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In the wake of escalating face-off between the Chennai-based Tractors and Farm Equipment (TAFE) and its American partner AGCO over the ownership rights of Massey Ferguson in India, a two-member bench of the Madras High Court has stepped in to direct the warring parties to “maintain status quo until the original applications are heard and disposed of by the learned single judge. “For avoidance of doubt, we hasten to add that the observations made herein are tentative and solely intended for the purpose of disposing of these appeals. We have not delved much into the various rival submissions. All rights and contentions are kept open,” the two-member bench said in its order on Monday. The relationship between TAFE, an Amalgamation group company, and AGCO Corporation of the U.S. hit a nasty bump in April last when the AGCO management terminated commercial agreements -– including the one on licensing the Massey Ferguson brand — with TAFE. The Chennai firm quickly got a stay on this from a commercial court. When AGCO subsequently confirmed the termination, TAFE filed a contempt petition in the Chennai commercial court. Separately, TAFE also moved the Madras High Court, asserting its ownership right to Massey Ferguson brand. TAFE had got a favourable interim order from the Madras High Court. TAFE had filed a civil suit before the Madras High Court against Massey Ferguson Corporation, a subsidiary of AGCO, claiming that the said trademarks are distinctive of TAFE in India and exclusively owned by it. It had sought the Madras High Court to declare that TAFE owns the Massey Ferguson brand/trademarks in India. With the HC bench asking both parties to maintain status quo, all eyes are on the upcoming proceeding before the single judge. It is “advantage TAFE” at the moment, however.
With only 12 days remaining for the BCCI Secretary Jay Shah to take charge as independent chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC), clarity has not emerged as to who would perform the duties of the Secretary from December 1, 2024. First and foremost, election has not been called for the post, and this could be because the BCCI Constitution has adequate provisions for its Joint Secretary to perform the Secretary’s duties. The BCCI Constitution says: “The President shall, in the event of a vacancy or indisposition of an office bearer, delegate the functions to another office-bearer until the vacancy is duly filled up, or the indisposition ceases.” In this case the BCCI President Roger Binny has the right to assign duties to any other office-bearer. Shah who has been the Secretary from 2019 may be allowed a grace period to hand over the work to someone else. Next week is going to be hectic for the ICC to take a call on the format and venues of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 (Feb-Mar) because the BCCI has conveyed to the ICC that India will not travel to Pakistan. The BCCI, nay Jay Shah, would like to see a finality to the Champions Trophy issue, in particular where India will play before he takes charge of the ICC. If the Champions Trophy has to take place, the Pakistan Cricket Board has to accept a hybrid model with one group (with India in it) playing league matches, most likely in Dubai and keeping the venue of the semi-finals and final, open. The PCB may not be in a position to lose the hosting rights and thereby with it a fee of around $ 70 million!
The ‘Satta Bazaar’ is betting down (dampened market sentiments) over Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) forming Maharashtra’s next government. A market player says, “Punters have never been wrong before. Dampened stock market spirits indicate the Mahayuti Alliance is unlikely to win notwithstanding sops galore unleashed by CM Eknath Shinde.” Differing with market pundits, BJP says, “Markets crashed after Foreign Portfolio Investors withdrew Rs 1.25 lakh crore in October (out of total Rs 71 lakh crore total stock investments in India) seeking better pastures after China announced stimulus. FPIs sold Rs 8700 crore stocks in April, Rs 25,600 crore in May then bought Rs 26,600 crore worth in June, Rs 32, 400 crore in July, Rs 7300 crore in August and Rs 57,700 crore in September before the big sell off in October. Already overleveraged NSE slumped, the subdued corporate sector quarterly results after much hype triggered a profit-booking mindset among investors.” Donald Trump’s ascendancy as the next U.S. president (previous tenure witnessed negative bias towards precious metals) bodes badly setting price corrections of gold and silver even as the U.S. dollar firms up, adding to Indian stock market woes. The BJP leader adds, “Maharashtra contributes around 14% to India’s GDP but even when MVA ruled for 2.5 years Modi-nomics ensured high buoyancy on Indian bourses despite stalling of bullet train project, Rs 14,000 crore cost escalation of Metro project.” The market punter, however, cites India’s financial capital Mumbai in Maharashtra that ensures most Indian business gravitates around the state while explaining the gloomy market mood over MVA’s likely win. November 23 will reveal the truth when the political bets are finally called out.
