In ‘Star Wars: Tales of the Underworld,’ Asajj Ventress finds new depth
Updated 12 May 2025
Shyama Krishna Kumar
DUBAI: In the ever-expanding Star Wars universe, few characters capture the imagination quite like Asajj Ventress. Voice actress Nika Futterman returns to breathe life into this complex anti-hero in “Star Wars: Tales of the Underworld,” offering fans a deeper look into a character who has evolved from a ruthless villain to a nuanced, world-weary survivor.
“After all these years of traveling alone, of killing so many people, her voice has changed,” Futterman explains.
Gone is the regal, sharp-edged character of the past. Instead, audiences will meet a Ventress who is “more about just existing and finding her peace.”
An all-new anthology series of animated shorts, “Star Wars: Tales of the Underworld” premiered May 4 on Disney+. The popular series this time focuses on the criminal underbelly of the Star Wars galaxy through the experiences of two iconic villains. Former assassin and bounty hunter Ventress is given a new chance at life and must go on the run with an unexpected new ally, while outlaw Cad Bane faces his past when he confronts an old friend.
What makes Ventress so compelling? Futterman believes it’s her incredible depth. “She’s like an onion that you keep peeling,” she said.
From her unique origins as a witch raised by pirates, trained by a Jedi, and later mastering the dark side, Ventress defies simple categorization. The new series promises to reveal a softer side of the character. “We started to see that she has this capability of taking care of others,” Futterman said. “She’s not just angry; she actually has a heart.”
Fans of morally complex characters will find much to love in this exploration of Ventress’ journey. As Futterman puts it, Ventress is ultimately “someone who can put good things into the universe, instead of taking them away.”
Ghiya Rushidat’s album ‘Chasing Dopamine’ seeks to help listeners with ADHD
Updated 01 July 2025
Nada Alturki
RIYADH: As the awareness around neurodiversity spreads, composer and pianist Ghiya Rushidat and cognitive scientist and author Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman have co-created a genre-defying musical experience tailored specifically for people with ADHD, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Symptoms of ADHD include inattention (not being able to keep focus), hyperactivity (excess movement that is not fitting to the setting) and impulsivity (hasty acts that occur in the moment without thought).
The upcoming collaborative album, “Chasing Dopamine,” blends neuroscience, ambient soundscapes and special composition into a powerful auditory journey designed to enhance focus, emotional regulation and mental clarity.
The album cover for the upcoming meditation album. (Supplied)
“What I’m really hoping is that when people listen to this, whether they have ADHD or not, that they not only feel compassion for themselves, but they also are able to achieve their goals, or at least feel better about their day-to-day life,” Saudi Arabia-born, Jordan-raised composer Rushidat told Arab News.
Set to release this summer, the album is anticipated to be the first in a series tackling different neurotypes, including OCD and autism.
The tracks will feature guided spoken word by Dr. Kaufman, layered with original music composed by Rushidat. Each track is tailored for different ADHD states: Hyperfocus, feeling emotional overwhelmed, low dopamine, task initiation, creativity, and grounding.
“It’s more of a storytelling kind of track for each topic, rather than just one basic music track that doesn’t change or do anything. That’s more stimulating to the ADHD brain, and that just doesn’t allow you to get distracted during the meditation, but rather just be focused, because you don’t really know what to expect afterwards,” Rushidat said.
“The album, the seven tracks, take you through that process (of) overcoming brain fog, and then overcoming procrastination, and then how to ground yourself and how to feel good about yourself and not beat yourself up because you’re not getting enough things done.”
After her late ADHD diagnosis, Rushidat found that none of the existing meditation albums were compatible with her brain’s wiring. “I couldn’t sit still for five minutes or focus on my breathing at all,” she said. She decided to create her own affirmations that worked for her, prompting her interest in creating a collaborative album with Dr. Kaufman.
“ADHD comes with challenges as well as gifts. If we can help quiet the ADHD mind just enough to get into a creative flow state; there is no limit to what people with ADHD can achieve,” Kaufman said.
Considering his cutting-edge research in creativity, neurodivergence and positive psychology, and Rushidat’s award-winning background in music composition, the work aims to be a science-informed, musically immersive tool for the ADHD community.
“Of course, you don’t expect people to just heal from this. As cliche as it sounds, but ADHD is a superpower because there are so many advantages to it. Once you figure out and realize that this is what you have, then you just navigate through life with that diagnosis,” Rushidat said.
