The task ahead for the state-owned aluminium behemoth, the National Aluminium Company (NALCO) is cut out, after it parted ways with Rio Tinto as it refused to share proprietary smelter technology. NALCO is now looking out for a new partner. Sources say finding a new partner will delay its 0.5 mtpa greenfield aluminium smelter plant by 6-8 months. The buzz is that at least two Chinese companies (GAMI and CHINALCO), a Russian major RUSAL and Dubai Aluminium Company are in the fray to bag the Rs 17,000 crore order to provide smelter technology. Interestingly, CHINALCO is also the single largest shareholder in Rio Tinto, a British-Australian MNC. All the four companies are keen to partner NALCO as it has chalked up ambitious expansion plans. Sources say, NALCO has plenty of options to pick up a global partner. For now, the speculation is NALCO aims to commission its aluminium smelter and captive power plant by 2030. The total cost of NALCO’s expansion plan is pegged at Rs 30,000 crore which includes new refineries, smelter, mine operations and captive power plants of 1080 MW. NALCO will use a mix of debt and internal accruals to fund the expansion besides, also exploring possibilities of roping in Coal India and NTPC for power plant projects.

A new formula for public agitations is likely to emerge following the conclusion of the Maratha reservation demand stir led by its proponent Manoj Jarange Patil in Mumbai. Thousands of his followers camped in the metropolis, paralysing south Mumbai activities. Tonnes of food and thousands of drinking water bottles started pouring into Mumbai to feed the protestors from all parts of Maharashtra. So much so that, after Jarange’s departure, it became a challenge for the civic authorities to dispose of the food stocks. Taking a cue, former MLA Bachchu Kadu has asked his followers to prepare for a similar agitation in the near future. Kadu has asked his followers in a Bhandara meeting that they should mobilise funding for arranging vehicles and carry five kilos of rice and wheat to prepare for staying over in Mumbai for a week or so. No timeline or even a specific plan has been announced by him though the possibility persists. Another major issue now is the Dharavi slum rehabilitation project, perhaps the largest such in the world. The Adani group is handling it. There are many complaints that the project affected people are not being given due justice. A Shiv Sena leader, Baburao Mane, has hinted of organising a mass protest on the lines of the Maratha agitation. He, too, is yet to outline a plan of action. However, it seems that a new formula for expressing opposition is emerging.

It seems Anil Agarwal-run Vedanta Group’s wait to mine nine million tonnes of bauxite annually to feed its Lanjigarh refinery in Odisha is now getting longer. That’s because the consent for giving the go ahead is in the hands of the local tribal community. This is evident because the Union Environment Ministry has postponed its decision on Vedanta’s proposal to divert over 700 hectares of Odisha forest for bauxite mining at Rayagada and Kalahandi districts. It may be mentioned that the Odisha High Court has made it clear that affected communities must be taken into confidence before giving clearance to Vedanta Group. Sources say, the key trigger for postponing decision making pertains to concerns raised by local tribes before the Odisha High Court. In fact, the Odisha High Court has flagged allegations of fraudulent Gram Sabha resolutions supporting Vedanta’s mining project. This is why the High Court is insisting on community consent before giving green signal.  Additionally, it also needs to settle issues concerning overlapping compensatory afforestation sites, submit detailed soil erosion control plans, address ecological concerns since the mining project falls under elephant’s habitat area which requires a secured pathway for elephant’s movements.

Inban Udhayanidhi is all of 20 years of age even as he moves in as CEO of Red Giant Movies, a production and distribution company, incubated and grown by his father Udhayanidhi Stalin, now deputy CM of Tamil Nadu. In just 17 years, Red Giant emerged as a near monopoly in terms of its scale and reach. Inba, as he is informally called by his closest friends, has the provenance of politics, power and privilege, a DNA soaked in cinematic and political wealth. WunderbarFilms and Don Pictures combined production, soon to be on screen, Idli Kadai directed and lead by Dhanush is the first film to be distributed under Inban Udhayanidhi’s watch. Don’t be irreverent to this banal title …Idli Kadai (idli shop). Dhanush is known to choose powerful themes and dramatic storytelling. Idli Kadai marketed and promoted by Red Giant is expected to strike that Midas touch too, with push and pull from this well-known political family. The news is that Inban is simultaneously being coached and trained in acting, another legacy from his father who could orchestrate his film and family status with agility. In a state where cinema and politics are de rigueur as environmental interests, Inba has his play station all mapped and pegged. Red Giant’s popularity hit a high in 2010 when all four of its distributed films… Vinnaithaandi Varuvaya, Madrasapattinam, Boss Engira Bhaskaran and Myna became popular hits. Since 2022, film promos could no longer use Udhayanidhi’s name as he was Minister for Youth Welfare and Sports. Inban Udhayanidhi inherited the reins. Ah, the inscrutable ways of destiny.

A fresh controversy has erupted in Tollywood with the list of names proposed for the Bengali film review committee, to be submitted in the High Court as part of an ongoing case between a section of filmmakers and the Federation of Cine Technicians and Workers of Eastern India (FCTWEI). The proposed panel has left out practicing Bengali directors, sparking sharp discontent within the industry. The development comes close on the heels of West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s directive to single screen and multiplexes to screen Bengali films in primetime. While the order was widely welcomed, insiders now argue that the celebratory mood is being eclipsed by what they describe as a snub to local talent. One of the petitioners, director Indranil Roychowdhury maintained that Kolkata insiders could be influenced and therefore only nationally reputed figures from outside Bengal should be included. The proposed list features directors Dibakar Banerjee, Konkona Sen Sharma, Nandita Das, Adil Hussain, Nagraj Manjule and Hansal Mehta. A senior director, requesting anonymity, pointed out that earlier committees had stalwarts like Prabhat Roy and Haranath Chakraborty, but the new list excludes Tollywood filmmakers. He questioned whether Bengali directors were being treated as outsiders in their own industry. The Calcutta High Court has requested a final committee list by September 8. Information & Broadcasting Secretary Shantanu Basu has been tasked with drawing it up, based on names submitted separately by the 13 petitioner directors and the Federation. Questions have also arisen over whether institutions like SRFTI can serve as committee members, and who will bear the costs of bringing in outstation experts.

It was the audio launch of the just released Sivakarthikeyan film Madharaasi. No point in asking why this title (time was when all south of the Vindhyas were Madrasis often parodied by comedian Mehmood). Sivakarthikeyan did not need aide memoirs or pre coded script to grip audience attention …his TV anchor days experience seamlessly slipped into his hero status on stage. He was all praise for director AR Murugadoss (ARM) and the hit films Deena, Ramana, Ghazni and Thuppakki ..headlined by Thala Ajith, Suriya, Vijay  and late Vijayakanth, …each one moulded by ARM to portray powerful roles and make hit films. SK’s praise for the ARM acting method was not stage “feel good” acclaim. The vacancy left by Vijay (riding into politics) and Thala Ajith (adrenaline amped up race cars) were waiting to be filled. Naturally, SK, the romantic comedian hero, has set his sights on an action hero mould …how Madharaasi will catapult him to this fighter mode depends on how powerful his transition is …his Amaran was praised as a classic.  Madharaasi’s story is about guns brought in containers to be stored in a factory for future mayhem in TN. This danger needs a suicidal hero to put his life on the line. “I took steroids to replicate an intense craze driven look.” This simple Simon who talks without rancour recalls his struggling aspiring days …even water wouldn’t be given for those who knock on film doors. Today, they ask me Sir , some juice, cake? I have Tamannaah to my left and Samantha on my right…a distraction when I failed to notice Dhanush in the front row. SK has now overtaken his finder, Dhanush. Is SK destined to ride the crest of cinema without borders?

At the top level, ICICI Bank UK seems to witness a lot of people movement. The latest to quit is Sanya Puri, branch head, ICICI Bank UK Plc Manchester after nearly 14 years of service with the bank in Manchester where she started as operations officer. Puri, who started her career with HDFC Bank moved to the UK in 2011. She has now moved out of the banking space to venture into the information technology arena. The 39-year old has joined 42Gears Mobility Systems (UK) Ltd as their Associate Director – Channel Sales for UK and Europe market. The company has a customer base in more than 170 countries and has pioneered cloud solutions. Sanya joins this sector as Manchester is now recognised as the big hub of Tech innovation in the UK. She follows several top leaders at ICICI who have either resigned or have not returned to India on completion of their term in the UK to explore different opportunities in the corporate world in the UK. Sanya, B Com from Panjab University did her MBA in marketing and finance from Amity University. Her successful track record of overseeing and managing a large portfolio of clients is expected to hold in good stead in the new assignment.

Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar’s angry tiff with a young female police officer has been followed by countless messages deploring his outburst. Moreover, there are many who have demanded to know if a minister has authority to challenge police action in this manner. Though all political leaders dish out sage advice that the administration should be left to free to operate, very few behave accordingly. Actually, there are frequent interferences by political leaders in the working of the bureaucracy. Pawar’s show of ire has revived the memories of a stern action taken by daredevil IPS officer Ashok Kamte many years ago in Solapur where he was posted at the time. Situated along the Maharashtra border with Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, Solapur is a town where multiple languages are spoken. Some bigwigs from the two states reside in Solapur. One of them was Ravikant Patil, a Janata Party MLA from Indi in Bijapur district of Karnataka. One night, the police received a complaint that deafening noise was being created by firecrackers at Patil’s bungalow late in the night to celebrate his birthday. When a police party reached there to halt the disturbance, Patil became aggressive. Learning this, Kamte rushed to the spot and tried to reason with Patil but instead had to face a violent response. Enraged, he caught Patil by collar and dragged him to the police station. ‘Kamte ka Danda, Solapur Thanda’ became the norm in Solapur till he was there. Unfortunately, Kamte was killed along with Hemant Karkare and Vijay Salaskar, two other ace police bosses by Pakistani terrorists during the 2008 Mumbai attack. His memories still linger.

The Sengottaiyan rebellion has been contained. But it was an image hit for Edappadi K Palaniswami who has been stubborn in keeping out his old benefactors in the AIADMK party that was once controlled by J Jayalalithaa and manipulated by her aide Sasikala. Having lost all relevance in politics after the death of their golden goose, Sasikala, her protégé O Panneerselvam, who was twice interim CM, and her nephew TTV Dhinakaran have been desperate to leverage what is left of the Jaya legacy in the party, but to no avail as Palaniswami has been sticking to his guns. The DMK may have been enjoying this from the sidelines, but it is known to have quietly been turning the screws in the belief that it may be the sole beneficiary of any split in the vote. While joining Vijay of TVK is an option, it is unlikely that the new entrant will want any of the old baggage to be associated with his fledgling organisation. The DMK will, however, be quite happy to encourage the rebel AIADMK brigade to stand on their own under the flag of the AMMK party founded by Dhinakaran. This will be a sure shot way of testing the loyalties of the AIADMK cadre and splitting their votes so DMK will remain ahead in any equation in the polls.

The Congress may be basking on the “success” of its Vote Adhikar Yatra in Bihar but one tweet by its Kerala unit on GST saw the party apologise. A political storm was kicked up by the controversial tweet drawing a parallel between Bihar and bidis in an attempt to mock the BJP over latest GST reforms lowering GST on bidi from 28% to 18%. The Congress’s Kerala unit wrote, “Bidis and Bihar start with B. Cannot be considered sin anymore”. The tweet was deleted soon after RJD leader Tejaswi Yadav phoned Rahul Gandhi to contain the damage following backlash in social media. The Congress issued an apology on X and said that the jibe was twisted. “We see that our jibe at Modi’s election gimmick with GST rates is being twisted. Our apologies if you felt hurt.” The now-deleted post, which appeared to deride the state, triggered sharp reactions from the BJP and its ally, the JD(U), who accused the Congress of insulting the people of Bihar, a state headed for polls before November. The government’s action on bidis was apparently inspired by the RSS-linked Swadeshi Jagran Manch which wrote to finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, saying that the 28% GST had hit employment in the registered sector of bidi manufacturing. This had also caused hardships for workers in unregistered beedi production units. The GST on tendu leaves used to make bidis has been reduced from 18% to 5%.

An advertisement about a proposed real estate project in Neral in Raigad district of Maharashtra has triggered a fierce debate with its critics calling it “a Halal Township.” After a controversy snowballed, the builder has taken down the ad. Saying that it was planned to be developed around 100 km from Mumbai, the ad has invited various political and legal lashings. The controversy erupted after the promotional advertisement described it as a “Halal Lifestyle Township.” The audio-visual campaign features a hijab-clad woman. The project will provide an environment for like-minded families, with prayer spaces, community gatherings and a safe atmosphere for children, the developer has promised. However, there are adverse murmurs from within the Muslim community, too. For instance, All India Muslim Jamaat National President Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi has criticised the use of the word ‘Halal’ in the project and said that it was an attempt to “spread hatred” in society. By using such a name, an attempt is being made to send out a particular kind of message, and that the builders and people involved in this are not working to unite society, rather to spread hatred and create division, he complained. The video was first shared by Priyank Kanoongo, former chairperson of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR). The Maharashtra government has been issued a notice over the matter, he has said.

Once upon a time driving an auto rickshaw in Thane to earn his living, Maharashtra’s transport minister Pratap Sarnaik is today among the wealthiest politicians in the state. Sarnaik is the second rickshaw driver to reach dizzying heights in politics. The first is his boss, deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde. He, too, is from Thane. But Sarnaik now has a unique distinction in India. He is the first Tesla car buyer in the country. The vehicle was handed over at the Tesla Experience Centre in Mumbai’s Bandra Kurla Complex on Friday (Sep 5). Soon thereafter, Sarnaik shared his photos with a gleaming white Model Y. The car’s ex-showroom price begins at around Rs 60 lakh for the Rear Wheel Drive type and nearly Rs 68 lakh for the Long Range RWD. “I plan to use this Tesla to drop my grandson off at school so that more people see it, learn about electric vehicles and are encouraged to adopt them,” Sarnaik says. He gained fame when he was in the Nationalist Congress Party in 2008. He presented his then leader Ajit Pawar, a diamond studded mobile phone, said to be costing Rs 15 lakh. After becoming an MLA in 2009, Sarnaik’s assets have increased by leaps and bounds. Over the years, he has travelled through different parties. It may be recalled that the ED were questioning him in a Rs 5,600 crore fraud at the NSEL and had even attached his assets worth Rs 11.35 crore. He crossed over to Shinde from Uddhav Sena and the probe is on the back burner since then. He flaunts his Bollywood connections and prominent film personalities make it a point to attend his annual Dahi Handi events.

The war of words between BJP leader and actor Mithun Chakraborty and TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh has now escalated into a full-blown legal battle, with Mithun slapping a Rs 100-crore defamation suit on Ghosh. The BJP star accused Ghosh of launching a politically motivated smear campaign by linking him to chit fund scam, alleging he joined the BJP to escape investigation, dragging his son into a rape case, and even questioning his wife’s financial dealings. Mithun said the remarks were “false, baseless and malicious,” tarnishing his image as a Padma Bhushan and Dadasaheb Phalke awardee, while also costing him film and advertising projects. Seeking damages and a bar on future comments, he has deposited the maximum Rs 50,000 court fee. Ghosh, however, remained defiant. He retorted that a person with true honour would not switch political sides repeatedly and added that the matter would be settled in court. He claimed he too has filed a case against Mithun, vowing to expose the actor’s alleged connections with four to five chit fund companies and demanding a CBI probe. Taking the fight a step further, Ghosh invoked the “Rajeev Kumar model,” referencing his face-to-face grilling with the former Kolkata Police Commissioner during the Saradha probe in Shillong. He announced he would ask the court to similarly confront Mithun under CBI supervision. Once close allies, the duo’s relationship soured after 2011, and today their personal fallout has turned into a high-stakes political slugfest.

It may seem odd that the 56th GST Council meeting headed by FM Nirmala Sitharaman and state FMs which met for nearly 12 hours could clear the two-slab GST 2.0 reforms on a single day, but will be rolled out only from September 22 (Navratri begins)? Is the Modi government waiting for an auspicious start? The government is not waiting out the austere period of pitru paksha. Official sources say that the government was not really following a Hindu calendar and explained that the roll-out would need preparation of about 150 circulars and this would require working on the details, It was for this reason alone FM Sitharaman had refused to give any media interviews. And ironically, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, who had more to do with the failed Indo-US trade deal, was all over TV talking about it. Meanwhile, some details have emerged about how Sitharaman and her team fought and won the September 3 high-stakes late-night battle, with Opposition-ruled states digging in their heels. According to sources, opposition-ruled West Bengal, Punjab, Kerala, and Karnataka strongly opposed rate cuts, citing fear of revenue loss. The meeting, slated to end by 7 pm, dragged late into the night, stretching beyond 9.30 pm. While Punjab and West Bengal eventually softened their stance, Kerala and Karnataka held firm, insisting on concrete assurances from the Centre on compensation. Some even pressed that the decision be postponed till the next day. At this point, Sitharaman told the gathering she was ready to sit through the night if needed, but relief for the people could not wait another day. It was the idea of voting if consensus wasn’t possible that made Kerala and Karnataka eventually climb down.

