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After 15 seasons in the IPL as Chennai Super Kings’ talismanic personality, Mahendra Singh Dhoni has drawn attention for all the wrong reasons. He evoked encomiums for his lightning stumping of Suryakunar Yadav of Mumbai Indians and Phil Salt of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the ongoing Tata-IPL-18, but after a 50 run defeat i against the RCB, Dhoni aka “Thala” is under flak for coming to bat at No 9 (with CSK at 99 for 7) against RCB which had set a formidable target of 197. Dhoni scored a quick 30 not out off 16 balls with 3x4s and 2x6s, but his blitzkrieg has far from convinced the CSK fans of his value to the team. While the majority of them go to the extent of hero-worshipping him, there were voices of dissent about him batting at No 9. One cricket lover said that a genuine CSK fan like him cannot be fooled anymore. “He should have come ahead when the target was 197,” he said. Dhoni will turn 44 coming July and once again the grapevine is rife with the news that he will hang his boots at the conclusion of this season. Australian Brad Hogg was 45 when he played his last IPL match in 2016 for KKR and Pravin Tambe was 44 when he played his last match for Gujarat Lions in 2016; this makes Dhoni the third oldest player in the league. He has featured in 138 winning matches for the CSK, averaging a little under 45 in these matches and scoring 1000-plus runs at No 4 and 5. He has batted at No 9 only twice and the CSK fans are, naturally, angry!
Union Home Minister Amit Shah came down heavily on Congress MP Rahul Gandhi for his criticism of the Parliament’s functioning, saying at the allotted time to speak in the Lok Sabha, the Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi was in Vietnam. He also pointed out how the Congress had got 40% of the time to speak on the Budget. He said it was possible that the LoP in the Lok Sabha was perhaps not aware there are rules for speaking in the House, which cannot be run through whims and fancies. “His (Rahul’s criticism of the functioning of the Parliament) were completely misplaced. Parliament proceedings can’t be conducted like party office meetings,” pointed out Shah. Last week, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla had made oral observations about improper conduct of the LoP. Rahul had walked into the House even as the proceedings were on. Instead of walking directly to his seat, Rahul had indulged in some PDA with his sister Priyanka, drawing sharp observations from the Speaker Om Birla. It was later pointed out that Rahul was not being respected as LoP as he was not allowed to speak as the House was adjourned immediately after the Speaker’s observations. Rahul had apparently wanted to speak soon after PM Modi’s statement on Mahakumbh on March 18 and wasn’t given the floor. Interestingly Shah made his remarks on Rahul at Times Now Summit. BJP MP Nishikant Dubey had also mentioned about Rahul’s preference for Vietnam in the Lok Sabha.
It was the trailer launch of AR Murugadoss directed Sikandar. Salman Khan with childlike enthusiasm brought Kollywood’s grizzly actor Sathyaraj to meet his dad Salim Khan — the iconic script and screenplay writer, celebrity half of Salim-Javed. “Pappa, Kattappa,” said Salman while introducing Sathyaraj to his dad. Sathyaraj, who plays the role of a transgender villain in Sikandar said, “Salim Sir has been my hero from my college days. I have worked for 47 years in 258 films. Today, I have fulfilled the wish to meet him in person.” He was delighted that Salman introduced him by his famous character’s name. Sathyaraj reiterated that his multi-dimensional role in Sikander may well be another Kattappa. At the event Salman got an opportunity to unburden his angst. “We see Rajni and Chiranjeevi films and welcome South Indian productions wholeheartedly. But find that though Bollywood stars are celebrated down South, our films don’t get the same overwhelming reception.” Bahubali made the Pan India trend into vogue. So, is Salman on the cusp of another EID Mubarak? His future is riding on Sikandar. He must have longed for that thumping box office success of earlier times when his career seemed it would never tank. But five years of a barren streak, and his efforts to keep his premium slot intact have been obvious. Sikandar’s muqaddar is set to change. At the Press meet Salman said that “Kitna bhi log bole…mere fans 100 crore toh pahuncha dete hai”.
