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Last week, as Congress leaders protested against Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s so-called “anti-Ambedkar” remark in Rajya Sabha, Rahul Gandhi joined his party MPs in a blue T-shirt, giving up his trademark white polo T-shirt. His sister Priyanka also twinned with him wearing a blue sari. Clearly the Gandhi siblings opted to go for a very visual protest against Shah’s remarks. The choice of the colour of clothes of the Leader of Opposition (LoP) — usually spotted donning plain white T-shirts raised eyebrows. The colour blue has been associated with Dalit politics since 1942, when Dr BR Ambedkar established the Scheduled Castes Federation to campaign for the rights of the Dalit community. The body adopted a blue flag featuring Ashok Chakra. The flag was later retained by the Republican Party of India (RPI), founded by Ambedkar in 1956. Over time, blue became very closely associated with Dalit identity and activism. Even political parties like the Bahujan Samaj Party and the ASP, which champions Dalit welfare, embraced blue colour in their branding. As the Gandhi siblings lead the protest, it was the choice of colour of their clothes that caught everyone’s attention!
The Winter Session which saw a two-day discussion on the 75th anniversary of the Constitution and introduction of One Nation One Election (ONOE) Bill has come to a close. It brought out sharp divisions over discussions and bills at least in two political parties — the Congress and DMK. In the Congress, if a first term MP Priyanka Vadra was seen opening the discussion on the Constitution in the Lok Sabha, for some reason senior leader and eminent lawyer P Chidambaram did not get an opportunity to have his say about the Constitution in the Rajya Sabha. In the DMK, there was a clear division of views between the DMK parliamentary party leader TR Baalu and deputy leader Kanimozhi. While Baalu endorsed the government’s offer to refer the Bill to the Joint Parliamentary Committee, Kanimozhi seemed completely surprised by his stand and insisted that her party was opposed to the Bill and demanded its withdrawal.”DMK has consistently opposed the entire Bill. We do not accept that there can be ONOE because it is against the Constitution. It is against federal rights and it is against the will of the people. People choose state governments for 5 years, I don’t think you can take that right away from the people and give it to the EC to decide how many years governments can last or not. So, this is completely against the state, against federalism” said Kanimozhi. While her stand reflects TN assembly resolution passed in February against ONOE Bill this year, the media is awash with reports about how her late father Kalaignar M Karunanidhi had highlighted the benefits of simultaneous polls in his autobiography Nenjuku Neethi. Incidentally, Karunanidhi had advanced state polls to 1971 to coincide with LS polls.
The Thursday (Dec 19) visit of BJP and Shiv Sena (Shinde) MLAs to the RSS headquarters in Nagpur has become a hot political topic though there are other reasons, too, for intense politicking. Firstly, the MLAs belonging to the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar did not join the event. Secondly, those disgruntled due to their non-inclusion in the council of ministers have started expressing their anger openly. Like earlier two occasions, Ajit Pawar and most of his followers distanced themselves from the visit organized by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. The presence of former CM Eknath Shinde and his MLAs proved to be another highlight. However, the discontent brewing within Mahayuti on other counts is now becoming more vocal. Political heavyweight Chhagan Bhujbal was the first to articulate it. His open criticism of Ajit Pawar surprised many since he had stayed by the side of Pawar all through. Now, there are reports that some of Bhujbal’s supporters want him to join the BJP to end his political wilderness. So far, Bhujbal has maintained that he is with the NCP (Ajit). The other notable leader to become the subject of political speculation is the legislative council’s deputy chairperson Neelam Gorhe. Her detractors, mainly the recent Sena (UBT) entrant Sushama Andhare, have started hinting at Gorhe’s plans to go with the BJP. Gorhe, too, has not reacted to the talk. Ajit’s sudden disappearance for two days from the winter session only added grist to the grapevine. His explanation that he was down with a throat infection is hardly swallowed. More murmurs are expected to be heard once Fadnavis announces the allocation of the portfolios.
The Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray has started preparing for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) election, expected to take place early next year. This will be the fight for political survival for Thackeray because the Sena has been in power in India’s richest civic body since 1985. Taking stock of the situation, other political parties, too, have begun their planning. The picture this time will be fundamentally different since the BJP has emerged as the largest party in the state after the assembly election. Its estrangement with the Sena (UBT), which split in 2022 owing to Eknath Shinde’s decision to walk out of it, will be a major factor in the coming election in which the Congress will be an insignificant player, given its lacklustre performance in Mumbai and the state as a whole. Equally exasperating is the condition of the state Congress committee as its president Nana Patole is perceived as an ineffective leader by the rank and file. The BMC’s last election saw the Sena winning 84 seats in the 227-member house while the BJP had captured 82. Owing to the alliance ethics, the BJP had made no effort to bag the mayoralty of the financial capital of India. However, the BJP is not prepared to take any chance this time and a decision about its Mumbai president is likely to be taken soon. Sitting chief Ashish Shelar is among the hopefuls though his inclusion in the council of ministers could be a decisive factor in the final choice.
This was to happen one day or the other with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) putting its foot down saying it will not send its national teams to India for any signature event of the ICC, like the World Cups in the two formats in men, women and the juniors. This was the PCB’s riposte to the long-standing BCCI position — citing security concerns — that it will not send its team across the border for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 and that it will play only at a neutral venue. For three World Test Championship (WTC) the two nations have taken themselves off the Future Tours Programme (FTP). The cricketers of the two countries may enjoy good relationships when they lock horns in neutral country venues and have fans across the border, but the Indian government has been steadfast in denying permission to the BCCI. The latest communication from the ICC has confirmed that in the 2024-2027 cycle all ICC events given to India and Pakistan, the matches featuring the two countries will be held at a neutral country chosen by the host country; in the Champions Trophy case the PCB is the host. What all this means is the elimination of high security arrangements that India had to do when Pakistan played last year’s World Cup matches in Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai and Kolkata. It took hard bargaining by the PCB with the ICC — with Jay Shah in Chair since December 1, 2024 — for it to agree to a hybrid model in order to ensure that it remains the host in a neutral country venue as well and where India will play and this country is said to be the United Arab Emirates.
The massive success of Pushpa 2, has reignited the debate over screen allocation in West Bengal’s single-screen theatres. While the blockbuster continues to dominate the box office, its stronghold has created challenges for four Bengali films— Khadaan, Shontaan, Chaalchitro, and 5 No. Swapnamoy Lane—which targeted Christmas Day for their releases. The overlap has sparked a heated controversy over securing adequate slots in single-screen theatres, which remain a key audience base for Bengali cinema. Single-screen theatres across Bengal are grappling with the balancing act of accommodating these films while catering to the massive demand for Pushpa 2. Tollywood’s Christmas lineup has been significantly impacted, with producer-actor Dev expressing frustration on social media. He alleged that Khadan’s shows and advance bookings were disrupted due to the overwhelming presence of Pushpa 2. Arijit Dutta, owner of Priya Theatre, reported dividing slots among the films: Khadaan (two shows), Chaalchitro (one), 5 No. Swapnamoy Lane (one), and Pushpa 2 (one). However, veteran actor Mithun Chakraborty’s Shontaan was left out entirely, sparking outrage from its director Raj Chakraborty, who criticized the lack of consistent support for Bengali cinema. A distributor, speaking anonymously, blamed the simultaneous release of multiple Bengali films during the festive season, suggesting a lack of coordination among producers. He pointed to Bollywood’s strategy of staggering releases as a model Tollywood could emulate. Star Theatre owner Joydeep Mukherjee called for better planning within the Bengali film industry to avoid internal competition. Interestingly, allegations have resurfaced about Shontaan‘s producer, pressuring hall owners to prioritize its films. This history has led some distributors to side with independent producers in the current clash.
Sunday’s swearing in of 33 (16:9:8 ratio for BJP, Shiv Sena, NCP respectively) mostly young cabinet ministers in CM Devendra Fadnavis’ 3.0 government was not followed up by expected portfolio allocations even late Thursday (Dec 19). The unrelenting clamour for one specific portfolio by a senior BJP minister-in-waiting (in apparent conflict of interest), aspiration to improve upon earlier performance in power sector by another are in the open awaiting the Maha Chanakya to coolly decide upon. Scribes housed at the state government ‘Suyog’ facility within the Family court premises near Vidhan Bhavan enjoy the Nagpur chill over familial evenings at ‘Sneh Bojans’ hosted by these as-yet ‘Anamika’ ministers. DCM Eknath Shinde’s camp brews hostility from left out veteran MLAs and cherry-picking ministers-in-waiting who threaten boiling point anytime soon. This is unlike the chill that has set upon the near deserted NCP office at Vidhan Bhavan sans activity, notwithstanding the bustling beehive of activity right outside and within the state legislature that is hosting its winter session. It is probably the first time in Maharashtra’s political history for such an ongoing legislature session without specifically assigned ministers manning questions on the floor of the state assembly and council while responding to public interest issues of state. For now, all portfolios rest with CM Fadnavis. NCP veteran Chhagan Bhujbal, Sena’s Tanaji Sawant complain vociferously from out in the cold even as some BJP MLAs rue their bad luck despite winning big in Mumbai city where the richest civic body will face the hustings very soon.
