In the grand circus of Bollywood predictions, the trade pundits once more proved they have a special talent for missing the plot. Awarapan 2 was written off before the first show. Promotion was dismissed as lacklustre, the songs labelled dull, and the clash with Batwara 1947 declared a “setback.” The Rajkumar Santoshi–Sunny Deol combination, complete with partition gravity and familiar mass formulas, was anointed the safer, louder bet. Awarapan 2, many declared, stood no chance. Then the Awarapan 2 trailer dropped. Suddenly the room changed. Immersive, nostalgic, emotionally connected, it carried a lived-in intensity that cut through the noise. The same trade that had been busy writing obituaries started hearing a different buzz. Audiences, it turned out, were still capable of responding to atmosphere, character and a certain reckless heart rather than merely to star wattage and theme weight. The numbers delivered the punchline with clinical precision. On Friday, Batwara 1947 opened to approximately Rs 5.5crore net. Awarapan 2 stormed in with around Rs 22 crore net; the highest opening of Emraan Hashmi’s career. On Independence Day Saturday the gap only widened: Awarapan 2 collected roughly Rs 34 crore net while Batwara 1947 managed about Rs 13.5 crore. In two days, the sequel had crossed Rs 55 crore net in India and was racing past Rs 72 crore worldwide, leaving its rival trailing far behind. Once again the audience refused to follow the script written in trade WhatsApp groups. Content, when it connects, still trumps calculation. The film that was supposed to be the underdog shot to the top, embarrassed the entire prediction industry, and reminded everyone of the oldest truth — there is n business like show business. Unpredictability remains the only reliable order of the day. Cinema, as always, had the last laugh.

Popular Tamil star Suriya faced a scary drop n his box office ratings like the Air India flight fighting turbulence. His Soorarai Pottru was perhaps his last outing that touched hearts, literally celebrating a brave non descript pilot entrepreneur, who made flying accessible to all. What followed as Suriya’s outings turned out to be noisy action that hammered not just the goons but audience interest too. Suriya had morphed into a stereotype…his Kanguva and Retro turned out be a precipitous dive. Talented R J Balaji and Karuppu did give him a floating buoy …what he needed was a sturdy and seaworthy lifeboat. The talented Telugu writer and director Venkat Atluri has resurrected the actor…gentle, classy and capable of great emotional depth in his performances. Coincidentally enough, Vishwanath & Sons deals with surrogacy; how this former pistol shooting champ is railroaded by mother Radhika Saratkumar to beget her a grandchild. How the hero deals with the issue (Mamitha Baiju is the sourrogate mother), with knots and plots that often turn into chaos. Atluri manages a spice mixed Bhel. The plot also deals with Suriya’s May December romance.  G V Prakash stands out for his outstanding background music. Especially the lilting song Butterly. Only this butterfly flits too frequently from situation to situation … insurance for the hero? Jyotika and Suriya with all their predilection for public posture would have scored if more light was shed on surrogacy in India.

A press conference held a couple of days ago by a group of entrepreneurs in Chakan industrial estate near Pune has become a trigger for a clash between Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and veteran leader Sharad Pawar. The industrialists grieved that they would be forced to shift base to adjacent Satara district owing to the pitiable condition of the infrastructure like power supply and roads in Chakan. Pawar said that the companies employed more than 2000 workers and urged the state government to protect jobs and industries in Maharashtra. In a swift rejoinder, Fadnavis has pointed out that Maharashtra continued to top the list of industrialises states in the country. He assured Pawar that the state will continue to be a prime location for industrial activity. Pawar’s observation is based on the data cited in parliament, which said that over 36000 companies in the state had closed down. Fadanvis pointed out that the figures had been presented without the wider context and that around 76% of them were “defunct” entities that had never commenced operations. Fadanvis has also advised Pawar to peruse the official data concerning the subject. He has assured the NCP leader that urgent steps are being taken to resolve the woe of the Chakan industrial belt. Pawar is among the leaders who have a soft corner for industry. Hence, Fadnavis has ensured that his response to Pawar is seen in a correct perspective.