In a massive setback to AAP, Delhi’s transport minister and Jat leader Kailash Gahlot resigned from the party, citing “grave challenges” and “awkward” controversies in a letter to AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal months ahead of Delhi Assembly polls. He has joined the BJP. Gahlot’s exit is well timed in the sense that it comes days before Maharashtra goes to polls. AAP, an INDIA Bloc partner that has no stake in the state polls. But it must be said Gahlot’s exit was something that was in the works for some time now. It is believed that the seeds of discord between Gahlot and the AAP leadership were sown on August 15 over unfurling the national flag during the Delhi Govt’s I-Day celebrations. Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, who was in jail on charges linked to the alleged liquor policy scam, had wanted Education Minister Atishi to unfurl the flag. Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena however felt Gahlot was more suitable for the job as he held the Home Department. Meanwhile, Kejriwal indicated that Gahlot had quit as he was under pressure from the ED and IT. In his resignation letter, Gahlot pointed to how “Political ambitions have overtaken our commitment towards people, leaving many promises unfulfilled”. In an apparent swipe at Kejriwal, he referred to “many embarrassing and awkward controversies like the “Sheeshmahal” — a term used by the BJP to refer to the CM’s residence renovated during Kejriwal’s term costing the exchequer Rs 45 crore.
A major controversy has erupted in Tollywood as over 233 directors from films, TV and independent media have filed a defamation suit against Swarup Biswas, president of the Federation of Cine Technicians and Workers of Eastern India. The Rs 23-crore lawsuit follows Biswas’s contentious remarks alleging rampant sexual harassment in the film industry, with 60% of complaints purportedly against directors and producer-directors. The hearing will take place on January 10. Swarup, the younger brother of Aroop Biswas, Bengal’s Power and Housing Minister and a close aide of chief minister Mamata Banerjee, finds himself at the centre of an unprecedented protest by Tollywood’s creative community. This is, perhaps, the first time that Tollywood has publicly challenged the Federation. Directors and producers have also criticized what they call “red-tapism” and “arbitrary demands” imposed by the Federation, including its control over unit sizes, pay scales, working hours, and technician selection. At the Eastern India Motion Picture Association’s (EIMPA) recent AGM, Swarup Biswas proposed that producers deposit Rs 5 lakh each as security to ensure timely technician payments, citing Rs 50 lakh in pending dues. Producers have outright rejected the demand, questioning the Federation’s accountability and EIMPA’s silence on the matter. Veteran actor-director Aparna Sen has publicly questioned Swarup Biswas’s credentials, asking for proof of his contributions to the industry. Biswas holds an assistant director’s card, which is reportedly issued only to those involved in at least two films. Actor-politician Roopa Ganguly also criticized the Federation, accusing it of politicizing the industry and questioning why filmmakers often seek the CM’s intervention during crises.
If rising onion prices decided the election outcome in many states some decades ago, falling soybean prices could impact the outcome in around 70 assembly constituencies in Maharashtra. Hence, Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well as Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, representing two ends of the political spectrum, are found promising farmers of much higher rates, but only after they are elected on 20 November. The sensitive constituencies are spread in Marathwada and Vidarbha regions, where cotton and soybean are the main cash crops. The current market rate of Rs 4000 per quintal is unacceptable to the growers though they have no choice but to sell the produce as it can’t be stored for long. The MSP is Rs 4800 but not enough stocks are lifted by the machinery. The ruling saffron alliance has been promising better tariffs. The government hiked the soybean import duty in a bid to jack up the prices but the hike was of only around Rs 400, still leaving a gap of the same amount. Sensing the distress and the government’s inability to make any major announcement, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has promised Rs 6000 per quintal of the legume. To go a step further, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has pledged to pay Rs 7000. Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray has also joined the chorus. The two regions had by and large supported the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi during the Lok Sabha election. Hence, Mahayuti leaders are wary of saying anything that can dampen their prospects.