The BJP central leadership is apparently running out of patience with former Tamil Nadu BJP President K Annamalai. He was among a handful of leaders — nearly all past party chiefs of Tamil Nadu — who were asked to reach Delhi for a meeting this week with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP chief JP Nadda for a discussion on TN assembly elections next year. Barring Vice-President candidate CP Radhakrishnan, who was also TN BJP chief, all were expected to join the meeting. Nadda had apparently phoned Annamalai to ensure he attended the meeting. However, Annamalai, who has been sulking since the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, seemed to have other plans. Not only did he fail to show up, but also shared on X how he was preoccupied with some wedding receptions rather than attending party work. During a recent visit to TN, Shah had advised him to focus on party work. So had FM Nirmala Sitharaman, who had suggested that he give up factionalism and take everyone along. Annamalai had resented Nirmala’s suggestion so much that he had even launched a campaign against her for poking her nose in TN affairs. Delhi leaders were shocked as the FM had no stake in TN and had acted only on Shah’s behalf. BJP sources now feel Annamalai is so upset with the AIADMK-BJP pact, he will now do anything to emerge as a spoiler, halting the AIADMK-BJP in its tracks. Annamalai is aware that AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami’s tours are a big draw now and can’t tolerate a fellow Gounder (a OBC caste) doing so politically well. BJP feels he may try to bail out the DMK or Vijay’s TVK as a vote spoiler.

At the GST Council Meeting, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman bust the myth that the Centre would continue to prop up states for revenue loss while rolling out GST reforms. The minister who had at the start of her media briefing thanked every member state for making it possible to roll out the two slab  GST — 5 % and 18 % — made it clear that as far as “loss of revenue” was concerned it wouldn’t be just the states that would lose revenue, even  the Centre would see a drop in earnings. “The Centre may be a one-third partner. The states put together can be two-thirds partners. But we are all in it together. So, anything that is gained or lost is for everybody. It’s not as if states have lost. If all of us have lost, all of us have lost…In the GST Council, the Centre and the states are together in it. Nobody is a donor and nobody is a done…” The new GST slab would be effective from September 22, the first day of Navratri. Sin goods will continue at the existing rates of 28% GST and compensation cess, where applicable, till the loan and interest payment obligations under the compensation cess account are completely discharged. Once it is cleared it will be40% GST for sin goods. All states unanimously voted in favour of GST rationalisation, as the collective intent was to provide relief to common man. When mocked about the 40% tax on sin goods by the Congress, Sitharaman couldn’t help asking if the Congress was demanding 5% GST on tobacco and gutkha?  She pointed out how the Congress could not implement GST while in office as it was not trusted by anyone.

Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has emerged unscathed and stronger post the Maratha agitation that disrupted Mumbai and challenged his leadership. The Maratha stir for reservations was seen as an attempt to embarrass Fadnavis’ government and it did falter badly initially attracting even the ire of the Mumbai High Court. The Maratha stir did test the Mahayuti government’s resilience, its stability and coalition strength as fears arose about the stir being pitchforked to destabilise Fadnavis government on the verge of upcoming local self-government polls. The chief minister seemed to lack vocal support from his own coalition partners who clearly chose to weigh in with the politically influential Maratha lobby. The Opposition too was unsparing with its jibes. Supriya Sule of the NCP-SP chided him for having broken her party and her family, while Sharad Pawar kept pushing the ball to the Centre recommending amendments. But, Fadnavis managed to end the stir, bring Mumbai back to normalcy and save his own leadership by giving away very little; the demanded government resolution may not withstand legal scrutiny, suggest legal hawks. Fadnavis may have faltered in handling the stir but he did manage to end it well on his own terms. He refused to meet the agitators and went about attending to Amit Shah on his two-day visit, attending to his duties and even visiting Ganesh pandals in Mumbai during the stir. Fadnavis managed to take the credit for facilitating reservations for the Marathas while his Maratha deputies were relegated to the sidelines. While giving up his fast, Manoj Jarange Patil meekly did mention his wish to withdraw stir in front of the CM and two deputy CMs. He gave in after realizing the government was in no further mood to entertain him.

Tamil Nadu Congress MP Sudha Ramakrishnan is much relieved to have got back the chain that was snatched from her during morning walk in Chanakyapuri’s diplomatic enclave early August.  It took the Delhi Police two days to crack the case and nab the culprit. However, the process of recovering the stolen ornament via Patiala court was a bit long drawn. Reminiscing about the special place the chain had in her life she said she always wore it only because of the Tirupati Balaji pendant. She had bought it with her hard-earned money when she started out as a lawyer “I hold the pendant very close to my heart. I bought it from Vummidi Bangaru in Chennai.” It is the same place from where the Modi government had got Sengol for the Lok Sabha in 2023. “In fact, soon after I lost it, friends were telling me that I will never find it as the chain-snatchers normally melt the ornaments. I was so disheartened that I had promised myself never to bother praying to Balaji if I didn’t get my pendant back. Next day, I received a call from Delhi Police, asking me to reach the court.” In Patiala House she was apparently shown an array of different gold chains and pendants. “That’s when I realised, I was probably blessed as an MP.” As per Delhi Police data, 2,503 cases of snatching occurred in the Capital in the first six months of this year.

It is believed that Jagdeep Dhankhar is merely biding his time to lash out against Modi government next week for his sudden exit as Vice-President of India on July 21. He will apparently speak up on September 10, that is a day after the Vice-President’s election on September 9. Just to puncture the celebratory mood in the NDA camp over the possible victory margin in the vice-presidential election of CP Radhakrishnan.  A month after he stepped down as V-P, Dhankhar recently vacated his official residence and moved into a farmhouse owned by Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) chief Abhay Chautala in Delhi’s Chattarpur Enclave, a stop-gap arrangement till he gets an alternative official accommodation. The choice of the farmhouse by Dhankhar is being projected as a political statement. The ties between Dhankhar and the Chautalas go back nearly 40 years, to 1989, when Abhay’s grandfather Devi Lal – Haryana’s foremost Jat leader and then chief minister – identified the young lawyer from Rajasthan as a potential “leader”. In turn, Dhankhar, also a Jat, always referred to Devi Lal as his “mentor”.  Dhankhar’s association with the Chautalas began when he caught Devi Lal’s eye for organising reportedly 500 vehicles from Rajasthan for a rally held on September 25, 1989, to mark Devi Lal’s birthday, at Boat Club near India Gate. In the 1989 Lok Sabha elections, Devi Lal offered Dhankhar the Janata Dal ticket from the Jhunjhunu Lok Sabha seat, and actively campaigned for him. Dhankhar, now it is learnt, is going to be chief guest at Devi Lal Farmers rally in Jhind on September 25. where he is likely to reveal his political mind. There are speculations Jayant Choudhary, a minister in Modi govt may join Dhankhar rally? Looks like Dhankhar wants to lead Jat movement in north India.

At a time when the Modi government is thinking of handing a bonanza to the Indian consumers and kickstarting the economy, the Opposition is already thinking of ways and means to create hurdles. At a meeting convened at Karnataka Bhavan in New Delhi, 8 eight Opposition ruled states resolved to demand protection of their revenue interests when the GST rationalisation exercise comes up before the GST Council at its 56th meeting on September 3-4. The biggest cut in GST is expected now, and apprehensions about revenue losses to states have surfaced. These states estimate a revenue loss to be around Rs 50,000 crore during this financial year and nearly Rs 1.5 lakh crore next financial year. While NDA-ruled states are backing the Centre’s strategy of cutting GST, the Opposition-ruled states do not want to grapple with potential revenue losses, especially at a time when Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Kerala are heading for Assembly elections. Besides, the Congress has a political problem with GST cuts. That is because the GST cuts were part of PM Modi’s Independence Day speech when he promised GST cuts on items used by common people as a Diwali bonanza. The Opposition states are demanding a 5-year compensation for the rate cut, the sort of compensation that they received when GST was introduced in 2017.  Congress leader Jairam Ramesh demanded compensation to all states for a period of five years with 2024-25 as the base year, since their revenues are bound to be adversely impacted by the rate cuts. He also wanted additional levies on ‘sin’ and luxury goods over and above the proposed 40% should be fully transferred to states. Today the Centre gets close to 17-18% of its revenue from various cesses that are not shared with the states.