Odisha’s Opposition leader Naveen Patnaik, former chief minister and head of Biju Janata Dal (BJD) seems to have got a jolt from his man Friday ex-IAS officer VK Pandian. The big news is Pandian has left Naveen Nivas vis a vis politics for good thereby putting his master in a spot. So, what made the influential Pandian leave Navin Nivas? Sources say, even though Pandian holds Naveen babu in a very high esteem but he sees no future for BJD nor for himself within the party. The power corridor in Odisha is buzzing with the news that Pandian is in talks with Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for a senior level position to handle some part of their India ops. If he does join, it makes eminent sense, because as a seasoned IAS officer he has considerable clout both in Delhi and Odisha. Also, Bill Gates Foundation is known to hire top notch ex-IAS talents. It may be recalled that sometimes back Bill Gates while meeting both Naveen Patnaik and VK Pandian had praised Odisha’s health initiatives, sanitation intervention, effective management of Mission Shakti and Pandian’s administrative capacity to solve issues and getting proposals cleared by respective ministries. The latest news is Pandian’s wife Sujata Karthikeyan, an IAS officer who was working as special secretary – Finance Dept in Odisha has opted for VRS. The Centre has not only accepted her resignation but also waived her notice period. Is she entering politics?
The simultaneous release of three films, Tumko Meri Kasam directed by Vikram Bhatt, Pintu Ki Pappi by Shiv Hare and Baida by Sudhanshu Rai seems to have skidded at the box office. These films are emblematic of a troubling trend in the industry, characterized by poor marketing, lack of visibility, and minimal audience excitement. Tumko Meri Kasam features Adaah Sharma, Ishwak Singh, Isha Deol and Anupam Kher. However, it suffers from a lacklustre promotional strategy that fails to generate buzz. The film’s dark and dull poster does little to entice potential viewers, making it feel like a B-grade production rather than a cinematic offering worth watching. Similarly, Pintu Ki Pappi is struggling with a title that fails to convey its essence, leaving audiences confused and uninterested. With Ganesh Acharya as the producer and newcomers Sushant and Jaanya Joshi in leading roles, this film too lacks the marketing push to draw the audience. A title like Pintu Ki Pappi may be catchy, but without context or appeal, it risks alienating potential viewers. In the case of Baida, a supernatural thriller that despite its intriguing premise, has not garnered attention. Directed by Sudhanshu Rai who also stars in the film, it suffers from a lack of awareness and visibility. All three films represent small-budget productions that have entered the market without effective marketing strategies or brand recall. The absence of excitement and visibility raises serious questions about how these films expect to attract audiences to theatres. The only commonality among these releases is their dismal box office performance, highlighting the urgent need for filmmakers to prioritize marketing and audience engagement if they hope to succeed in an increasingly competitive landscape.
What made the BJP-AIADMK alliance, now being talked about freely, come about was Vijay’s refusal to tag along with anyone on the Tamil Nadu political scene and to go it alone in the 2026 polls. And he made that decision based on Prashant Kishor’s advice. It was known that Vijay had virtually decided to go with the AIADMK in an alliance to try and gain power quickly in his political career for which he was ready to be Edappadi K Palaniswami’s (EPS) deputy CM if that scenario came good. It was Prashant who told him not to do that and to go on his own as he was guaranteed to pull in at least 20% of the vote, much of it expected from youth willing to give a new idea a try and women who determined to look for change from the tired Dravidian major party scene of the DMK and the AIADMK. Prashant was said to have postulated that either he could become the kingmaker in any split decision in a hung Assembly or even king if the tide turned all in his favour. Otherwise, he would have been only second fiddle if his alliance with AIADMK did well enough to get the majority. EPS made his move to go to Delhi and seek out Amit Shah only when he came to know that Vijay was unwilling to get into an alliance with his AIADMK. It does appear then that Prashant has made this 3-way scenario come about with DMK+, AIADMK-BJP and TVK in the fray with Seeman likely to join the mega alliance with AIADMK. Having lost his banker in Vijay as an ally, EPS will soon be firmly in BJP’s lap.
AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palanisami (EPS) set off a tsunami of surmises when he rushed to Delhi for a durbar audience with home minister Amit Shah. So, who or what spooked EPS despite Shah’s multiple visits to Tamil Nadu since 2023 and open invitations to EPS to join the NDA? Chinwaggers had a field day in surmising what transpired in that crucial meet of Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam chief Vijay, EPS and his son Mithun. Some earlier meets facilitated by the new entrant to TVK, Aadav Arjun had not gone unnoticed giving Arjun importance as a powerful catalyst influencer. But this time Arjun was sidelined, Mithun was the influencer for Vijay’s power play. Vijay set forth his expectations…more akin to the tail wagging the dog, a jaw dropping number of seats that EPS had to concede if Vijay was to walk into the alliance. Vijay also made it clear that even as soon as his last film, Jananayagan was wrapped up, he would start on his TN Yatra. In fact, he reiterated, it is better that ‘I announce my final decision then’. It seemed EPS was zapped even as Mithun decoded this strategy and its fallout where Vijay seemed to hold all the aces. EPS decided a bid in the hand is far worthy than a push in the bush and flew to meet Amit Shah.
Ashesh Jani, Co-founder of Ribbon App that offers multi-currency accounts and wallets for 32 currencies, recently flew into London to meet K Rajaraman, chairperson of the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) and Dipesh Shah, Head of Development of Financial Market & International Affairs. The IFSCA is located at the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) in Gandhinagar. The meeting facilitated by the Indian High Commissioner Vikram Doraiswami was to explore the possibility of Jani setting up operations in the GIFT City. Ribbon, whose tagline is: ‘Account Before You Fly’, offers a range of services that is tailored for Indian students and professionals relocating to the UK. Seeing the huge potential in the domestic market, Jani is keen to set up an Indian office to do domestic business. Ribbon offers multi currency accounts and wallets with an embedded payments marketplace, and access to deposits, FX, Crypto and equity trading platforms. Its AI-powered app is designed to offer a hyper-personalised experience to its users. What probably attracts Ribbon to invest in India is the competitive tax environment that GIFT City offers.
A mystery surrounding a Rolls Royce car and its connection with arrested journalist Prashant Koratkar has deepened with a Pune-based builder, Tushar Kalate, claiming that the car belongs to him and not to the accused. The car, WB02 AB0123, originally belonged to Mahesh Motewar, a chit fund fraudster who is now out on bail. Koratkar’s pictures along with car and Tushar Kalate as well as a controversial person, Manohar Bhosale, have generated a lot of speculation since Koratkar was wanted by the police for threatening a historian over a caste angle. Based in Nagpur, he eluded arrest for about a month and was finally arrested in Telangana. Even the arrest became a major issue since he was escorted there by a political party worker. Kalate has declared through a press statement that he has no connection whatsoever with Koratkar. About the pictures, he has clarified that Koratkar met him and wished that a picture of himself be taken in front of the car. “As Koratkar said he was a journalist, I obliged him and the picture was taken,” Kalate says. He has claimed that the car was acquired by him in 2017 and the legal formalities about the transfer of ownership are underway. Kalate was in the news in the past since he had fought an assembly election as an independent. It is said that he had purchased a helicopter, too. The authorities are investigating the links within the links in the mystery.
