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After Kaka, Big B, SRK, Hrithik Who Will Be Bollywood’s Next Superstar?
Once upon a time in Bollywood, there were only popular actors like Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor and Dev Anand. Then, there was no concept of superstars till Rajesh Khanna burst onto the scene like a tsunami, giving seven hits in a row. He was a phenomenon, a rage who whipped up mass hysteria wherever he went. People emulated his hair style and mannerisms. Every girl wanted to marry him. Sadly, Kaka could not hold on to his title for long. Soon, he was dethroned by Amitabh Bachchan with his angry young man image. Big B, as he is popularly known, held the title for nearly three decades. Bachchan’s spell continued till the coming of the Khans – Shah Rukh (SRK), Salman and Aamir. During this time, Bollywood movies were going global, and this worked for SRK like magic. He became the heart throb for the younger generation world over. Everybody drooled over him. King Khan had arrived ruling the heart, mind and wallet space. Even as he continued to hold his sway, Hrithik Roshan entered the scene with Kaho Naa Pyar Hai. This movie made him an overnight sensation. Old cinema buffs say the frenzy around Hrithik is reminiscent of Rajesh Khanna’s days. Now, everybody is asking who will be the next superstar after Hrithik?  Today, there are exceptionally talented actors like Ranbir Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Tiger Shroff and Kartik Aaryan but they haven’t really made that super impact. According to industry observers, in this digital age with multiple platforms, stardom has got so fragmented that there may be no next superstar in the immediate future.
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Boom Boom Bumrah Ready For IPL After Wedding Break
Five-time IPL winner, Mumbai Indians’ (MI) contribution to the development of Indian cricket has been immense. The Ambani-family owned franchise has been an enabler in spotting talent for the national selectors. A unique fast bowler, whose running to the crease was described “neither here, nor there” by Danny Morrison, Jasprit Bumrah is a fine example of MI’s objective to invest and reap rewards.  Spotted by MI talent scout, John Wright, during the Mushtaq Ali Twenty20 in Indore in March 2013, Bumrah has become India’s leading strike bowler taking 83 wickets in 19 Tests, 108 wickets in 67 ODIs and 59 wickets in 50 Twenty20. These are phenomenal numbers. And the credit goes to the Gujarat coaches, Vijay Patel and Hitesh Majumdar, and the MI coaching team, for nurturing Bumrah whose natural action has remained intact. Recently the workload management policy saw him being rested on and off. Bumrah, who recently got married to Star Sports anchor, Sanjana Ganesan — has taken 543 wickets for Gujarat right from the time the likes of Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and Jay Shah have been the GCA office bearers and Parthiv Patel, the team’s captain. Bumrah’s IPL bag is a collection of 109 wickets at 23.73 from 92 matches. He is set to return to competitive cricket soon!
Politicians And Their Covid Talks
Politicians know what they don’t want – a lockdown. But the second wave of Covid-19 has put them in a dilemma. If they go in for lockdown, they will have to weigh in on its socio-economic implications vis-a-vis political fallout. The other option is to ensure everybody gets vaccinated and plug the deficit in healthcare infrastructure while simultaneously enforcing stricter Covid protocol. It is evident that the five states – Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry (UT), which are in the throes of election fever,  have thrown Covid protocol to the wind. The Election Commission had mandated during the Bihar elections that Covid-appropriate steps should be taken. But that was forgotten after the elections. Come to think of it, everybody needs to share that blame equally. In Mumbai, the BMC officials are on an overdrive, collecting Rs 200 fine from Mumbaikars for not wearing masks. And in Aurangabad, we have a Member Of Parliament, Imtiyaz Jaleel being cheered by his ‘maskless’ partymen. They carried him on their shoulders as they were thrilled that the government may not go in for a complete lockdown. If politicians break law with such impunity, then what do you expect from the ordinary citizen? In reality, all politicians merely pay lip service when they say, Do gaj ki doori, mask hai zaruri. –Mahesh Vijapurkar
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Will Onam Now Be A Regular Lifestyle In Kerala?
As the Final Countdown begins for the high-voltage Kerala Assembly elections on April 6, the voters are presented with two simple options: BJP candidate E Sreedharan’s Palakkad model and Kochouseph Chittilappilly-Kitex’s 20:20 model, versus the decades old alternate rule model of the Left and the Congress. Sreedharan has outlined his five-year development vision for Palakkad. This is also reiterated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi: “The time has come for FAST development in Kerala — F for fisheries and fertilisers, A for agriculture and Ayurveda, S for skill development and social justice and T for tourism and technology.” V Guard’s Chittilappilly and Kitex’s Sabu have transformed Kizzakambalam panchayat’s (in Ernakulam) socio-economic landscape with their 20:20 party’s transformative endeavours: roads built to last with a 20-year guarantee, a corruption-free panchayat office and the 20:20 supermarket (akin to a DMart or Walmart’s scale) that enables even a poor family of four members to shop their entire week’s groceries for just Rs 500! Sreedharan, Chittilappilly and Sabu are positioning themselves as the Mahabalis of Kerala (the legendary king of the native folklore in whose memory the festival of Onam is celebrated by all communities in Kerala), who can ensure that it’s a daily Onam lifestyle in certain assembly constituencies of the state. Is “Onam Lifestyle” – having Onam every day as a way of life – an idea whose time has come? Well, we will have to wait for the final word from the Kerala polls to understand the voters’ tryst with Onam.  

TRENDS & VIEWS

Editor’s Note: Big Punch In Small Pack

It is the Third Anniversary of Short Post and as a news media startup launched during the Covid-19 pandemic it certainly feels better than good to find ourselves where we are today. Here, I must cite the unstinted support of our seasoned contributors, all senior editors in the country, who brought a great degree of maturity and sagacity to the Short Post newsroom. But for them, our tagline “Authentic Gossip”, an Oxymoron, would not have matured viably. Our user numbers may be small but our stories have created the desired impact among people who matter — decision makers and influencers. We offer a big punch in a small pack and Short Post with its 225-word stories has been punching above its weight category. Having posted close to 3,000 stories in the last 36 months, Short Post, I feel, is an idea whose time has come.
And this is vindicated by our two marquee advertisers – IDFC FIRST Bank and ICICI Lombard. Both believed in our story and have supported us from Day one. A big thank you to both.
If you look at the media landscape – print, TV and digital — it is a mixed bag. There are job losses as some outfits have closed down while a lucky few were bailed out by large corporate houses. Yes, there is a lot of action in the digital space. However, the entry of corporate houses has raised the question of independence of news media outfits. Sadly, there are just a handful of independent media outfits in the country that are highly respected for their neutrality. At Short Post, our credo is not to take sides, prejudge issues or be biased but, informing readers of behind-the-scenes happenings. In essence, Short Post strives to be a neutral editorial platform — neither anti-establishment nor pro-establishment.
As I said last year, disruptions in the media world are moving at a fast and furious pace. Technology is playing a very big role in how content is generated and consumed. But, we are neither alarmed nor perturbed as it is all a part of the evolution process. What gives us comfort is that AI is unable to create original gossipy content. And that is the news arena where we have achieved a distinction.