The events outside Parliament House that led to injuries to two BJP MPs was best summed up by FM Nirmala Sitharaman in her X post. She explained how “During the INDI Alliance’s protest inside Parliament premises today, Rahul Gandhi had forcefully pushed an MP, causing a domino effect that injured 2 BJP MPs –Pratap Sarangi (Balasore, Odisha) and Mukesh Rajput (Farrukhabad, UP)” Both the MPs are now hospitalised as they have sustained head injuries. Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan was surprised that the Congress had so far not even bothered to say sorry. “I was wondering what was the purpose of Kharge-Rahul Gandhi’s presser, if they can’t say sorry. Our Nagaland MP, a tribal woman leader Phangnon Konyak had voiced discomfort that was caused to her by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.” She has written a letter to the RS Chairman. Adding further he said, “We feel Rahul simply does not deserve to be the LoP. When the Opposition is holding a protest, we usually take another gate. What was the need for Rahul Gandhi to wade into the area where BJP MPs were standing? He should simply quit as LoP.” BJP MPs including Anurag Thakur and Bansuri Swaraj filed a complaint against Rahul Gandhi at the Parliament Street Police station in connection with the scuffle between Opposition and NDA MPs. It is learnt that security forces repeatedly requested the Congress MP to use an alternative path, specifically arranged for a peaceful entry into Parliament. However, Rahul Gandhi declined the request. BJP’s Thakur said “The kind of attitude Rahul Gandhi has, he thinks he is above the law.” Responding to the allegations, Rahul said BJP MPs were trying to stop him and were threatening him “
Home Minister Amit Shah whose intervention in discussions on the 75th anniversary of the Constitution sparked off a row and seemed to have majorly united the Opposition. Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge charged him of insulting Dr BR Ambedkar.. He accused his rivals of being “anti-Ambedkar” and “anti-Constitution”, and “spreading lies”. In his concluding remarks in the Rajya Sabha, Shah sarcastically said, “It has become the fashion to say ‘Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar…’ If they (the opposition) took God’s name so many times, they will get a place in heaven.” At a Press Conference, he charged the Congress of distorting his comments in the Rajya Sabha saying the Congress had put out an edited version of his speech. “I come from a party which follows the ideals of Ambedkar,” asserted Shah.” Rebuffing calls for his resignation by Kharge, Shah made it clear that he had no intention of stepping down. “Kharge is asking for my resignation. If that will make him feel happy, then I’ll give it. But the Congress has to sit in the opposition for at least 15 more years. “In an unusual move — perhaps underlining the impact of the Opposition’s attack on this issue — PM Modi and senior ministers rallied behind Shah. “If the Congress and its rotten ecosystem think malicious lies can hide their misdeeds of several years, especially their insult towards Dr Ambedkar, they are gravely mistaken!” said PM Modi. Amidst this, PM Modi and Shah met Rahul Gandhi and Kharge to appoint the next NHRC chief. TMC leader Derek O’Brien has moved a privilege notice against Shah in the Rajya Sabha for his remarks on Dr Ambedkar.
Ravichandran Ashwin was adroit in bowling the carom or knuckle ball or the doosra, but on Wednesday afternoon, Brisbane time, the nonconformist off-spinner of 13 years in the big league of the game deployed the “bombshell” to bring an end to his illustrious career. At the conclusion of the rain-marred third Test at the Gabba, the finger spinner with a few sobriquets, “scientist” being the most used among the media, Ashwin sitting beside his beleaguered captain, Rohit Sharma, matter of fact said: Today (Wednesday, December 18) was his last day as an international cricketer across formats and that he will be seen in action in club cricket, meaning IPL etc. The seasoned campaigner, starting his Test career in November 2011, was capped 106 times, and he missed 25 Tests after his debut; he featured in 61 wins, 47@home and 14 overseas. He read the writing on the wall about him losing the primacy as the No 1 spinner of the team in flannels after Washington Sundar was chosen for the first Test in Perth. Then being dropped to bring in Ravindra Jadeja for the third Test in Brisbane convinced him that his time was up…to hang up his boots. The home series against New Zealand that India lost 3-0 was a bitter pill to swallow for him. His numbers — 765 wickets in the three formats, including 537 wickets in Tests alone speaks of his right to be called a legend. It was a bold, practical call to take a bow while not in the field and that was an unhappy part that Indian cricket could not give one of its icons a fitting farewell. Ashwin has perhaps shown the way for a few more to bid adieu, sooner than later! They are over the hill, indeed.
Two reverse swinging yorkers settled the issue as they crashed into the stumps behind Ollie Pope and Jonny Bairstow. Both yorkers flowed from the bowling arm of India’s smiling assassin who keeps his emotions well in check. As Jasprit Bumrah literally waddles in off a deceptively lazy run-up, the batsmen can be forgiven for mistaking him for a bowler of military medium pace. But a ramrod straight bowling arm can deliver reverse swinging yorkers at 90 mph, scattering stumps and breaking reputations. Reverse swing had been missing for days at The Oval as the sun smiled on late English summer days. But a 70-overs old ball roughed up by Jadeja pithing in the bowlers’ dusty footmarks was weaponised by Bumrah who opened up the England batting for fellow pace bowler Umesh Yadav to mop up. England, after a century opening stand, had been fancying themselves to chase down a fourth innings target. It was a team effort that saw India come from the depths of 127-7 and then a 99-run deficit to win, almost 50 years to the day since a famous victory at The Oval in 1971. Rohit Sharma, at the age of 34, got his first century away from home and Shardul Thakur shone with bat and ball, but it was Bumrah with his thunderbolts who stole the show.
Adar Poonawalla, the MD of Serum Institute Of India, is on a takeover spree. It recently took over Magma Fincop (AUM as on June 30 was Rs 14,250 crore) for an undisclosed amount. The company has been renamed Poonawalla Fincorp. It is already infusing capital and repricing loans. It has drawn up plans to grow between 25-30% annually. Recently, it acquired a 50% stake in Schott Kaisa, a JV with the German company from its former owners Kairu Dadachanji and Shapoor Mistry. Schott is into pharma packaging goods including vials which are used in the distribution of vaccines. Insiders believe this is just the beginning and more inorganic growth avenues are being pursued to enable Poonawalla to diversify from vaccine makers to a multifaceted group with interests in finance, manufacturing across sectors and healthcare.
Is actor-turned-politician Khushbu Sundar who joined BJP in 2020 prior to TN Assembly polls in 2021 looking to go back to DMK which launched her political career? At least that’s what political analysts in Tamil Nadu feel, reading her message on Teacher’s Day. The 51-year Khushbu who lost assembly elections from the Thousand Lights constituency tweeted her immense respect and devotion to DMK Founder, the late Kalaignar Karunanidhi. “I must thank my mentor, my Great Teacher, Dr Kalaignar for teaching me, politics is not about hate or despair, but hope and service.” We can comprehend the hope part about casting your net again in the treacherous political waters and look for yet another comeback chance into the DMK fold. But this service part? What service? Is it self- service? Obviously, the BJP has not recognised her “service“potential” or her political chutzpah. Film stars so addicted to the arc lights and adulations, are on constant comeback mode. So are politicians it appears. But Khushbu has gone the entire merry go round circuit – DMK to Congress to BJP. Time, she hung up her periscope. She is an educated, talented and savvy woman of substance. Surely, there is a variety of creative opportunities out there for her gift of the gab and grab.
Kiara Advani, with that girl-next-door look, innocent face and endearing smile, is one of the most sought after Bolllywood actresses. Kiara who made her debut in 2014 has acted in over 14 films that includes Hindi, Telugu and Netflix. She is currently working on four films with top stars like Kartik Aaryan, Vicky Kaushal and Ranveer Singh. This 29-year-old glam doll who has a high visibility on small screen, thanks to her brand endorsements for Colgate, Myntra, among others, is considered a lucky mascot by many producers. Critics hold that what goes in her favour is that she gets her fellow actors perform to the fullest — be it in Kabir Singh or Shershaah which eventually wins audiences too. Her performance as Dimple Cheema, girlfriend of Param Vir Chakra-awardee Captain Vikram Batra (martyred in the Kargil war) in Shershaah won her accolades. Not many know that Kiara has a Bollywood connection. Legendary actor Dada Muni and Saeed Jaffrey are step-great grandfather and great-uncle. Her debut wasn’t great with films like Fugly and Machine although many liked her role as Sakshi Rawat in MS Dhoni: The Untold Story. In most movies till date, Kiara has not bagged lengthy roles nor has had the opportunities to experiment like Alia Bhatt who has been doing it right from her second film. But, for now Kiara has arrived.
