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Finally, some news to cheer. Google announced it would invest a whopping $15 billion (approx. Rs 1.34 lakh crore) in India over the next five years (2026-2030), the biggest to date in the country. The announcement was made at the Bharat AI Shakti event hosted by Google in New Delhi on October 14. This was revealed in the presence of Union Ministers Ashwini Vaishnaw (IT), Nirmala Sitharaman (Finance), Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu and Google Cloud Chief Thomas Kurian. The tech giant revealed that it will open India’s first Artificial Intelligence (AI) Hub in Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), touted to be the company’s biggest such centre outside the U.S. Ahead of the announcement, Sundar Pichai had held talks with PM Modi about the opening of an AI Hub in India. The Google AI Hub in Visakhapatnam represents a landmark investment in India’s digital future. “This partnership reflects our shared commitment to the Indian and U.S. governments to harness AI responsibly and drive transformative impact for society,” said Kurian. In addition to the new international subsea gateway, Google AI will connect with multiple international subsea cables in Visakhapatnam on India’s eastern coast. This will connect to Google’s more than two million miles of existing terrestrial and subsea cables. This will establish Visakhapatnam as an AI and connectivity hub that not only serves India but the rest of the world. Once operational, it will join Google’s network of existing AI data centres that spans 12 countries. In a post on X, PM Modi cheered the launch of AI Hub as something that aligns with “our vision to build a Viksit Bharat and hoped it would secure India’s place as a global technology leader!”
Inasmuch as one would like to pat the selection committee for facilitating Indian cricket skip a few steps ahead by naming Shubman Gill as captain of the men in blue one-day international team, the committee refused to state its position on the status of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma vis-a-vis their selection for the 2027 World Cup. Ajit Agarkar was right in saying that that October 2025 is not the right time to take an affirmative call for an event that’s going to happen in October-November 2027. Surely Agarkar and his committee could no way have “blocked” Virat and Rohit’s seats well in advance to leave the other contenders short-changed. The selection committee may or may not remain the same after next year’s BCCI AGM but a matter of vital importance is whether Virat and Rohit would continue to be picked for all one-day internationals — in all 21 ODIs after the three-match series in Australia. India is scheduled to play South Africa, New Zealand, Afghanistan, West Indies and Sri Lanka (all a three match series at home till November 2026 and England and New Zealand, all a three-match away series) and indeed by end of 2026, a few more cricketers would be pressing hard for a place in the one-day team for the World Cup. India’s Test team will be occupied with a five-Test series at home in January-February 2027 before the scheduled WTC final in London, after which the focus will be on a round of a 50 over matches/tournaments. The million $ question is whether the selection committee and head coach Gautam Gambhir will allow the Virat-Rohit thorn to be in their flesh for that long.
After successfully pushing through GST-2 reforms, PM Modi had been looking for innovative ideas for governance. It was this search for ideas to further fuel his Viksit Bharat that led to him to interact with about 85 secretary-level officers of the government on October 6. About two dozen secretary-level officers heading various ministries and departments actively participated in the discussions. It is learnt officers were thrilled with the personal interaction they had with the PM. Three days after the meeting, Cabinet Secretary TV Somanathan was already acting on their suggestions. On October 9, he wrote to the secretaries and asked them to roll out their ideas. Among the key points of action was promoting “indigenous development” of digital and social media platforms. The directive on digital platforms is significant as the number of internet subscribers in India as on March 2025 stood at 969.1 million, with most using foreign platforms like Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, YouTube and X. Significantly, PM Modi pushed for use of local platforms coinciding with the launch of Arattai, the messaging app developed by Tamil Nadu-based Zoho Corporation. Earlier, IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw posted on X that he was switching to Zoho’s homegrown office suite software. Likewise, Home Minister Amit Shah too switched his official email service to Zoho Mail. In his letter, the Cabinet Secretary had also dissuaded ministries/departments from avoidable litigation and filing unnecessary court cases and wasting resources. Officials were also told to reorient PhD programmes to promote innovation and development of new ideas, and technologies, through topics that fit the emerging needs of the country – and conceptualise awards at the international level to recognise excellence in various fields. Overall, the ministries have been asked to promote “Atmanirbharta” and reduce imports.
