Have you noticed something intriguing about Kaun Banega Crorepati, the hugely popular quiz show anchored by Amitabh Bachchan? When celebrities occupy the hot seat to promote a film, champion a social cause or raise money for charity, they often seem to walk away with Rs 12.5 lakh. Is the prize money capped? This was playing on my mind for quite some time so I asked ChatGPT to crack it and pronto it answered all my queries. Take the recent appearance of actors Rajkummar Rao and Wamiqa Gabbi alongside public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam. The trio won Rs 12.5 lakh for charity. Interestingly, they still had two lifelines remaining when the episode ended because time ran out. Likewise, comedians Varun Grover, Gaurav Kapoor and Gaurav Gupta won Rs 12.5 lakh. Earlier, sporting legends Mary Kom and Sunil Chhetri also finished with the same amount. Is Rs 12.5 lakh becoming an unofficial finishing line for celebrity appearances? Not quite. ChatGPT says in 2001, Sachin Tendulkar and Madhuri Dixit raised Rs 1 crore between them for Gujarat earthquake relief. In 2022, Aamir Khan, accompanied by two Army officers, won Rs 50 lakh for charity. Riteish Deshmukh and Genelia D’Souza won Rs 25 lakh in 2021. So what explains the recurring Rs 12.5 lakh figure? Unlike ordinary contestants, who may return in subsequent episodes, celebrity guests generally appear in specially scheduled programmes. Their time is divided between answering questions, sharing anecdotes, promoting causes and interacting with Big B. Consequently, the clock can become a bigger obstacle than the questions themselves. Perhaps the real question is not why celebrities fail to become crorepatis, but whether celebrity episodes are designed more for entertainment and awareness than chasing the jackpot.

The political scene in Maharashtra is presently dominated by several predictions from different sides about the merger of the two factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). While the original party’s founder Sharad Pawar is resting at his Mumbai residence, leaders from both factions have been calling on him. However, none is able to say what Pawar exactly wishes. His daughter has declared that the issue has ended for her the moment her cousin and the splinter group leader Ajit Pawar, deputy CM died in a plane crash in February this year. On the other hand, the NCP (Ajit) state president Sunil Tatkare has called on Pawar after a prolonged meeting with deputy CM Sunetra Ajit Pawar. But Tatkare, too, is unable to say anything concrete. Sunetra has quipped that things will be clear as and when they take a definite shape. The main issue is whether to go along with the BJP or merge with the other faction. An influential section of the NCP (Ajit) is in favour of continuing with the NDA while several MLAs loyal to Sharad Pawar are in two minds, it is said. Meanwhile, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has added to the suspense by declaring that no merger of the two NCP factions will be possible unless the BJP was consulted first. Repeated closed-door meetings with Union home minister Amit Shah by both NCP functionaries have added to the anxiety of many.

A political-lingual controversy over the celebration of the Chhath Pooja has erupted in Mumbai, hinting at its impact on the Uttar Pradesh assembly election to be held early next year. The main date for this year’s Chhath is Sunday, 15 November, which is the Sandhya Arghya, the evening offering. The verbal clash is intensified as Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray has accused the ruling BJP of deliberately instigating the controversy in view of the UP polls. The atmosphere was already tense in the metropolis over the playing of Bhojpuri songs at Wadala railway station in central Mumbai. The Shiv Sena (UBT) lodged a complaint with railway authorities and warned of protests if the practice continued. Several individuals and organisations have jumped into the battle of words. Some parties have demanded that the festival be organised in artificial ponds to prevent pollution at beaches and riverbanks. The Mumbai High Court had earlier refused permission to hold the Chhath celebrations at Girgaon chowpatty in south Mumbai. However, a large congregation is on the cards at Juhu chowpatty in the western suburbs. The traffic police department has already announced certain restrictions for Sunday, that being the principal day of the festival. The BJP and the Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde), meanwhile, have accused Opposition parties of attempting to create a Marathi versus non-Marathi divide for political gains. They have pointed out that people belonging to different castes, religions and regions have been living together in Maharashtra. The authorities are on the alert, awaiting the state government’s decision.

