It was in 2004 when the Tamil movie M. Kumaran Son of Mahalakshmi pole-vaulted a vanilla hero to fame in Kollywood. Ravi Mohan, credited as Jayam Ravi (to identify his lineage with Jayam Productions), was signed for many a family theme film that had little violence but much sentiment and romance. Suddenly he announced that he would be known now as Ravi Mohan despite his 25 years established brand name – Jayam Ravi. Simultaneously, he said that he is separating from wife Aarti of 18 years and started divorce proceedings. Name change and wife change? Yes …Ravi Mohan confidently walked into the lavish wedding of Producer and Vel’s Group Chairman, Isari Ganesh’s daughter Preetha. What set off the jungle drums was Ravi and escort Kenisha Francis were twinning in identical cream coloured attire. This was the moment for Aarti to go into a public lament and tear fest…“I kept silent all these days not because I am weak, but for the sake of my 14 and 10 year old sons and their emotional well-being. But Ravi has not only abandoned his family, but his responsibility as a father”. Was this the moment when Ravi Mohan reminisced about his very first movie where his mother, played by gorgeous Nadia boldly takes on her role as single mother, even as husband abandons his family? Trolls apart, the real reasons for Ravi Mohan wanting a divorce are not out in the open …only veiled talk in social media about Aarti’s mother Sujatha Vijayakumar’s overwhelming influence on the marriage. Now that Ravi Mohan has openly brought out his new choice, the pending case should take its natural course. Ah! Kollywood and its filmi, fragile marriages. 

Dinesh Beedi Workers’ Co-operative Society, an institution born out of a labour movement in Kerala in 1969, is struggling to keep its core business of beedi making afloat. The Kannur-based society which used to employ 42,000 women workers, today has only 2000 workers. As part of its survival strategy, many branches are being merged in Azhikode and Kannur into a single entity. During the best of its time, Dinesh had 16 branches under which 82 small scale units existed. Supporting the beedi manufacturing cause were 18 primary societies spread over Kannur and Kasargod generating a turnover of Rs 60 crore. Interestingly, working at Dinesh Beedi was considered as good as a government job, according to a beedi worker Savithri PV Dinesh used to pay Rs 50 for every 1000 beedis rolled. Today the competition is paying Rs 75 for 1000 beedis. Things took a turn for the worse in 1990 after increased health awareness, ban on tobacco promotion, smoking ban at public places, beedi being considered inferior and easy availability of cheaper brands from West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. Foreseeing an alarming future, the primary co-operative board of directors — all of whom were beedi rollers, chalked out an expansive diversification with the launch of Dinesh Foods in 1997. This was followed by Dinesh Information Technology Systems, Dinesh Umbrella, Dinesh Auditorium, 2001, Dinesh Apparels 2007 and Cafe Dinesh 2015. Almost all the beedi rollers who lost their jobs, found employment in garments and umbrellas making units, running cafes and upgrading their skills to IT. The diversifications are taking shape but it will take time to make up the loss of Rs 60 crore turnover from beedi rolling. 

Known as Maharashtra’s cultural capital and fountainhead of many social reform movements, Pune has been shaken over the past few days owing to two daylight incidents of publicly supporting Pakistan and Hamas. More shocking is the fact that the pro-Hamas activity has taken place in Karve Nagar, an elite locality in Pune. When local BJP workers learnt that a group of youngsters was distributing pamphlets in support of Hamas in that area, they rushed to the spot and tried to prevent the effort. There was a free for all and the BJP group has demanded urgent appropriate action against the Hamas backers. The police have assured them that no anti-national activity will be permitted and those breaching social amity will face action. In the other incident, a young girl, said to be an engineering student, has been sent into police custody for posting slogans like Pakistan Zindabad on social media. It is alleged that she recently visited her relatives in Srinagar. After some organisations declared that they would stage a demonstration against her, the police took adequate precautions while producing her in court. In recent months, intermittent news reports have appeared about the objectionable developments in certain Pune pockets. The police have intensified their campaign to identify and arrest illegal immigrants, especially those from Bangladesh. Pune is considered a BJP stronghold and deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar is its guardian minister. As these incidents took place amidst the height of Operation Sindoor, more follow up actions are anticipated.

In a notable shift in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student politics, the RSS affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) made significant gains in the recent student union elections. While the Left retained key positions, ABVP hailed its performance as “historic”. It now aims to expand its presence at Jadavpur University (JU). Aniruddha Sarkar, ABVP’s South Bengal State Secretary, called the JNU outcome a mandate for ideological change and declared the time had come to replicate it in JU. He emphasised that ABVP had disrupted Left dominance in JNU and would challenge the “Left ecosystem” in JU as well. ABVP has accelerated its activities at JU. Recently, it organized a Ram Navami puja at the university’s engineering gate placing a Hanuman image beside murals of Marx, Lenin, and Mao. While such acts had earlier triggered strong opposition, this time there was little protest, partly due to the Sunday holiday. Nonetheless, the event marked a symbolic assertion of right-wing presence in a traditionally Left-dominated campus. Srijan Bhattacharyya, an SFI All India leader and JU alumnus, who also contested the Lok Sabha Election 2024 on CPI(M) ticket, dismissed comparisons with JNU. He said JU’s ideological identity is fundamentally different and that a handful of non-Bengali-speaking engineering students would not enable ABVP to take over. He maintained that ABVP would remain on the periphery. However, ABVP leaders viewed the Ram Navami event as a breakthrough. One said it had given them the “oxygen” they needed and vowed to go further, framing future plans as a “surgical strike” on JU’s Left bastion — signalling a deepening ideological contest on Bengal’s premier campuses.

As the release date of Housefull 5 approaches on June 9, renowned producer Sajid Nadiadwala finds himself at a crucial juncture. This highly anticipated instalment of the successful franchise is expected to be a litmus test for both Nadiadwala and the current state of the Indian film industry, particularly amidst the backdrop of rising political tensions between India and Pakistan. The challenges posed by these tensions could impact audience turnout and overall box office performance. Nadiadwala, who recently faced a string of disappointing releases — including Sikandar, Chandu Champion and Bachchan Pandey — has invested significantly in acquiring the rights to the trending song “Lal Puri” hoping it will resonate with audiences. The recent underperformance of his films, coupled with a generally lacklustre box office climate, has raised questions about the viability of his production house, Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment. Housefull 5 boasts an impressive ensemble cast featuring Akshay Kumar, Riteish Deshmukh, Abhishek Bachchan, and more, making it one of the biggest films in recent times. The film’s success is not just vital for Nadiadwala; it could also serve as a bellwether for the exhibition sector in India, gauging whether audiences are ready to embrace cinema again after a period of uncertainty. As the film aims to capture the essence of what the Housefull franchise represents—comedy, entertainment, and escapism—its reception will be closely watched. Will it manage to overcome the prevailing sentiment and deliver a blockbuster experience, or will it join the ranks of recent flops? For Nadiadwala, Housefull 5 is not just another film; it’s a pivotal moment that could redefine his career and the future of Bollywood in these testing times. 

The ruling DMK made its point in Tamil Nadu when it took out a rally to display its solidarity with the armed forces that were actively engaged in the conflict with Pakistan. The ceasefire announcement may have come just as the rally was moving on to the Marina Beach Road, but the DMK has only upholding a tradition of the party supporting the Union government during any external threat to the nation. Carrying the national flag and walking the Marina promenade has been a tradition since the war against China broke out in 1962, which was when the DMK founder Annadurai declared that his party was giving up its separate Tamil homeland (Dravida Nadu) demand in a national Indian cause. The Congress may have run the same kind of rally in Hyderabad and Chennai before chief minister MK Stalin walked to display his solidarity, but the DMK march for a national cause has been something that the party has always revered. So much so, even the Governor RN Ravi lauded the DMK for the rally. Of course, the DMK has come a long way since supporting such causes as Eelam, with a territory covering Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu as a Tamil homeland. Such thoughts are probably only nursed by the likes of Vaiko and other politicians who remain wedded to the romantic notion of a Tamil nation.