Kaufman is a professor of psychology at Columbia University and director of the Center for Human Potential. He has written for The Atlantic, Scientific American, Psychology Today, and Harvard Business Review, and he is the author and editor of 11 books. Rushidat is a Grammy, BAFTA and Emmy voting member and has scored films, games and performed at Carnegie Hall. She works between Los Angeles, Dubai and Riyadh.
DUBAI: Dutch Moroccan Egyptian model Imaan Hammam touched down in Cairo this week for an undisclosed photoshoot and shared highlights from the trip on social media, set to music by the late Egyptian singer Abdel Halim Hafiz.
Posting to her 1.7 million Instagram followers, Hammam offered a visual diary of her stay, capturing a mix of street scenes, style moments and local ambiance.
The carousel opened with a mirror selfie in an elevator, where she wears a high-waisted printed maxi skirt paired with a black fitted top. In another shot, she appears in a more laid-back look featuring camouflage trousers, a white tank top, a grey hoodie and yellow sneakers.
She also shared a short video that captures her tuk-tuk ride through a narrow alley, followed by snapshots of Cairo’s street life, including a local bookstore and a rooftop view of a mosque at sunset.
Hammam’s Cairo visit reflects a growing interest in reconnecting with her roots, something that also drives her latest passion project, Ayni.
Launched earlier this year, Ayni is an archival platform dedicated to preserving and celebrating Arab artistic expression through Hammam’s perspective.
In a video she shared on the Ayni’s Instagram account, she said: “For me, its always been so much deeper than just fashion. It is about staying connected to my roots, telling stories that move me and shining a light on the voices that need to be heard.”
She said her hope for Ayni is for it to grow beyond a personal vision and become a “real community.”
Hammam is one of the most in-demand models in the industry. She was scouted in Amsterdam’s Centraal Station before making her catwalk debut in 2013 by walking in Jean Paul Gaultier’s couture show.
Hammam has appeared on the runway for leading fashion houses such as Burberry, Fendi, Prada, Bottega Veneta, Marc Jacobs, Moschino, Balenciaga and Carolina Herrera, to name a few, and starred in international campaigns for DKNY, Celine, Chanel, Versace, Givenchy, Giorgio Armani, Tiffany & Co. and others.
US revokes Bob Vylan’s visas over Glastonbury chant
Updated 01 July 2025
Arab News
DUBAI: The US has revoked entry visas for members of British punk-rap duo Bob Vylan following their Glastonbury Festival set, during which frontman Bobby Vylan led the crowd in a controversial chant against Israel’s military.
Performing on the festival’s West Holts Stage on Saturday, the artist shouted “Free, free Palestine” before encouraging the audience to chant, “Death, death to the IDF (Israel Defense Forces).” Video of the moment quickly spread online, sparking backlash.
On Monday, US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau announced the visa revocation on social media platform X, stating, “Foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country.” He confirmed that the State Department had rescinded the band’s US visas due to their “hateful tirade.”
The group was scheduled to begin a US tour in late October, as previously announced on their official Instagram account.
The visa decision comes amid growing scrutiny from US authorities under what they describe as a tougher stance on individuals accused of promoting anti-Semitism or inciting violence. The State Department has recently implemented stricter policies on visa restrictions in such cases.
Bobby Vylan released a video statement on social media on Monday.
"First it was Kneecap, now it's us two," he said.
"Regardless of how it was said, calling for an end to the slaughter of innocents is never wrong. To civilians of Israel, understand this anger is not directed at you, and don't let your government persuade you that a call against an army is a call against the people.
On Tuesday, the band took to Instagram to share an official statement.
“We are not for the death of Jews, Arabs or any other race or group of people. We are for the dismantling of a violent military machine. A machine whose own soldiers were told to use ‘unnecessary lethal force’ against innocent civilians waiting for aid. A machine that has destroyed much of Gaza,” read a part of the statement.
“We are being targeted for speaking up. We are not the first. We will not be the last. And if you care for the sanctity of human life and freedom of speech, we urge you to speak up, too,” they ended the post.
Meanwhile, UK police are reportedly investigating the incident.
Their Glastonbury set is the latest in a wave of pro-Palestinian expressions from artists amid Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza.