The fall of a star is rarely sudden. For Govinda, once crowned Hero No 1, it has been a prolonged, public unravelling where professional choices collided with domestic fire. He earned his place through pure comic timing and dance that lit up ordinary lives; small-town crowds, school grounds, college campuses and even corporate gatherings. That mass connection was real. Yet the industry that once celebrated him also recorded his chronic lateness and broken commitments. Producers waited in vain, schedules collapsed, and the tag that once meant box-office gold slowly became a warning. The last decade turned the decline dramatic. Film after film failed. The once-unstoppable comic force drifted into obscure stage shows and low-level events that sat uncomfortably with the stature he once commanded. His children never received the carefully planned launches many star kids enjoy. The Sonakshi-Sinha-in-Dabangg moment he had often spoken of for his daughter never materialised. The family that once projected unity now appears fractured and exposed. The sharpest blow is the latest. Govinda has been repeatedly photographed at Mumbai airport with newcomer Komal Rani Swarnkar, the young actress he is launching in Roopa. Wife Sunita Ahuja has answered with open, sustained fury: calling him a “sugar daddy,” accusing him of roaming with a girl of his daughter’s age. Her public, repeatedly derogatory words have turned private bitterness into daily national headlines. Domestic disturbance does more than distract. When a wife paints her husband as unfaithful, classless and lost, the audience that once danced with him begins to look away. Govinda’s own decisions; professional unreliability earlier, and the current public associations, have accelerated the fall. The man who once made India laugh is now watched for the next airport picture and the next angry soundbite. The dance remains, but the stage keeps shrinking.

Yashasvi Jaiswal was palpably gutted, falling a run-out victim to Sri Lanka in the opening dig of the First Test at Galle, Sri Lanka. No batter in the world likes to be ejected from the middle when on song, and the India opener was in commanding form when he was caught short at the non-striker’s end after he had faced 37 balls in the first hour of the action at the lovely ground. After choosing to bat upon winning the toss, India was in control when KL Rahul drove to deep mid-on and took off for a single, which would have been there for the asking in normal circumstances. But even as Rahul had left the ground, Jaiswal got tripped, getting into physical contact with debutant off-spinner Keshava Nuwantha — who was trying to stop the ball from going past him — and fell on his knees. The last piece of action resulted in a deep mid-on throw to the keeper, and he had all the time in the world to remove the bails, with both batters 22 yards from him. It was a weird dismissal, and the discerning are wondering if Rahul could have stopped on his tracks, seeing Jaiswal down on the ground and gesturing to him to go back, which did not happen. The Sony Sports experts on Extraaa Innings, WV Raman, Cheteshwar Pujara and Kona Bharat, did not squarely blame Rahul, but spoke at length about the unfortunate incident, saying Rahul felt a run was on with Jaiswal getting up. Jaiswal was in good nick, facing and sending the ball to the picket five times. There was no mix-up between the two, but Jaiswal lost a chance to put up a big score!

Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal’s wife Harsimrat has posted an emotion-filled ‘X’ message to salute Inspector Santosh Vaijnath Kendre of the Maharashtra Police’s Special Protection Unit for showing heroic courage in saving Badal’s life in Nanded on Thursday (Aug 13). She says, “Santosh, you stood like a human shield between Sukhbir ji and the attacker, putting your own life at risk to protect his. In doing so, you reminded us of what it truly means to wear the uniform — to put duty before self and courage before fear. The Badal family bows to you with deepest gratitude. Your bravery will never be forgotten. May Waheguru bless you with a speedy recovery. Also, a special mention for the doctors and the entire staff at the Yashosai Hospital for their relentless service in comforting us.” Reports from Nanded say that Badal was spared of a second attack, thanks to the bravery of Kendre, who sustained a serious injury in the process. According to eye witness accounts that have gone viral, the attacker, Jaspal Singh, had already attacked Badal once and was attempting to stab him again when Kendre leapt between the two. He caught hold of Jaspal’s hand and stood as a wall in a way that shielded Badal from the second swipe of the kirpan. Then Jaspal attacked Kendre in the gruesome incident at Nanded Gurudwara. Immediately after the attack, Badal was taken to Yashosai Hospital where he received a few stitches and was declared out of danger. Nanded SP Neelabh Rohan said there was no breach in Badal’s security. Police have found that the accused is a Pune resident and had practised as a lawyer there. Jaspal’s Pune house was raided by the police as part of investigation.

Famous film stars have a penchant for unique collectibles. Rare cars, precious watches, famous wardrobe memorabilia and many more. Imagine having boasting rights for Judy Garland’s Ruby Slippers from the Wizard of Oz, Marilyn Monroe’s white subway dream that swept up many a fantasy, Daniel Radcliffe and his Magic wand and glasses from the Harry Potter winner and a host of collectibles. Ah, we overlooked endangered animal species too. Recently a viral video of actor popular Tamil star Vikram cuddling and imitating a baby Lar Gibbon ape went viral; it woke up the Tamil Nadu Forest Department’s attention. Hey isn’t that a Lar Gibbon cuddly ape baby? How did it land in Vikram’s lap and other such questions flew in the media? Not that such earlier incidents were swept under the rain forest carpet…remember Salman Khan and the Black Buck controversy? Vikram was quickly issued a notice: Where did he procure this Lar Gibbon? These unique apes (they are not monkeys) have suffered and slipped into that coveted status …endangered due to lack of suitable forest habitat and illegal poaching to feed just such an illegal pet trade. The investigation led the law to an animal farm in Perundurai, Erode, alleged to be owned by Kesavanathan who had brought this Gibbon from Manipur without the required papers. The Forest Dept found that another baby Gibbon had died in the farm and it was not reported. Vikram has been issued notice ..that he should present himself at the investigating office no later than three days or else. Endangered animal collectibles…they draw the Rich and Famous like magnets.

