After all — with suspense hanging over the India-Pakistan clash in the ICC Men’s Twenty20 World Cup in Colombo this Sunday — sense seems to have prevailed over the Pakistan Cricket Board and also the country’s government to withdraw from their earlier stated position to not to take the field against its arch rivals. Siding with Bangladesh — because it did not want to travel to India citing security reasons and thereafter replaced by Scotland in the tournament — Pakistan took a position it would not have taken two years ago, but the ICC made sure that the Indian team turning up at the R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo would play the scheduled match. It’s a matter of conjecture as to how Singaporean Imran Khwaja, deputy chairman of the ICC, managed to cause a turnaround in Pakistan’s decision at the meeting at Lahore. Khwaja was deputed by independent Chair Jay Shah to get Pakistan play the match at the neutral venue. Bangladesh – advised by Dhaka not to travel to India – has turned out to be the biggest loser on the World Cup participation issue. Its players have missed a World Cup tournament and thereby their share of the prize money for winning a match. The ICC dealt with the situation smartly as advised by its legal cell and Shah deserves credit for taking the initiative to depute Khwaja who not long ago got along well with former ICC Chair in Shashank Manohar and was probably a contender to helm the ICC. The outcome at the Lahore meeting has paved the way for a 17th clash between India and Pakistan in the Twenty20 format. India has won 13 and Pakistan, three times. It could be a full house at the Premadasa on Sunday.

Vaikom in Kerala is famous for its esoteric culture and temples. Now Vaikom Vijayalakshmi, the born blind singer has given her hometown a new and motivational identity. Her parents named her Vijayalakshmi as she was born on Vijayadashami in 1981, little realising that this girl child would never see the world. Her father, Muraleedharan  made an unusual one string Veena for her and she started her melodious journey. Violin maestro the late Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan, impressed by her skill, gave the title of Gayatri Veena. There was no stopping her from then onwards …crooning her way through both film songs and devotional songs. Starting with Malayalam films, she is now popular in Tamil films too, her Tamil diction and renderings near perfect. She has won several state awards. Her film songs are many and popular, launched in the film Celluloid, but her Murugan devotionals (remixes too) are celebrated, especially “Paal manakkuthu pazham manakkuthu Palani malaiyile” .One of the most significant festivals , Thai Poosam  celebrated with amazing devotion and dedication in Sri Lanka , Malaysia and South India reverberates with Vijayalakshmi’ s devotionals, the crowds sway, mesmerised by her. Her aspiration is to render songs under the direction of Ilayaraja and A R Rahman. But her personal life is not fulfilling…her family is frustrated by two attempts to get her married. She filed for divorce from a misogynist husband Santosh who wanted her to stop singing and coming out in public. Her blindness put him off. Vijayalakshmi is not daunted by lack of sight …her rustic voice tinged with haunting melody (a trained masters in music) has made her own name. John Milton’s poem “On His Blindness” is appropriate…They also serve who only stand and wait.”

There is apparently a divergence of views in the DMK about raising a banner of revolt against Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla as envisaged by LoP Rahul Gandhi. Many DMK MPs are keen to join the debate on the Union Budget, though some wanted to join Rahul Gandhi to sign no confidence against the Speaker. Apparently, there is a growing pressure on 23 DMK MPs in the Lok Sabha to raise TN issues in the House ahead of state polls. It is being said CM Stalin, who is also DMK Chief is not keen to nominate the seat sharing committee of his party to engage in negotiation with the Congress. Stalin is of the view that early seat-sharing discussions could divert attention from governance and key welfare initiatives of his Govt. Besides, he feels if the Congress wishes to walk out of the alliance, it is all very well. At least, the BJP in Delhi will be kind to the DMK. Tough stand of the DMK has made the Congress quite distraught. The Congress feels the DMK is behaving as if it wants the Congress to go out of the alliance. Meanwhile, it is being said financiers of TVK chief and superstar Vijay’s Jana Nayagan have become restless about the manner in which the film’s release has been held hostage by the CBFC. It is felt that the “political message” of the film has upset the BJP leadership. Sources say one of the financiers got in touch with top BJP leaders in Delhi and assured that Vijay will not “forge an alliance” with the Congress in TN. This only means that the Congress could end up as a pumpkin in TN politics. Ostracised, with no serious political player taking the party seriously!