In the last 14 India-West Indies Tests there were 25 centuries and all but two of them were by Indian batsmen. Making hundreds against the West Indies has become almost routine but the remarkable feature is that the Indian youth brigade is coming regularly to the party these days. Shubman Gill, just 26, who made his fifth Test century in just 12th innings as captain, was only a few innings behind Alastair Cook (9) and Sunil Gavaskar (10) in recording the feat. Even Sir Donald Bradman took 13 innings to make that fifth hundred as captain of Australia. Having also assumed responsibility as captain on the tour of England, Gill has five hundreds in the calendar year in his 10 Test centuries overall as he emulates Virat Kohli in making merry when hitting a purple patch of batting form. Pushing him hard in making Test centuries is the opener Yashasvi Jaiswal whose hunger for runs has become a lot more famous than his satiating his physical hunger by helping out at a Pani Puri stall outside the tented ground that was his home in Mumbai. The anger he showed in seeing his captain turn his back on him as he sought a quick single when in his 170s is evidence of how run-hungry Jaiswal is. Not yet 24, he joins South African Graeme smith as a quick collector of seven Test centuries as opener. Run making may get more difficult when Team India plays tougher opposition like South Africa in a home series, but the fact remains that there is a youth brigade that is making India proud again since the halcyon days of Gavaskar in 1971 when the breakthrough victory came in the Caribbean.
In a watershed year for Indian cinema, Kannada and Malayalam industries are leading the charge with blockbuster epics that blend cultural depth with universal spectacle. Rishab Shetty’s Kantara: Chapter 1 has shattered records, amassing Rs 500 crore worldwide, fuelled by its raw portrayal of Karnataka’s ‘Bhoota Kola’ rituals and environmental folklore. Shetty’s dual role as the fierce Panjara— a forest guardian clashing with modernity—delivers visceral action and spiritual resonance, backed by immersive folk music and stunning Udupi landscapes. The film’s grassroots appeal exploded through dubbed versions in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu, turning rural myths into pan-Indian anthems and earning global acclaim at festivals like Busan. Hot on its heels, Malayalam’s Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra released on August 20, 2025, surged past Rs 300 crore in just six weeks, heralding a superhero saga rooted in Kerala’s matrilineal heritage. Director Dominic Arun masterfully fuses high-octane VFX with emotional intimacy, as producer Dulquer Salmaan crafts a universe where heroine Chandra (Kalyani Priyadarshan) wields ancestral powers against cosmic threats. Priyadarshan’s nuanced turn — from vulnerable orphan to empowered icon — fills a void in female-led genre tales, while spicy dialogue controversies sparked viral debates, boosting theatre footfalls. Salmaan’s bold vision promises spin-offs, blending local lore with Marvel-esque flair. This duo’s dominance underscores a broader renaissance: Gujarati’s Chhello Show 2 breached Rs 100 crore with its heartfelt immigrant saga; Marathi’s Dashaavtar hit Rs 50 crore via satirical family dramedy; and Tamil’s Coolie topped Rs 250 crore in labour-rights thriller mode. Smart OTT tie-ups, dubbed releases, and culturally authentic narratives propel these beyond regional silos, outshining Hindi’s faltering Param Sundari and Sunny Sankari ki Tulsi Kumari. As indigenous voices claim centre stage, Indian cinema evolves into a vibrant mosaic....
IndiGo seems to have cracked it. Their experiment to introduce direct flights between Manchester and Mumbai on July 1, seems to have more than enough takers. Emboldened by such a good response the airline has chalked up plans to add one more destination, Mumbai-London from October 26, making it the 45th destination. IndiGo has direct flights to Manchester and Amsterdam from Mumbai, and now it will be in direct competition with the established British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, and Air India. IndiGo continues its code-sharing as a partner carrier with some European and Middle Eastern airlines. The tremendous traffic growth — both business and regular travellers, the latest signing of the Free Trade Agreement between India and the UK, surge in India–UK activities on all fronts, including culture, has prompted IndiGo to offer this direct service, say aviation insiders. IndiGo will provide a trendy, competitive lower price at Rs 22,000 upwards for return tickets. IndiGo aims to attract budget travellers on its long-haul service. In addition to direct flights between Mumbai-London, it will also commence direct flights between Manchester-Delhi from November 15. It will certainly be good tidings to the residents of Delhi, north India, Gujarat, and Central India. with the vast network it operates from Delhi, being its headquarters. Mumbai serves as a hub for western India pockets. It is contemplating increasing its 3-day a week frequency to its current Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday schedule between Manchester to Mumbai, thus probably making a service of 9 flights freely in a week from Manchester.