At the Diwali Milan for journalists at BJP HQ, Home Minister Amit Shah was apparently a style statement in understatement. He reportedly played down the rash of errors– about a total of 55 — in Sonia Gandhi’s memoir, Belonging: A Journey Of Love. He dismissed that the mistakes weren’t a big deal. However, what he found odd was that the Congress leader should have gone to great lengths to build a defence for her husband and former PM Rajiv Gandhi and his role in the Emergency. “Everyone knows Rajivji had no role in the Emergency. It was Sanjay Gandhi who played a key role. Rajivji was a pilot. In fact, most of the time — Rajivji and Soniaji were perhaps travelling outside the country,” he was quoted as saying. When Shah was asked to comment on Sonia’s observation in her memoir that PM Modi had made no eye contact with her, he remarked that this was quite possible as PM Modi has had no formal meeting with her since she held no office — she  was not Leader of  the Opposition like Mallikarjun Kharge (Rajya Sabha) or Rahul Gandhi (Lok Sabha ) but only a Rajya Sabha MP. He also suggested that the government was considering the possibility of having a special Parliament Session to pass the delimitation bill — that is increase number of Lok Sabha seats across states. Such buzz as usual has annoyed the Congress. A 3-day special session of the Parliament ahead of Winter Session could simply upset Rahul Gandhi’s travel plans to the U.S. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh warns such a delimitation bill would be defeated once again just as it was in April this year.

PM Narendra Modi created political flutter of sorts when he conveyed Diwali greetings to his once bitter critic Sam Pitroda soon after the Chicago-based Indian Overseas Congress chief described him as a “Gujarati friend”. “Happy Diwali and Nutan Varsh Abhinandan to you Sam Bhai and to Anjana Ben. Praying for a joyful and healthy year ahead. Jai Jagannath,” Modi said in a post on X.  Pitroda, a close associate of LoP Rahul Gandhi, said that Modi is a Gujarati friend and he respects him as a person. Hailing from Odisha, Pitroda said he and his wife had met Modi in the past and that the PM had been very warm towards them. “I have nothing against Mr Modi as a Gujarati leader, friend or well-wisher. He has been very warm towards me, and I appreciate that. Similarly, I have been to his house in Gujarat several times,” said Pitroda. Pitroda’s words of praise for Modi stunned the Congress circles — that too just days ahead of Rahul’s visit to the U.S. In fact, only recently Pitroda had given out details about Rahul’s U.S. tour. Such as   how he was going to have a fireside chat in Columbia University on Nov 17 focussing on global student’s movements, perhaps briefing them about his SIR protests in Delhi. Was Pitroda merely trying to please the diaspora in the U.S.? Or has he really fallen out with the Gandhis?  Otherwise there was no reason for Pitroda to cosy up to Modi. Maybe Pitroda did have good reason to sulk as he finds no mention in Sonia’s book. Nor do many Rajiv loyalists who made his team.

Tata Power—or TP Central Odisha Distribution Ltd (TPCODL), which operates four power distribution companies in Odisha—is back in the headlines. Reportedly, over 4,000 contractual power sector workers under the banner of the Odisha Bidyut Contract Workers ‘Milita Manch’ have extended their 41-day hunger protest at PMG Square, Bhubaneswar. The protests center on fears of job security within the outsourced power distribution system, opposition to tender-based layoffs, and sudden dismissals following shifts to private or third-party contractors. However, TPCODL CEO Gajanan Kale has clarified that no employees have been retrenched. According to Kale, out of 15,300 contractual staff at TPCODL, only 374 workers were identified for regulatory redeployment, with about 200 already assigned to new roles. TPCODL has urged the protesting workers to return to their duties by November 15, 2026.

While the trade-off between Hardik Pandya, with the all-rounder going to Mohali, and Arshdeep Singh to MI Paltan has made headlines, Suryakumar Yadav’s telling statement about the importance of the Mumbai cap and India cap, when juxtaposed against the IPL, did not get the attention it deserved. In a panel discussion at a Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) celebration function on November 10, the 360% batter who had a good run in the men in blue colours (Twenty20 format) — in fact at two back-to-back ICC Twenty20 World Cups — drove home a point that a typical Mumbai cricketer grinding it out at the maidans would be keen and eager to play first for Mumbai and India. Yadav, who sports the MI colours, believed that the State and the Country come first. Yadav converted a title-winning shot off South African David Miller in the ICC Twenty20 World Cup final into a “title-winning catch for his own team” in Bridgetown in 2024 and two years later led the men in blue to a win in Ahmedabad. Yadav knows too well what it is like to play for India with thousands in the stands watching live action and millions on the small screen at home. What Yadav meant was that nothing is more overwhelming than playing for, in his case, Mumbai and India. After being dropped like a hot potato for the Ranji Trophy league phase, Yadav was in a chirpy mood, being made captain of the Mumbai team for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Twenty20 tournament. A good run with the bat would perhaps facilitate his entry into the Mumbai team across formats, but on the day the MCA feted its T20 Mumbai League winners, Yadav hit the nail on the head — the ultimate goal is to play for the State and the Country.