IPL franchises are powerhouses, and they will have their way. Never mind if some great players will have a falling out with them and walk away. In the matter of a few days, Rajasthan Royals saw Rahul Dravid walking away after being offered another role rather than that of the Chief Coach that he valued as the Karnataka cricket brain fancies himself more in team and player management around the cricket rather than as being part of the expanding cricket business. Just a week earlier, another legend in Ravi Ashwin decided to hang up his IPL boots and look for opportunities both on the field in leagues such as the popular Big Bash in Australia and other T20 club competitions. He fell out with his old franchise Chennai Super Kings (CSK) that had picked him up again in an auction, paying a fancy Rs 10 crore for a player who had retired from international cricket. An intelligent player who has made a name as one of the game’s deep thinkers about the game and its demands on technique, would now like to look at a coaching or managerial position in any franchise, if need be outside India. Ashwin fell out with CSK after he had aired thoughts about how much they may have paid “under the table’ for Dewald Brevis who was with Mumbai Indians earlier. The billion-dollar franchise did not take kindly to being called a cheat. And it has reason to fear any illegality as it once lost two years when it was banished from the IPL for one of its owning family members betting on the game. What the fracas at CSK reveals is the IPL franchises are not to be toyed with. They will hire and fire at will.

The soon to be released film Manusi led by singer and talented actor Andrea Jeremiah directed by Aram fame Gopi Nainar has a parallel story of its own to recount before release. Manushi is swinging like a pendulum between the Central Board Of Film Certification Board (CBFC), the filmmakers and the Madras High Court. For added misery to producer Vetrimaaran, the film is ready, yet its public viewing is uncertain. So what’s delaying it? The CBFC is apparently unhappy with the film’s potshots at the government, fiery dialogues and what is apparently seen as a mix up with communist ideology. So Vetrimaaran, approached the CBFC and the Madras HC after several cuts of scenes, dialogues chopped and probably ended up making an impactful film, insipid and inane; falling between two stools. CBFC did not give any certificate so the producer approached the HC. Recently, Sun Pictures’ got ‘A’ certificate for Rajini starrer Coolie. Sun Pictures moved the court to get ‘UA’ instead of ‘A’. Probably the makers wanted the youth and kids to view this masterpiece. The Court promptly set aside the plea. But like the Scottish folklore of Robert Bruce, producer Vetrimaaran try again approach seem to have with the HC. He approached the court, objected to the multiple cuts and changes. This time, Judge Anand Venkatesh watched the movie. He was so moved by Manusi and its portrayal of “the dark underbelly of power”. His review of this film was carried in all media. All one can say is that the learned Judge taught movie reviewers to fully understand the nuances of a film before reviewing it. He also ordered a few changes in the film but more importantly, the CBFC had to issue a certificate for release within two weeks. 

What happens when the bride and groom opt for an ethical living, that too in a muslim wedding? A wedding ceremony in Parappanangadi, Malappuram, Kerala has kicked up a larger social and religious issue, thanks to the unconventional mehr involved — ethical investment. The groom, Farsind, the son of a prominent Islamic scholar and comparative religion expert MM Akbar gifted his bride not the traditional ornaments or cash, but financial shares. And, this novel gesture, rooted in both personal conviction and religious adherence, has sparked admiration, debate and curiosity. In the Islamic custom, the mehr is a gift from the groom to the bride and it forms an integral of the marriage contract. While it often takes the form of gold or cash, religious scholars have long supported the idea that mehr can be anything of value, provided it is agreed upon by both parties. “Minha, the bride, has no interest in gold said Akbar. ‘She preferred something with lasting value and spiritual integrity. As a family we respect that”. The decision was made after consulting both the bride and father, Habeeburahman, who were both aligned in their preference for a more ethically grounded mehr: The mehr comprised 614 shares of four companies — Hyundai Motors, Godrej Agrovet, Nava Ltd and Genesys International — chosen from their alignment with Sharia principles. It did not take long for the couple’s wedding clips to go viral. The video of the family accepting shares struck a chord with netizens. While many applauded the move as a step towards financial literacy and ethical living, it has emerged as a subject for debate especially since it involves the conservative muslim community.

Sixty-one-year old Govinda, who ruled Bollywood throughout the 90s and then saw years of no work, seems to be in the news for all the wrong reasons. The rumours of his divorce from Sunita has been making headlines at regular intervals. While some dismiss it as a publicity stunt, a few film insiders say it’s for real. A few days back there were reports that wife Sunita and her son Yashvardhan were spotted in the family court, Bandra, Mumbai’s western suburb. A few days later paparazzi got an invite from Govinda-Sunita for the Ganpati festival just to indicate all is well between the couple. Not only those close to the couple say that there were issues and Sunita had been vocal about it. And few it’s a publicity stunt to invite attention. Again, people close to Sunita, she did move the court in December 2024 alleging cheating and desertion. During this time there were strong rumours of some Marathi actress entering Govinda’s life. The latest buzz is that counselling is on and the next court hearing is at the end of the year. Ideally, his diehard fans would want Govinda who has acted in over 165 films to make a big comeback and save his marriage. Wishful thinking! 

Odisha is now preparing for the biggest leap in the aviation space thanks to the backing of Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu.  He wants to make flying affordable even for those wearing ‘chappals’.  In months ahead Odisha government is keen to promote sea planes at Chilika and Hirakud dam. In fact, the minister had announced the creation of the Chilika Water airdrome. It also wants to start heli-taxi from Bhubaneswar-Puri as well apart from pursuing Puri International airport which has already received Centres go-ahead. In terms of spread, the Odisha government is planning to develop 14 airports and 15 heliports across districts who are without air connectivity and also convert 22 unused airstrips by upgrading it suitably. The Odisha government also wants to have a world class aviation flying school and training centre at Dhenkanal for tribal girls including UAV training and aero-sports. The Odisha government has already signed a Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) agreement with Mumbai-based Air Works, to establish a state-of-the-art facility at Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar. Sources say this facility will also be used for skill development training and jobs for Odisha youth. In the past 14 months, Odisha has been connected with 15 new destinations already 

It’s not the case of “now or never” for the women in blue team as it targets the ICC 50-over World Cup yet another time, but another opportunity to shine for possibly the near-perfect team chosen for the September – November event to be held in India and Sri Lanka. India’s captain Harmanpreet Kaur has played 26 matches over four World Cups from 2009 in Australia and Smriti Mandhana has played 16 over two World Cups from 2017 and they will be in the vanguard of over a month-long campaign. They along with all-rounder Deepti Sharma would be keen and eager to win the title. The likes of Anjum Chopra, Neetu David, Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami had memorable careers, but the big prize eluded them; Mithali, Jhulan, Harmanpreet, Deepti and Smriti almost got it in 2017 in England. This World Cup will also keep the likes of Richa Ghosh, Jemima Rodrigues, Harleen Deol, Renuka Singh Thakur, Sheh Rana, Yastika Bhatia, Radha Yadav in the centre stage along with newcomers Pratika Rawal, Kranti Gaud, Amanjot Kaur, Arundhati Reddy and Sree Charani. The big miss in this talented list is the flamboyant Shafali Verma who has hit 7x6s and 81x4s in 28 matches. Australia, the 6-time title winner and which enjoys a 20-4 H2H record against India can turn out to be a stumbling block. The other two winners England and New Zealand and South Africa will compete hard for a place in the knockout with Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh, but India which has played 29 matches since January 2024 will fancy its chances. The preparatory three match series at home against Australia can be seen as a dry run.