Vishal Bhardwaj and Shahid Kapoor’s collaboration has been a beacon of artistic excellence in Bollywood, yet it consistently grapples with commercial underperformance. Their partnership began with the 2009 caper thriller Kaminey, a film that blended dark humour, gritty realism, and memorable music like the chart-topping Dhan Te Nan. It achieved moderate box office success, grossing around Rs 71 crore worldwide against Rs 35 crore budget, but its niche appeal limited broader mass acceptance. Bhardwaj’s signature style; complex narratives inspired by Shakespeare or real-life grit, often prioritizes intellectual depth over crowd-pleasing masala elements. This pattern persisted in Haider (2014), a haunting adaptation of Hamlet set against Kashmir’s turmoil. Critically acclaimed and award-winning, it earned Rs 70 crore in India on a Rs 24 crore budget. Rangoon (2017), their third outing, was a visual spectacle of wartime romance, yet it bombed spectacularly, collecting just Rs 38 crore against Rs 60 crore budget. Bhardwaj’s films are classy and intellectual, not “mainstream” blockbusters; they demand viewer engagement rather than passive entertainment, resulting in polarized reception. Shahid Kapoor’s choices often lean toward challenging roles, but recent ventures like Deva (2025), underscored this– earning a mere Rs 51.73 crore worldwide on a Rs 50 crore budget, deemed a flop due to weak openings and mixed reviews. Enter O’Romeo (2026), their fourth venture, an action thriller rooted in Mumbai’s underworld, releasing on February 13. Despite a stellar cast including Triptii Dimri and songs like Ishq Ka Fever and Aashiqon Ki Colony, the buzz remains subdued. The film lacks the “high-voltage drama” or explosive marketing hype of mass entertainers. Ultimately, this duo’s inability to deliver consistent hits stems from Bollywood’s long debate of art versus commerce. O’Romeo could break the cycle if word-of-mouth ignites, but without amplified excitement, it risks joining...

Mumbai may have got a new spanking Rs 19,650 crore airport at Navi Mumbai but it will in no way ease congestion at Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) or T2. Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA), operated by Adani (74%) and CIDCO (26%) under a PPP model, has decided to charge parking and landing charges which are double of CSMIA. Even user development fees (UDF) charged per passenger is higher at NMIA. This will see airlines sticking to CSMIA rather than shifting to the new airport. Moreover, with the Rs 22,862 crore metro connectivity between Mumbai and New Mumbai taking three to four years to complete, there is no incentive for passengers to head to the new airport. According to informed sources, since NMIA is a greenfield project with massive infrastructure costs to recoup, its operating fees are significantly higher than CSIA. The UDF, part of the overall air fare per passenger, is nearly 3.5 times higher than that of CSMIA. Domestic departure fee at CSMIA is Rs 175-207 while it is Rs 620 at NMIA. Likewise, international departures cost Rs 615-726 while it is Rs 1225 at NMIA. Experts say that the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority allows new airports to charge higher ad hoc tariffs during the first few years of operation. But the good news for users of CSMIA is the reduction in landing and parking charges by 35% introduced a couple of months back, thereby making it competitive with other international airports. India’s major airports used to charge 60% higher landing fees than Dubai/Singapore. Today Mumbai’s rates may not be lower but closer to Changi (Singapore) and Incheon (Seoul) rates. Since the Adanis took over CSMIA, the emphasis has been to shift the cost burden slowly from airlines to passengers like other international airports. Typically, 50-60% of airports’ revenue comes from non-aeronautical sources like shopping, dining, hotels, real estate rentals etc.

With Lok Sabha forced to adopt the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address without the Prime Minister’s reply, the focus is now on former Army chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane (Retd), who led the Indian Army through one of its most testing periods in recent history. The Opposition has disrupted the proceedings as Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi insisted on quoting from General Naravane’s unpublished memoir to target PM Narendra Modi and his govt over its handling of a standoff with the Chinese military in eastern Ladakh in August 2020. It will remain a mystery as to why the much decorated officer allowed his unpublished book to be used by Rahul Gandhi? The buzz is that he was upset for not being considered for the post of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS)–before his retirement. General’s unpublished book had sparked a row in Lok Sabha on February 2 after Rahul Gandhi tried to quote a line from an article about the book that appeared in The Caravan magazine. The article details the 2020 India-China conflict, beginning with the moment the Indian Army’s Northern Command received a call about the movement of Chinese tanks toward Rechin La in eastern Ladakh. The Defence Ministry is yet to clear his book because it contains too many military details. According to media reports, it is the only book that hasn’t been cleared by the MoD. No wonder the General was quite philosophical about the outcome of the fate of his literary effort. Meanwhile, FM Nirmala Sitharaman under whose tenure as Defence Minister Gen Navarane took over as Army Chief, also made it clear that the Govt had no issues with the officer. Interestingly, The Caravan team which first published excerpts from the book aired its grouse that the mainstream media wasn’t focussing enough on the General’s “disappointments”. Why would anyone bother when both Delhi and Beijing are mending fences!