Recruitment scam seems to be the new normal. Now, the state of Odisha is rocked by the Sub-Inspector Recruitment Scam. The Opposition parties, BJD and Congress, have been staging demonstrations against the ruling BJP government demanding a CBI probe into the alleged irregularities in Combined Police Service Examination (CPSE) 2024. It is said that the written examination for recruitment of sub-inspectors conducted by the Odisha Police Recruitment Board was postponed after Berhampur Police busted a major recruitment racket with the arrest of 114 aspirants and three middlemen from the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh border on September 30. Subsequent investigation revealed the role of an “organised criminal syndicate” was in place to subvert the entire examination process and give job to people who were willing to pay speed money. Sources say such a scam cannot happen without the blessings of senior government officials. It is alleged that each Sub-Inspector post was being sold for Rs 25 lakh. Informed sources say the scam could be worth around Rs 200 crore. So far Vanik Coaching Centre in Odisha is in focus. In the last 15 months, 16 recruitment exams have been cancelled at the last moment, leaving job aspirants frustrated. The BJP-led government by chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi says the recent recruitment scam in police is the legacy of the previous Naveen Patnaik’s BJD government. When Short Post contacted DGP Y B Khurania he refused to comment saying, “he was going on leave”.
The idiom aging like an old wine seems apt for the 56-year old Bobby Deol. Finally, he has stepped out of the shadow of his father Dharmendra and brother Sunny Deol. For an actor who almost became a recluse and took to drinking, the comeback has proved all his detractors wrong. What changed his life was an innocent question by his children: why is daddy home and not going to work? This is what he said in an exhaustive interview to Times Now‘s Navika Kumar. He went out looking for a job and he was lucky. A web series came his way and his role as Baba Nirala in Aashram (2020) made audiences sit up again. Then came Animal (2023), where his near-silent performance stole the spotlight despite limited screen time. Suddenly, Bollywood’s “forgotten Deol” was the industry’s most talked-about star. Bobby made his debut in Barsaat (1995). With hit films like Gupt, Soldier, Badal and Bichhoo he had carved a niche for himself as the romantic action hero. His downfall started some time in 2010 as a lot of new faces emerged who were versatile. Now cut to current days, he seems breezing with confidence… zipping in and out of film sets or TV news studios. Sure, Bobby has bounced back but diehard industry watchers have a piece of advice for him. “Now, that films are coming the way, he should pick and choose…he should strike a fine balance between art and commerce…that’s a craft he needs to master”.
In the intensely competitive ecosystem of Kollywood, traversing 22 years and reaching Lady Super Star status is no mean feat …in the same demanding profession where beauty, fitness and a modicum of acting talent combine to make a star. Forty-year old Nayanthara has achieved this milestone, still holding steady as one of the highest paid heroines (Rs 7 crore per film) pan India. Before she turned into the legend Nayan, she was Diane Mariam Kurian, dad Kurian Kudiyattu from the armed forces and mother Omana Kurian who bestowed her beauty and grace. Maybe she carried her military disciplined upbringing to her profession. But Nayan, went through some stormy and controversial romantic hookups too…her dalliance with a married Prabhu Deva, her brief affairs with Simbu and Arya provided much chomping fodder to the media, hungry for titillating bits and bytes. From her first film, Manasinakkare in Malayalam in 2003, to playing Sarat Kumar’s lead in Aiyya in 2005 …pairing with Rajinikanth in Chandramukhi which put her in orbit …soon Vijay, Ajitt, Suriya, Vikram, Simbu, Dhanush and Arya were her co-stars. Nayan’s name guaranteed a good box office run. She carried a mythological, Mookuthi Amman on her shoulders and turned a craze among women; the director is now ready with Mookuthi Amman 2. Vignesh Shivan, her husband came into her life with his directed film Naanum Rowdy Thaan, a relationship that merged into marriage in 2002, a much-hyped wedding… Netflix filmed and marketed it. Her twin boys, Uyir and Ulagh keep her busy, even as she still works in films with the same zeal in heroine-oriented roles. Nayan’s cosmetics start-up is sought after by fashionistas.
Jindal (India), part of the BC Jindal Group, is all set to expand its Howrah steel plant in West Bengal with Rs 1,500-crore investment. Already operating two plants in the state producing a range of steel-based downstream products, the group will significantly enhance its production capabilities with this addition. The Jindal Group’s latest investment aligns with its broader plan to scale up steel production across India, aiming to invest Rs18,000 crore over the coming years to enhance overall manufacturing capacity. The new Rs 1,500-crore downstream facility in West Bengal, with an annual capacity of 0.6 million tonnes, is expected to boost the company’s existing capacity by 60%, significantly increasing production of coated flat products, pipes, and crash barriers. According to the company, the commissioning of the new cold rolling complex marks the completion of a key phase in the expansion project, raising Jindal India’s total downstream steel capacity from 1 million to 1.6 million tonnes annually. Currently, Jindal India operates two advanced West Bengal facilities specialising in cutting-edge colour coating, galvanising, and galvalume technologies, further strengthening its position in India’s steel sector. Beyond West Bengal, the company, through its subsidiary, Jindal India Steel Tech is setting up a greenfield steel manufacturing plant in Dhenkanal, Odisha. JISTL plans to invest a total of Rs 15,000 crore in Odisha in three phases by 2030, with the current Rs 3,600 crore investment marking the first phase of the project.
Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin has decided to skip the ‘Global Ayyappa Sangamam’ being organised by the Travancore Devaswom Board at Pampa in Kerala as part of its 75th anniversary on September 20. Oddly, he has cited “prior commitments” in his letter to his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan, and has deputed two state ministers to participate. The political buzz is that Stalin most likely excused himself from the event because of the pressure exerted by the BJP. The invitation from Kerala CM had kicked up a political row with the BJP criticising the invitation extended to Stalin. TN BJP president Nainar Nagenthran, in his post on X, wrote that deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin, minister TRB Rajaa, former Minister K Ponmudy and DMK treasurer TR Baalu had made “disgraceful remarks” against Hindus. Nagenthran had said if Stalin intends to attend the event, as a first step, he should make the above DMK leaders apologise for their remarks. Besides, Kerala BJP president Rajeev Chandrasekhar strongly objected to Stalin’s participation. He demanded that both chief ministers apologise to Hindus “Pinarayi, Stalin and his Deputy Chief Minister son Udhayanidhi Stalin have hurt the sentiments of the Hindus and are trying to sabotage Hindu beliefs. Pinarayi government jailed many Ayyappa devotees and unleashed brutal police attacks against devotees who tried to protect the belief on restriction on women’s entry to Sabarima Ayyappa temple,” Chandrasekhar said in a statement. It is most likely in this backdrop that Stalin has chosen to skip visiting Kerala.
Can Opposition leaders like Trinamool Congress Supremo Mamata Banerjee or Congress CM Siddaramaiah or AAP CM Bhagwant Mann shun a high-level panel being set up by the Centre to prepare for the centennial birth anniversary of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee? Just because they are politically opposed to PM Modi. Of course, not. The Ministry of Culture has notified three high-level committees for the commemoration of 150th birth anniversaries of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Birsa Munda, and the centennial birth anniversary of Vajpayee. PM Modi will chair each committee which as members have several CMs as well as union ministers. The committee for Sardar Patel will have 124 members is top heavy panel and includes former Presidents Pratibha Patil, Ramnath Kovind, Rajya Sabha deputy chairman Harivansh Singh, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, and has 21 CMs, including Opposition CMs Siddaramaiah, Omar Abdullah, Sikhvinder Singh Sukkhu, MK Stalin and Revanth Reddy. The committee also has Patel’s family members Nandini and Diribhai Patel. The committee on Birsa Munda has 118 members, including President Patil and President Kovind, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, several cabinet ministers and 20 Governors and L-Gs. The committee also has over 20 CMs, including Opposition CMs Hemant Soren, Pinarayi Vijayan and Revanth Reddy, besides Naidu and Advani. The Committee on Vajpayee has 124 members, and in addition to the former Presidents and Cabinet ministers, Advani and Naidu, 19 Governors and L-Gs and 17 CMs including Mamata Banerjee and Bhagwant Mann, besides Soren and Siddaramaiah. This committee also has as members Ranjan Gogoi, spiritual guru Ravi Shankar, Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, Ram Madhav, Suresh Prabhu, Kapil Dev, Azim Premji as well as Advani’s daughter Pratibha Advani.
Raj Thackeray’s equidistant relationship with political leaders across the political spectrum in Maharashtra continues to baffle political analysts. His meeting with chief minister Devendra Fadnavis at the CM’s official residence, followed by his son Amit Thackeray meeting up with senior BJP leader Ashish Shelar the very next day, has been raising eyebrows in political circles. Even after officially joining stage with his cousin Uddhav Thackeray, there is no official announcement of the same and Raj continues to hold parleys with Eknath Shinde’s pointsman Uday Samant. Though the first foray of the Thackeray brothers in the BEST credit society has been a cropper, their political strength in the civic polls, cannot be ignored. Incidentally, despite meeting with the CM, Raj continued to be in unison with his cousin Uddhav Thackeray on the issue of raising discrepancies in the electoral rolls that has been strongly flagged by Rahul Gandhi. The Congress unit from Panvel has found 85,211 duplicate voters in the electoral rolls. Uddhav Thackeray too has asked his cadres to scrutinise the electoral rolls for discrepancies to prevent electoral setbacks. That the brothers are raising the same issue as raised by Congress chief Rahul Gandhi hints at the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) warming up to join the bandwagon of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition. At this juncture, Raj Thackeray’s public meet-ups with leaders from both sides is being viewed as pressure tactics to secure a better deal for himself at the bargaining table for the upcoming polls. Though the MVA coalition has decided to fight the forthcoming local self-government elections separately, Raj Thackeray’s oratorical skills, which commands strong public turnouts at election rallies, could serve as a handy tool for both coalitions.