Ram Navami celebrations in West Bengal have markedly increased in recent years. While the BJP officially disclaims organized events for April 6, the festival is strategically positioned to shape their upcoming political campaigns, particularly with the 2026 Assembly elections in mind. The Bengal BJP is strategically delaying major street protests until after Ram Navami, planning a significant show of strength during the festival, although publicly, they avoid explicit admissions. Leader of the Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari has alleged that TMC has selectively weeded out Hindu names from voter lists in Nadia and North 24 Parganas, and has vowed to protest post the Ram Navami celebrations. Likewise, BJP will also protest against the state government’s withholding of central funds, including NRLM funds for women’s self-help groups. Furthermore, the BJP plans to escalate its challenge against the state government’s OBC list reassessment which is already being challenged in the Calcutta High Court. Despite official disapproval, BJP spokesperson Shamik Bhattacharya acknowledged the festival’s emotional significance, attributing the party’s restraint to respecting devotee spontaneity. However, Adhikari’s hints of a grand display of power during Ram Navami and Hanuman Jayanti suggest a calculated political strategy. Insiders confirm that BJP cadre, alongside Sangh Parivar affiliates, are actively expanding Ram Navami rally scales. The party anticipates that a larger, more impactful celebration will galvanize its base for future political endeavours.
PV Sindhu has been in the news in recent times for all happy reasons; first and foremost, she chose to settle down in life, marrying Venkata Datta Sai in Udaipur, and now comes another pleasant news that she has been chosen as the Brand Ambassador by the top German footwear, apparel and accessories company PUMA which has been associated with such illustrious sportspersons like the World’s all-time great athlete Usain Bolt, Brazil’s top-notch football player Neymar Jr and Indian sportspersons like Harmanpreet Kaur (cricket), Mohammed Shami (cricket), Olympian Sarabjot Singh (shooting), and Paralympian Avani Lekhara (shooting). With a market cap of Rs 562.26 billion, the company has entered a big way in Indian badminton by zeroing in on a champion player who won the silver medal in the women’s singles at the Rio Olympics in 2016 and a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics 2020. Sindhu did not have a particularly memorable time at the Paris Olympics, but she has won medals — gold to bronze in almost every competitive regional and global tournament. She will target the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi and Nagoya (Japan) and perhaps the Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028. PUMA, in the business of sports brands for more than seven and half decades, has announced a multi-year arrangement with the star Indian badminton player who is 29 and has been a splendid achiever, bestowed the Khel Ratna, Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, and Arjuna Awards. Sindhu will be seen in PUMA colours from the India Open in New Delhi on Tuesday, January 14. Last November, she announced plans to start the PV Sindhu Center for Badminton and Sports Excellence in Visakhapatnam.
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Editor’s Note: Short Post Noticed By People Who Matter
Four years have zipped by and we are crossing another milestone on 31st January 2025 – it’s our 4th Anniversary. It feels good.
Looking back at the 1460 days, I must say Short Post has made its mark with people who matter via 4000 stories published in the areas of politics, business, entertainment and sports. All made possible by the unflinching commitment and dedication of our senior editors, most of whom have been part of this journey from Day One.
Small pack, big impact is in essence the story of Short Post which was launched at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021. It shows our conviction. In all humility, I can say, we have created a new niche in the news segment space like Hindustan Unilever which created a new segment, when it launched CloseUp Gel.
Yes, we have created a brand (in a limited sense), created demand (readers) and created supply (senior journalists). But we are facing teething problems like all start-ups. What makes us happy and confident is the recognition of our efforts. For instance, we have an arrangement with the OPEN Magazine, part of the $4.5 billion Kolkata-based Sanjiv Goenka-RPG Group. This arrangement sees around 10 Short Post stories posted on OPEN Magazine website every week. This arrangement is testimony that our content has been well received! Also, I may add that the Maharashtra government has recognised Short Post and has allowed our senior editor to cover the Assembly sessions. Ditto: Odisha.
Our goal is to ensure that Short Post becomes a habit. I would like people to keep checking their smartphones to know the latest Authentic Gossip. As regards AI and the fear of it disrupting all businesses including media. On that, personally, I have no such fear as I am confident AI cannot smell news particularly Authentic Gossip. That’s the place we are well entrenched.