Avani Lekhara has mirrored a braveheart, sending good tidings from the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics shooting events. Just 19, the law student won the gold and bronze medals in Tokyo. When 12, she suffered a spinal cord injury following a car accident in the Pink City of Jaipur, and since has been wheelchair-bound. Her indomitable spirit came to the fore when she pursued the sport of shooting, competed with the world’s best in her disability categories and won laurels. All this happened after she joined Suma Shirur’s Lakshya Shooting Club at Panvel (outskirts of Mumbai) in 2018 and trained to become a champion. A medallist in the Asian and Commonwealth meets, an Arjuna Awardee and currently the High-Performance Coach of the Indian Jr. Rifle Shooting Team, a delighted Suma said: “I have been seeing Avani since she was 16, when she started coming to my Lakshya Shooting Club. What sets her apart is her willingness to prepare minutely and give her best every single time. She’s a perfectionist and never satisfied with anything, but the best. Having gone through so much in life, Avani has shown tremendous inner strength in coming out trumps. For me as coach, her unique ability stands out in verbalising every thought, emotion and even technical finer points. Despite the pressure, Avani’s never-say-die approach gives her the edge over the others.”
Former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh has gone absconding, according to the Maharashtra home department. A home department official told this website, “A team of police officials visited his residence in Punjab where we were told he is unavailable. He is wanted for questioning in a number of cases registered against him at several police stations of Maharashtra.” A well-placed central revenue intelligence official also confirmed that Singh, who proceeded on leave after being transferred as chief of Maharashtra Home guards, in the wake of several complaints of corruption against him was unavailable at his residence in Chandigarh. Singh did not respond to phone calls, SMS and WhatsApp communications. A well-placed source in the Maharashtra police department added, “A lookout notice had been issued against Singh by the National Investigative Agency (NIA) that had also informed the Bombay High Court that Singh also faced the prospect of arrest despite being the complainant in the case registered against former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh, against whom also a lookout notice was also issued recently. Singh is also accused of running a den of corruption with his stint as police commissioner of Thane city is believed to have been enjoying the patronage of political satraps from Maharashtra that allowed him to operate with impunity for several years before he fell foul of his political mentors.
The 100-year-old Thoothukudi-based Tamilnad Mercantile Bank (TMB) has always made for a heady cocktail. Incorporated as Nadar Bank Limited on May 11, 1921, it underwent a name change on November 27, 1962. Since then, it has come to be known as Tamilnad Mercantile Bank Limited. Promoted by the Nadar community, the bank has often found itself at the centre of news. The community bank hit national headlines post-liberalisation in the 90s when the Ruias of the Essar group acquired TMB shares by cashing in on the internecine quarrel within the promoter-groups. But the Ruias faced resistance. And, the Reserve Bank of India, too, was cool to their entry into the banking space. The acquisition of TMB shares by the Ruias has time and again kicked up intense political battle in Tamil Nadu with parties of all hues, picking cudgels on behalf of the Nadar community to reclaim TMB. The Ruias exited by selling the TMB shares to serial entrepreneur C. Sivasankaran as sale consideration for buying the Delhi cellular licence from him. He, too, had to exit after a peace was brokered during the Vajpayee regime. Ramesh Vagal-led (former Pepsico India head) group chipped in to buy a part of TMB shares. Still mired in legal rows, the bank has now plans to go public. A community bank is getting a new tag now.
Afghanistan is headed to becoming the next Syria, hold experts, since infighting broke out between the Taliban factions, Pashtuns and Haqqqanis besides ISIS, which has also now jumped into the fray to apparently assert its rights over the spoils of war. A well placed MEA source said, “Unlike media reports of freshly initiated backroom parleys with the Taliban, Jaishankar was a very busy man for several weeks and months now. India engaged in talks at the instance and initiative of Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, the official head of the Taliban political leadership in exile based out of Qatar.” While Stanikzai repeatedly pressed for official political relations with India and recognition from the Modi government, India focussed on evacuations of minorities (with only 3,500 now still remaining to be airlifted) and even the Afghan nationals trapped in the mess. In turn, India has been able to get the Taliban to promise that no terror attack upon India would be permitted or supported from Afghan soil. However, now infighting has broken out between the three major players, namely the Taliban (factions in exile), the Haqqani group and the Pashtuns that is threatening to escalate into a full-scale war even as an unprecedented famine-like situation has become prevalent in Afghanistan.
After 14 years, the best Teachers of Tamil Nadu were awarded a certificate plaque, on Teachers Day, without a Chief Ministers picture! Instead, the citation carried the photo of Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, savant, philosopher, educationist, recipient of Bharat Ratna, first vice president and second President of India. This is seen as a refreshing change in TN political culture where jarring photos, banners and cutouts intrude the significance of every occasion, constantly reminding the people of the “greatness and relevance” of that politician! The poster culture has taken a vulgar and in your face evolution here, and the public could do nothing but stare, may be curse and move on. Is Stalin heralding a new political culture by giving due acknowledgment to the leader or historical greats who have silently worked for the development of India? If Stalin is on a self-effacement, graceful public mode, this bodes well. A welcome change from loud, crass and jarring publicity and high-profile stunts of both AIADMK and DMK heavyweights that made people squirm and chortle at their vanity.
Days after dinner hosted by veteran Congress leader and member of the G-23 group Kapil Sibal and lack of party’s initiative for the election of a new chief, a section of the disgruntled leaders want the former Union Minister and Nationalist Congress Party Chief Sharad Pawar to lead them. A former Union Minister and a prominent member of the G-23 indicated that Pawar is a leader who believes in consensus and has stature in national politics. Some of them point out that if the Congress splits due to disagreement over the leadership issue, these leaders can accept Pawar’s leadership without officially joining NCP but as a leader of a non-BJP front. However, there is a major hurdle as Pawar insists that Congress should play a central role and it cannot be sidelined to have a united front of like-minded and secular parties. Further, G-23 leaders are also unhappy over the brother-sister duo Rahul-Priyanka for creating further divide in the party. They do admit interim president Sonia Gandhi’s initiative to convene a meeting of Congress and like-minded parties, but they claim it is not enough unless the mother and siblings are prepared to decide the leadership issue without any further delay. They fear that it will cost party heavily as Congress will witness further divisions and desertions across the country which will be a good news for BJP.
Shardul Thakur’s sparkling knock in the fourth Test at South London’s “The Oval” on Thursday caught England’s fast men bowling with their tails up, off guard. India’s first innings was in disarray, vindicating Joe Root’s decision — weighing up the pros of grey overhead conditions —- to insert the visitor in. The home team’s seamers used the darker Dukes ball with finesse to cause the downfall of India’s top guns who defended with angled and closed bats, as well as followed the ball outside the off stump. Much against the run of play, the Palghar boy, Thakur who likes to swing the ball, scattered it, striking big blows in front of the wicket. After a pyrotechnical display that resulted in a fastest Test half century at The Oval, Thakur, who was told many years ago by Sachin Tendulkar to shed weight in order to be more efficient and effective, stated that there is greater security playing with a straight bat against the ball that in English conditions moves in the air and of the surface and that he has been practising in a similar fashion since arriving in England. It was a tough ask on even the most accomplished Indian batsmen to defeat the England seamers’ ploy; except for Virat Kohli who carved a lovely half century. But Thakur threw his wrists at everything leaving England flummoxed.
Maharashtra’s ex-home minister Anil Deshmukh is on the lam, after the Enforcement Directorate issued a look out notice for him a week ago. A well-placed source confirmed, “Repeated failure to comply with ED summons in an ongoing investigation (five times) resulted in the notice being issued to pre-empt any attempt to leave the country.” Ironically, a lookout notice was also issued earlier against former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh, on whose complaint, the case against Deshmukh was registered. Singh has also gone underground in the wake of multiple criminal cases registered against him by multiple Maharashtra police stations. Former Maharashtra home minister, who belongs to the Nationalist Congress Party led by Sharad Pawar, is believed to be outside Maharashtra, holed up in under the active care of a very powerful Congress leader in that state. On September 1, Deshmukh’s son-in-law and lawyer were detained by the CBI that subsequently released the former while arresting the latter. Also arrested was a CBI sleuth for leaking a preliminary report regarding investigations against Deshmukh, apparently indicating his innocence. The CBI subsequently issued a disclaimer. Deshmukh is also being probed for alleged money laundering through shell companies based out of Kolkata with the central revenue intelligence agency already having attached properties worth over Rs 4.20 crore belonging to the five time MLA from Nagpur, a close confidant of Sharad Pawar.