With the government spelling out its stand that Team India will continue to participate in multilateral events like the World Cup and Asia Cup which will also feature Pakistan, the Asia Cup gets a clearance that may not be popular with sections of the public because of the tensions with Pakistan post-Pahalgam terror attack. However, this is a stand Team India followed even in the Champions Trophy but in which it stressed that it will not play in Pakistan and nor would the BCCI expect Pakistan to play in India though they did that in the 2023 ODI World Cup. The picking of the squad for the Asia Cup was a clear pointer to the BCCI being confident of getting clearance to take part in the Asia Cup which it will host in the UAE. Not that the squad the selectors picked was universally popular. The omission of Shreyas Iyer was the biggest talking point but equally mysterious was the omission of Yashasvi Jaiswal who was a member of the T20 World Cup winning team in 2024. Some former players used their time to think about picking a squad out of those not selected for the Asia Cup and they came up with a playing XI that could be expected to give Team India a run for its money. Here is the alternate team for the Asia Cup: Shreyas Iyer (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudarshan, KL Rahul, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Washington Sundar, Ramandeep Singh, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna. That is a pretty good playing XI quite capable of upsetting the real Team India. Of course, what the XI of those left out conveys best is the depth of Indian cricket when it comes to white ball competitions
Growing up is a process. But it isn’t an easy task. It involves quite a challenge. How to navigate the growth challenges? That thought is exercising the minds of the top honchos (read the promoters) of this organisation. This iconic enterprise stood as a shining star in the industrial landscape of Tamil Nadu. Somewhere along, however, it fell into bad times and almost went into oblivion. But the arrival of a new promoter changed the fortunes of this Chennai-based Kothari Industrial Corporation Ltd completely. New promoter J Rafiq Ahmed got KICL relisted, helped the company become debt-free, brought investment from a Qatar firm connected to the ruling family, got the organisation to quickly move into areas such as non-leather footwear, drones, publishing, food, waste management et al. Well-meaning Ahmed is a man in a hurry. The man lays much store by empowering women in rural areas. Alert to time sense, he feels that his organisation has to move into the fast lane not just to catch up what it has lost but also to move ahead of others. A robust system is critical as the organisation glides into higher growth orbit. Not surprisingly, he has drafted the service of a top-notch global consultant to put in place an organisational structure which absorbs and addresses the growth challenges. A robust organisation is essential to its sustainability in the long run. The focus is now on putting the systems in place so that the organisation runs without let or hindrance and sans individual bias.
Once again filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri has been mired in controversy. This time it’s over his soon-to-be-released The Bengal Files. Since the launch of its trailer in Kolkata, it has been locked in legal disputes, political allegations, clarifications from lead actors and objections from freedom fighter Gopal Mukherjee’s grandson. Agnihotri has accused the Mamata Banerjee government of trying to stall the release. He claimed actors Saswata Chatterjee and Sourav Das were compelled by Didi’s government to issue media statements. The Bengali actors distanced themselves, saying they were unaware of the full script and were only briefed on their roles. Saswata Chatterjee, who plays the antagonist, clarified his role was limited to acting, with no involvement in political or historical debates. He admitted he had not read the complete script—describing this as common in the industry—and learned of the title change from The Delhi Files to The Bengal Files only after shooting ended. Santana Mukherjee, grandson of freedom fighter Gopal Mukherjee (Gopal Patha), filed a FIR objecting to the portrayal of his grandfather as a butcher. He described this as distortion, stressing that Patha, a member of Anushilon Samity, owned two goat-meat shops, was a wrestler, and had taken up arms in 1946 to protect civilians from Muslim League attacks. He alleged misrepresentation without consulting the family. Sourav Das, who plays Gopal Patha, distanced himself too, saying he was only briefed on his role. Amid the uproar, National award-winning filmmaker Goutam Ghose released a video statement, noting Bengal’s pioneering role in India’s independence but also its scars from Partition. Ghose insisted films on Partition or communal riots must rest on rigorous research rather than political or emotional motives.