Former Andhra Pradesh chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy finds himself increasingly cornered in the liquor scam case and the buzz in political circles is that his arrest by the Chandrababu Naidu government seems imminent. This rumour is gathering steam following interrogation of key accused K Rajasekhar Reddy alias Raj Kasireddy. So far SIT has identified 29 individuals as accused in the liquor case. Recently, the AP High Court rejected anticipatory bail of Jagan’s two key aides — Dhanunjay Reddy and Krishna Mohon Reddy. Why is the probe not being fast tracked? Sources say the liquor scam probe is being led in slow motion strategically so as to mould public opinion. Allegations are being pushed through the media suggesting that the liquor deals were executed under Jagan’s direct instructions. The AP sources say the objective of the current chief minister Naidu is to prime public attention and their sentiments first, so that any potential arrest does not trigger backlash against his government but rather appears justified. Some political observers say arresting Jagan will serve as a symbolic counter to the arrest of Naidu during Jagan’s regime. Many believe there is no better time to act against Jagan in the next few months. The question now is not if but when! Naidu is assessing the likely impact of Jagan’s arrest in Andhra’s political landscape. One thing that comes out loud and clear is Jagan may once again face jail term. During the UPA regime, he was arrested in May 2012 by the CBI for allegedly amassing huge assets. He walked out of jail after 16 months.

In the post-Pahalgam scenario, while the entire Opposition had initially united in support behind the Narendra Modi government, Sanjay Raut turned out to be the first lone voice of dissent. Not content at just demanding Amit Shah’s resignation for his failure as home minister in preventing the Pahalgam attack, Raut also made snide remarks about state call for mock drills likening it to the call for banging of thalis during Covid. He also got his Uddhav Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena to abstain from the all-party meet called on April 24. In the absence of Uddhav Thackeray, who is said to be vacationing in Europe, for which he earned some brickbats too for not cutting it short, it was left to veteran leader Sharad Pawar to tame him down. Pawar questioned his absence at the first all-party meet. Subsequently, Raut’s tune changed his tone. Not only did he turn up at the following all-party meet on May 8 chaired by defence minister Rajnath Singh and attended by Shah himself but also briefly muted his criticism of the Modi government. But this ceasefire too didn’t last long. He did a volte face on May 11; strongly demanded Shah’s resignation once again and even daring the PM to address an all-party meet. A considerably weakened Uddhav Thackeray, post the Sena split engineered by Eknath Shinde, is said to have given him a free hand. Despite being criticised, ridiculed and even despised for his daily-morning media bytes, earning him the sobriquet of “morning siren” , Raut has emerged as the lone ranger within his party, his alliance and even in the nation as the post-Pahalgam scenario revealed.

It was a PM Modi speech that the entire nation was waiting to hear. That was because everyone wanted to know why Operation Sindoor — that was going so well for India — had been called off. Today we finally heard from the horse’s mouth that Op Sindoor has only been paused. The action is not over yet. He laid bare his Pakistan policy —  he spelt out his terms of engaging with a terror sponsoring state like Pakistan post Operation Sindoor. He let it be known to the whole world that no power on earth can make him have a dialogue with Islamabad, post Pahalgam terror strike of May 7. “…If there will be talks between India and Pakistan, it will only be on terrorism and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK)…India’s stand has been clear, terror, trade and talks cannot be done together,” he said. He said “Operation Sindoor is not just a name. It is a reflection of the feelings of millions of people in the country. Operation Sindoor is an unbroken pledge of justice. Late night of May 6 and morning of May 7, the whole world has seen this pledge turning into results.”  A quotable quote from his speech was “Pakistan ki tayyari seema par vaar ki thi lekin Bharat ne Pakistan ke seene par vaar kar diya“. But by far the boldest of what he said, “…No nuclear blackmail will be tolerated anymore…” He said “Terrorist attack on India will have to face a befitting reply, and the response will be on our terms”. The best part of the speech, he made no reference to President Donald Trump or Vice President JD Vance. 

With BrahMos making the news, trust some Congress leaders like Jairam Ramesh to ignite a credit war over the missile that is associated with former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam. Jairam surely doesn’t have the breadth and vision of a Shashi Tharoor to go with the flow and articulate mood of the nation. Instead as AICC media head he ferrets out info that he imagines will best please the Gandhis even in these strained times. On X, he went on to trace the origins of Brahmos — how it was named after the Brahmaputra and Moskva rivers and how it was an outstanding example of Indo-Russian collaboration. The whole point of tracing Brahmos history — which began as an inter-government project in February 1998 when IK Gujaral was PM and the first contract was signed on July 9, 1999, when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was PM — was continued by successful governments. The first successful launch took place on June 12, 2001. While all this happened when NDA was in power, Jairam mentions that the missile was inducted into the Indian Navy in 2005 and Indian Army in 2007 under the UPA regime. The air-launched variant of BrahMos appeared in 2012 when Dr Manmohan Singh was PM. Significantly, at the DGMOs briefing on May 12, the men in uniform gave a different picture. In a statement it was acknowledged that “our battle proven systems stood the test of time” said Air Marshal AK Bharti who quoted Ramcharitmanas said a highlight has been the stellar performance of the indigenous air defence system — the Akash system. “Putting together and operationalising the potent Air Defence environment has been possible only because of budgetary and policy support from the government of India in the last decade.”

There has been an outrage of sorts over the manner in which Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and his family have been trolled in the social media over India-Pak ceasefire agreement. Many bureaucrats have come in his support. Former foreign secretary Nirupama Menon called the trolling “utterly shameful” and said it “crosses every line of decency”. The IAS Association expressing “solidarity with Vikram Misri and  his family” described “unwarranted personal attacks on civil servants” performing their duties as deeply regrettable. Misri’s rise is not just personal success; it is the triumph of memory over forgetting, of dignity over hate, of perseverance over persecution. Born in Srinagar on 7 November 1964, into the serene, intellectual world of Kashmiri Hindus whose peace was shattered by a storm of militancy that swept through the valley in the late 1980s and 90s—a storm not born of the people, but of political poison fed across the border by Pakistan. Like thousands of others, the Misri family was uprooted—not because they broke the law, but because they simply existed. Because they prayed differently. He joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1989, the very year many of his own were forced to flee. He took over as Foreign Secretary on July 15, 2024. He also served in various capacities at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), worked in the PMO under three PMs (Gujaral, Dr Singh and Modi)  and in various Indian Missions abroad. He was part of the Pakistan desk of the MEA.

Cessation of the India and Pakistan war, albeit temporarily at the latter’s request, has upset India’s armed forces that were keen on consolidating, annexing tracts of Indian territory under illegal occupation of Pakistan. In a double whammy Pakistan faced a revocation of its civil aviation licenses from regulatory agencies in France in the wake of continued domestic air traffic flown over the country’s airspace while its rogue army continued launching drone, missile attacks on India after Operation Sindoor’s unprecedented success, destroyed launchpads, terrorists training grounds in Pakistan. This even while American civil aviation regulatory agencies chose to ignore the Pakistani infractions that put at risk air passengers by using them as aerial shields to ward off an intensive Indian aerial response to indiscriminate drone and missile attacks upon India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s resolve to launch an all-out war against its delinquent neighbour after failed attempts to impact military installations within India was slowed down untimely after Pakistan’s request for ceasefire brokered by U.S. president Donald Trump, who prematurely started town crying about his mediation having stopped the war. “No one asked Trump to play Santa Claus and look foolish when a segment of the Pakistani armed forces (read army generals from factions opposed to Asif Munir) refused to hold fire, instead continuing aerial warfare against India,” sources revealed. The PM’s resolve to reply with a bomb for every bullet fired by Pakistan towards India is elucidated further by the source thus: “While Islamic terror threatens a thousand cuts upon the non-Muslim world, the Indian adage of sau sunar ki, ek lohar ki was ably demonstrated by India by the 10 big anti-terror strikes launched under Operation Sindoor.”

The stoppage of firing and military action between India and Pakistan has been worked out directly between the two countries. The Pak DGMO initiated the call on Saturday, May 10 at 3.30 pm after which discussions took place and understanding reached. There is no decision to hold talks on any other issue at any other place. Official sources said India agreed to the ceasefire given that the final strikes were Indian ones on Pak air bases. The Pak DGMO reportedly told India counterpart that Pakistan would not undertake any more strikes and specifically requested a ceasefire.  The U.S. duress of withholding IMF loans was specific — the $1 bn provisional release linked to immediate acceptance and balance subject to compliance. The Indus Water Treaty suspension remains unaffected. No information will be shared with Pakistan and India will commence water projects on the 3 northern rivers. The U.S. has accepted India’s change of war doctrine. Any further terror attack will be accepted as an act of war. While U.S. President Donald Trump in a X post claimed the U.S. had mediated long nights of talks between Delhi and Islamabad for the ceasefire, EAM Dr S Jaishankar’s post on X made no reference to Washington’s role. The U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, while confirming the ceasefire between India and Pakistan, praised PM Modi, Sharif for “wisdom”. The “ceasefire” however disappointed hard-nosed security experts like Brahma Chellaney that PM Modi did not take Operation Sindoor to its logical conclusion ending war against India of Pak military generals through terrorist proxies. Commodore Raghu R Nair said, “While we will be adhering to the understanding reached today, we remain fully prepared and ever-vigilant and committed to defending the sovereignty and integrity of the motherland. Every misadventure by Pakistan has been met with strength and every future escalation will invite a decisive response.”