The over 100-year-old TVS group is going through a transformation of a significant kind. It just underwent a smooth reorganisation. This saw four promoter-families aligning the ownership of different companies with the arms of the family that managed them. While this caught many by surprise, something else – a big one, at that – too is quietly happening at the TVS. And this has largely gone unnoticed. Is it becoming a truly Indian MNC conglomerate? Be it manufacturing or financial services, the foreign investors’ presence is fast evaporating. Global majors have all cashed out of the group by selling their holdings to the respective TVS companies. It all began in mid-90s with Abex Corporation exiting Sundaram Abex which became Sundaram Brake Linings. Later, Suzuki quit the two-wheeler joint venture which became TVS Motor. TRW, too, went out of Lucas TVS. In the last one year, the group saw Brakes India and Wheels India buying out the stake of foreign partners. Also, foreign partners in the insurance, housing finance and mutual finance ventures of Sundaram Finance have exited. More recently, TVS Supply Solutions has bought out the Canadian pension fund, CDPQ. Now, the only prominent JV in operation is Delphi-TVS, a JV of Lucas TVS. Group patriarch Suresh Krishna always talked of Indian MNCs. Well, TVS is on track.
According to cine raconteur and news caster Bayilvan Ranganathan, the iconic Tamil film superstar-turned-chief minister MG Ramachandran was a teetotaller whereas the legendary actor Sivaji Ganesan had to amp up his spirits after the day’s shooting. The late SS Rajendran, a DMK pillar, had a peculiar drinking ritual; he would have a glass full of egg whites, and sip alternately from both glasses. Villain MR Radha was just as rambunctious in his alcohol intake but could stand rock steady and perform. These are the yesteryear’s cine brigade. Superstar Rajinikanth is known not to chomp into any side dish or fritters; he just pays full attention to the elixir of life. At a press conference, where the media was served drinks, the gathered had to demand short eats! Suave Ajith Kumar socialises with his Martini’s and exotic cocktails while the emerging superstar Vijay never drinks in social gatherings. The women brigade are not far behind. The late Savitri was a known alcoholic, many a time she could outrank the romantic hero Gemini Ganesan (Rekha’s father) in a contest. Among the younger stars, Trisha is a rebel. She is a free spirit reveller on the Bessy beach congregating with her feline female friends to have a blast. For these easy spirits, it is Dil Mange More. Live life king size with a Patiala peg.
Once upon a time in a newsroom far away, there was a suave reporter/ editor / food critic. A Rude Life, Vir Sanghvi’s memoir artfully churned out during the enforced paralysis of the pandemic, seems from a distant, different era. From his privileged childhood, boarding school et al to Oxford, it bubbles with stories and character. The anecdotes are like the gourmet confections he critiques: intricate and inviting, definitely not every day fare. The ingredients are delectable but do smack of name-dropping sourced from the old boy network of a bygone era. Clearly, he has met everyone from Yuri Gagarin to Dhirubhai Ambani to Amartya Sen. An easy rapport is established with the PM Rajiv Gandhi. On these coat tails Sanghvi manages to engage the reclusive Amitabh Bachchan and probably presents the most coherent story of his entry and abrupt exit from politics. There are ringside accounts of Bofors or how a senior Congressman who had suffered at the hands of Sanjay Gandhi reacted at the news of the latter’s fatal plunge —Mar gaya saala! Vir Sanghvi’s journey straddles an important time when TV ‘journalism’ was unobtrusively birthed, and he shares many vignettes of these early days and famous shows which segues into his newer avatar as food maven and writer of books. Though not finished, a life, unlikely to be encountered today.
The civility will remain, but it is the end of the bonhomie between the Opposition AIADMK and the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu. When former chief minister O Panneerselvam, on his wife’s death, wept in the close presence of current chief minister MK Stalin, it was a sign that maturity in Tamil Nadu politics is here to stay. But the DMK is bent upon pursuing its own interests as a few actions betraying agenda pursuits were witnessed. The first was the move to affiliate the Jayalalithaa University in Villupuram to the Annamalai varsity, which is seen as a move by the rulers to suppress Jaya’s name. The second was the announcement that the Karunanidhi statue would be restored to its original place on Mount Road from where it was removed during the Jayalalithaa regime. “Traffic hazard” was quoted as the reason to move a centrally placed tribute to the late DMK patriarch in his bronze statue with the trademark tinted glasses to cover for a childhood eye injury. Stalin was more than civil in allowing ration and condiments bags with the portraits of Jaya and EPS to be in continued use until they are exhausted in order to save Rs 10 crore for the government. But he is pursuing other things close to his dad’s heart like hiding the Assembly in the Omadurar building rather than Fort St George.
With the appointment of former Union Finance Minister and veteran leader P Chidambaram in charge of Goa, the Congress party seems to be learning from past mistakes and cash in on anti-incumbency against the BJP led government to regain power in the upcoming assembly elections. Immediately after his appointment, Chidambaram dissolved state and district level party committees to start anew. He has increased his visits to Goa and in every meeting, he insists that factionalism and intra party feud will not be tolerated while making a strong case to put up a united fight against BJP which is struggling to combat the pandemic and groupism within the party. Recently, BJP’s core group met and asked the embattled chief minister Pramod Sawant to further tighten the grip on the government and strengthen coordination between the party organization and the government. Chidambaram has asked the senior leaders to reach out to the voters to expose BJP’s misgovernance and divisive politics. Interestingly, this time round the party is engaged with smaller and like-minded parties to stitch a pre-poll alliance to avoid the mistake it committed after the last assembly elections. So, Chidambaram is heading Congress party’s Mission Goa and the party hopes to win back the state.
Former Tamil Nadu chief minister and AIADMK Coordinator, O Panneerselvan’s (OPS) wife P Vijayalakshmi, suddenly died of massive cardiac arrest at a private hospital on September 1. Even as OPS, sons Ravindranath (MP), Jayapradeep, and family were mourning her sudden loss, a call from VK Sasikala, ousted AIADMK general secretary and confidante of the late chief minister J Jayalalithaa, informed the family that she was on her way to pay her respects in person. Former TN chief minister and arch-rival of Sasikala, Edappadi Palanisami, who was around offering his condolences, made a quick exit from the hospital. The grandstanding Sasikala arrived to much excitement among the huge throng of party workers. They could sense the regrouping of new political forces. And sure enough, a grief-stricken OPS was consoled. The crafty politician held his hands and OPS turned to putty. They say, there are no permanent friends or permanent enemies in politics, only permanent interest. Sasikala, it seems, could turn this overwhelming grief-stricken time into a potential opportunity to capture her lost glory and the party. And a malleable OPS too! Why not? Vijayalakshmi’s mortal remains were taken to Periyakulam in Theni District. Among the gathered family, prominently present at midnight was Sasikala’s nephew and AMMK party founder, TTV Dinakaran! How to win enemies and decimate friends!
On August 24, when the state BJP General Secretary KT Raghavan was “allegedly exposed by Youtuber and self-styled BJP mouthpiece Madhan Ravichandran” by his sting operation sleaze tapes, Raghavan did not publicly rave and rant. He just resigned his party post and said he would meet the allegations, legally. Ok, so what’s so unusual about sexual proclivities and shenanigans …of people in power? This exactly is the question asked by Naam Tamilar Katchi founder and high-profile orator, Seeman, who is now openly nicknamed BJP’s B Team. Ha, this gets murkier and murkier when the unravelling of this sting expose came to light. Said Ravichandran, “I sought party president Annamalai’s ok, played the tapes to him and then only went public.” Now the penny drops. Former IPS officer, now newly minted BJP TN party president K Annamalai is in a hurry to establish himself as the unquestionable power center. Bade miyaan tho bade miyaan, Chotte miyaan subhanallah! The old guard and entrenched opinion makers are naturally riled. So was this sting operation remotely controlled? Is this an open admission that all is not well in the TN BJP, which now orchestrates a single point agenda — the only alternative to the Dravidian voice? The Indian crab mindset is alive and busy pulling down potential challenges.
Virat Kohli has been under greater pressure in his career as captain and batsman than in the ongoing England series. But his tactical errors are coming to haunt him more often. He chose to bat at Headingley where in the last 20 years no Test captain has done so. The high-water table has a way of allowing the new ball to swing like crazy and Team Indian were down and out in the first three overs from the sultan of swing – James Anderson. Kohli may have been blindsided by the Lord’s experience as his team batted first on being inserted. Having picked four seamers, perhaps correctly for Leeds, he may have predetermined the course of batting first. There is time yet for course correction and if Kohli gives up his seamer obsession at least for The Oval, a famous hunting ground for spinners, he might even pick the world’s best contemporary spinner – Ravi Ashwin. In an era of poor technique against the moving or spinning ball, batting collapses are dime a dozen and affect all teams. But England may have tactically put one over Indian batsmen by picking bowlers for their height and hence higher ball release points as they did with Overton in the third Test. India can regroup if the captain and coach can set their thinking straight.