Kangana Ranaut once again allowed her rage to override restraint. Reacting to the CJP student protests, the BJP MP and actor branded young protesters the “gutter generation.” She called their reels “puke-inducing,” their language “crass and jarring,” and questioned “who is birthing and raising them.” Young women were singled out as “ugly and corrupt” for allegedly flaunting drugs, drinks and “endless body counts.” An FIR has now been registered against her in Agra for insulting an entire generation of students and their parents. The political and commercial cost is enormous. This same generation will decide the box office of every film she makes and the fate of every election she contests. They are the future audience of Indian cinema and the decisive voters of the next three decades. To dismiss them as “gutter” merely because some used raw language is not just arrogant—it is strategically suicidal. Kangana’s history is littered with such self-damaging outbursts. In cinema she declared war on the “nepotism mafia,” clashed publicly over ‘Manikarnika’, and watched ‘Emergency’ sink under controversy and poor returns. In politics she has compared Mumbai to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, labelled farmers’ protesters terrorists, and declared 1947 freedom “bheekh”—remarks that forced even her own party to distance itself. A boisterous, hyper personality can generate headlines, but it also burns bridges that never rebuild. Language alone does not define a generation’s worth. The very people she called “gutter” will remain a bitter pill she is forced to swallow every time her film releases or she seeks votes. In both politics and cinema, words spoken in fury have a long memory and this one may outlast her career.

A political controversy over Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose has intensified in West Bengal following remarks by BJP leaders, giving the Trinamool Congress an opportunity to counter the BJP after its rout in this year’s Assembly elections. The controversy began after Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya alleged that Forward Bloc activists, the party founded by Netaji,had attacked Syama Prasad Mukherjee, then a Hindu Mahasabha leader, with stones and injured him. He also claimed Netaji had declined Mukherjee’s request to condemn atrocities against Hindus in the late 1930s. Bhattacharya later refrained from further remarks. The controversy widened after BJP Rajya Sabha member Ananta Maharaj, questioned Netaji’s ability to raise the Azad Hind Fauj and claimed it was actually a unit of British soldiers. In subsequent remarks, Maharaj allegedly questioned Netaji’s contribution to the freedom struggle, called him a “war criminal” and questioned the INA’s role. TMC supremo and former chief minister Mamata Banerjee joined a Kolkata protest accusing the BJP of insulting Netaji, questioned its failure to act against Roy, and said Tagore, Netaji, Vivekananda and Khudiram were global icons. The All-India Forward Bloc demanded action against Maharaj and revocation of his Rajya Sabha membership. A separate row erupted in Rampurhat after a Netaji-named road was allegedly renamed after Syama Prasad Mukherjee. The dispute has revived debates over Netaji’s relationship with Mukherjee, the Hindu Mahasabha and INA, while intersecting with the BJP’s Bengali outreach and competing claims over Netaji’s legacy. Amid the row, chief minister Suvendu Adhikari directed BJP MLAs to establish “Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Seva Kendra” in constituencies for welfare work, eligible centres can receive Rs 30,000 monthly government assistance.

The Odisha government seems to be in a quandary over the appointment of a new Director General of Police as the incumbent DGP Y B Khurania retires on August 16,2026. A PIL has been filed by P Chidambaram in the Supreme Court challenging the Odisha government’s appointment process. However, the Apex court decided not to list the matter. What seems clear is that the Supreme Court bench led by Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana wanted to delay immediate judicial intervention. Given this scenario, the State government may appoint an in-charge/officiating DGP temporarily pending the Supreme Court final hearing. Amid growing speculation over the appointment of Odisha’s next DGP, senior IPS officers Sanjeeb Panda and Yeshwant Kumar Jethwa were promoted to the Director General (DG) of Police rank few days ago. According to former Mumbai top cop Arup Patnaik, who hails from Odisha the said empanelment of police candidate falls under the purview of Home Minister Amit Shah. Patnaik noted that when Narendra Modi was Gujarat CM, he did not appoint a permanent DG for 15 years. Adding further, he says, it is a political decision as DG is also responsible to control the election process in the state.