The Paris-headquartered Calderys, a refractory solutions company with presence in over 30 countries, has chalked out big plans for India. It is committed to invest over $100 million in Odisha to cater to both India and APAC countries. At Bhuinpur, Khorda district, Bhubaneshwar it is setting the world’s largest single site production hub for refractories production and steel casting fluxes. The six-phase project has already seen the completion of the first leg of Refractory manufacturing at Bhuinpur, Khorda district. As per reports, full-fledged production at its Khorda plant will begin in the second half of 2026. Calderys APAC Region, Sr Vice President & MD Ish Mohon Garg says “India’s $ 2 billion refractory market is poised to double by 2030, driven by surge in infrastructure, manufacturing and energy projects”. When asked what made Calderys consider Odisha for investments, Garg praised Odisha’s top end bureaucracy saying “we were hypnotised by Odisha, particularly the speed of action, decision making and clarity of thought without any follow up. Everything was wrapped up in three months, thanks to efficient IAS bureaucrats like Hemant Sharma, Bhupendra Singh Poonia at IPICOL and Collectorate & District Magistrate of Khorda and others”. He assured that Calderys will provide cutting edge refractory solutions to its customers. He said the first production line of acidic monolithics refractories having exceptional chemical resistance and thermal stability has already commenced and sales have started for the domestic market. Odisha’s economic growth seems unstoppable. After steel, aluminium, mining, semiconductor forays, the state is now focusing on refractories.
Aryan Khan’s directorial debut arrives with a confident, offbeat pulse that immediately distinguishes it from routine star launches. The promo’s cheekiest beat comes when Aryan breaks the fourth wall, addressing the camera as the familiar, violin-laced Shah Rukh Khan motif plays — an audacious, meta wink that signals reverence without reverence’s usual stiffness. That tonal gamble pays off: the piece feels mischievous and smart rather than self-important. Visually, the promo is polished and assured. Clean frames, slick colour palettes and an Arri Alexa–style sheen hint at streaming-grade cinematic ambition. Art direction and sound design suggest a larger production muscle at work, while the supporting cast — names like Bobby Deol and Raghav Juyal — promise layered turns that complement Aryan’s youthful voice rather than overshadow it. The world he sketches is slightly chaotic and deliberately uncertain, an apt playground for an emerging filmmaker aiming to stake out an identity. Beyond style, the project carries heavyweight goodwill. Glimpses of Shah Rukh Khan and buzz from industry peers amplify attention; Netflix’s visible enthusiasm — from executives in India to global leadership — underscores how much is riding on the series as a conversation-starter for the streamer. But flash isn’t the same as staying power. The promo does its job: it teases tone, talent and production values and provokes curiosity rather than answers. Whether Aryan “scores” will depend on what follows — sharp writing, assured long-form direction and committed performances across episodes. This moment also sits within a broader trend: star children and actor-turned-directors reworking industry legacies into new careers. From the lineage of filmmakers such as Randhir Kapoor and Rakesh Roshan to contemporary scions like Utkarsh Sharma, Junaid Khan and Krishna Shroff exploring directoral roles, filmmaking has long been a family trade.
In her recent interview to Tamil magazine Kumudam, ageless wonder and popular actress Nadhiya talks about the secret of her youthful looks, energy and enthusiasm as if it is as easy as plucking a low hanging fruit off a tree. She made her mark even in her first Tamil film Poove Poochoodava in which she played the granddaughter of another rocking beauty, Padmini. Not just looks but talent too, earning a Filmfare Award. But several Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films later, it was her role as a single mother in M Kumaran S/O Mahalakshmi that brought her a huge wave of adulation ..Ravi Mohan, Asin and Prakash Raj were just foils to this dedicated actor …she takes her son to be enrolled in school…the Principal insists that the field “father” must be filled. Nadhiya just grabs the pen and fills the form as Son of Mahalakshmi. This scene inspired many single mothers. Then she looked like an older sister to Ravi Mohan …now, paradoxically, he looks like her older brother. At the height of her career, in 1988, she married Shirish Godbole and winged off to America, to live her life as a family maker. What made her give up fame, celebrity status? She is clear why…I knew him as a student, we planned to marry only after he settled down. Two daughters and American life did not erode her magnetism. When she flew into Mumbai, her fans accepted her. Even if she sashayed into her modelling role, she could have launched several products — bangles, sarees, sandals. She shares the secret of her youth and energy…a down to earth attitude to life, eat only when needed, workouts are non-negotiable and focus on tasks. Her fans are perplexed about why this talented and striking beauty is not chosen for more rewarding roles.