Are the re-runs slowly becoming a revenue model both for producers and exhibitors who have been grappling to bring back the audiences to cinema halls? Diwali turned out to be decent but then again we are gone back to re-release of films. Shah Rukh Khan’s Veer Zara re-release has been appreciated. Rakesh Roshan plans a re-release of Karan Arjun with a huge number of screens after 30 years of its release. This again has Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan coming together for the first time on screen. SRK’s Kal Ho Naa Ho and Pardes too are re-releasing in cinemas. Those in the trade feel that re-release of Tumbbad, Rehna Hai Tere Dil Mein and Laila Majnu have given courage to producers to cash on re-runs. The re-runs have stirred both excitement and curiosity. Traditionally, re-releases were reserved for timeless classics, but now more recent films are being revived, prompting questions: Is this trend purely nostalgic, or is there a deeper strategy at play? According to Trade Analyst Saurabh Varma, the re-release phenomenon is benefiting the cinema industry in multiple ways. For producers, re-releasing films is a cost-effective option. The marketing and distribution expenses are far lower than for new releases. Re-releases tap into the large fan bases of iconic films, giving long-time fans a chance to relive their favourite stories on the big screen. Furthermore, these revivals provide a unique opportunity for younger viewers who may have missed these films during their initial release. The combination of nostalgia and iconic music resonates deeply with audiences.
It’s a drivetrain solution provider for windmills and industry applications. Every one out of three drive train products installed across the globe bears the brand name of this one. Truly, this German major has traversed quite a long way and undergone a major metamorphosis in the process. One-and-a-quarter-century-old Bocholt-headquartered Flender has significant presence in India. Not surprisingly, the top management team of Flender was in Chennai a few days ago. The presence of the top honchos was more to reiterate the commitment of Flender to India. After all, it has been in India since 1961. It now has three production sites — one each at Kharagpur (WB), Chennai (TN) and Walajabad (TN). Around 10% of its nearly 9,000 skilled personnel across the globe are housed in India. And, it has been putting more money into this country since 2020. Why not? For one, India is the right choice for all those who are looking for the China Plus One option in the post-Covid era. For another, the focus world-over is now increasingly on sustainable development. The robust ecosystem — the presence of assorted turbine makers and a well-evolved supply chain — according to its India CEO Vinod Shetty, is ideal suited for Flender to aspire for a bigger role in driving energy transition in the country. Indeed, Flender is quietly expanding its India operations for a bigger role in its global game plan.
Tamil film producers and their financial backers are now rethinking this model — big money, big stars, big projects but no guarantee that it will reap profits. So the new strategy…safe and secure than spend thrift and sorry. Can small budget films do big business? A resounding yes to three of 2024s baby budget films that warmed the cockles of producers’ hearts. Three films of this year, Lover, Lubber Pandhu and Vaazhai have pulled in amazing profits and massive margins. Lover’s budget was a mere Rs 5 crore, and plus other expenses added the total cost to Rs 6 crore. Hold your breath! It made a profit of Rs 13 crore. But Lubber Pandhu (Rubber Ball), a title that would have gone unnoticed, made the biggest rake in for Prince Pictures who earned Rs 35 crore in TN gross alone — 300% profit. Vaazhai was no sneeze over either…it brought Rs 12 crore profits in TN. Film making costs and exhibition/promo expenses can zoom up dangerously, and after paying the incredible star salaries, if the film’s overflow is modest, stakeholders have no insurance cover to fall back on. Small is big is fast becoming the new open sesame for Kollywood to stay safe.
Veteran leader Sharad Pawar finds commonality between Vote Jihad and a particular section of the people voting for the BJP. Explaining his stand, the NCP founder said it was seen in Pune that the BJP was consistently supported by a certain segment (read Brahmin) in some areas. We expect this to happen though don’t call it Vote Jihad, he remarked. According to Pawar, if such voting patterns happen, it is the right of every community to vote as per its choice. He again charged that deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had raised the issue of Vote Jihad. Pawar’s jab was directed at those specific areas of Pune where Brahmin population is dominant and mostly BJP candidates are elected from such localities. Time and again, Pawar has been accused of creating the bogey of caste with an eye on electoral gains by engineering a rift between sections of the electorate. In support of his contention, Pawar said slogans like ‘batenge toh katenge also fall in the same category as they have a communal shade. He alleged that the issue has been cropped up by the ruling dispensation as it is desperate at the bleak prospect in the assembly election, after the Lok Sabha rout. Fadanvis had condemned the Vote Jihad philosophy after cleric Sajjan Nomani released a list of the Maha Vikas Aghadi candidates and asked the Muslims to vote for them.
With Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigning and fleeing the country, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee finds herself in a tough spot. Known for her sympathetic stance towards refugees, Mamata is now confronted with the daunting challenge of managing the influx of people. Hasina’s departure has thrown Bangladesh into a state of uncertainty, prompting many to seek refuge in West Bengal. This surge in refugees could disrupt the state’s already fragile demographic balance. It may be noted that during the Annual Martyr’s Day Rally on July 21, Didi had declared that she will welcome any person coming from Bangladesh due to the ongoing turmoil. Her announcement was not only criticised by the Central government, but even the erstwhile Hasina government as they felt it was sending the wrong signal to Bangladeshis. Mamata has been facing the heat from BJP about sheltering illegal Bangladeshi immigrants and giving them official recognition in order to increase her minority vote bank. However, deviating from her soft stance, Didi has sent out a strict directive to her party leaders to not make any provocative statements on the Bangladesh crisis. Political observers state that if Didi is not careful about the influx of refugees, it is likely to disturb the delicate balance of religious diversity of the state, which has a Muslim population of 27%. BJP leader and LoP in Bengal Suvendu Adhikari is claiming that the state is set to witness the entry of 1 crore Bangladeshi Hindus who are likely to face discrimination and hostility in the Muslim dominant districts of Bengal.
The Bangladesh cauldron of political confusion engineered by Pakistan’s Inter-Services-Intelligence (ISI), at the instance of China, culminated with the exile of duly elected 76-year-old Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday (Aug 5). India’s Neighbourhood First policy implemented since 2014, after PM Narendra Modi took charge of Indian affairs, caused the Indo-Bangladesh most preferred nation status over trade and intelligence sharing to the acute chagrin of Pakistan’s military establishment. Recently, the US-Russian cold war restarted after the Ukraine war commenced in February 2022 and, the USA keenly pursued plans to set up an airbase in Bangladesh to counter Russia. Sheikh Hasina, under active protection and guidance from India, time and again thwarted the nefarious designs of the Pakistani intelligence that proliferated her nation, even successfully contested, and won the elections for the seventh time. Timely intelligence support extended by India (read Ajit Doval) was more than a little help for the Bangladesh PM, during repeated offensives launched by then ISI Chief Bajwa. More recently Hasina visited China over promises of financial aid of a few billion dollars and returned disappointed after Chinese conditions sought to be imposed in return for the financial aid. The Bangladesh PM was not even afforded the basic courtesy of a proper reception with protocols. Miffed, Hasina returned to her nation and promptly reignited her India connections, handing over a port and three more projects to Indian entities through PM Narendra Modi. Now, the exiled Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina, having already been accommodated with temporary refuge by India, has to decide. Even as NSA Ajit Doval immediately met up with Hasina, it would be up to her entirely to formally seek asylum from India before India makes its stand clear. Ironically, even as the leftist brigade of India blames Modi for being anti Muslim, the premier of a Muslim nation finds India as the safest haven when radical...
What’s in a name? What’s in a brand? All these can just disappear. As time goes by, all these can fall by the wayside. How else can one view the happenings in the corporate world of Tamil Nadu? In the early 90s, one of the brightest jewels of the Chennai industrial world — Enfield – changed hands. Promoted by S Viswanathan and his family, Bullet-maker Enfield was sold to the Eicher group. Viswanathan & his ilk had to give up Enfield due to a combination of issues including scalability. Today, the Eicher group has taken Enfield to a new height globally. A few days ago, another big name in Tamil Nadu – The India Cements – was sold to the Aditya Birla Group UltraTech Cement. That sale of India Cements by N Srinivasan and his family reflects the challenges of a family-owned business. There is a similarity between Enfield and India Cements in their sale. The promoters – either by choice or circumstances — had chosen to quit. What is of significance is the fact that both have changed hands due to a sale process. This is in contrast to management changes that are happening elsewhere in the Indian corporate world. There are many such these days and happen due to corporate insolvency resolution actions. The change of guard both at Enfield and India Cements pose new challenges to family-owned businesses in Tamil Nadu. Change is the sign of not just development but also maturity, it appears.