Vasudeo Paranjape — the suave cricketing soul of the good old Bombay and modern Mumbai — got along wonderfully well to the pleasant greetings of “Kasa hai, eppadi irukkai and khem cho” in Matunga. Vasu (also Vasoo)— who took leave of our world on Janmashtami Day — was the pride and joy of Matunga, the area’s social fabric representing a beautiful blend of Marathi, Tamil and Gujarati-speaking people who mingled well at the inviting Udipi Restaurants with a good fill of upma- idli-dosa washed down with assorted peaberry concoctions at a dozen outlets, at the old Gulshan for the superb Burun-Maska and chai, or at the Rama Nayak on Sundays and holidays for hearty meal. When Vasu was around, cricket had to be the powwow, and much of it in a lighter vein. Of the old school, having raised at the famous King George (now Raja Shivaji), Vasu helped the careers of Sunil Gavaskar and Dilip Vengsarkar to blossom, showing them the way at Dadar Union, Matunga’s all-time favourite sporting club built by a disciplinarian Madhav Mantri. According to Vengsarkar, it was mostly fun and laughter even while playing the game the hard way for Dadar Union with Vasu at the helm. Over time, Vasu became a cult figure. With his passing, the world of cricket has lost a treasure house.
While the male actors of Bollywood are reluctant to experiment with their roles, it is the women brigade that has taken the lead in attempting different roles and even shouldering the risk of spearheading them too. Hrithik Roshan who was offered an adaptation of Night Manager reportedly opted out because of his comfort with conventional films versus the web series that requires long working hours. Experimental endeavours like Tubelight and Zero have forced Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan to go back to doing commercial cinema, their strongholds. Whereas Aamir Khan continues to script new hits with experimental creativity as his USP. Other names that feature prominently in the experimental genre are Saif Ali Khan, who today is one of those who play characters rather than conventional heroes in the film; and Shahid Kapoor, who has taken risks with a whole-hearted plunge into the webspace. Still, the most sought-after actors are concerned about the image and worried about losing their audiences if they drifted away from formula films. At the same time more and more actresses are coming forward to experiment; striving to “be the change” in the cinema, just like what Vidya Balan once promised to her fans. Today, a Kangana Ranaut, Taapsee, Deepika Padukone, and Alia don’t really need a hero as they prefer to play the heroes in their respective films
Just a few days back, the Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi gave a call for unity among opposition parties to take on the BJP. Ironically, it’s her party’s warring factions in Punjab and Rajasthan who need this unity the most. Sonia was briefed by both Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot factions. Gehlot, it seems, is in no mood to entertain Pilot and his demand for cabinet expansion. In Punjab, a different drama is being played out and looks like the party is on the verge of a vertical split. The new state chief Navjot Siddhu seems to be a man in a hurry while Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh is in mood to surrender. He is prepared to fight internal rivals and BJP. Harish Rawat who is in charge of the Punjab unit, at the behest of the High Command, has asked Siddhu to get rid of his advisors to avoid further rift and controversies. But Siddhu seems equally adamant and belligerent. He is seeking a report card of Captain’s five-year rule. Rahul and Priyanka who were responsible for convincing Pilot not to quit the party are unable to come out with viable solutions either in Rajasthan or Punjab. Says party insiders, Congress is not just directionless but has lost vigour to save the government. Meanwhile both BJP and AAP are enjoying the fight.
Jimmy Anderson has been a magnificent manipulator of the cricket ball and a true-blue shot in the arm for England Test cricket. Not just because he has plied his trade with skill for 18 summers with the home-made Dukes, the Australian Kookaburra and the Indian SG Test, but also for the fact of hoodwinking batsmen without showing a trace of hostility. One of the finest practitioners of the red cherry is poised to reach a unique world record that would be nonpareil in the annals of Test cricket. He is a handful away from accounting for 100 Indian victims at home. In the ongoing Test at the white rose county (Yorkshire) ground at Headingley, Leeds, the red rose county (Lancashire) and England seamer caused the downfall of Rahul, Pujara and Kohli with in-swing and out-swing to take his tally to 96. With the second innings remaining and two more Tests at The Oval, and Old Trafford, the most successful operator of the shining and worn-out ball is all set to complete a terrific record. So far 193 bowlers — 121 fast bowlers and 72 spinners — have found their way into the Elite 100 Test Wickets Club, but Anderson would be an outlier in this crowd. After 15 years, James Michael Anderson, 39 is in pursuit of a century he will be proud of to have founded.
Firebrand and street smart leader Narayan Rane is now BJP’s missile against estranged ally Shiv Sena in the run up to the BMC elections. His arrest and bail have increased his stock value in Delhi. Modi and Shah have not only neglected demand for Rane’s resignation as predicted in the media after recent clashes, but they are also thinking of giving him more responsibility to revive BJP in the Konkan region which is a Sena bastion — and also delivering a befitting reply by winning BMC election. Even though a few BJP and RSS leaders are unhappy with Rane’s glorification, a thinking among majority of the leaders, given the current circumstances, is to back Rane. He is the best bet to take on the Sena in its backyard. However, a negative point is that Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena is heading the MVA government. Thackeray may use the power of his office to checkmate Rane’s feisty politics vis a vis expose BJP’s politics of opportunism in neglecting the loyalists. A senior BJP leader says that if the party fails to dislodge Sena from the BMC then Rane will have to take the blame, but if it wins then all credit will go to Rane. This brings the million-dollar question: Will he pose a challenge to Devendra Fadnavis and others in the future? Wait for BMC polls!
It has taken a magnum opus on Veer Savarkar to put in print a memory that still lives and torments millions: The memory of the 1948 anti-Maharashtrian Brahmin genocide, a “wilfully erased chapter of history.” While writing for his concluding volume on the freedom fighter – Savarkar (Part 2): A Contested Legacy, 1924-1966 – author Vikram Sampath’s crowdsourcing efforts through social media drew an outpouring of tragic personal tales from survivors and descendants of the 1948 pogrom. The book captures how the carnage started from Bombay and Pune before spreading to Nagpur, Satara, Sangli, Miraj, the Patwardhan States, Belgaum, Kolhapur, where thousands of Brahmins were either massacred or their properties destroyed; and most villages in the state were ethnically cleansed of Brahmins. Thanks to laws like the Press Act, the media was silent on it – as it was on the coverage of the Partition Holocaust against Hindus and Sikhs in the newly created Pakistan, and its Kashmir horrors. Washington Post reported on wave of looting, arson and killings; New York Times said how “the communal riots quickly swept Bombay when news of Mr Gandhi’s death was received (January 30, 1948).” The accounts of DP Mishra, home minister of Central Provinces, point to a systematic pogrom against Brahmins and how no FIRs were lodged. Says Sampath: “The tragedy apart, denying its very occurrence makes it a doubly chilling crime.”
There is a strong buzz in the Congress circle that the 72-year old veteran Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad who retired from Rajya Sabha as the Leader Of Opposition on February 15, 2021 may re-enter the House Of Elders. He, according to knowledgeable sources, may be elected from Tamil Nadu. The Rajya Sabha election is scheduled on September 13, 2021 for the vacancy caused by the death of AIADMK Rajya Sabha member, A Mohammedjan. Political analysts feel since DMK and its allies enjoy a clear majority their nominee is bound to win. It may be recalled that while bidding him farewell, all leaders had praised Azad for his outstanding contributions. Prime Minister Narendra Modi became emotional too. In his farewell speech, Azad shocked and surprised everybody when he said he was among the fortunate people who never went to Pakistan. “When I read about the circumstances in Pakistan, I feel proud to be a Hindustani Muslim,” he said. Many Congressmen, who respect him, feel he was side-lined as he was one of the signatories to G 23. As always, this former chief minister of Jammu & Kashmir is asking the Modi government to restore statehood before holding assembly polls. One has to wait and watch whether Azad who has always been a picture of grace and dignity will make it again.
The first phase of Subarnarekha Port, a joint venture between Tata Steel and Creative Port Development located in Odisha, is complete. This project, whose foundation stone was laid in 2019 by the Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, seems to be on the investment radar of many companies. Sources say several of the companies are keen to invest in the ports’ berthing facility designed to handle all kinds of vessels — Panama, Capesize, Super Capesize and Containerised cargo. With the completion of the first phase the port’s handling capacity stands at 25 MTPA. In phase 2, this capacity will be ramped up to 35 MTPA. The total cost of setting up this port spread over 1,398 acres is around Rs 5,000 crore. The state government has already handed over 692.68 acre of land and the balance 705.35 acres will also be made available soon. Additionally, land requirements for road and rail connectivity are also being planned. When fully operational, Subarnarekha Port situated next door to the states of Jharkhand and West Bengal will play a major role in logistic cost sustenance and economic development of the state.