A docile and law-abiding people, Parsees are always held in high esteem. Their contribution in nation building is unmatched. It is very rare to see a Parsee breaking law. But there was an exception. A municipal action against stray dogs in then Bombay about 200 years ago had so angered the microscopic community that its fury exploded in a terrible riot. The fateful day was 6 July 1832, a holy day for the Parsees. When they ventured out of their houses in the Fort area, civic dog catchers were seen catching the dogs loitering around. About 200 Parsees tried to stop the action but to no avail. Soon, a clash started and two policemen were attacked. The protest spread to other communities. Hindus, Jains and Muslims, too, joined the free for all. Several prominent Parsees were arrested, only to add oil to the fire. Mumbai came to a standstill. Like the present Supreme Court has done, the British authorities were forced to rescind their original decision. Sir Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy, the doyen of the local people, demanded an immediate stop to the culling and proposed that stray dogs should be relocated outside the city. The British agreed. The regulation mandating the killing of stray dogs was withdrawn. The Bombay Dog Riots of 1832 floods many memories about the then Bombay, a city loved by the British and her inhabitants equally. As far as the SC is concerned, the lesson is – history repeats itself.
So far it has been a one-sided game with the pro-Shreyas Iyer group outnumbering a minuscule going with the senior national selection committee’s call to not pick him for the Asia Cup Twenty20 in Dubai. Iyer has not been part of the Men in Blue Twenty20 team since the first week of December 2023 and the selection committee say that Iyer has to first “settle down’ after being in the bad books of the powers that be after the second Test (Visakhapatnam) of the home series against England in February 2024. He was thrown out of the Central Contract by the BCCI. But the Mumbaikar staged a comeback for the ICC Champions Trophy in the United Arab Emirates and was awarded a Grade B Central Contract. The Iyer-group — Sanjay Manjrekar being the most recent to express surprise at Iyer missing the bus for the Asia Cup — feels that the smart batter who has the wherewithal to force the pace and is strong against spin bowlers should have been an automatic choice in the 15-member squad for the Asia Cup. But the Selection Committee steered by Ajit Agarkar has stuck their neck out retaining Rinku Singh for his quick-witted approach to batting in any given situation. But this column understands that Iyer is very much in the scheme of things for next year’s Twenty20 World Cup to be played in India and Sri Lanka. The selection committee announced a 15-member squad for Asia Cup in the Gulf region and five standbys. The committee may have shortlisted the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Iyer and Mohammed Siraj for the home World Twenty20 in India next year. Iyer could be even recalled for the white ball series, including the Twenty20 series, in Australia in two months.
Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar has kept himself and his MLAs away from the RSS but his wife Sunetra presence at a meeting of the Rashtra Sevika Samiti in Delhi has put him on the backfoot. BJP MP and film star Kangana Ranaut had organized the meeting in the national capital by inviting prominent Sevika volunteers. When the pictures of the meeting became viral, the surprising face was that of Sunetra, a Rajya Sabha member. Interestingly, in all these years, Sunetra was never seen in a political meeting. Though the RSS says it is a cultural and not a political organization, the detractors of the saffron outfit do not spare a single opportunity to needle its followers. The same sequence was enacted when Sunetra’s picture was seen all around. Ajit’s nephew Rohit Pawar, who is emerging as a powerful figure in grandfather Sharad Pawar’s NCP, was in the forefront of launching the attack. He reminded Ajit that the latter was always claiming to be proceeding on the path led by social reformers like Mahatma Jyotiba Phule and Shahu Maharaj. The clue was picked by others and finally Ajit Pawar had to quip at a public event to rebut the assault. He said, “I don’t monitor my wife’s movements minute to minute.” On her part, Sunetra said, “I attended the meeting to understand the thinking of those present. I spoke barely two words there. Hence, do not draw any political inferences.”
Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has been given a delicate task for the Vice-President election by being asked to play the ‘Maharashtra Card’ since the NDA’s candidate, CP Radhakrishnan or CPR, will contest as a voter from the state. He became governor of Maharashtra in July 2024 and cast his vote in the subsequent Vidhan Sabha election, hence he has filed his nomination as a voter from the state. This is a fortunate situation for the NDA since the Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray has used the Maharashtra card twice in the past, defying the NDA fiat. In 2007, the then unified Sena had supported Congress candidate for President, Pratibha Patil, arguing that she belonged to the state. In 2012, Sena chief Balasaheb Thackeray had blessed Congress candidate Pranab Mukherjee, who had visited Matoshri to seek the former’s support. Using the analogy, Fadnavis will appeal to the voters, MPs, to elect ‘the candidate from Maharashtra.’ The Uddhav Sena has 9 Lok Sabha and 2 Rajya Sabha members while the NCP led by Sharad Pawar has 8 LS and 2 RS members. Together, both command 21 votes in the V-P election, which seems to become a keen tussle. Hence, the vote bloc from Maharashtra will prove to be crucial. While Fadnavis has been told by Pawar in no uncertain terms that his party will stand by the INDIA Bloc candidate Sudarshan Reddy, the decision of Uddhav is yet to be announced. This became clear after Fadnavis urged him to back the CRP. Looks like Fadnavis will try to wrest some INDIA Bloc votes by using his political skills.