They are no longer behind the scene players. The spotlight is on them too. A case in point is Shah Rukh Khan’s manager Pooja Dadlani, besides film dos she was seen with SRK in most IPL matches. In Bollywood, the role of secretary has metamorphosed into manager. The whole dynamics has changed with manager/professional agency handling stars. Film historian Dilip Thakur says, “Back then, the secretaries knew how the film industry functioned and worked in such a way that the entire industry benefited.” Today it seems a mercenary approach, the agencies are interested in seeing that stars fees are 40% of the budget of a film. This is one of the reasons many films are bombing. A few decades back, the star’s secretary played a different role. They ensured that their star bosses are projected well. They did not think of money. When Big B returned after quitting politics, his secretary Sheetal Jain managed to organise three muhurats in a day at Mehboob Studios. And the films were Hum, Agnipath and Luv Kush. For creating buzz around Amitabh all the credit goes to Sheetal. Rajesh Khanna’s secretary Gurnaam made sure he picked the right script; she had a role to play in his super stardom. After her death, Kaka’s career plunged. Rikku Rakesh Nath who made careers of Madhuri Dixit, Shilpa Shirodkar and Anil Kapoor also ensured that some of his star clients who had no films (read jobless) got one or two films. That speaks of his clout, commitment and dedication. Sridevi’s secretary Hari Singh went that extra mile to ensure she was presented well, bagged meaty roles, and managed to get her to the No 1 position at a time when Madhuri Dixit was ruling the roost. Today, many secretaries/managers have evolved further –turned producers albeit with the backing of the stars.
Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi is a man in a hurry. With a view to create 350,000 jobs in the next five years he is going all out to set up industries and woo private sector investment. To his utter surprise, he learnt that the iron ore rich district of Keonjhar does not have a mega steel plant. Here one may recall expelled BJP leader Bijay Mohapatra’s public statement that “Mining lobby was standing in the way.” Clearly, lack of political consensus between the ruling party and Opposition parties explains this state of affairs. On his part, CM Majhi has given an in-principle for a mega steel plant to be set up in Keonjhar district so that it can provide employment to locals. Parallelly, he has also set up a high level task force under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary to discuss with business houses for setting up a steel plant in Keonjhar district on a priority basis. If CM succeeds in drawing investment in the steel project he would have pulled off a coup. Keonjhar will be third time lucky after the failure of Vedanta Group in 2004, Arcelor Mittal in 2006 and Uttam Galva could not move beyond MoU signing stage. An environmentalist commented that even though big time steel plant investment eluded Keonjhar district so far but mining has proliferated leaving its lush green hills damaged and locals languishing in poverty. The challenge for the Majhi government is not only to bring in big time investment in the sector but also ensure that it does not damage the environment and at the same time boost employment opportunities.
India’s promising shuttler Lakshya Sen lost out to Malaysia’s Lee Zii Jia in the bronze play-off at the Paris Games on Monday. Earlier, Sen chucked away a big chance to earn the tag of a giant killer! Sports offers opportunities of a lifetime to dethrone champions and the 22 year old could not have given a better gift to his mentors, Prakash Padukone and Vimal Kumar, by bringing down the defending Olympic men’s singles champion — Viktor Axelsen had won the men’s singles badminton title at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics — in the Paris 2024 semi-finals. Up 17-11 in the first game and 7-0 in the second, the young aspirant squandered openings to thrash the great Dane and bid for the gold. Nothing had prepared Axelson for an inspiring and incisive display by Sen; perhaps even Padukone and Kumar would have been surprised by their charge’s extraordinary stroke play bringing out the best from his repertoire. Sen had put it across two seeded players — Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie and Chinese Taipei’s Chou Tien Chen — to get into the semi-finals. When the other Indians could not rise above the mediocrity, Sen appeared like a shining star, all ready to conquer the World. The La Chapelle Arena was packed with the roaring India supporters and Sen had just done his part to encourage them to be full throated. Eventually he appeared to have lacked the killer instinct. Every minute after he offset the 0-3 deficit, he looked the part as a conqueror. But as they say in sport: He petered out, losing the grip on the semi-finals.