Pakistan’s continued escalation along the western front through drone incursions and munitions is a matter of grave concern. On May 10 at 5 am, multiple armed enemy drones were detected over Khasa Cantt, Amritsar. Our air defence units responded swiftly, intercepting and neutralising all hostile UAVs. This blatant attempt to violate India’s sovereignty and endanger civilian lives is unacceptable. At a joint MoD-MEA presser, Col Sofiya Qureshi asserted how Pakistan’s spread misinformation on social media, falsely claiming it had targeted the S-400 air defence systems at Adampur, Suratgarh, and Sirsa Air Force Stations, BrahMos base and others.” Following Pakistan’s deliberate targeting of Indian air bases, the Indian Armed Forces responded swiftly with a well-coordinated and strategic operation. In retaliation, Indian armed forces targeted key military infrastructure including technical installations, command and control centres, radar stations, and arms depots. Col Sofiya said precision air-launched strikes and fighter jets were deployed to hit military bases at Rafiqui, Murid, Chaklala, Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur and Chunian. Additionally, a radar site in Pasrur and the aviation base in Sialkot were precisely struck. Throughout the operation, India ensured minimal collateral damage and civilian impact. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri pointed out that Pak claims about attacking and destroying various places, various military installations and facilities, have been fact checked and are completely false. “The claim about the Air Force Station in Sirsa being destroyed is completely false, as you have seen. The claim about the Air Force Station in Surat being destroyed is completely false again”.  Details of terrorists killed in Operation Sindoor (May 7) that have come out reveal 3 Lashkar-e-Taiba operatives and 2 Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists who managed operations in J&K and Punjab were killed.

India hit out against Pakistan for making a preposterous and outrageous claim that it was the Indian Armed Forces that were targeting its own cities. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said this view was being articulated to give a communal overtone to the conflict.  He said, “…Instead of owning up to its actions, Pakistan made the preposterous and outrageous claims that it was the Indian armed forces that is targeting its own cities like Amritsar and trying to blame it on Pakistan… They are well-versed in such actions as their history would show…” Pakistan spread disinformation that India targeted the Nankama Sahib Gurdwara through a drone attack, which is yet another blatant lie… Pakistan is trying desperately to impart a communal hue to the situation with an intention to create a communal discord…” He referred to the Pak firing on a gurudwara in Poonch on May 7. Colonel Sofiya Qureshi said, “Around 300 to 400 drones were used (by Pakistan) to attempt infiltration at 36 locations…Forensic investigation of the wreckage of the drones is being done. Initial reports suggest that they are Turkish Asisguard Songar drones…” Wing Commander Vyomika Singh made an important point how ..Pakistan did not close its civil airspace despite it launching a failed unprovoked drone and missile attack on  May 7 at 8.30 pm. “Pakistan used a civil airliner as a shield, knowing fully well that its attack on India would elicit a swift air defence response. “The airspace on the Indian side is absolutely devoid of civil air traffic due to our declared closure. However, there are civil airlines flying the air route between Karachi and Lahore…IAF demonstrated considerable restraint in its response 

Ongoing hostilities with Pakistan will witness new outcomes in stark contrast to the 1971 war in so much that landed property falling into Indian hands will not be handed back to our perpetually unfriendly neighbour. As NSA Ajit Doval recently articulated, India has moved from defensive offence to offensive defence in a calibrated manner. A South block source said, “If Pakistan does not apologize within a couple of days and end its Don Quixote’s (Asif Munir’s) lame war efforts, the price to pay will sever parts of the Pakistani landscape from its army’s effective control. India won’t return captured land this time round unlike in 1971. Congress’ tenure, including AK Antony’s, when admittedly, roads, infrastructure was avoided on common borders with China, never spruced up on the Indian side as strategy to prevent Chinese incursions. During Modi’s regime the shoe is on the other foot now with massive roads, infrastructure created to facilitate quick transport of army personnel, weapons to borders at the drop of a hat. An unexpectedly positive fallout of the current war with Pakistan showcased the true calibre/capability of international weaponry systems and shortcomings exhibited by some. India not only showcased its indigenous military might but also demonstrated the potency of Rafael fighters, Israeli and Russian collaborations. Pakistan in turn was provided with American F-16s (on dole) and Chinese weaponry (price payable when able), both falling far short of international armoury benchmarks. The whole world witnessed live demonstration of war capabilities of multiple nations with Indian collaborations with France, Russia and Israel set to turn us into a big exporter of defence goods in the post war era.

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has congratulated the Modi government and the armed forces for launching the military action against Pakistan, boosting the nationalistic fervour pervading the nation. “We congratulate the Central government leadership and our armed forces for decisive action Operation Sindoor taken against Pak-sponsored terrorists and their supporting ecosystem following the cowardly attack on unarmed tourists at Pahalgam. This action to serve justice to aggrieved families and the entire country in the brutal massacre of Hindu tourists has enhanced self-respect and morale of the whole country,” the RSS said in its official statement. Expressing solidarity with the government is rare for the RSS, which says “We totally agree that military action being taken against terrorists, their infrastructure and support systems in Pakistan is necessary and inevitable for the security of the country. In this hour of national crisis, the entire country stands with the government and armed forces in spirit and action.” RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat had visited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official residence just a few days prior to the launching of the concerted action by the three arms of the Indian military. Such a visit has taken place after many decades. Earlier Modi had visited the RSS headquarters in Nagpur to pay respects to its founder Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, the first time the PM had gone there since taking over in 2014. Both visits had evoked a strong political comment. The intent of the visits is becoming visible now.

Rain or shine, the media in Maharashtra does not tire of reporting about the possible ‘reunion’ of the two powerful families – Pawar and Thackeray. Though there is a surcharged atmosphere across the country from the moment Operation Sindoor has been launched, the pen pushers in the state continue to indulge in speculation, partly fuelled by faceless sources in both factions of Uddhav and Raj Thackeray. Similarly, ever since deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar walked out of the Nationalist Congress party (NCP) set up by his uncle Sharad Pawar, there is no dearth of the news stories, predicting either their distancing or coming closer. Even the most frivolous clue like “Pawar looked at his nephew and smiled” generates a plethora of ‘exclusive’ reports, patting the channels or newspapers on the back, each claiming to be the first with the story. Thus, breaking news is becoming a matter of ridicule since stories like ‘Fadnavis reaches Mantralaya’ also come under this category. The latest revival of such stories has happened since Uddhav has returned from his vacation in Europe while Raj came back to Mumbai just a few days ago. On the other hand, elder Pawar has said that any decision regarding coming together will be taken by Ajit and daughter Supriya Sule, MP. This is a plain truth but touted as a major political revelation. Leaders like Prakash Ambedkar and Sanjay Raut are readily available day in and day out to add to the grist.

Colonel Sofiya Qureshi is proud of her association with four Indian states, which in turn are elated to be related with her. Born and brought up in Gujarat, she has a Karnataka link through her marriage with Col Tajuddin Bagewadi of Belgavi. While her father and grandfather have served in the Indian Army, Sofiya’s great grandmother was in the army of Rani Laxmibai of Jhansi. Thus, she is associated, though indirectly, with Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, too. Sofiya and Bagewadi wedded in 2015 after meeting during their army postings. Sofiya is a distinguished officer and discharged varied responsibilities in different assignments in India and abroad. In an interview given in 2017, Sofiya had stated that she was an army officer’s daughter and hence familiar with a serving officer’s life. Her mother wished that of the two sisters, one should join the army while her grandfather, too, would impress upon them that it was everybody’s sacred duty to be prepared to rise for the nation’s defense. Her father Taj Mohamed said, “We are proud of our daughter, who has done so much for India. Pakistan must be decimated.” A post graduate in biochemistry, Sofiya was commissioned in 1999. Coincidentally, Col Tajuddin has been posted at present at Jhansi, thus reviving the age-old connection with the warrior queen of India. There is one more Maharashtra connection, albeit quite remote. It was then defense minister Sharad Pawar who took the decision to induct women in active military service. Col Sofiya has added glory to the success of Operation Sindoor.