PM Modi is apparently very happy that the 16th Finance Commission’s recommendations will put a full stop to Opposition-ruled States attacking him for not giving adequate Central funds. When Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget 2026, one sentence tucked in the fine print drew the attention of every CM in the country. It was that the Centre had accepted the 16th Finance Commission’s recommendation to keep states’ share in the divisible tax pool at 41%. At first glance, that looked like continuity. But beneath that headline figure lies a quiet revolution. The commission’s new horizontal formula keeps the overall share fixed but changes how it is sliced. For the first time, a state’s contribution to the national GDP carries formal weight—10% of the total formula. This single tweak tilts the balance towards the country’s south and west, where economic output per capita is high, compared to the populous but poorer Hindi-heartland states that had benefited from the old population-heavy criteria. Preliminary calculations suggest that Karnataka, Kerala, Gujarat, Haryana, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra are the top six gainers. Karnataka alone may receive around Rs 7,300 crore more each year. In contrast, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha and Jharkhand will see smaller shares; MP could lose nearly Rs 7,600 crore. Most losing states are either BJP or NDA-ruled, while the gainers are largely Opposition-governed.  Since the first Finance Commission in 1951, the horizontal formula has revolved around the distances between population, area, and income. The 16th Finance Commission marks a clear break. Echoing Modi’s ideas, Panagariya’s logic: States must show improvement in fiscal discipline, transparency and service delivery to qualify for discretionary grants.

Veteran leader Sharad Pawar’s Rajya Sabha term ends on 2 April 2026. The present arithmetic in the Maharashtra legislative assembly is such that just one Opposition candidate can go to the upper house of Parliament if all these parties field a combined nominee. The NCP led by Sharad Pawar himself, the Congress and the Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray are the three major Opposition parties though their collective strength is just enough to win one seat. Provided that there is no cross-voting. Previous experience shows that Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis can upset the Opposition apple cart as and when he wishes. It is not clear if he will use the same strategy against Pawar who is respected across the political spectrum. Pawar has declared repeatedly that he will not contest any future election. But it is viewed as an announcement by a politician and hence not taken at face value. Most of the earlier Rajya Sabha elections have been unopposed except for a few occasions. As of now, Opposition parties have not indicated their inclination. Hence, the rumour mill is quite active. Incidentally, Pawar’s health is a matter of concern, given that he is 86. His decision not to be present in Parliament when the Union budget was being presented has added to the speculation about his future plans. His nephew Ajit Pawar’s accidental demise has resulted in upsetting all previous equations and Pawar’s next move will prove crucial in that scenario. It is eagerly awaited.

Tamil superstar Vijay threw his hat in the Tamil Nadu political ring, convinced that he was Moses for whom the sea would split. His party – TVKs — every move, every utterance and strategy created tidal waves. But Vijay has painted himself into a corner, a much-maligned man used and manipulated by the rag tag of TN parties and the two major outfits –DMK and AIADMK. How is he planning to extricate from this Chakravyuh? Vijay is a great entertainer and bankable actor but he underestimated the manoeuvring and manipulations of those scrambling for a perch on the big bandwagons. Take Dr Anbumani Ramadoss who has broken away from the PMK family and fold; he persisted in using Vijay as   bargaining  chip, till the BJP wheedled him into the NDA. TTV Dinakaran went one step further with his pressure cooker tactics…the media was peppered with snippets of how Vijay was just waiting to open his heart and party. The BJP quickly caught him in their grip with the promise of 33 seats, Rajya Sabha post and a deputy CM post. The Congress too has been twisting DMK arms –using Vijay as bait –pushing for 28 seats. Premalatha, late Vijayakanth’s wife has built up her worth by playing an unmatched trapeze artist, notching up the suspense. Old man Ramadoss for his part says why should only the old parties aspire for TN? Why can’t a young man like Vijay rise? Again these “sympathisers” are not promoting Vijay…they just want to dent the DMK vote bank and then bargain. Maybe Vijay did not foresee so many Trojans he had to counter and contend with. A popular Tamil magazine has summed it up succinctly …Vijay has launched his super market…but no customers so far.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s in-person appearance at the Supreme Court in the SIR matter has put her party Trinamool Congress on a strong footing. Her party leaders and workers see Didi’s Supreme Court intervention as scoring brownie points. It reinforces her as the principal face against the BJP in Bengal while squeezing CPM and Congress, rebuilding minority trust where resentment had emerged over Waqf amendments and new political formations, protecting base amid BJP polarisation. Since the Election Commission’s SIR drive to update West Bengal’s 7.62 crore elector rolls began, 58 lakh entries were removed due to relocation, duplication or death. Also, 1.26 crore individuals received notices for verification hearings over “logical inconsistencies” or missing 2002 SIR linkages, with nearly 60 lakh awaiting proceedings. Initially BJP stayed silent, adopting a wait-and-watch line and avoiding social media sarcasm, but later circulated clips of the court proceedings showing judges suggesting her senior lawyer argue and rejecting her claim. Bengal BJP leaders mocked Mamata’s courtroom conduct as political drama. Political analysts say appearance may hold no legal value but produces two effects. By cultivating a solitary fighter image, Didi strengthens core support. Repeated confrontations with central institutions sharpen her political identity. As a woman leader, she contrasts with the Centre’s pro-Hindutva posture, projecting a less aggressive image than a regional party like the TMC, hence Mamata brand is difficult to counter. By aligning her legal battles with voters dealing with discrepancy notices, Didi positions the 2026 election to focus less on governance outcomes and more on instinctive politics of protection.