Has Rahul Gandhi shed his tentative, pappu moniker and immature self-image to gradually emerge a power to reckon with? Apart from his new found aggression and confidence to precipitate issues, he is getting a number of compulsive promo props including his powerful mother’s Tell It All autobiography, a timely unveiling planned and strategised to give his bid to top post, significant ballast. Sonia Gandhi’s political and image strategist have sprung a powerful tell it all, aimed at bringing back India’s First Family and their bid for reconquering Camelot. Her biography  Belonging: A Journey Of Love is said to divulge several family interpersonal events. Rahul already has a leg up in his lineage…three distinct and powerful PMs who wrote and wrought the destiny of a fledgling nation. One laid the foundation and format for a socialist nation, its political alignments and a vision for equity in equality. The second and the most impactful PM who heralded a new power, to take it globally. The third, many called Accidental …forced by circumstances and a party behemoth that needed the brand to stay in power and bid for continuity. And then Camelot slipped from this First Family’s grasp. A new order headed by a canny, savvy, and artful chieftain inherited a nation full of contradictions and controversies. Coming full circle, it is now time to bid for a new Camelot. Rahul Gandhi is emerging as a contender. Today’s news headlines carried photo of a loving father and a doting son, hugging. Immediately dredging up a horrifying event …the father blown to pieces and a son’s irrevocable loss. Is Rahul’s déjà vu premonition at work…his bid for PM?

Eetha, the Laxman Utekar-directed musical drama starring Shraddha Kapoor in a role inspired by legendary Marathi Lavani and Tamasha artist Vithabai Bhau Mang Narayangaonkar, has struggled to generate meaningful excitement since its teaser and trailer drops. Despite the director’s recent success with Chhaava and the solid backing of Maddock Films, the film’s niche cultural subject, rooted deeply in Maharashtra’s folk traditions, has not translated into widespread mass curiosity outside core audiences. Lavani may be vibrant and colourful, but it lacks the pan-India pull. Shraddha Kapoor is not yet a solo open-day powerhouse in the league of legends such as Madhuri Dixit or Sridevi. Her last major theatrical outing was the horror-comedy Stree 2, and a period musical drama built around a regional folk artist is a significant tonal and commercial departure. Eetha was originally locked for an August 28, 2026 release before being postponed, first to avoid other clashes and now landing on December 4. That date has now become a serious problem. Salman Khan’s war drama Maatrubhumi (earlier titled Battle of Galwan) has locked the same day. A typical big-ticket Salman release commands substantial screen space, strong advance interest, and the kind of media oxygen that smaller or mid-range films simply cannot match. In a clash, multiplex and single-screen allocation will almost inevitably tilt toward the bigger star vehicle, leaving Eetha with reduced shows, weaker visibility, and an uphill battle for opening-day footfalls. Given the limited pre-release traction, the subject’s regional flavour, and Shraddha’s current box-office stature, the sudden arrival of a high-profile Salman Khan film on the identical date has turned an already cautious trade outlook into one of genuine concern. Many in the trade believe the clash could prove decisive.

The Mumbai Police have advised Bollywood actors to stay away from crowded public places and fan gatherings. The advisory follows after the October firing on Tiger Shroff’s car in Juhu and a chain of incidents earlier that had already frayed nerves: the attack outside Rohit Shetty’s Juhu home, the murder of Baba Siddique and repeated threats linked to the Lawrence Bishnoi network. Security teams have tightened protocols; some stars now greet fans from behind protective barriers. The message from the police was clear; crowds create vulnerability and the industry has taken it seriously. Yet the same climate of fear has created an opening for a different kind of threat. Small-time operators and opportunistic freelancers, sensing panic, have begun impersonating the very gangs the police are watching. They do not need weapons or local networks; a voice note, a claim of gang affiliation, and a demand for crores are enough. The case of Ayushmann Khurrana illustrates the pattern. A 30-year-old Bengaluru-based IT engineer, Vaibhav Mishra, allegedly sent threatening Instagram audio messages to Khurrana and Tusshar Kapoor, posing as an associate of the Bishnoi gang and demanding large sums. Police found no genuine link to the syndicate; the messages appear to have been an attempt to cash in on the fear generated by the Tiger Shroff shooting. Mishra has since been arrested and remanded to judicial custody, with investigators still checking whether similar threats reached other celebrities. The Ayushmann episode shows how easily a digitally savvy individual can borrow the language of organised crime to extract money or simply spread panic. For the industry, the practical result is the same: heightened insecurity, restricted movement, and a new calculus in which every public outing now carries both physical and reputational risk.