This year’s Annual Met Gala at the NY Metropolitan Museum of Arts had many celebs from Hollywood and Bollywood flaunting their plumes and blinding the drooling audience with their bling and sass. One Indian actor invited much attention with her drop-dead gorgeous looks and her prominent baby bump. Kiara Advani dazzled and dazed those present, celebrating motherhood in unapologetic terms. Married to Sid Malhotra in 2023, Kiara didn’t think that her pregnant look was an impediment for a ramp walk. On the contrary, she was much appreciated for her panache with which she wore designer Gaurav Gupta’s bold outfit, décolletage and all. But wait, there was a fly in the ointment …there always is especially in the world of show fashion and haute celebrity. Did Kiara’s costume remind the fashionistas about Aishwarya Rai’s last year Cannes costume? The haute monde seemed to think so …Kiara got some trolls too. But hey, who cares …celebs like Aishwarya go on and on, like Dhoni, Rohit Sharma and the aged super stars of filmdom. Aishwarya has walked the Cannes ramp in many bizarre outfits …got trolled too. The fact is India and Indian celebs draw crowds globally…the Met Gala had Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra and Alia Bhatt striding stylishly with chic and panache.  Kiara has arrived and plans to shine till the next Diva walks on her stilettos.

With just a year left for the West Bengal Assembly elections, the Bengal BJP is under pressure to finalise its new state president. Internal dynamics, however, have delayed the decision, pushing the central leadership to shift its approach — from finding a consensus candidate to identifying one without strong opposition. The central leadership recently met senior Bengal BJP leaders to discuss party programmes and key organizational issues. According to party sources, central observers Mangal Pandey and Amit Malviya also held one-on-one talks with leaders like Sukanta Majumdar, Suvendu Adhikari, Shantanu Thakur, five general secretaries, two organisation secretaries, Debasree Chaudhuri, Nisith Pramanik, Soumitra Khan, Manoj Tigga and Shamik Bhattacharya regarding the state leadership. Currently, the Bengal BJP suffers from multiple power centres — Majumdar, Adhikari, former president Dilip Ghosh, and two senior organizational figures — making it hard to present a unified front. Despite occasional friction, Majumdar and Adhikari have maintained a functional partnership for over three years, ensuring some organizational stability — something the central leadership values and is hesitant to disrupt. While Majumdar’s term is still ongoing, his induction into the Union Cabinet complicates matters due to the BJP’s “one person, one post” policy. Adhikari, being the Leader of the Opposition and not from the RSS, also presents a conflict. Various names have been proposed, including one from the RSS Bengal unit. Some Delhi-based leaders have preferences, but no clear consensus has emerged. Meanwhile, political survey agencies are influencing decisions, with a Karnataka firm submitting a unified leadership blueprint directly to Modi’s core team.

In the wake of Operation Sindoor, Pakistan attempted to escalate tensions by launching missile strikes at Indian military installations across J&K, Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat. Every single one of those missiles was intercepted or neutralized. None reached its intended target.  India’s rapid, coordinated response showcased the strength of its air defence ecosystem built painstakingly over the past 11 years under PM Modi’s leadership. It also exposed the hollowness of the Pakistani Air defence system. The Integrated Counter-Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Grid, S-400 Triumf systems, Barak-8 missiles, Akash Surface-to-Air Missiles and DRDO’s anti drone technologies came together seamlessly to create an aerial shield that held firm. India didn’t stop at defending. It retaliated with speed and precision. Operation Sindoor saw the Indian Armed Forces strike deep into Pakistani territory, destroying a Chinese-supplied HQ-9 air defence unit in Lahore and damaging key radar infrastructure. This level of preparedness didn’t materialize overnight. It was a decade of strategic preparedness. Since 2014, the Modi government has systematically upgraded India’s air defence architecture. It was a day when everyone remembered late former defence minister Manohar Parrikar with gratitude for acquiring 5 S-400 air defence missile systems from Russia in spite of stiff opposition from the U.S.in October 2018. It was the S-400 that played a key role not only in defending but retaliating with speed and precision. Additionally, Israeli-origin Harop drones—now locally built—were deployed to target and destroy air defence assets in Karachi and Lahore. These platforms, combined with the strategic deployment of Rafale fighter jets equipped with SCALP and HAMMER missiles, demonstrated India’s capability to project power with surgical precision.  With airspace secured, the government ensured that its approach to defence has not been about flashy one-offs and that it has been about building...

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor cannot be ignored or intimidated even by his own party. But surprisingly his talents, communication and diplomatic skills are overlooked…deliberate or by accident? Tharoor’s felicity with English and his fluent communication is often dubbed intellectual arrogance. A recent interview with Al Arabia is bound to make the country look at him with awe and admiration. It is a lesson in non-partisan voice in a time of national crisis. Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on External Affairs he has hit home the fact that the current conflict with Pakistan is India’s “calibrated response” to Pakistan’s repeated terrorist incursions. “India is not escalating, merely reacting with precision and restraint by hitting back at terrorist locations.” Pakistan is a master of denial …the most humiliating one when Osama Bin Laden was given sanctuary in Abbottabad. Tharoor further goes on to laud the term “Sindoor” and how appropriate it is in the context of the terror killing of a newly-wed man at Pahalgam …in one swoop , his wife’s as well as many other victim’s sindoor was wiped off. Why then is the Congress High Command not openly volunteering his talents as a global media mouthpiece to defend India’s stand? The BJP and especially Modi have extended their hand openly. At the Vizhinjam Port inauguration, Modi was all admiration for Tharoor’s presence. Is the tipping point at hand now? Whatever the political exigencies and ideology compulsions, a resource like Tharoor could well be harnessed for India’s benefit.

India strongly protested state funerals for three terrorists killed in ‘Operation Sindoor’. At a Press Conference on May 8, foreign secretary Vikram Misri displayed a picture of Pakistan army personnel attending the funeral of three terrorists killed during Operation Sindoor. He said it was “odd that the funerals of terrorists were carried out with the coffins being draped in Pakistani flags and state honours being accorded.” India confirmed that several terror targets were eliminated in the strikes which Pakistan claimed to be civilians. Images of Pak Army personnel at the funeral of three terrorists killed during Indian military strikes surfaced on May 7. The funeral held in Muridke — approximately 40 km from Lahore — was also attended by members of Jamaat-ud-Dawah, the banned organisation led by Hafiz Saeed. The three individuals, Qari Abdul Malik, Khalid and Mudassir, were killed in the terror group’s headquarters in Muridke. “…I wonder what message this picture actually sends to all of you. This is a question that is worth asking. As far as we are concerned, individuals eliminated at these facilities were terrorists, giving terrorists, state funerals, maybe a practice in Pakistan,” Misri added.  On Pakistan’s propaganda that it downed Indian jets, Misri said, “…There is nothing surprising in it. After all, this is a country that started lying as soon as it was born. In 1947, when the Pakistani army claimed Jammu and Kashmir, they lied not to any random person but to the United Nations that we have nothing to do with it…So this journey started 75 years ago. Pakistan also alleges that we have targeted the Neelum-Jhelum dam in PoJK, it is absolutely fabricated and a blatant lie,” he added.  

Rohit Sharma deserves kudos for calling time on his Test career that has been far from spectacular, but nonetheless personally satisfying because he got to play so many Tests and led the country as well. He may have taken the call of his own volition, or may have been nudged by someone in the authority. But his expression upon his driving uppishly to mid-off in the MI v GT match at the Wankhede Stadium told its own dismal story. The fact of the matter is Sharma did not have a good run with the bat against Bangladesh, New Zealand and Australia (in all 8 Tests) and he even went to the extent of sitting out in the fifth and final Test in Sydney. The selection committee could not have turned a blind eye to the numbers delivered by Sharma — such a “Bindhas batter” — in the three preceding series. With an average of 10.50 against Bangladesh, 15.17 against New Zealand and 6.20 against Australia the selection committee would have been embarrassed to pick him for the five-Test series in England that would have demanded 25 days of challenging cricket. With a 50% success rate in Tests, Sharma could have continued but the last seven months showed him in poor light in the long form of the game. It’s never easy to quit, but Sharma has done it and he has to be told “Shabhash”. Sharma’s record in England Is good with 10 Tests, 402 runs for an average of 44.67 with his last inning at The Oval getting him a first and only century –127. He scored some runs against England when he was 27 and 34 years old. Now, running 38, it would have been tough on him, and so it was a right call for himself and Indian cricket.