‘Param Sundari’s opening weekend has put a spotlight back on Siddharth Malhotra’s commercial pull — and the picture isn’t flattering. The film debuted with a Friday of roughly Rs 7.25 crore and, with mixed-to-negative reviews and early controversies (criticism over the portrayal of a Malayali character by Janhavi Kapoor, stereotypical use of Mohiniyattam and jasmine motifs, claims about one song’s origins), is now pegged to finish the weekend near Rs 25 crore. With an estimated production cost of around Rs 50 crore, and reported fees of about Rs 12 crore for Siddharth and Rs 5 crore for Janhvi, theatrical recovery looks challenging unless the film finds strong legs or ancillary revenue. Siddharth’s track record in recent years has been uneven. He has had high points — notably Ek Villain and his supporting turn in Kapoor & Sons — but several solo outings such as Yodha, Thank God, Jabariya Jodi, Mission Majnu, Marjaavaan and others failed to translate into consistent box-office domination. That patchy filmography suggests he is not, at present, a reliably bankable solo star who can guarantee big openings that make producers comfortable taking large commercial bets. In Param Sundari’s case, the controversies and perceived lack of charm relative to mainstream entertainers have clearly dampened audience enthusiasm. The film also invited unfavourable comparisons to more successful masala entertainers like Chennai Express. For Siddharth to reassert himself as a genuine box-office force he needs sharper script choices, stronger director collaborations, and perhaps strategic fee negotiations so producers can allocate more to production and promotion. After Param Sundari he is not a guaranteed box-office anchor. 

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has been having a testing time in its attempts to make Maharashtra’s state festival of Ganeshotsav eco-friendly. Though the Bombay High Court relented on its ban on Plaster of Paris (PoP) idols this year, it insisted that idols below 6 ft must be immersed only in artificial ponds and not in the 70 natural water bodies including lakes, rivers or seashores earmarked for immersions. In a bid to incentivise clay idols, the BMC has been providing free clay to Ganesh idol makers. This year, the BMC also provided free eco-friendly colours to artisans to reduce pollution in water bodies. Over 990 metric tonnes of clay along with 10,800 litres of paint in five different colours were given free to over 500 idol makers in the city to reduce water pollution. For the first time this year, the BMC plans to collect the PoP from the immersed idols from the city’s 288 artificial ponds and process it at a facility at Bhiwandi, close to Mumbai. This follows consultations with over 12 institutions on ways to handle the PoP waste.  Senior officials have already warned that water from these artificial ponds should not be allowed into natural water bodies. Flower waste will be recycled into fertilisers. Considering the scale and popularity of the Ganesh festival, managing environmental concerns has been a huge challenge for the BMC. Last year, the city had seen 1557 community Ganesh idols and over 77,874 households Ganesh being immersed. However, this year, immersions of over 35,000 Ganesh idols have been reported within the very first two days of the festival. 

Pay Rs.500 and cry for an hour in “a safe, non-judgmental space to express emotions.” You can do this at a venue where ‘warm lighting and calming ambience’ will be present. You will be provided with tissues and a cup of tea amidst ‘emotional support music.’ This facility has been advertised by the Cry Club, which has been receiving good response from Mumbaikars. One can visit the therapy at upmarket Linking Road in Bandra West. The concept is not novel. A Healthy Crying Club has been present in Surat, the diamond city of India, since 2017. Delhi, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad also are reported to be hosting informal vulnerability circles inspired by Ruikatsu, a Japanese concept on which the concept is based. Ruikatsu means ‘tear activity’ or ‘tear-seeking.’ It has been designed as a wellness trend. Undergoing this, one is encouraged to perform an intentional act of crying. The crying person experiences relief from stress, improvement in emotional health and enhanced mental well-being. According to the Crying Club website, ranting, crying and hugging are encouraged. But you can’t just walk in. You have to buy an online ticket and carry valid identification evidence that you are an adult. This will also allow you to buy alcohol, ‘if available.’ Plus, your behaviour must be decorous. People pay and join the sessions to unburden themselves. The sessions are advertised on the website or tickets are available on BookMyShow.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) recovered 952 metric tonnes of wet waste from its seven beaches following massive garbage deposited by the sea waters. The scale of the pile-up on its beaches including Girgaum, Dadar, Mahim, Juhu, Versova, Madh-Marve and Gorai, was so large that the BMC was forced to undertake a massive 24×7 clean-up. Over 380 personnel from six different agencies were involved in this week-long exercise to clear the beaches off the garbage thrown back by the sea following a heavy downpour. Maximum garbage weighing 375 metric tonnes were recovered from Juhu beach followed by 300 tonnes from the Dadar-Mahim beachfront. The cleanest stretch of Mumbai’s 34 km coastline seems to be Gorai with barely 20 tonnes of garbage recovered. Mumbai is now installing trash booms on six major storm water drains to prevent floating waste from flowing into the Arabian Sea. Collectively costing over Rs 22 crore over the next three years, these thrash booms will also help to keep the city’s beaches clean. The city currently spends an estimated Rs 3 lakhs daily to keep its beaches clean. Environmental activists like Zoru Bhathena wonder why the BMC does not put up the cheaper trash boom nets across all its nalla outlets. “Why can’t our city simply stop the garbage from flowing into the sea rather than waste revenue and resources cleaning up its beaches?” he asks.

The protestors supporting Maratha leader Manoj Jarange Patil have started receiving more than just moral backing from parts of Maharashtra. After news became viral that a large number of them, who have come from across the state, were finding it difficult to find food and water, voluntary groups in the countryside have risen to the occasion. For instance, 5000 water bottles and over 10000 bhakris (jowar roti) were collected within three hours of a social call in Baramati, the Pawar clan’s hometown. The collection will go on till Jarange’s agitation for pressing the demand for reservations for the Maratha caste continues in Mumbai’s Azad Maidan. Women belonging to the Maratha Kranti Morcha are leading this initiative. ‘One tiffin from one house’ was the appeal made in Kopargaon in Ahilyanagar district. In response, bhakaris, rotis, groundnut chutney and water bottles started pouring in. Soon, a truckload of food and water was dispatched to Mumbai. The organisers said that people belonging to all castes and religions had contributed to this effort. The gesture is receiving compliments from all around. The paucity of food and water was felt since the turnout for the protest action was beyond anyone’s imagination. The rural folk, not familiar with Mumbai, started searching for food and water. Local eateries, overwhelmed by these crowds, downed their shutters as a precaution. When this was flashed by TV news channels, voluntary food mobilisation efforts took off, in a bid to support the agitation.

The unprecedented turnout in Mumbai from various parts of the state to back Maratha leader Manoj Jarange Patil has generated extreme political heat. His opponents have made allegations that the agitation triggered by the proponent of Maratha caste’s demand for reservations is actually aimed at destabilising the government of chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. The name of deputy CM Ajit Pawar has been dragged into this attack, which was launched by OBC leader Lakshman Hake. From the beginning Hake has been leading the opposition to Jarange’s agitation. The presence of a handful MLAs belonging to Pawar’s NCP at Jarange’s demonstration in south Mumbai on Friday has unsettled the OBC community. In a retort, OBC leaders have warned the government that they, too, will bring hordes of their supporters to Mumbai to rebut the stir started by Jarange. Reiterating his stand, Fadnavis said the agitations against his government were taking place since ‘resources’ were provided to them. He did not spell out any names but said, “We are committed to providing social justice and have already granted 10% reservation to the Maratha caste.” The gravity of Hake’s charge has increased since it concerns a Mahayuti partner, the NCP of Ajit Pawar. Although Hake has not elaborated on his statement, there is a caste undertone to it as the NCP is seen, by and large, a party of the Marathas. Incidentally, both deputy CMs of Maharashtra – Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar – are Marathas.

Over the past week, the electronic media coverage of Maharashtra has been hovering around just two topics. Firstly, the agitation launched by Manoj Jarange Patil to press the demand for granting reservations to his caste is the hottest issue. Secondly, a meeting between two Thackerays – Uddhav and Raj – has dominated the TV bulletins. The impact of the Trump Tariff, the footage of devastating floods, the destruction caused by incessant rains to the crops and all such subjects have been pushed to the backburner. Jarange monopolised the TV time in connection with his agitation, which is recurring many times over. Last year, too, he had come to Mumbai and went back after getting assurances from the government. Over the three years, he has done eight fasts unto death. As far as the Thackeray cousins are concerned, their second meet, which took place at Raj’s Shivaji Park residence, was constantly in the news, before, during and after. Pressing issues like the pitiable condition of roads, internal and highways, received scant coverage. Those active on Social Media have lambasted the TV Marathi channels for this situation. They have expressed chagrin since the matters concerning the nation have been ignored by the electronic media houses. The honchos administering the media have pleaded that it is their duty to reflect what is going on in the state so that public education is done. However, this defence has few takers.