With the Calcutta High Court ordering CBI probe into West Bengal Post Poll violence and directing the Mamata government to immediately process the compensation for the victims, the political uncertainty has deepened in the state. Add to this the fear of the Third Wave of pandemic hitting the country during Durga Puja; and importantly, the need to hold bypolls in seven assembly seats before November 5 or else, technically, Didi may have to step down, if not re-elected within six months. The Election Commission (EC), looking at the ground situation in terms of pandemic and post-poll violence, is yet to announce the date. After announcing the poll dates, the EC takes at least 24 days before voting can take place. The EC has been accused of delaying the election at the behest of the Centre. But, those accusing the EC of bias, may note that in Uttarakhand, a BJP ruled state, Tirath Singh Rawat who took over as the Chief Minister on March 10, 2021 had to step down on July 2 as the EC was not ready to hold bypolls before his six-month period to get re-elected was coming to end on September 10. It may be recalled that even though her party TMC won the Assembly elections with thumping majority, she lost her seat from Nandigram to BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari, her one time confidant.
Mughal-e-Azam is considered a masterpiece in Indian cinema. This all-time hit epic historical drama directed by the renowned K Asif starring Prithviraj Kapoor, Madhubala, Durga Khote and Dilip Kumar was released in 1960. The character of Prince Salim played by Dilip Kumar has been immortalized. But not many know this great masterpiece was made in fits and starts. It took 10 years to complete it. And there were several reasons for it. One was director Asif fell in love with Dilip Kumar’s sister Akhtar and this incensed Dilip Kumar who refused to shoot till the matter was finally resolved. Besides, Dilip Kumar and Madhubala had an affair that ended around the making of this film and this took a toll on the shoots as their on-screen chemistry went awry. Finally, the pearls that were used in the shoot would break every time it fell on the floor, and the shooting had to be cancelled. It was then decided to import unbreakable pearls from Belgium and getting those in the sixties took months. It was finally released with all the fanfare at Maratha Mandir. By evening it was declared flop. This news depressed the cast which met at Asif’s house near Opera House after the premiere. Looking at all of them Asif said, “Kyon, Chehre Latak Gaye! Dekhna Ye Film Zabardast Hit Hogi.“ And it did.
Sport Climbing is a form of rock climbing that relies on permanent anchors fixed to the rock for protection. Meet Franco Linhares – a retired microbiologist, Abhijit Burman – a robotic technician, Aniruddha Biswas – a senior scientist and Anushka Kalbag – an architect, all avid climbers with big dreams to host the Sport Climbing World Cup for the first time in India. It was a difficult proposition without financial resources. Luckily, the Tata Trusts agreed to chip in. It all began with Burman organising several international climbing events in India. He then frequented Europe to convince the International Federation for the Sports (IFSC) to allow India to host the Sport Climbing World Cup. Then in 2016, India got lucky. The 2016 World Cup held in Mumbai was one of the best ever. Burman was offered the 2017 World Cup as well. Parallely, IFSC, was making a pitch for inclusion of the sports in the Tokyo Games, and one of the key criteria was that sports needed to have a global appeal, and Tokyo saw Sport Climbing making its debut. Now the foursome is looking at an Olympics medal for India in 2032, and have launched the Basalt Project, to train Indian climbers. More power to the Gang of Four.
Passing his first 100 days in office with the felicity of a seasoned politician destined to hold the highest office in his state, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin is drawing praise even from his opponents when his regime is long past the honeymoon stage. He showed how he values his dad’s contribution with a Rs 40 crore tribute in a grand memorial on the Marina Beach while retaining the one lesson M Karunanidhi taught him. There is no need to be vituperative in politics; and cordial relations with the Centre are conducive to the State’s welfare because the purse strings are in New Delhi. Stalin backs Opposition unity with the same intent as he did in promoting Rahul Gandhi as his choice for PM if the coalition forces make it but he will not be a street fighter in the Mamata mould. He makes his political points in cool language and devoid of theatricals. The Tamil Nadu CM lets the power of data figure in everything that his government does, which is probably something he has picked up from his finance minister. Statements are laced with facts and figures to support arguments made in sane fashion. He leads the Treasury benches saving most of his talk for the Assembly while delegating powers to his ministers. Stalin is in the running for the CM of the year accolade.
SEBI is said to be finalizing revised guidelines to pave the entry of private equity firms in the AMC business. Currently there are two to three mutual funds which are reportedly looking to get out at a decent price. L&T Mutual Fund is one of them. The 12th largest fund by the AUM size, L&T Mutual Fund manages Rs 58,000 crore worth of assets. IDFC Mutual Fund is another fund which is being eyed by the entrants wanting to get into the mutual fund space. They reckon with ESG schemes picking up, investors will be keen to look at avenues to park funds in these schemes. One of the potential private equity companies looking keenly at getting into the Indian mutual industry is Blackstone. It is believed that once regulators permit, they will be moving quickly to take a stake in the AMC of L&T and IDFC.
Tamil film Master with Vijay as a hero and Vijay Sethupathi as the villain directed by Lokesh Kanakaraj turned out to be the 2021 blockbuster despite the lockdown. A very restricted cinema release and the earliest to mount the OTT platform (Amazon Prime), Master grossed, according to industry sources, Rs 300 crore with its fast and furious story and screenplay that Kanakaraj penned. A tad lengthy, critics wished it could have been trimmed to match Vijay’s fit persona! This South Indian director is no flash in the pan, as his earlier movie Managaram (now shaping up in Hindi as Mumbaikar) and Kaithee’s success proved. Salman Khan was approached for the Hindi remake of Master. Even as the pre-production details were sewn up, Salman Khan opted out. Apparently, Salman Khan was not quite happy with the story and screenplay, and suggested some changes. But, director Kanakaraj, sources say, did not agree to be involved with the project after those changes. He has taken up another assignment to direct a film featuring Vijay, Kamal Haasan and Fahadh Faasil. The producer who has the Hindi remake rights will have to wait for now. Post the release of Master, it is rumoured, Vijay’s earnings have skyrocketed to the Rs 120 crore fee bracket. Opportunity and luck do not knock often at the doors of supplicants.
The fault finding chatter about the snail-pace run-scoring of Cheteshwar Pujara has not stopped even after his bulwark-like 206-ball 45 in the second innings of the Lord’s Test that India won following unbelievable team heroics. The thickset looking one-drop in 132 innings so far of his 88 Test matches, has come under flak for his barn door defence at the crease ever since India’s campaign in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy that the Ajinkya Rahane-led team transformed itself from a down-and-out side in Adelaide into a gargantuan at the Gabba. The fact though is that right from the legendary opening batsman Sunil Gavaskar to the captain Kohli, vice-captain Rahane and the batsman in form KL Rahul have backed Pujara to the hilt. For long Pujara has been the fulcrum around whom Kohli has accumulated runs and has given substance to the third wicket stand (2,567 runs in 46 matches/56 innings). Rahane under the cosh has joined forces with Kohli, and amassed 2,933 runs in 38 matches/ 46 innings for the fourth wicket. Pujara and Rahane have made 1135 runs for the fourth wicket for a healthy average of 45.40. The numbers speak a lot, and the negative noise following the 100 run undertaking by the ‘targeted’ Pujara and Rahane at Lord’s, may have temporarily ceased. The Pujara-Kohli-Rahane combine has delivered aplenty for Indian cricket, including some splendid wins.
The son of an auto-rickshaw driver did not get his name on to the honours board at Lord’s but he led his fellow quicks to make that famous victory possible with eight wickets in the Test. Mohammed Siraj’s intensity has undone England’s Test batsmen as much as Jasprit Bumrah’s pace. His steep angles into the right handers, but more importantly away from the left handers have had a consistently unsettling effect as they are not able to pick him. Siraj, a champion bowler in tennis ball street cricket around Hyderabad, started bowling with a hard ball only after he was 20 when in 2015 he joined Charminar Cricket Club. And when the IPL bidding stopped at Rs 2.6 crores from Sunrisers, Siraj’s first instinct was to tell his father to stop driving his 3-wheeler for a living. Siraj will be one of the charged-up skipper Virat Kohli’s main weapons as Team India goes into the Headingley Test convinced that they are the better side and must press on to win the 5-Test series. A fuller length that suits English conditions best, a deadly yorker developed from bowling the tennis ball, stamina and persistence are Siraj’s plus points. As the 5-day format gives him time to work on the batsmen, his only regret is that his dad passed on before his Test debut.
With rumours flying thick and fast, it is now reliably learnt that the Tata Sons, the holding company of the Tata Group, is in no hurry to call a board meeting to decide on the second term for its Chairman N Chandrasekaran. This means that Tata Sons is unlikely to hold a board meeting before September 14, 2021, the date of its virtual annual general meeting (AGM). Generally, a company’s board takes a call on providing an extension to its top brass, and then puts it to vote at AGMs. According to sources in Bombay House, the headquarters of the Tata Group, Chandrasekaran’s tenure officially ends next year — February 2022 to be precise. Between now and then, there is a lot the chairman is entrusted with, and hence this won’t be an appropriate time to decide on his second term. Tata Sons’ board has the luxury of time on its hand, another six to seven months to decide on Chandra’s – as the 58-year-old is fondly called – second term. With many insiders and industry watchers expecting some announcements on September 14, however, the virtual AGM would be a keenly awaited event.