Tamil film popular star Vishal’s Sandakozhi (Fighter Cock) hit the headlines in 2005, swaying its audience for 210 straight days in cinemas. The pugnacious Vishal gained popularity as a saleable star and was signed up for more films. Soon he started Vishal Film Factory. And parallel to this he also turned bellicose and aggressive for both right and wrong causes. He became the Sandakozhi in his professional life, and has been in the news for many a contentious issue. Vishal also took on Udhayanidhi Stalin’s Red Giant Distribution house though indirectly as he feared his film Rathnam could be stymied by alleged monopoly and manipulative practices. Sometimes back, he talked about corrupt practices in the Central Board of Film Certification to get his film Mark Antony certified. But now things have hit a churning point. His venture, Vishal Film Factory had borrowed Rs 23 crore from financier GN Anbu Chezhiyan. But then Vishal had a cash flow problem. To bail him out Lyca Productions stepped in and took over his debt with a deal that all future releases would go through Lyca. Vishal allegedly reneged on the deal and Lyca took him to court. Vishal had to appear in the Madras High Court of Her Honour P T Asha on July 29. During the court proceedings, when he declined that he had signed a contract but had signed a blank paper. The Judge shot back, “You were supposed to settle all dues before Sandakozhi2 release. You think it is smart to deny your own signature”? Vishal interrupted the Judge and addressed her… “Boss”. The Judge, already irritated, countered “You can’t use Boss. Just say yes or no”.
It almost seemed like a sisterly act of reaching out to each other. Both FM Nirmala Sitharaman and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee are continuously engaging each other in social media. After FM Sitharaman praised Mamata for attending the NITI Aayog meeting and later openly lauded her in the Lok Sabha, the TMC, in its official handle, reposted her praise on X. ‘A good Chief Minister and a fighter who has been leading the state for so many years!’ “FM@nsitharaman in a moment of honesty praises our Chairperson in Parliament. TRUTH CANNOT BE SUPPRESSED FOR LONG”! In her reply to the debate on Union Budget in the Lok Sabha on July 30, FM was particularly irked by TMC MP Prof Saugata Roy, who had remarked that he did not expect the “FM to be like Dr Manmohan Singh” as she was not a PhD from Oxford like Dr Singh not even like Chidambaram, who had got a management degree from Harvard. “She is from our own JNU. But the problem is, she is bereft of new ideas.” A somewhat peeved FM said “A lady who I respect a lot, who sits equally in the GST Council with me, who is the FM of West Bengal, studied in the University of Kolkata. She is not a Member of this House. She is the FM of West Bengal (Chandrima Bhattacharya) and studied in the University of Kolkata. Is she also bereft of new ideas? She makes wonderful contributions to the GST Council.” The CM of West Bengal is also from the colleges affiliated to the University of Kolkata. Does this mean that if you study in the Indian universities, you are bereft of ideas? In what way are we less than the Harvards of the world or the Oxfords of the world?
Maharashtra had long been facing criticism that it did not have a woman chief secretary although claims were always made about its progressive outlook and social justice, especially concerning the womenfolk. While some states had appointed women as chief secretaries, Maharashtra was always facing taunts on this count. Turning the tables, the state is now boasting that it has three women officers in topmost posts. Chief secretary Sujata Sounik finally got the top job. She was in the running for the past several years but the coveted post went to her husband, Manoj Sounik, despite her seniority on technical grounds. She finally succeeded him. The 1987-batch officer, Sujata will retire in June 2025. Similarly, senior IPS officer Rashmi Shukla was earlier appointed as director-general of police, Maharashtra by the Shinde government. Caught in some telephone tapping controversy, Shukla could escape unscathed. She will stay in office till June 2026. The triumvirate has been completed by top forest official Shomita Biswas, who has taken over as principal chief forest conservator. She is the first woman incumbent in the post. It is noted that several competent women IAS officers were kept away from the CS post over the years and one of them, Neela Satyanarayanan, had openly represented to the chief minister about the injustice to women. The track record of officers including Medha Gadgil and Chandra Iyengar was outstanding but they, too, could not smash the glass ceiling. A long-standing imperfection, thus, has been set right. Now, Maharashtra is the only state having three women leading three arms of the government.