As Bengal gears up for the 2026 Assembly elections, Nandigram has once again returned to the political spotlight. The constituency, which staged the dramatic face-off between Mamata Banerjee and Suvendu Adhikari in the last polls, is already buzzing with speculation and strategy. The controversy from the previous election still lingers. Trinamool Congress (TMC) had accused the BJP of manipulating votes through orchestrated power cuts, and the case continues in court. Yet, long before a verdict, the battlefield is being readied for the next round. The central question remains whether Mamata Banerjee would contest from Nandigram in 2026 or not. The BJP seems convinced. Pralay Pal, Tamluk district vice-president, declared on social media that “confidential sources” and a “secret report” by TMC’s National General Secretary and Mamata’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee, confirm the West Bengal chief minister’s candidature from Nandigram in 2026. He went further, asserting that the BJP would repeat its victory. The TMC camp, however, is striking back with confidence. However, Bappaditya Garg, president of Nandigram Block 1 TMC, dismissed the BJP’s claims and stressed that the party’s candidate would be revealed in due course. Yet, he was emphatic on one point: Suvendu Adhikari will not fight from Nandigram again. Garg buttressed his claim with electoral data—TMC’s win in Adhikari’s own booth at Nandanayekbari during the cooperative polls, a 412-vote lead in his locality in the Lok Sabha election, and a 2,500-vote lead from Panchayat Samiti voters in the same.

Sunil Gavaskar was known as a man of “centuries” — with the willow in hands and dispersing the most fearsome fast bowlers of his time. There are a number of centuries to his credit; but a day after his statue was unveiled outside the Mumbai Cricket Association’s brand new Sharad Pawar Cricket Museum that’s located in between the Cricket Centre where the BCCI is a tenant and the Garware Club House, India’s all-time best batting maestro, must have created another century of sorts at his party, humbly shaking hands with over hundred people, all teammates of his school, college, Dadar Union Club, Mumbai and India teams, other teams and of course his dear friends from different walks of life. It’s a much-awaited SMG annual get-together, nay a convivial party with a strict “no no” to speeches, with the little giant of a man playing a perfect host. This time around he remembered teammates and friends who were full of beans in the previous year dos, but had sadly made their departure to the Elysian Fields. Milind Rege, Padmakar Shivalkar, Dileep Doshi, Vijay ‘Papa’ Karkhanis , Anshuman Gaekwad, Ehsan Hakim and Abdul Ismail’s names were displayed on miniature bat at the Boundary Hall of the MCA Recreation Centre. Only recently the Gavaskars had celebrated the centenary birth anniversary of their mother and soon after, the MCA inaugurated his life size statue that prompted Amul to announce to the world that “Sunny dais are here again.” A famous name in the sporting world, Gavaskar has been part of the cricketing canvas and folklore for around six decades!

At an interactive session marking Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s centenary celebrations in Delhi, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat made it clear that there weren’t any differences between the Sangh and BJP. Responding to a bunch of pre-submitted questions at Vigyan Bhawan, he made it clear that while there may be “struggle” between the two organisations, “there is no quarrel”. “There can be matbhed (difference of opinion) here, but no manbhed (heart-to-heart disagreement). We need to move forward in one direction, and not different ones,” he asserted. He added that the goals of the two organisations are the same. A big takeaway from Bhagwat’s interaction was that he clarified on his idea of retiring at 75 years of age, which was widely seen as a reference to PM Modi. Even as the event coordinator read out a question that said, in as many words, that his statement “was seen as a reference to PM Modi — he will turn 75 next month.  Bhagwat, who is a week older than Modi, clarified that “I never said I will or someone else should retire. At the Sangh function in Nagpur, I was merely quoting a witticism by Moropant ji (senior Sangh leader Moreshwar Nilkanth Pingle aka ‘Moropant’) about how when someone gives you a ceremonial shawl at 75, you should think of retirement.” So, this is not for the retirement of anybody or myself he said. Another highlight was Bhagwat making it clear that Sangh doesn’t get to choose who will be next BJP president…if the RSS indeed had a say it would probably not have taken so long. In the same breath Bhagwat added that political leaders must have space to act independently.

Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin is currently the man for all reasons of political strategy …dumping an invitation for an Ayyappa event in Kerala, he winged his way to Bihar on August 27, to participate in Rahul Gandhi led Voter Rights Yatra to protest against the sudden deletion of 65 lakh “fake” voters from Bihar electorate. Stalin’s party heavyweights wondered about this trip, even as Stalin was scheduled to visit London and Germany on August 30. Meanwhile, despite his huge show of power, actor Vijay knows that a nascent party like TVK at best  can divert votes, what he really needs is a sinewy party to really break the incumbent. And his Chanakyas, Aadav Arjun and John Arogyasami have marketed a Congress alliance like the Holy Grail. Vijay has already sought an appointment with Rahul Gandhi, a play that Rahul is said to have nimbly avoided being lured by the sound and fury of a cinematic organisation. Surely, Rahul and his party are well aware of the 360-degree strategic strength of the DMK. Why rock the boat when this Opposition alliance has gained respectable traction? But the Judas in every party will try their to open trap doors or pull up drawbridges . Established leaders like Thirunavukkarasu, Manikam Tagore, Selvakumar are enticing the party with claims that aligning with Vijay will fetch them 60 to 70 seats, and TVK will share power with Congress.

Naveen Patnaik headed Biju Janata Dal (BJD) is in a sticky situation. Being the principal opposition party in Odisha, all eyes are on BJD’s position vis a vis Vice-President election on September 9. The Congress is rooting for INDIA Bloc candidate B Sudershan Reddy. The question is who will BJD Supremo Patnaik support? NDA or INDIA Bloc… Once upon a time it would have been NDA because of his close proximity and respect for PM Modi. It was mutual. But post 2024 polls where BJP turfed out BJD, the scenario has changed. Political observers say BJD’s decision has consequences over V-P poll. Should he go with the INDIA Bloc then he is openly challenging PM Modi. That does not augur well for a party whose future is hanging in balance because of succession issue. His man Friday VK Pandian who went under the radar for more than a year is now openly seen with Patnaik. He was holding his mentor’s hand and leading him out of the hospital. An speculations are rife that Pandian could well take over the reins of the party. What goes against him, he is an outsider –Tamilian from Tamil Nadu. If Naveen goes by Pandian’s advise chances are BJD will back NDA candidate. In the end the options before Patnaik is: One, abstain from voting , two,  side with Congress instead,  three, go for conscience voting like last time which divided BJD party members, four , support NDA’s choice.

Karnataka government’s decision to invite Booker Prize winner Banu Mushtaq to inaugurate Mysuru Dussehra festivities was censured after a video went viral in which she was seen criticising the worship of the Kannada language in the form of Goddess Bhuvaneshwari. At the 2023 Jana Sahitya Sammelana, Banu Mushtaq had said the appropriation of Kannada as Goddess Bhuvaneshwari draped in yellow and red, the colours of turmeric and vermilion, was “exclusionary” to people like her (minorities).  BJP state president BY Vijayendra asked Banu Mushtaq to inaugurate the Mysuru Dussehra only after accepting the Sanatana culture and rituals.  “The Sanatana Dharma includes idol worship and offering prayers to the deity. Do you agree with that?” He also took exception to Siddaramaiah’s decision to invite only Banu Mushtaq and ignore translator Deepa Basthi.  Hindutva proponents asked how Banu Mushtaq agreed to “bow down before Chamundeshwari’s grandeur when “she cannot tolerate Kannada Bhuvaneshwari”.  BJP MP Tejasvi Surya claimed that there was a bigger “game plan” behind having Banu Mushtaq. He felt these were not isolated moves… “The so-called Anti-Communal Task Force, the Hate Speech Bill, the Rohith Vemula Bill pushed at Rahul Gandhi’s insistence on  the dubious Dharmasthala SIT, and now the Congress government’s decision to invite Banu Mushtaq…are  part of a single, well-orchestrated game plan scripted by urban naxals and Marxists, executed with the full enthusiasm of Siddaramaiah government.” On her part, Banu Mushtaq made course corrections. She termed Dussehra a state festival and said referring to Mother Chamundeshwari with love and affection is a part of our culture. “That’s why it is dear to me as well. People call her Mother Chamundeshwari. I respect the people’s sentiment.”

Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin has decided to skip the ‘Global Ayyappa Sangamam’ being organised by the Travancore Devaswom Board at Pampa in Kerala as part of its 75th anniversary on September 20. Oddly, he has cited “prior commitments” in his letter to his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan, and has deputed two state ministers to participate. The political buzz is that Stalin most likely   excused himself from the event because of the pressure exerted by the BJP. The invitation from Kerala CM had kicked up a political row with the BJP criticising the invitation extended to Stalin. TN BJP president Nainar Nagenthran, in his post on X, wrote that deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin, minister TRB Rajaa, former Minister K Ponmudy and DMK treasurer TR Baalu had made “disgraceful remarks” against Hindus. Nagenthran had said if Stalin intends to attend the event, as a first step, he should make the above DMK leaders apologise for their remarks. Besides, Kerala BJP president Rajeev Chandrasekhar strongly objected to Stalin’s participation. He demanded that both chief ministers apologise to Hindus “Pinarayi, Stalin and his Deputy Chief Minister son Udhayanidhi Stalin have hurt the sentiments of the Hindus and are trying to sabotage Hindu beliefs. Pinarayi government jailed many Ayyappa devotees and unleashed brutal police attacks against devotees who tried to protect the belief on restriction on women’s entry to Sabarima Ayyappa temple,” Chandrasekhar said in a statement. It is most likely in this backdrop that Stalin has chosen to skip visiting Kerala.

Can Opposition leaders like Trinamool Congress Supremo Mamata Banerjee or Congress CM Siddaramaiah or AAP CM Bhagwant Mann shun a high-level panel being set up by the Centre to prepare for the centennial birth anniversary of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee? Just because they are politically opposed to PM Modi. Of course, not. The Ministry of Culture has notified three high-level committees for the commemoration of 150th birth anniversaries of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Birsa Munda, and the centennial birth anniversary of Vajpayee. PM Modi will chair each committee which as members have several CMs as well as union ministers. The committee for Sardar Patel will have 124 members is top heavy panel and includes former Presidents Pratibha Patil, Ramnath Kovind, Rajya Sabha deputy chairman Harivansh Singh, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, and has 21 CMs, including Opposition CMs Siddaramaiah, Omar Abdullah, Sikhvinder Singh Sukkhu, MK Stalin and Revanth Reddy. The committee also has Patel’s family members Nandini and Diribhai Patel. The committee on Birsa Munda has 118 members, including President Patil and President Kovind, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, several cabinet ministers and 20 Governors and L-Gs. The committee also has over 20 CMs, including Opposition CMs Hemant Soren, Pinarayi Vijayan and Revanth Reddy, besides Naidu and Advani. The Committee on Vajpayee has 124 members, and in addition to the former Presidents and Cabinet ministers, Advani and Naidu, 19 Governors and L-Gs and 17 CMs including Mamata Banerjee and Bhagwant Mann, besides Soren and Siddaramaiah. This committee also has as members Ranjan Gogoi, spiritual guru Ravi Shankar, Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, Ram Madhav, Suresh Prabhu, Kapil Dev, Azim Premji as well as Advani’s daughter Pratibha Advani.

Raj Thackeray’s equidistant relationship with political leaders across the political spectrum in Maharashtra continues to baffle political analysts. His meeting with chief minister Devendra Fadnavis at the CM’s official residence, followed by his son Amit Thackeray meeting up with senior BJP leader Ashish Shelar the very next day, has been raising eyebrows in political circles. Even after officially joining stage with his cousin Uddhav Thackeray, there is no official announcement of the same and Raj continues to hold parleys with Eknath Shinde’s pointsman Uday Samant. Though the first foray of the Thackeray brothers in the BEST credit society has been a cropper, their political strength in the civic polls, cannot be ignored. Incidentally, despite meeting with the CM, Raj continued to be in unison with his cousin Uddhav Thackeray on the issue of raising discrepancies in the electoral rolls that has been strongly flagged by Rahul Gandhi.  The Congress unit from Panvel has found 85,211 duplicate voters in the electoral rolls. Uddhav Thackeray too has asked his cadres to scrutinise the electoral rolls for discrepancies to prevent electoral setbacks. That the brothers are raising the same issue as raised by Congress chief Rahul Gandhi hints at the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) warming up to join the bandwagon of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition. At this juncture, Raj Thackeray’s public meet-ups with leaders from both sides is being viewed as pressure tactics to secure a better deal for himself at the bargaining table for the upcoming polls. Though the MVA coalition has decided to fight the forthcoming local self-government elections separately, Raj Thackeray’s oratorical skills, which commands strong public turnouts at election rallies, could serve as a handy tool for both coalitions.

With the government spelling out its stand that Team India will continue to participate in multilateral events like the World Cup and Asia Cup which will also feature Pakistan, the Asia Cup gets a clearance that may not be popular with sections of the public because of the tensions with Pakistan post-Pahalgam terror attack. However, this is a stand Team India followed even in the Champions Trophy but in which it stressed that it will not play in Pakistan and nor would the BCCI expect Pakistan to play in India though they did that in the 2023 ODI World Cup. The picking of the squad for the Asia Cup was a clear pointer to the BCCI being confident of getting clearance to take part in the Asia Cup which it will host in the UAE. Not that the squad the selectors picked was universally popular. The omission of Shreyas Iyer was the biggest talking point but equally mysterious was the omission of Yashasvi Jaiswal who was a member of the T20 World Cup winning team in 2024. Some former players used their time to think about picking a squad out of those not selected for the Asia Cup and they came up with a playing XI that could be expected to give Team India a run for its money. Here is the alternate team for the Asia Cup: Shreyas Iyer (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudarshan, KL Rahul, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Washington Sundar, Ramandeep Singh, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna. That is a pretty good playing XI quite capable of upsetting the real Team India. Of course, what the XI of those left out conveys best is the depth of Indian cricket when it comes to white ball competitions

Growing up is a process. But it isn’t an easy task. It involves quite a challenge. How to navigate the growth challenges? That thought is exercising the minds of the top honchos (read the promoters) of this organisation. This iconic enterprise stood as a shining star in the industrial landscape of Tamil Nadu. Somewhere along, however, it fell into bad times and almost went into oblivion. But the arrival of a new promoter changed the fortunes of this Chennai-based Kothari Industrial Corporation Ltd completely. New promoter J Rafiq Ahmed got KICL relisted, helped the company become debt-free, brought investment from a Qatar firm connected to the ruling family, got the organisation to quickly move into areas such as non-leather footwear, drones, publishing, food, waste management et al. Well-meaning Ahmed is a man in a hurry. The man lays much store by empowering women in rural areas. Alert to time sense, he feels that his organisation has to move into the fast lane not just to catch up what it has lost but also to move ahead of others. A robust system is critical as the organisation glides into higher growth orbit. Not surprisingly, he has drafted the service of a top-notch global consultant to put in place an organisational structure which absorbs and addresses the growth challenges. A robust organisation is essential to its sustainability in the long run. The focus is now on putting the systems in place so that the organisation runs without let or hindrance and sans individual bias.

Once again filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri has been mired in controversy. This time it’s over his soon-to-be-released The Bengal Files. Since the launch of its trailer in Kolkata, it has been locked in legal disputes, political allegations, clarifications from lead actors and objections from freedom fighter Gopal Mukherjee’s grandson. Agnihotri has accused the Mamata Banerjee government of trying to stall the release. He claimed actors Saswata Chatterjee and Sourav Das were compelled by Didi’s government to issue media statements. The Bengali actors distanced themselves, saying they were unaware of the full script and were only briefed on their roles. Saswata Chatterjee, who plays the antagonist, clarified his role was limited to acting, with no involvement in political or historical debates. He admitted he had not read the complete script—describing this as common in the industry—and learned of the title change from The Delhi Files to The Bengal Files only after shooting ended. Santana Mukherjee, grandson of freedom fighter Gopal Mukherjee (Gopal Patha), filed a FIR objecting to the portrayal of his grandfather as a butcher. He described this as distortion, stressing that Patha, a member of Anushilon Samity, owned two goat-meat shops, was a wrestler, and had taken up arms in 1946 to protect civilians from Muslim League attacks. He alleged misrepresentation without consulting the family. Sourav Das, who plays Gopal Patha, distanced himself too, saying he was only briefed on his role. Amid the uproar, National award-winning filmmaker Goutam Ghose released a video statement, noting Bengal’s pioneering role in India’s independence but also its scars from Partition. Ghose insisted films on Partition or communal riots must rest on rigorous research rather than political or emotional motives.