The Indian armed forces successfully executed ‘Operation Sindoor’ in the early hours of May 7 carrying out targeted strikes on nine “terrorist infrastructure” sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in response to the April 22 Pahalgam attack that had left 26 civilians dead. Shortly after the confirmation of military strikes in Pakistan, the Indian Army in a post on X said, “Justice is served. Jai Hind!”. The best part about the strike was the surprise element. Delhi chose to strike Pakistan in the wee hours on a day when it may have least expected. That’s because across the nation citizens had been asked to prepare for civil defence for a war like situation! Modi, who had vowed stern action to the terror attack had monitored Operation Sindoor throughout the night. In a big boost to military strikes, JeM chief Masood Azhar who is responsible for multiple terror attacks in India admitted that 10 members of his family had been killed in the attack on Jama Masjid Subhan Allah in Bahawalpur. Details of Op Sindoor were shared with the media by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and two women officers from the services — Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh. Colonel Qureshi, who hails from Gujarat clarified that no military infrastructure of Pakistan was struck during the operation. Foreign Secretary Misri said that the probe into the Pahalgam terror attack had clearly established Pakistan links. He also noted  that Pakistan did not take any action against “terrorist infrastructure” after the Pahalgam terror attack. Misri said the Resistance Front, which claimed responsibility for the attack, was connected with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). Responding to the attacks,  a Pakistan government’s statement noted that India’s “temporary pleasure will be replaced by enduring grief”.

Chennai Super Kings, which became the first team to be knocked out of the IPL this season when it dropped all chances of qualifying for the playoffs, may be preparing for life without Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the arena. Regardless of whether Dhoni dropped a hint about retirement before the match against PSBK or not, it is known that the skipper is prone to suddenly dropping out of the game as he did when he was Test captain. CSK, now being run professionally after its owner N Srinivasan became wheelchair-bound on losing his eyesight. CSK is looking at all options to rebuild despite the constraints of not being able to buy players at the next big auction that is years away. It appears there is no future at CSK for the likes of Ravindra Jadeja too though he has played a winning hand several times when appearing under Dhoni. There will be a role for Dhoni as mentor and team composition adviser at the auctions too if he is willing to take it. But CSK knows his contribution as a batter is not only limited because of his late appearance in 20-overs innings but also sharply declining even if his abilities as a ‘keeper are almost intact. The think tank has been told to start rebuilding for the future rather than fret over what happened in Season 18 in 2025. The brand value of the team in yellow is too huge to be lost in the fading of its super star Dhoni.

It is interesting to see the Congress blow hot, blow cold over the April 22 Pahalgam attack. First it extended unequivocal support to the government. Then when hot heads in the party from Karnataka including CM began shooting their mouths.  AICC social media manager Supriya Shrinate took the ultimate shot with her PM Modi “gayab” post that went way beyond reproach. It was seen as a crude post mocking PM Modi’s absence from all-party-meeting with a missing head that resembled a “sar tan se juda” caricature. Shrinate had not only crossed the line but was apparently reluctant to delete her post even after public outrage. Media reports say till Rahul Gandhi intervened she didn’t yield. Congress leaders were shocked that AICC leadership had to put up with such recalcitrant behaviour from influential office-bearers who seemed more interested in flexing their muscle than in protecting or furthering Congress’s or nation’s interest. Party’s media-in-charge Jairam Ramesh himself was also not doing any better. The day LoP Rahul Gandhi was interacting with the media on a sensitive issue like Pahalgam, one found Jairam was immersed in amplifying his own two-bit message to the media. “Our media strategy should be such that the attention should not be dispersed from Rahulji with a cacophony of   views,” pointed out a senior Congress leader. Meanwhile after all the talk of being fully with the government, the Congress was back to its old tricks. Emerging from a CWC meeting, two former CMs — Charanjit Singh Channi and Bhupesh Baghel — wondered why no action had been taken against Pakistan nearly two weeks post Pahalgam attack. Who is responsible for this deterioration? We want to know?

The cricket world in Asia could be altogether disrupted should India (BCCI) mull over not to take part in this year’s men’s Asia Cup. No one is even talking of the host venue yet, not even a hybrid model to facilitate the participation of India and Pakistan. Pundits have gone to the extent of saying that the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) of which Pakistan’s Mohsin Naqvi is the Chair may plunge itself into a crisis for there is not even a remote chance of a solution. Naqvi’s predecessor was the BCCI’s Jay Shah, now the ICC Chair. The consequences of the Pahalgam terror attack on Indians will throw a monkey wrench into the works and observers seem to have seen hints of India boycotting the Asia Cup. The ACC was formed in 1983 by Jagmohan Dalmiya to keep the Asian bloc (read votes) together at the ICC meetings. India has won the Asia Cup eight times — with the tournament format alternating from 50 overs or Twenty20 depending upon the next format of the ICC World Cup — but taking part and winning the title will not be a paramountcy for the BCCI which will just go by what the Union government tells it to do. India and Pakistan have boycotted Asia Cup competitions in the past and India did not go to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy recently. But questions are being asked whether India will agree to be part of an ACC under the leadership of Naqvi who is also Pakistan’s Interior Minister; he did not attend a recent ICC meeting chaired by Shah in Dubai, and the BCCI’s Rajeev Shukla and Ashish Shelar may just do the same leading to a Domino Effect.

While the nation is just recovering from the shock following the dastardly Pahalgam terror attack, the Shiv Sena (UBT) has launched a campaign by criticising the BJP government at the Centre day in and day out. It has gone to the extent of demanding Union home minister Amit Shah’s resignation, holding him responsible for the security lapse. Upon this, Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray has been taunted by former Union minister Milind Deora, who is now with the Sena led by deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde. Responding to the repeated criticism of the BJP government in the state and the Centre by Sena MP Sanjay Raut about the delay in teaching Pakistan a lesson, Deora has reminded Raut that his leader was in Europe or wherever enjoying a holiday when Shinde had rushed to Kashmir to reassure the tourists from Maharashtra. Shinde had organised their return journey and extended monetary help where it was required urgently. Deora has pointed out that Uddhav kept on posting X messages but did not send any representative for the all party meeting after the attack. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi cut short his visit abroad and returned to India, Uddhav continued with the vacation, Deora has told the Sena. Incidentally, it has been routine for Uddhav and his family to travel to the cool environs of Europe every summer. So far, there is no response from the Sena (UBT) to Deora’s barb.

Vizhinjam International Seaport, the country’s first deep water transhipment port is Kerala’s gift to the nation. The first phase of 3,000 metre breakwater and 800 metre container berthing facility has been set up at a cost of Rs 8,867 crore. The Kerala government has pumped in Rs 5,595 crore, partner Adani invested Rs 2,454 crore while the Centre, a measly Rs 800 crore by way of viability gap funding. The loan is repayable from future dividends. It is learnt that Adani group will invest another Rs 2,000 crore during the second and third phase of the project. It is estimated that the nation loses $220 million per annum for want of a transhipment port. In another estimate, the loss can be pinpointed to $ 100 per container. While in the first phase, Vizhinjam Seaport will handle one million twenty foot equivalent units (TEUs), on completion in 2028, the capacity would be 5 million TEUs. For Kerala, the port could end up as a major employment generator. For starters, the port has employed 755 people so far. While 67% of the workforce is from Kerala, 57% are from Thiruvananthapuram district. Notably, 35% of those employed are residents from the immediate vicinity of the port, thereby keeping the government’s promise of local job generation. Indications are that once the port is at full stream, it is expected to create a ripple effect in Thiruvananthapuram where there will be a surge in employment opportunities for dock workers and logistics personnel to transport, warehousing and ancillary service providers. And also, local economics is expected to increase demand for goods, housing, retail etc.

As the first BJP government in Odisha under chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi will soon complete a one-year anniversary, the corridors of power are abuzz with speculation about the declining influence of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in the state’s affairs. Pradhan and his coterie, which includes leaders such as Samir Mohanty, Golak Mohapatra and Thakur Ranjeet Das, appear to have lost their hold. Well known journalist Shekhar Gupta has been raising the question: Who is ruling Odisha these days? Dharmendra Pradhan or Ashwini Vaishnaw! Thus, by raising this question he has clearly indicated that there is a power shift. The new power centre seems to be multi-portfolio minister Vaishnaw. Vaishnaw, a former IAS officer from the Odisha cadre whose family has been associated with the RSS is known to have close ties with both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Besides, his control over three key cabinet portfolios has further bolstered his stature. According to both government and bureaucratic sources in Odisha, the decline of Dharmendra Pradhan’s clout has directly contributed to Vaishnaw’s ascendancy in the state’s political landscape. For instance, Vaishnaw is widely believed to be the driving force behind the Odisha government’s auction of mines. He is also close to Naveen Patnaik’s Man Friday VK Pandian and that made it possible for Vaishnaw to be re-elected to the Rajya Sabha in February this year with the support of BJD. While his efficiency and varied experience are beyond question, Vaishnaw in the past has been dogged by controversy, primarily because of his association with B Prabhakaran, who was named in the massive mining scam in Odisha in 2013. 