Finally, the controversy-hit Rhea Chakraborty will see the release of her film Chehre this month. It was during the making of this film, the idea to act in a film opposite Sushant Singh Rajput (SSR) was mooted. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen with the mysterious death of SSR. Rhea, one of the main accused, faced trial by the media for more than a year. But the young star managed to weather it all and get her life back. Rhea is now confidently socializing, focusing on fitness and talking to producers. She seems to get her PR right as the personal attacks vis a vis SSR coverage have reduced except on Twitter where SSR continues to trend. Although the industry is not spelling it out, but it seems they have accepted her and some announcements may be made soon. Director of Chhere Rumi Jaffery may sign her for his next film. Speaking to a cross-section of people, the general thinking is: Rhea deserves a second chance – just like actor Sanjay Dutt, who spent five years in prison under Arms Act after the TADA Court acquitted him in the 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blast case. The audience has accepted him, and he continues to be the most sought-after actor in Bollywood. Well, Amitabh Bachchan and Emraan Hashmi-starrer Chehre looks like a ‘thodi si lift kara de’ moment for Rhea, which may open up new possibilities for the budding star.
Sony Television’s marquee programme Kaun Banega Crorepati, hosted by Amitabh Bachchan, is back. And despite Covid-19 pandemic hitting the economy hard, the sponsors are more than eager to sponsor this longest running reality show as it continues to have a huge draw across all sections of the society. Already 11 sponsors have been lined up for Season 13. The differentiated factor this season is the use of hi-tech technology, graphics and Artificial Intelligence. And of course, in a major break from the pandemic led restrictions, the audience is back in the studio this season. The show is one the biggest revenue churners for SET. Media buyers estimate that Sony charges upwards of Rs 4 lakh for a 10-second spot. It is around Rs 40 crore for presenting sponsors, Rs 16 -20 crore for associate sponsors. Though it is a closely guarded secret, insiders say, Big B is paid around Rs 3.5 crore per episode. Started in 2000, the first three seasons of KBC were aired on Star Plus. It then moved to Sony Entertainment Television. Big B has been associated with the show since its inception except for Season 3 when it was hosted by Shah Rukh Khan.
Fast bowlers go after wickets straight away once they get hold of the new ball. There is no better sight and thrill than seeing fast bowlers bounding in of a long run up on a first morning of a match, and as one of England’s greatest express-fast bowlers, Frank “Typhoon” Tyson, believed, challenge the opening batsmen to cut. The ball either races to the point fence, or is nicked to the wicket-keeper or the slip-cordon. The present crop of Indian fast bowlers — Bumrah, Shami, Ishant and Siraj — who have blown away England at Trent Bridge and Lord’s, not only follow the Tyson template, but have also made Joe Root’s batsmen quiver in their boots, peppering them with bouncers and sand shoe crushers (ball pitched at a batsman’s feet). This fearsome foursome, and Shardul Thakur who played the first Test, have caused the downfall of 39 of the 40 England batsmen. Former England opener Michael Carberry, who scored a century for England Lions against Central Zone in a Duleep Trophy match in 2008 summed by an Indian new ball operator’s approach saying he doesn’t believe in “setting-up”, but goes for wickets straight away. At Lord’s, Bumrah & Co, have gone to the extent of, as a handful of tabloids headlined, bullying England. Just for the record, Sharma has taken 51 wickets in England, Shami 32, Bumrah 26 and Siraj 11.
Post Chennai Express Superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s other movies like Fan, Raees, Jab Harry Met Sejal and Zero did not do well. So what does he do? Turn South and rope in one of the most successful young directors of Tamil movies, Atlee (Arun Kumar) for that magic touch, a fail-safe formula film designed to make stakeholders laugh all the way to the bank. And for added kick, two winsome and talented leading ladies have also been signed on. Tamil films’ top paid heroine Nayantara and the young bubbly Sanya Malhotra to provide the glamour quotient. Who is this Atlee? What is his track record as a hot and hip director to call the shots especially when SRK is decidedly wanting an encore of the Chennai Express? Thirty-five-year-old Atlee first worked as S Shankar’s assistant in Enthiran and Nanban, sculpted himself as a box office brand. Soon, he went solo and directed his debut film, Raja Rani with Nayantara in the lead, and secured his place as one of the most promising debut directors of 2016. For those who may be sceptical about a Tamil director’s dexterity, he made three successive films, Theri, Mercel and Bigil, all starring Vijay that rocked the box office, making Vijay the Number 2 after Rajnikant. Don’t underestimate these quiet non-flamboyant South Indian types. They know their cinema inside out.
The 2017 Kodanad case is back in the limelight years after J Jayalalithaa died and one of her drivers led a break-in on the tea estate nestling in the Nilgiris. The latest turn in the case may be entirely political with the new regime headed by MK Stalin in Tamil Nadu seeking to put pressure on former CM Edappadi Palaniswami wondering if he could be named a conspirator but the fact remains that a Hitchcockian suspense over events were never satisfactorily explained. Two major gang leaders of the break-in met with road accidents at virtually the same time on the same day. While the prime accused Kanagaraj died in a two-wheeler crash in Salem, the first accused MV Sayan survived a car crash but lost his wife and daughter on a Kerala road when another vehicle bumped suspiciously into his. The key to the mystery lies with Sayan now who is much wanted as the ruling DMK seems very interested in the outcome of reinvestigation. A hunt is on for the main conspirator who may have set a gang of nine to break in and see if they could get into locked rooms of the bungalow which were supposed to contain great treasures including jewels and cash. The CCTVs were conveniently off at the time leading to the suspicion of an inside hand.
After parleys with the Central leadership and RSS veterans, the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has tweaked his style of functioning both at the government and the party level. Party insiders point out that Yogi has decided to reach out to his deputy chief minister, ministers and disgruntled ministers, legislators and MPs in a bid to avoid factionalism ahead of upcoming assembly elections. Yogi has visited Delhi and met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and a couple of other leaders and ministers to discuss organisational and policy issues. The agenda is getting nods for the party nominees for members of legislative council and for the much-awaited cabinet expansion. Four people are in the fray for MLC. These include: Jitin Prasada who recently joined BJP from Congress; former UP BJP chief Laxmikant Bajpai; and Sanjay Nishad of the Nishad Party. This is Yogi’s second visit to the national capital in a month. Interestingly, Yogi’s move is to get maximum Centrally-funded projects to be completed ahead of the polls and also kick start new projects already in the pipeline. A recent Mood of the Nation survey conducted by India Today ranks Yogi next only to Modi in popularity as the next choice as India’s Prime Minister. Hopefully, the new style will help him expand his appeal further (Yogi polled 11% votes up from 3% in August 2020)
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s close confidants KC Venugopal, Gaurav Gogai and others are furious over the dinner hosted by a G-23 member and former union minister Kapil Sibal on his birthday and inviting opposition party leaders. Sibal has said it was not an attempt to launch a non-BJP front without Congress playing a lead role. But Rahul supporters are not ready to accept; they strongly feel it is further attempt to embarrass Rahul who is already taking initiatives to mobilise opposition parties in and outside the Parliament against the Modi government. A former minister, who was present at Sibal’s dinner, said Sonia-Rahul Gandhi duo is an integral part for any non- BJP front but G-23 will step up its efforts to mobilise like-minded parties ahead of the next Lok Sabha elections. “A fresh demand will be made for convening the plenary session of the All India Congress Committee to elect a new president and thereafter launch a nationwide drive to build up front against BJP. Already some leaders have sent signal to Sonia, if she agrees party will get a new president.” Another leader, who was minister in both UPA I and II government, used cricket lingua to convey his message. Agreed, the wicket is sticky, but there are enough veterans and experienced players within the Congress party who can give a new spin and win the match.
Often, we tend to hold a poor view of politicians. With Parliament stalled at the drop of a hat, our misgivings about Parliamentarians and the Parliamentary systems of democracy deepen. A closer study, however, will reveal how misconceived our views are. Look at the way the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance sought to address ticklish issues in the corporate debt resolution process. Why should the resolution option be inflexible? Why should a resolution plan result in the disposal of the entire business and operations of corporate debt (CD) under a single plan? A combination of bidders taking different business units or assets could well be a superior solution. This could be better than a single bidder acquiring the entire business from a committee of creditors (CoC). The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), it appears, doesn’t facilitate multi-plan solutions for corporate debt resolution. The rules under Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process (CIRP), however, do provide for flexible disposal of assets/business of CD to different bidders. But IBC appears to grant no such flexibility to CoC. While IBC is a Parliamentary statue, CIRP laws are subordinate legislations. Hence, the Parliamentary Committee has recommended changes to IBC so that a resolution is achieved by pursuing either of the means prescribed by CIRP rules. Indeed, Parliamentarians do a quiet job behind.