The Paris-headquartered Calderys, a refractory solutions company with presence in over 30 countries, has chalked out big plans for India. It is committed to invest over $100 million in Odisha to cater to both India and APAC countries. At Bhuinpur, Khorda district, Bhubaneshwar it is setting the world’s largest single site production hub for refractories production and steel casting fluxes. The six-phase project has already seen the completion of the first leg of Refractory manufacturing at Bhuinpur, Khorda district. As per reports, full-fledged production at its Khorda plant will begin in the second half of 2026. Calderys APAC Region, Sr Vice President & MD Ish Mohon Garg says “India’s $ 2 billion refractory market is poised to double by 2030, driven by surge in infrastructure, manufacturing and energy projects”. When asked what made Calderys consider Odisha for investments, Garg praised Odisha’s top end bureaucracy saying “we were hypnotised by Odisha, particularly the speed of action, decision making and clarity of thought without any follow up. Everything was wrapped up in three months, thanks to efficient IAS bureaucrats like Hemant Sharma, Bhupendra Singh Poonia at IPICOL and Collectorate & District Magistrate of Khorda and others”. He assured that Calderys will provide cutting edge refractory solutions to its customers. He said the first production line of acidic monolithics refractories having exceptional chemical resistance and thermal stability has already commenced and sales have started for the domestic market.  Odisha’s economic growth seems unstoppable. After steel, aluminium, mining, semiconductor forays, the state is now focusing on refractories.

Aryan Khan’s directorial debut arrives with a confident, offbeat pulse that immediately distinguishes it from routine star launches. The promo’s cheekiest beat comes when Aryan breaks the fourth wall, addressing the camera as the familiar, violin-laced Shah Rukh Khan motif plays — an audacious, meta wink that signals reverence without reverence’s usual stiffness. That tonal gamble pays off: the piece feels mischievous and smart rather than self-important. Visually, the promo is polished and assured. Clean frames, slick colour palettes and an Arri Alexa–style sheen hint at streaming-grade cinematic ambition. Art direction and sound design suggest a larger production muscle at work, while the supporting cast — names like Bobby Deol and Raghav Juyal — promise layered turns that complement Aryan’s youthful voice rather than overshadow it. The world he sketches is slightly chaotic and deliberately uncertain, an apt playground for an emerging filmmaker aiming to stake out an identity. Beyond style, the project carries heavyweight goodwill. Glimpses of Shah Rukh Khan and buzz from industry peers amplify attention; Netflix’s visible enthusiasm — from executives in India to global leadership — underscores how much is riding on the series as a conversation-starter for the streamer.  But flash isn’t the same as staying power. The promo does its job: it teases tone, talent and production values and provokes curiosity rather than answers. Whether Aryan “scores” will depend on what follows — sharp writing, assured long-form direction and committed performances across episodes. This moment also sits within a broader trend: star children and actor-turned-directors reworking industry legacies into new careers. From the lineage of filmmakers such as Randhir Kapoor and Rakesh Roshan to contemporary scions like Utkarsh Sharma, Junaid Khan and Krishna Shroff exploring directoral roles, filmmaking has long been a family trade.

In her recent interview to Tamil magazine Kumudam, ageless wonder and popular actress Nadhiya talks about the secret of her youthful looks, energy and enthusiasm as if it is as easy as plucking a low hanging fruit off a tree. She made her mark even in her first Tamil film Poove Poochoodava in which she played the granddaughter of another rocking beauty, Padmini. Not just looks but talent too, earning a Filmfare Award. But several Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films later, it was her role as a single mother in M Kumaran S/O Mahalakshmi that brought her a huge wave of adulation ..Ravi Mohan, Asin and Prakash Raj were just foils to this dedicated actor …she takes her son to be enrolled in school…the Principal insists that the field “father” must be filled. Nadhiya just grabs the pen and fills the form as Son of Mahalakshmi. This scene inspired many single mothers. Then she looked like an older sister to Ravi Mohan …now, paradoxically, he looks like her older brother. At the height of her career, in 1988, she married Shirish Godbole and winged off to America, to live her life as a family maker. What made her give up fame, celebrity status? She is clear why…I knew him as a student, we planned to marry only after he settled down. Two daughters and American life did not erode her magnetism. When she flew into Mumbai, her fans accepted her. Even if she sashayed into her modelling role, she could have launched several products — bangles, sarees, sandals. She shares the secret of her youth and energy…a down to earth attitude to life, eat only when needed, workouts are non-negotiable and focus on tasks. Her fans are perplexed about why this talented and striking beauty is not chosen for more rewarding roles.

A docile and law-abiding people, Parsees are always held in high esteem. Their contribution in nation building is unmatched. It is very rare to see a Parsee breaking law. But there was an exception. A municipal action against stray dogs in then Bombay about 200 years ago had so angered the microscopic community that its fury exploded in a terrible riot. The fateful day was 6 July 1832, a holy day for the Parsees. When they ventured out of their houses in the Fort area, civic dog catchers were seen catching the dogs loitering around. About 200 Parsees tried to stop the action but to no avail. Soon, a clash started and two policemen were attacked. The protest spread to other communities. Hindus, Jains and Muslims, too, joined the free for all. Several prominent Parsees were arrested, only to add oil to the fire. Mumbai came to a standstill. Like the present Supreme Court has done, the British authorities were forced to rescind their original decision. Sir Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy, the doyen of the local people, demanded an immediate stop to the culling and proposed that stray dogs should be relocated outside the city. The British agreed.  The regulation mandating the killing of stray dogs was withdrawn. The Bombay Dog Riots of 1832 floods many memories about the then Bombay, a city loved by the British and her inhabitants equally. As far as the SC is concerned, the lesson is – history repeats itself.

So far it has been a one-sided game with the pro-Shreyas Iyer group outnumbering a minuscule going with the senior national selection committee’s call to not pick him for the Asia Cup Twenty20 in Dubai. Iyer has not been part of the Men in Blue Twenty20 team since the first week of December 2023 and the selection committee say that Iyer has to first “settle down’ after being in the bad books of the powers that be after the second Test (Visakhapatnam) of the home series against England in February 2024. He was thrown out of the Central Contract by the BCCI. But the Mumbaikar staged a comeback for the ICC Champions Trophy in the United Arab Emirates and was awarded a Grade B Central Contract. The Iyer-group — Sanjay Manjrekar being the most recent to express surprise at Iyer missing the bus for the Asia Cup — feels that the smart batter who has the wherewithal to force the pace and is strong against spin bowlers should have been an automatic choice in the 15-member squad for the Asia Cup.  But the Selection Committee steered by Ajit Agarkar has stuck their neck out retaining Rinku Singh for his quick-witted approach to batting in any given situation. But this column understands that Iyer is very much in the scheme of things for next year’s Twenty20 World Cup to be played in India and Sri Lanka. The selection committee announced a 15-member squad for Asia Cup in the Gulf region and five standbys. The committee may have shortlisted the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Iyer and Mohammed Siraj for the home World Twenty20 in India next year. Iyer could be even recalled for the white ball series, including the Twenty20 series, in Australia in two months.

Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar has kept himself and his MLAs away from the RSS but his wife Sunetra presence at a meeting of the Rashtra Sevika Samiti in Delhi has put him on the backfoot. BJP MP and film star Kangana Ranaut had organized the meeting in the national capital by inviting prominent Sevika volunteers. When the pictures of the meeting became viral, the surprising face was that of Sunetra, a Rajya Sabha member. Interestingly, in all these years, Sunetra was never seen in a political meeting. Though the RSS says it is a cultural and not a political organization, the detractors of the saffron outfit do not spare a single opportunity to needle its followers. The same sequence was enacted when Sunetra’s picture was seen all around. Ajit’s nephew Rohit Pawar, who is emerging as a powerful figure in grandfather Sharad Pawar’s NCP, was in the forefront of launching the attack. He reminded Ajit that the latter was always claiming to be proceeding on the path led by social reformers like Mahatma Jyotiba Phule and Shahu Maharaj. The clue was picked by others and finally Ajit Pawar had to quip at a public event to rebut the assault. He said, “I don’t monitor my wife’s movements minute to minute.” On her part, Sunetra said, “I attended the meeting to understand the thinking of those present. I spoke barely two words there. Hence, do not draw any political inferences.”