At 41, Dulquer Salmaan has an envious track record of big achievements –MBA from Purdue University, a Dubai stint in IT major, and then quitting this comfort zone to plunge into films to prove that just being legend Mammootty’s son would not put him in the orbit of pan India success. In 2012, when Dulquer wanted to act in films, the easiest thing for him would have been to latch on to the fame, name and star adulation of his father who at 73 continues to rock Malayalam cine world. But Mammootty made it clear that he would not call in any favours. Dulquer proved that he could build his own niche. He instinctively chose pan India films and themes in Telugu, Hindi, Tamil and Malayalam acutely aware that Dad was a hard act to follow in just Kerala cinema. A brilliant strategy that has won him a Filmfare Award and other trophies. Sita Ramam turned out to be both a creative and commercial hit, after his O Kadhal Kanmani (Mani Ratnam directed ) Kannum Kannum Kollai Adithal, King of Kotha, Karwaan and a host of projects that have built his star status, frame by frame. Dulquer runs profitable enterprises, and is brand ambassador too. His passion for bespoke cars is a luxury his star status brings. Recently when someone compared his rise to the likes of Shah Rukh Khan, an embarrassed Dulquer shot back and said please don’t insult Shah Rukh Khan. Not many star progeny have built the kind of sustained following Dulquer has carved out for himself.
Journeying from Kolkata to London might not raise many eyebrows, but doing it entirely by car certainly will. This extraordinary adventure has been meticulously organized by anesthesiologist Dr Debanjali Ray and businessman Kaushik Roy. The 64-day expedition, spanning an impressive 18,000 km, is set to begin on August 24 and conclude on October 25 and joining them on this ambitious journey are 15 travel enthusiasts. It is a journey of the Old Silk Route — the Sindhu Civilisation — that will see them traversing through 23 different countries across minor Asia and Europe. The adventurous route will traverse through Nepal, China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran, Armenia, Georgia, Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia, Hungary, Czechia, Poland, Slovakia, Germany, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria, and France before reaching the final destination in London. As part of a cultural exchange, the team will be collecting water from major rivers such as the Ganga, Brahmaputra, Indus, and Yangtze on their way to London. This collected water will be used in the ritual observance of Durga Puja. Interestingly, this expedition is a tribute to the former Kolkata-London bus service, which was once the longest bus route in the world. Operating from 1957 until the 1970s, this historic bus service had a journey duration of approximately 50 days (NOT 132 DAYS??). By completing their journey in 64 days, the Ray-Roy duo not only honours this historical landmark but also establishes a new one. And they will end their long drive by partaking at the Thames Durga Puja Parade Carnival in London.
Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin is to go to the U.S. on an official trip to attract investments to the state. Also, he will undergo medical tests and health evaluation when he is there. As the CM wishes to hoist the flag on Independence Day at Fort St George, his departure has been planned for around August 18 or later. But before then he must take a decision on the appointment of a deputy CM who will preside over cabinet meetings in his absence that could stretch to a couple of weeks if any therapy is needed in the U.S. The party has left it to him to nominate a deputy CM or a senior minister to preside over the cabinet. But it is on the cards that the CM will name his son Udhayanidhi as the Deputy CM, a decision that could have been taken much earlier but was postponed due to a few murmurings among party seniors and loyalists. Now that there is a need to name someone, Stalin may take the opportunity to make his son his deputy and open a path for him to be his political heir to head the party. Stalin has been under more pressure from within his family to take the call to make Udhayanidhi the Deputy CM than from his party.
The open war between Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and former home minister Anil Deshmukh has reached another level. At the centre of the freshly erupted duel is arrested police officer Sachin Vaze. Some of his latest claims are going viral. Vaze had written to Fadnavis a couple of days ago that Deshmukh had been asking his personal staff to collect money for himself when he was the home minister. Vaze has volunteered to face a narco test. In police custody for a long time now, Vaze came into the limelight as he was reinstated in the police department ending his long suspension by the government of Uddhav Thackeray. He used to report to Deshmukh, who was then the home minister. It was reported that Vaze, a fairly junior officer, was bypassing many seniors in the hierarchy and had a direct link with Deshmukh. A huge furore followed several sensational disclosures around that matter. Owing to the seriousness of the case, an enquiry panel under Justice Chandiwal was appointed. Deshmukh has now claimed that Vaze had admitted before the panel that no money had been collected by him (Deshmukh). Moreover, the former home minister has charged that Fadnavis had been using a criminal (Vaze) for attacking him. He has alleged that Fadnavis was not making the panel report public since it had exonerated him.
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.