Tamil film superstar-turned politician Vijay’s public appearances for his TVK party and his election stump are turning into a circus due to the fans over enthusiasm and uncontrolled public show of admiration. But is this public display of admiration working against Vijay’s agenda? Climbing on vehicles, crowding around his caravan and surrounding him with bike riders who don’t seem to care for their own safety and the public became the talking point after Vijay’s two events at Coimbatore and Madurai. On April 26 and 27, crazy fans descended on the airport to receive him causing annoying inconvenience to other air travellers. It was meant to be a meet to organise booth committees. However much these staggering crowds made him ecstatic, Vijay seemed to run scared as he appealed to them to maintain discipline. In fact, some party bigwigs planned to ask for a higher level of security than the current Y security from the government. His trip to Madurai was no less nerve racking when he had to insistently appeal to the tailgating crowds…please don’t follow my caravan riding your bikes “you are not wearing helmets, security personnel are thwarted…we have to follow discipline.” But the way his caravan got dented, soon went viral on social media. Vijay was on his way to Kodaikanal by road to complete the shooting of Jananayaga (Peoples’Hero). Observers are openly saying that these followers are still in fan mode and that Vijay must get his political act together before proclaiming that 2026 will see TVK coming to power in TN.

Opposition political formations’ jubilation over PM Modi’s scientific population, caste census is short-lived with the untimely AI driven process commencing 2026, concluding 2028. Bihar’s former DCM Tejaswi Yadav’s disappointment is imminent for imagining caste census would conclude before state assembly elections in 2026. The comprehensive, scientifically bolstered census digitally exploiting AI will eliminate redundant caste affiliations converted into other communities, religions. Corrective yardstick encompassing next census capturing social-economic, castes will not likely throw up existence of over 4.6 million castes, sub-castes, synonyms, different surnames and gotras in caste and clan names in India included among categories of SC, Scheduled tribes, OBC communities. 2011 census revealed many citizens had entered surnames under ‘caste’ discrimination column, was abandoned by then PM Manmohan Singh under weight of humongous data, relegated to timeless cold storage. PM Modi’s digitally initiated census process will serve as the true last value on cultural, socio-economic make-up of India. Use of AI, rejection of AADHAR, PAN cards as identity proof will ensure honest distinct process accomplishment. Even National Register of Citizens (NRC) provisions will play a pivotal role reaching true last values across India. One anomaly elimination, for a more accurate picture of existing castes in India, will delete surnames, occupation driven caste affiliations. The Andhra Pradesh High Court has also ruled Scheduled Caste citizens will lose status immediately upon converting to Christianity, forfeit protections under SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act in sync, albeit inadvertently. India’s purge of foreign nationals from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar (Rohingyas) also coincides with a larger census plan. Tejaswi and other backward community leaders’ vice-like grip on India’s reservation pie will phase out. The ‘M+Y’ political formula...

As the rift between the new-age directors of Tollywood and the Federation of Cine Technicians and Workers of Eastern India deepens, the Directors’ Association of Eastern India (DAEI) has been abruptly dissolved and replaced by the East India Motion Pictures Directors’ Association (EIMPDA), the older organisation, which has now been reinstated as the officially recognised directors’ guild by the Federation. This development unfolded swiftly after a video statement released on April 30 by directors Parambrata Chattopadhyay, Anirban Bhattacharya, Sudeshna Roy, Indranil Roychowdhury, Bidula Bhattacharya, and Kingshuk Dey, who addressed the ongoing year-long conflict between DAEI and the Federation which has also resulted in a legal battle. They emphasised their continued support for technicians and denied any divide between directors and technical crew. Recently the Federation president Swaroop Biswas, a Trinamool leader and brother of cabinet minister Aroop Biswas, conducted a closed-door meeting, excluding all DAEI representatives. Besides this, all mentions of DAEI, including names of its president Subrata Sen and secretary Sudeshna Roy have been removed from the social media handles of the Federation. Not only this, the internal communication of the organisation’s WhatsApp group was also restricted, allowing only the Federation president to post messages, effectively silencing all other guild representatives. Subrata Sen, however, acknowledged the developments, stating that DAEI remains a legal member of the Federation under West Bengal labour laws. He accused certain forces of attempting to create a rift between directors and technicians and confirmed that a legal case has been filed in the High Court. Meanwhile, Federation treasurer Shubham Das described the Federation meeting as a united front against harmful elements and declared the industry’s collective intent to ensure smooth operations. 

A felicitation of Maharashtra’s former chief ministers organized by the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar in Mumbai has become talk of the town for all the political reasons. The ceremony was convened under the banner Glorious Maharashtra and all former CMs of the state were invited. However, senior most among them, Sharad Pawar, did not turn up while DCM Eknath Shinde, too, stayed away, pleading that he had already scheduled other engagements. The absence of the last Congress CM in the state, Prithviraj Chavan, was noticeable. Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray is abroad, according to his annual Europe trip routine. Interestingly, CM Devendra Fadnavis attended in both capacities, former and present incumbent. Former Congress leaders Ashok Chavan and Narayan Rane, both with the BJP now, were conspicuous by their presence. Fadanvis said he had created a record by remaining CM for the shortest duration, of 72 hours in 2019. The same record was shared by Ajit Pawar, who was his deputy CM then and is now as well. Fadnavis said Ajit has another record to his credit. “He has taken oath as DCM for the maximum number of times,” Fadanvis quipped. He revealed that the teaming up of the BJP and Ajit’s NCP was incepted within those 72 hours. Fadnavis remarked that people in Maharashtra would have been happy had all former CMs attended. His reference is considered to be aimed at Eknath Shinde. More is expected to be heard soon.

Actor-Director-Producer M Sasikumar plays the lead role in the just released Tourist Family directed by 28-year old debutant Abishan Jeevinth. No wonder Jeevinth shed tears at the film’s release even as Sasikumar looked on indulgently and gently chided him …there will be many more from you. When the story was narrated, Sasikumar was told that the hero would play dad to a 16-year old. “Instinctively I knew no big hero would agree…instead the choice would be, eliminate the son or give me the 16-year olds role”. Sasi breezed into Tourist Family and led an impressive support cast comprising Simran, MS Bhaskar, Yogi Babu and others.  The film has drummed up much word of mouth endorsement and praise. How does one deal with the subject of a Sri Lankan immigrant family? Abishan has brought in a fresh take on the subject. Sasi’s ambition was to launch at least 10 debutant directors…he is now on the 12th. At the same time he glides in as hero. Take Ayodhi for example, Sasikumar carried this movie on his shoulders but never sidelined the rest of the cast. What is his alchemy? If lungi clad Sasi were to stand near the tea shop and shoot the breeze with his friends, you would never swoop down on him as a film hero. His choice of subjects, treatment and performance makes us emote, laugh, cry, think and ruminate about humanitarian values. Even as Retro, Raid 2 and Kesari 2 openly vie for business …Tourist Family easily breezes through with no top heavy hero, jazzy treatment and over the top spend.

The first week of May saw the release of six prominent films, each generating substantial buzz across various media platforms. The line-up includes two Hindi films featuring star power — Ajay Devgn’s Raid 2 and Sanjay Dutt’s The Bhootnii. The South Indian film industry saw three noteworthy entries: Retro a Tamil film starring Suriya, Tourist Family also a Tamil movie and Hit 3, a Telugu franchise film featuring the popular actor Nani. Among these films, Hit 3 is projected to perform exceptionally well at the box office, potentially raking in between Rs 90 to Rs 95 crore over its first weekend. This strong showing is indicative of the film’s popularity and the franchise’s established fan base. Meanwhile, Suriya’s Retro is also receiving positive reviews and expected to gross around Rs 80-85 crore in its opening weekend, further solidifying the trend of South Indian films capturing audience attention. Ajay Devgn starrer Raid 2 is expected to earn around Rs70-75 crore over the extended four-day weekend. Meanwhile Sunjay Dutt’s The Bhootni has not fared as well. It is struggling to surpass Rs 5 crore in its opening weekend; a major setback for the filmmakers. Turning to the Hollywood segment, Thunderbolts has also fallen short of expectations. Initial projections indicate it will earn between Rs 10-15 crore over the weekend, a figure that reflects a lukewarm reception from audiences. In summary, the first weekend of May has clearly demonstrated a prevailing trend: South Indian cinema is currently leading the box office race, with three of the six releases performing strongly. As the weekend progresses, it will be intriguing to observe how these films continue to perform and what this means for the future of Indian cinema as a whole.

Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has moved into his official residence, Varsha, as a caring father and mature politician. The shifting took place on the auspicious occasion of Akshaya Tritiya (30 April) though there was a personal angle, too. Fadnavis and wife Amruta were overjoyed to announce that their only child, Divija, had cleared the 10th Board examination by scoring 92.60%. The entry into Varsha was done without any fanfare; a simple pooja was performed. Till now, Fadnavis had ignored constant criticism that he was not moving into Varsha due to superstition. Those making irresponsible statements included Republican leader Prakash Ambedkar and Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut. In fact, Raut had gone to the extent of alleging that Fadnavis was refusing to occupy Varsha since the horns of a buffalo sacrificed at the Kamakhya temple in Guwahati had been buried in its grounds. Raut had said that this was done to ensure that the occupant living in Varsha should not continue in office for long. Raut’s charge was directed at former CM Eknath Shinde, who had taken the Sena rebel MLAs to Guwahati and formed his government in Maharashtra in 2022. During the Guwahati stay, Shinde supporters had gone to the Goddess temple for pooja. Fadanvis had ignored such crass assaults and had declared in February that he had postponed the move into Varsha till his daughter’s annual examination in response to her wish. Recently, he has stopped reacting to Raut’s daily verbal attacks, too.

The Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) has sent out a clear message that it is not with Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) or any elements which are using the issue of compulsion of Marathi language. The timing of a statement made by senior BJP leader Kripa Shankar Singh in this regard is interpreted as an unambiguous signal by the BJP in view of the new political formations likely to take place in the state with an eye on the coming local body elections.  The statement is also viewed against the backdrop of the possibility of MNS and Shiv Sena (UBT) joining hands for the BMC election. MNS leader Raj Thackeray had triggered the agitation for Marathi some time ago though he stopped it after some ugly incidents took place against Hindi speaking sections. Moreover, a few Gujarati residents, also, had to face ire of the aggrieved people on the issue of Marathi and vegetarianism. As the atmosphere was vitiated, the BJP has taken a firm stand, especially as the assembly election is approaching in Bihar. Making the position clear, Singh recalled his long association with Mumbai and said, “Hindi is my mother and Marathi is my Mausi (aunt).” Taking a swipe at those using the language issue for political purposes, Singh lamented that such elements reared their heads when their political existence was threatened. He emphasised that the north Indians in Maharashtra were not merely a workforce but had been contributing towards the state’s development as well.

Tensions have erupted within the BJP West Bengal unit following senior leader and former state president Dilip Ghosh’s controversial appearance at the inauguration of the Jagannath temple in Digha where he shared the stage with chief minister Mamata Banerjee. The temple event had been boycotted by the BJP in light of recent communal tensions in Murshidabad. Ghosh’s presence — along with his wife Rinku Ghosh — was quickly disowned by the party’s current state leadership. BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar distanced the organisation calling it his “personal choice.” Others, including senior leaders Swapan Dasgupta and Soumitra Khan, launched more pointed attacks, with Dasgupta branding the move a “betrayal.” The backlash has reignited tensions between Dilip Ghosh and sections of the BJP leadership, especially those who joined the party after 2021. Ghosh accused defectors of sidelining long-time loyalists like him and also claimed that many grassroots workers have become disillusioned under the current leadership. Ghosh’s veiled remarks were seen as a dig at Suvendu Adhikari. Ghosh pointed out that many had once thrived under Didi’s leadership and lacked the credibility to question him. He urged the party to recall its past alliances with Banerjee during the Vajpayee-era. Despite the controversy, Ghosh reiterated his loyalty to the BJP but cautioned against internal sabotage, blaming leadership failures for the party’s declining momentum in Bengal. He highlighted his own role in the party’s past growth with 18 MPs winning during 2019 Lok Sabha Polls and 77 MLAs during 2021 Assembly Election and questioned why that progress had stalled since his exit from the top post.

Vaibhav Suryavanshi is likely to go places in the world of cricket. Once, one gives credence to his date of birth registered with the BCCI, then he is just 14, his DOB being March 27,2011. He has played four matches for Rajasthan Royals in the Tata-IPL-18 and the sixes he has smashed off the LSG, RCB and GT bowlers has given rise to the Doubting Thomas tribe who refuse to believe that the Samastipur (Bihar) left-hander is in his mid-teens. There are people who are asking why this hue and cry over his age when he appears like the proverbial new kid on the block. Suryavanshi has been the newsmaker of his gifts in the last two years, and talent scouts of the Jaipur franchise were convinced the chubby-faced has the potential to enter the big boys league sooner than later. A few days ago he lit up the Pink City venue with an astounding 38-ball 101 with 7x4s and 11x 6s against the Gujarat Titans, but in the next match, he was dismissed for a blob by the Mumbai Indians. Suryavanshi, bought at Rs1.1 crore has already seen the two ends of the spectrum; he will endure the hits and misses in his fledgling years in cricket, but the experts have seen the spark in him to say that he is one for the long race. The IPL created the big flash for Paul Valthaty who while playing for Kings XI Punjab, ripped apart the CSK bowling for a 63-ball unbeaten 120 at Mohali in 2011 with 19x4s and 2x6s. He was never a force thereafter, but Suryavanshi looks the part!

In a major decision, the Centre announced that caste enumeration would be part of the upcoming census and assured it would be carried out in a “transparent” manner. I&B Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said while some states have done caste enumeration in the name of surveys, conducting a census falls under the purview of the Centre. He added that the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) had resolved to include caste enumeration in the next census– the timeline for such Census was not given nor has any provision been made for it in the current year’s Budget. The census exercise was to commence in April 2020 but got delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Vaishnaw alleged that Congress governments “have always opposed caste census”. He recalled how in 2010, the then PM Manmohan Singh had assured the Lok Sabha that the matter of caste census would be considered in the cabinet. A group of ministers was formed to consider this subject. Most political parties recommended a caste census. Despite this, the Congress government decided to conduct only a caste survey instead of a census. “That survey is known as the SECC of 2011”. However, the results were never formally released due to questions surrounding data accuracy and consistency. With Rahul Gandhi’s promise of a nationwide caste census and higher reservation limits if the Congress comes to power, the Centre’s move is being seen as a perfect foil ploy to rob the main Opposition party of an election plank ahead of Bihar assembly polls. But Rahul sees it as an outcome of pressure from grassroot activists. Besides, Bihar under Nitish Kumar had already done a caste survey much before the Telangana government. Rahul was keen to know the model the caste census would adopt and the timeline.

By inaugurating the magnificent Jagannath Dham temple in the tourist town of Digha on the auspicious Akshya Trithiya, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has completely stunned state BJP leaders. Many BJP leaders who attacked her for not visiting Murshidabad where Hindus were victims in violence unleashed by Muslims over Waqf Bill wonder if Digha Dham is a ploy to placate the majority community. The lone leader questioning the project is LoP Suvendu Adhikari. He insists that Hindu temples can’t be a state project and talks of his own efforts to restore temples in Murshidabad. The Digha consecration ceremony was held with great grandeur, with sacred water from various pilgrimage sites brought to the temple for the rituals. Several celebrities and prominent figures from West Bengal’s music and film industry, along with political leaders, were present. Constructed in the traditional Kalinga architectural style, the grand structure, developed by the state government at a cost of Rs 250 crore, the dham is expected to emerge as a major centre for pilgrimage and tourism. Mirroring the design of the original Lord Jagannath Temple in Puri, the Digha Dham is spread across 20 acres. BJP sources admit no one wants to criticise the project as Digha is a popular sea resort for Bengalis from Kolkata, especially those who can’t afford time or money to go to Puri. Hitting out at Mamata, BJP leader Amit Malviya posted on X, “This is how Mamata Banerjee appeared at the inauguration of the Jagannath Cultural Centre in Digha. There is no sign of devotional enthusiasm—only a sinister political calculation aimed at salvaging her reputation as an anti-Hindu leader”.  In social media, Didi is already being hailed as the second Bengali Woman after Rani Rashmoni–who had built Dakshineswar Temple associated with Ramakrishna Paramahans–to establish a historic Hindu Temple in Bengal.