Two men with Test batting averages of 11 and 3.6 helped themselves to an unbroken 89-run partnership to first take the Lord’s Test away from England and then conspired with their fellow fast bowlers to carve out a famous victory. Mohamed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah were the unlikeliest batting heroes on the final day even as England failed tactically by bowling bouncers at the tail, hitting them on the body and helmet, but not getting them out. An ill-tempered Test match saw England play like 15-year-olds, as Michael Vaughan said, in bouncing at the tailed batters, all because Bumrah had bounced James Anderson often in a 10-ball over. The same men who showed such great heart at the crease then bowled England out in under two sessions for only India’s third triumph at Lord’s. India’s pace bowlers have taken 39 of 40 England wickets in two Tests even as their captain Joe Root scored more runs than the rest of his batsmen put together. England were trapped in a scrap with Virat Kohli, a captain who revels in cricket as war. There is nothing wrong with emotion and passion on the field even if he tends to overdo it. Kohli joins Kapil Dev and MS Dhoni as the only Indian captains to win a test at Lord’s.
Top star Deepika Padukone lost a role in Sanjay Leela Bansali’s Baiju Bawra as she demanded more remuneration than Ranveer Singh. And Deepika is not the first heroine to do so. Kareena Kapoor Khan demanded Rs 12 crore to play the lead role in Alaukik Desai’s film Sita. Earlier, her close friend Karan Johar replaced her with Preity Zinta in Kal Ho Naa Ho for demanding more remuneration. A few years back Aishwarya Rai Bachchan lost an important role opposite Aamir Khan in Mangal Pandey because she demanded Rs 1 crore. Effectively, both Kareena and Deepika have lost opportunity to play iconic roles for asking what they deserve. This brings us back to the burning question of pay disparity in Bollywood. The general thinking in Bollywood is heroes (read men) have box office draw and female stars don’t have that kind of pull. A top producer clarifies, “Pay cheques are decided on the basis of how much business he or she rakes in. It is not based on the gender.” Sridevi and Madhuri Dixit got higher remuneration because audience went to the theatre to watch their performances. And of course, one heroine who has managed to single-handedly become a big hit is Kangana Ranaut. With Queen she proved it. She has made it clear that she prefers not to work with the Khans because “she would get over shadowed”.
BJP has put Mission Topple Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra on hold and instead is focusing on securing the country’s richest civic body — the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and win the mayoral poll. With strong backing from the RSS parivar it has launched Samarth Booth Abhiyan which lays emphasis on reaching the voters up to the booth level and thereby strengthening the party to take on Shiv Sena’s vibhag or ward level network. There are 227 wards and 12,000 booths. BJP proposes to contact every voter at the booth level in a serious bid to counter Shiv Sena in the upcoming BMC elections. It has already started booth-wise revision of voters’ list and one-on-one meetings with voters. The BJP insiders claim the party has taken care to appoint committed workers as booth and shakti sthal pramukh to avoid groupism and factionalism. The party leadership’s diktat is not to entertain division. Interestingly, the Modi-Shah duo are closely monitoring the developments. Party President JP Nadda has already reviewed the ground level preparations with former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, city unit chief Mangal Prabhat Lodha, and state unit chief Chandrakant Patil. Meanwhile there are strong rumours that Ashish Shelar, former minister and party legislator is tipped to take over as the state unit chief following his several rounds of meetings with Home Minister Amit Shah.
The new dispensation at Tamil Nadu headed by MK Stalin has unveiled first of its kind, exclusive budget for agriculture to transform the state’s farmers. A resounding electoral win, wresting power after 10 long years, a think tank cabinet of intellectuals, a White Paper on the abysmal state of the TN coffers (a timely disclaimer in case promises can’t be met), a budget that tries to put both revenue and deficit in perspective…. no wonder Stalin has raised expectations. This exclusive agricultural budget has a slew of schemes that could transform TN’s agriculture sector over next 10 years. If implemented, it could give the state a distinct identity. It envisages value addition for farm products, millets to be procured at better prices, incentives to sugarcane farming. The most striking aspect is the importance given to organic farming by creating a separate department for integrated push to take up organic farming. Another ambitious plan is to convert 11.75 hectares of fallow land to cultivable land, an increase from 60% to 75%. The scheme to give a solar powered pump set has been lauded. Above all, the scheme is focusing on training farmers to meet value added market demand as Agri Entrepreneurs. Clearly, Stalin’s agrarian focused approach could be the answer to what successive Tamil Nadu’s government was looking for a long time now.
It has taken a magnum opus on Veer Savarkar to put in print a memory that still lives and torments millions: The memory of the 1948 anti-Maharashtrian Brahmin genocide, a “wilfully erased chapter of history.” While writing for his concluding volume on the freedom fighter – Savarkar (Part 2): A Contested Legacy, 1924-1966 – author Vikram Sampath’s crowdsourcing efforts through social media drew an outpouring of tragic personal tales from survivors and descendants of the 1948 pogrom. The book captures how the carnage started from Bombay and Pune before spreading to Nagpur, Satara, Sangli, Miraj, the Patwardhan States, Belgaum, Kolhapur, where thousands of Brahmins were either massacred or their properties destroyed; and most villages in the state were ethnically cleansed of Brahmins. Thanks to laws like the Press Act, the media was silent on it – as it was on the coverage of the Partition Holocaust against Hindus and Sikhs in the newly created Pakistan, and its Kashmir horrors. Washington Post reported on wave of looting, arson and killings; New York Times said how “the communal riots quickly swept Bombay when news of Mr Gandhi’s death was received (January 30, 1948).” The accounts of DP Mishra, home minister of Central Provinces, point to a systematic pogrom against Brahmins and how no FIRs were lodged. Says Sampath: “The tragedy apart, denying its very occurrence makes it a doubly chilling crime.”
Incredible India! Five varieties of apples from Himachal Pradesh have been exported for the first time to Bahrain. This from a State which started growing apple about 100 years back. Thanks to Samuel Stokes, better known as the Apple Man of Himachal Pradesh, who came to India in 1914. Samuel Stokes left Philadelphia when he was just 22, got drawn into Mahatma Gandhi’s non-cooperation movement, probably the only American jailed in our Independence movement. He turned Hindu, married an Indian and settled down in HP. This state’s outstanding fruit, the Apple was a gift of the saplings and cuttings that Stokes brought from the US. When he died in 1946, he was cremated in the hills of HP. For reasons best known to historians and Apple orchard owners, Stokes and his contributions were largely ignored. While this American gave Indians the taste of Apple, the other American the legendary, the late Steve Jobs, gave the world his version of apple. Immortalised as the poster man for an Apple lover, Jobs found his life’s calling in India. Jobs, it seems, was seeking that eternal bliss and answers to his business failures. He came to Nainitals’ Neem Karoli Baba Ashram in the seventies. And that became the Bodhisattva tree moment for Jobs. And the rest is history.
TRENDS & VIEWS
Editor’s Note: Big Punch In Small Pack
It is the Third Anniversary of Short Post and as a news media startup launched during the Covid-19 pandemic it certainly feels better than good to find ourselves where we are today. Here, I must cite the unstinted support of our seasoned contributors, all senior editors in the country, who brought a great degree of maturity and sagacity to the Short Post newsroom. But for them, our tagline “Authentic Gossip”, an Oxymoron, would not have matured viably. Our user numbers may be small but our stories have created the desired impact among people who matter — decision makers and influencers. We offer a big punch in a small pack and Short Post with its 225-word stories has been punching above its weight category. Having posted close to 3,000 stories in the last 36 months, Short Post, I feel, is an idea whose time has come.
And this is vindicated by our two marquee advertisers – IDFC FIRST Bank and ICICI Lombard. Both believed in our story and have supported us from Day one. A big thank you to both.
If you look at the media landscape – print, TV and digital — it is a mixed bag. There are job losses as some outfits have closed down while a lucky few were bailed out by large corporate houses. Yes, there is a lot of action in the digital space. However, the entry of corporate houses has raised the question of independence of news media outfits. Sadly, there are just a handful of independent media outfits in the country that are highly respected for their neutrality. At Short Post, our credo is not to take sides, prejudge issues or be biased but, informing readers of behind-the-scenes happenings. In essence, Short Post strives to be a neutral editorial platform — neither anti-establishment nor pro-establishment.
As I said last year, disruptions in the media world are moving at a fast and furious pace. Technology is playing a very big role in how content is generated and consumed. But, we are neither alarmed nor perturbed as it is all a part of the evolution process. What gives us comfort is that AI is unable to create original gossipy content. And that is the news arena where we have achieved a distinction.