Bob Vylan ‘dropped by agents’ following controversial IDF chant at Glastonbury Festival
Rap-punk group sparked outrage at Glastonbury Festival with chant referencing IDF
Updated 30 June 2025
Arab News
LONDON: Rap-punk group Bob Vylan appear to have been dropped by their agents after sparking outrage at Glastonbury Festival over the weekend with a chant referencing the Israel Defense Forces, it was reported on Monday.
During their set on the West Holts Stage on Saturday, frontman Bobby Vylan led the crowd in chants of “Free, free Palestine” and “Death, death to the IDF.”
The performance was streamed live on BBC iPlayer but was later removed from the platform, and police are now assessing whether any offenses were committed during the performance.
Media reports said it appeared United Talent Agency, which previously represented the duo, had removed them from its roster in the wake of the backlash.
As of Monday, Bob Vylan no longer appear on UTA’s official website. The agency has not yet commented publicly on the decision.
The group, formed in Ipswich in 2017, consists of two members who go by the monikers Bobby Vylan and Bobbie Vylan, keeping their real names private.
On Sunday evening, Bobby addressed the controversy on Instagram, saying he had been “inundated” with both “support and hatred” following the performance.
“I stand by what I said,” he wrote. “And I’m calling for a change in foreign policy.”
In a statement issued after the incident, Glastonbury Festival organizers said: “Glastonbury Festival was created in 1970 as a place for people to come together and rejoice in music, the arts and the best of human endeavour. As a festival, we stand against all forms of war and terrorism. We will always believe in — and actively campaign for — hope, unity, peace and love.
“With almost 4,000 performances at Glastonbury 2025, there will inevitably be artists and speakers appearing on our stages whose views we do not share, and a performer’s presence here should never be seen as a tacit endorsement of their opinions and beliefs.
“However, we are appalled by the statements made from the West Holts stage by Bob Vylan yesterday. Their chants very much crossed a line and we are urgently reminding everyone involved in the production of the festival that there is no place at Glastonbury for antisemitism, hate speech or incitement to violence.”
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani top actor Mahira Khan has spoken out against India’s ban on Pakistani celebrities and social media accounts, calling it a “political game” and emphasizing the role of artists in building cross-border connections.
India banned the social media accounts of Pakistani celebrities and influencers in early May, days before the two nuclear-armed countries took part in their worst military confrontation in decades, trading artillery fire, missile strikes and drone attacks for four days before the US brokered a ceasefire on May 10.
New Delhi’s measures to ban Pakistan accounts came in response to India’s allegations that Islamabad was involved in an April 22 attack in Indian-administered Kashmir in which 26 were killed. Pakistan denies involvement and has repeatedly called for an international probe.
When asked what she thought about India’s ban, Khan said she had “zero reaction” to it and still loved her fans in India.
“Fans are fans. People are people, they are the public. What does it [have to do] with politics?” the actress told Independent Urdu in an interview.
“Anyway, it [politics] eventually connects obviously but this is a political game that ‘Okay, we will close this, we will ban this, we will do that.’ I don’t believe in that.”
Khan said she did not believe in banning art, wondering why artists were the first to bear the brunt of “political problems” between nations.
“It is strange, isn’t it, that a war erupts or there is a political problem, then the first attack, why do we do it on artists? This is something to think about,” the actor asked.
“Because artists are the people, and art is the thing that connects people. So the first thing is you ban this, that this [art] dies, love, that there is no love.”
Pakistan’s telecommunication authority responded with measures of its own on May 7, announcing it had blocked 16 YouTube channels and 32 websites from India for spreading “anti-Pakistan propaganda” and disseminating false information.
Khan is one of the most popular and highest paid actors from Pakistan and the recipient of several accolades, including seven Lux Style Awards and seven Hum Awards. She has also made a mark in international cinema, most notably in the Bollywood flick ‘Raees’ in which she stared alongside Indian superstar Shah Rukh Khan in 2017.
In addition to acting, Khan promotes social causes such as women’s rights and the refugee crisis and is vocal about issues such as child abuse and sexual harassment. Khan has been a national and global UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for Afghan refugees in Pakistan in 2019.
While the ceasefire between India and Pakistan persists, tensions continue to simmer as New Delhi says it will continue to hold in abeyance a decades-old water-sharing treaty with Pakistan. The treaty guarantees water access for 80 percent of Pakistan’s farms through three rivers originating in India.