When the newly appointed Tamil Nadu BJP chief Nainar Nagendran met with PM Modi he apparently gifted him a statue of jallikattu, the popular bull taming event in Tamil Nadu which the Modi Govt in 2016 had restored by first issuing an ordinance to overcome the Supreme Court ban. Nainar also presented him the famous Tirunelveli halwa and Srivilliputhur’s palgova (a traditional sweet dish). He was accompanied by his son Nainar Balaji. Modi advised Nagendran to focus on revitalising the state unit and prepare for next year’s elections. A number of Modi visits are likely through the year in the poll-bound state. Nagendran also held discussions with Home Minister Amit Shah and FM Nirmala Sitharaman. On X, Nagendran shared how PM Modi “in every word and gesture” conveyed ” his deep love for the people of Tamil Nadu, and his reverence for our ancient and glorious Tamil language”. Meanwhile, contrary to speculation the BJP nominated an old RSS leader and OBC face Pakka Venkata Satyanarayana for the lone Rajya Sabha seat from Andhra Pradesh instead of K Annamalai, former TN BJP chief. Why did Annamalai lose out? It was believed that at this juncture no point would be served by bringing him into the Rajya Sabha with a limited tenure of three years. The party would use him fully in Tamil Nadu until the state elections.

Looks like the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is playing the balancing game. She has inaugurated the newly constructed Jagannath Temple, officially named “Jagannath Dham,” in Digha on the auspicious occasion of Akshaya Tritiya. Didi referred to the arrival of Jagannath in Bengal as “a long-awaited dream fulfilled.” A Vedic yagya commenced on April 25 at the temple, with offerings made to the guardian deity “Vastu Purush” to purify the temple and ward off evil. Mamata, who personally oversaw the final rituals and ceremonies in Digha on April 28, will serve as the ‘pradhan yajaman’ (chief patron) during the agni ritual, culminating in the ‘purnahuti’ — the final sacred offering. On April 30, she conducted the pran-pratishtha (ritual infusion of life into the deity) and performed the temple’s ceremonial opening, followed by the first aarti.  It may be recalled that Mamata boycotted the Ayodhya event. Now BJP and RSS leaders are dismissing the Digha temple as a mere “cultural center” with questionable spiritual legitimacy. Meanwhile, the TMC government headed by Mamata Banerjee feels that Digha will witness an economic surge in hospitality, transport and tourism, similar to Ayodhya. Roads have been improved, accommodations readied, and security strengthened. Looks like Didi is shaping a narrative that blends devotion with development ahead of the 2026 Bengal Assembly elections.

Organising “Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhan” rallies for Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge across states has become sort of a political hazard in the Congress. Asked to convene such rallies, Congressmen are literally shivering in their pants considering what happened with Buxar District Congress President Manoj Pandey who was sacked for not organising enough crowds. A livid Kharge had stripped Pandey of his post in an election year in Bihar when he confronted empty chairs on a Sunday afternoon mid-April. No Congress leader is willing to risk the wrath of Kharge. That is why Tamil Nadu Congress leaders recently held a meeting to draw up a plan to organise a meeting on May 4 to be held in Teynampet area in Chennai addressed by Kharge. It was decided that the target to mobilise crowds would be shared by various leaders at different levels. That is eight Lok Sabha MPs from the state would be given the responsibility of bringing a crowd of 5000 people each and 17 party MLAs were given the target of bringing about 1000 people each. Party office bearers from 76 districts   were tasked to bring 500 people each. In all  the ballpark crowd size of 95,000 to 1 lakh. Some office bearers even suggested raising funds from ally DMK ministers to organise the event. It wasn’t just to bowl over Kharge. The general argument was an impressive show by the Congress that could even make the DMK concede more seats in the TN assembly elections next year. Explaining the lack of crowd at Buxar, Manoj Pandey blamed it on the scorching heat. If Bihar couldn’t withstand the heat in April, will Chennai put up with searing heat in May just to make a political point?

The Pahalgam terror-attack that resulted in deaths of innocent Indians and a foreign tourist holidaying in the Kashmir Valley may cause a deeper deterioration in India-Pakistan cricket ties. Hitherto the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), adhering to a long-standing government guideline, does not engage Pakistan in bilateral series across formats. An Indian cricket team — men, women and under-19 — has not played on Pakistan soil for more than one and a half decades (since 2008), but Pakistan played the ICC World Cup 2023 matches in India — at Hyderabad, Kolkata and Chennai. The BCCI though maintained its position of not sending the men in blue team to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy in February-March this year. India played all its matches in Dubai. The Indian government has always maintained that Pakistan is a State-sponsor of terror strikes in the Northern Indian State of Jammu & Kashmir and hence there is no place for bilateral cricketing relationship with Pakistan. The BCCI was quick to condemn the terror attack in Pahalgam and used the IPL match between Mumbai Indians and Sunrisers Hyderabad in Hyderabad to pay homage to the victims. A hybrid model was worked out for the ICC Champions Trophy and the same is the formula worked out for future ICC events ending in 2027.  Pakistan has qualified for the ICC Women’s World Cup to be hosted by India this September-October and it will not travel to India. Will the BCCI take the extreme step of not playing against Pakistan or request the ICC and ACC that India should not be placed in the same group as Pakistan. Only time will tell.  

Less than a week after the dastardly Pahalgam terror attack, the Congress has shed all pretence of extending its cooperation to the government. It is back to fretting and molly-coddling its Muslim vote bank. That is why Karnataka excise minister RB Thimmapur rushed to doubt if the “perpetrators of the attack in Pahalgam would have asked the name and the religion of victims” and insisted “it is unfair to target a particular religion over the attack”. This even as the wife of a victim from Shivamogga had helplessly watched her husband being shot dead, after the terrorists asked the name and religion before shooting the male tourists. Building a defence for the assailants, the minister argued it wasn’t the gunmen who asked for the name and religion of the tourists. Religious colour was being given to cover up intelligence failure. “Kargil, Pulwama and now Pahalgam are the result of central intelligence failure. The BJP has been playing politics over deaths,” the minister argued. Why was the Congress minister making a case for Pakistani terror operatives? It wasn’t just the minister, even chief minister Siddaramaiah had caught the attention of the Pak media playing up his comment saying  that there is “no need for war” over the Pahalgam terror attack. He was dubbed “Pakistani Ratna” by the state BJP. With RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat making it clear that “it is duty of the king to protect the people” and urging the government to teach errant neighbour a lesson, PM Modi assured in his Mann Ki Baat that bereaved families will get justice; he felt the terror strike was to destroy the Kashmir narrative with peace and normalcy returning.

Leading silver screen personality Atul Kulkarni has reached Kashmir to spread the message that the state belongs to India and every Indian will visit it. Kulkarni has been known for his fearless stand on many sensitive issues and has never minced words while expressing his sentiments. A fierce advocate of the freedom of expression, Kulkarni has been in great demand for a variety of roles on the stage and in films. His statement has been welcomed since several prominent thespians have chosen to remain mute after the dreaded Pahalgam terror attack. Kulkarni has made it clear that he has no shooting schedule in Kashmir neither has his visit been sponsored by any travel company or hotel. Kulkarni said the intent of the attack is to finish the tourism potential of Kashmir. Referring to his discussions with local people in the state over the past few days, he said the most vital factor is people’s unity, even more important than money. This process had started and over the last two years, a record number of tourists had visited the state. Local people are happy when tourists come. “We have to transmit this message all over,” he said. Another popular actor, Riteish Deshmukh said this attack was not just terror but was a targeted massacre. The masterminds and organisations behind this ghastly attack must be crushed, he said in a message while expressing his anguish.

The AIADMK-BJP alliance is not the only cause of anxiety for DMK chief and Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin. Senior ministers in his cabinet are as much of a headache for the chief honcho. While trusted lieutenant and money handler V Senthil Balaji put in his resignation on April 27 after strictures from the top court, so too the education minister K Ponmudy  quit on the same day as he was also under fire for needlessly disparaging comments that drew the ire of a High Court judge who called for a suo motu FIR against him. Did he really need to joke about Brahmin sects and sexual positions and denigrating the whole of womanhood? Brahmin baiting may be fair game for the DMK that evolved out of the Justice Party, but vilifying women outraged a senior woman party leader in Kanimozhi who spoke out. The most senior minister among Stalin’s cabinet colleagues, Duraimurugan, who was just emerging from the woods after a tasteless description of physically challenged people — whom he called ‘nondis’ using an old Tamil term for lame people — when an old case came out of the woodwork to haunt him. A DA case has re-emerged to trouble the minister as the Madras High Court cancelled his acquittal by a lower court. Even the highly regarded IT minister Dr P Thiaga Rajan (PTR) was pulled up by the Speaker for saying in the Assembly that his ministry had no funds to create new IT parks. He was told there must be a better way to approach the government for funds.