level, what is this all about and why?
• For our interview with Richa Chadda, who portrays Sarbjit’s wife in the film, visit www.thenational.ae/arts-life
artslife@thenational.ae
THE BIO: Mohammed Ashiq Ali
Proudest achievement: “I came to a new country and started this shop”
Favourite TV programme: the news
Favourite place in Dubai: Al Fahidi. “They started the metro in 2009 and I didn’t take it yet.”
Family: six sons in Dubai and a daughter in Faisalabad
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
The Bio
Name: Lynn Davison
Profession: History teacher at Al Yasmina Academy, Abu Dhabi
Children: She has one son, Casey, 28
Hometown: Pontefract, West Yorkshire in the UK
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite Author: CJ Sansom
Favourite holiday destination: Bali
Favourite food: A Sunday roast
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
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Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
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Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
liverpool youngsters
Ki-Jana Hoever
The only one of this squad to have scored for Liverpool, the versatile Dutchman impressed on his debut at Wolves in January. He can play right-back, centre-back or in midfield.
Herbie Kane
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Luis Longstaff
Signed from Newcastle but no relation to United’s brothers Sean and Matty, Luis is a winger. An England Under-16 international, he helped Liverpool win the FA Youth Cup last season.
Yasser Larouci
An 18-year-old Algerian-born winger who can also play as a left-back, Larouci did well on Liverpool’s pre-season tour until an awful tackle by a Sevilla player injured him.
Adam Lewis
Steven Gerrard is a fan of his fellow Scouser, who has been on Liverpool’s books since he was in the Under-6s, Lewis was a midfielder, but has been converted into a left-back.
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Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Cryopreservation: A timeline
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The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
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Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
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Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
UAE Premiership
Results
Dubai Exiles 24-28 Jebel Ali Dragons
Abu Dhabi Harlequins 43-27 Dubai Hurricanes
Fixture
Friday, March 29, Abu Dhabi Harlequins v Jebel Ali Dragons, The Sevens, Dubai
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MATCH INFO
Everton 0
Manchester City 2 (Laporte 45 2', Jesus 90 7')
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Business Insights
- Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
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COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
What is Folia?
Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal's new plant-based menu will launch at Four Seasons hotels in Dubai this November. A desire to cater to people looking for clean, healthy meals beyond green salad is what inspired Prince Khaled and American celebrity chef Matthew Kenney to create Folia. The word means "from the leaves" in Latin, and the exclusive menu offers fine plant-based cuisine across Four Seasons properties in Los Angeles, Bahrain and, soon, Dubai.
Kenney specialises in vegan cuisine and is the founder of Plant Food Wine and 20 other restaurants worldwide. "I’ve always appreciated Matthew’s work," says the Saudi royal. "He has a singular culinary talent and his approach to plant-based dining is prescient and unrivalled. I was a fan of his long before we established our professional relationship."
Folia first launched at The Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills in July 2018. It is available at the poolside Cabana Restaurant and for in-room dining across the property, as well as in its private event space. The food is vibrant and colourful, full of fresh dishes such as the hearts of palm ceviche with California fruit, vegetables and edible flowers; green hearb tacos filled with roasted squash and king oyster barbacoa; and a savoury coconut cream pie with macadamia crust.
In March 2019, the Folia menu reached Gulf shores, as it was introduced at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, where it is served at the Bay View Lounge. Next, on Tuesday, November 1 – also known as World Vegan Day – it will come to the UAE, to the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach and the Four Seasons DIFC, both properties Prince Khaled has spent "considerable time at and love".
There are also plans to take Folia to several more locations throughout the Middle East and Europe.
While health-conscious diners will be attracted to the concept, Prince Khaled is careful to stress Folia is "not meant for a specific subset of customers. It is meant for everyone who wants a culinary experience without the negative impact that eating out so often comes with."
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Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
MATCH INFO
Everton 2 Southampton 1
Everton: Walcott (15'), Richarlison (31' )
Southampton: Ings (54')
Man of the match: Theo Walcott (Everton)
India Test squad
Kohli (c), Dhawan, Rahul, Vijay, Pujara, Rahane (vc), Karun, Karthik (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Ashwin, Jadeja, Kuldeep, Pandya, Ishant, Shami, Umesh, Bumrah, Thakur
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