Wayanad Lok Sabha MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra takes her role as a lawmaker very seriously. Not only does she articulate problems of her constituency inside the Lok Sabha, she is also known to take up issues of her constituency with Union Ministers. It is being said when she meets Central ministers, it is not for a private tete a tete. She is always taking along a delegation of Kerala MPs. State MPs, one hears, are extremely happy that the Gandhi girl has made it possible for Opposition MPs to have dialogue with the government on state issues. She recently had a meeting with Health Minister and BJP President JP Nadda on issues of Wayanad. She was accompanied by Kerala MPs, mostly from the Congress. Sharing details of her interaction on X, Priyanka requested Nadda to expedite some health projects in Wayanad and to apprise him of the severe difficulties being faced by the local population in the absence of the Medical College in Mananthavady. “We also discussed the need for better healthcare for Wayanad’s tribal population, their specific health issues, pending NHM funds and the need for a specialised trauma centre catering to cases of animal attacks in the area. Along with this all of us also renewed the long-standing request for an AIIMS for Kerala.” On her X timeline, one finds, she has showcased how Wayanad Coffee has received a Special Mention under Category A – Agriculture in the GoI’s ODOP program — the first such recognition for any product from Kerala. This honour celebrates the dedication of Wayanad’s farmers and the unique identity of their GI-tagged Robusta Coffee, a pillar of Wayanad’s economy. Unlike her brother Rahul who is determined to push even a fake narrative of inflated vote count by the BJP to win 2024 polls, Priyanka seems focussed on governance issues.
Even as established parties struggle for superiority among the voters and ideological battle formations, a Johnny-come-lately, just trapezes from his cinema stardom to an iconic leader with solutions to every issue in Tamil Nadu. The second, mega public podium of Vijay in Madurai drew huge crowds that saw National news TV covering it live. At the venue, a 100 feet flagpole to hoist the TVK flag broke and collapsed …superstitious Tamils tut tutted. But Vijay brushed it off and kicked off his super self-projecting show with elan…and arrogance. His ramp walk’s style braved by the fan crowd in 102 degree heat could be seen as his total hold over the audience (fans), notwithstanding fainting kids and adults, first aid in ambulances and the expected melee of crowd behaviour. But what needed to address issues of omission and commission of the incumbent party, quickly turned into an arrogant slugfest. Established superstars Rajini and Kamal were baited, unconcealed. But the Tamil Nadu chief minister addressed as Uncle Stalin raised eyebrows. Is Vijay pointing out his youth or Stalin’s old age? He referred to the AIADMK as MGR’s party and challenged PM Modi and the BJP…in cinematic style with an MGR song. The late Vijayakanth was remembered as my “dear brother”. Even as huge grease drums were placed to prevent the incited crowds to come near him, Vijay cited a Lion’s exclusivity…lions come only to kill and eat the prey. Never to stand and watch. But throughout this harangue, not once did Vijay offer his electorate concrete suggestions. Throwback to Aesop’s Lion and the Mouse parable…invincibility is better underpinned by humility.
Even as Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is moving in Bihar on ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’, he is being hailed as ‘compassionate’ and dubbed ‘a leader of the poor and the needy’ after he secretly got a new pucca house built for party member Bhagirath Manjhi, a resident of Gaya in Bihar. Bhagirath Majhi is the son of Dashrath Manjhi, known as the ‘Mountain Man’ for having cut a large mountain block to build a road to his native place, Gehlaur in Gaya, all by himself. As per the Bihar government records, Dashrath had carved a path — 110 m long, 9.1 m wide and 7.7 m deep — through a ridge of hills using only a hammer and chisel. Dashrath completed the daunting task single-handedly with the sole objective of connecting his remote and inaccessible village with the Wazirganj block in Gaya district. Bhagirath Manjhi, considered influential among the local tribals and someone who has an inclination for politics, had joined the Congress in January 2025 in a jolt to the ruling JDU, which he had joined in 2023. On June 6, Rahul visited the mud hut of Bhagirath, sat with the family, shared coconut water and listened to their concerns. Rahul then asked the local leaders to ensure that a brick house was built in place of the mud hut and provided funds for the same. Over the past months, Rahul had been engaging with local icons, marginalised communities and symbolic figures besides holding ‘Save Constitution’ conclaves to regain political ground in Bihar, where assembly elections are due in October-November. Bhagirath Manjhi, who had attended the ‘Save Constitution’ meet in Bodh Gaya, may well get a Congress ticket to contest the upcoming Assembly elections from the Bodh Gaya constituency.
Mysuru’s iconic Dasara celebrations are set to soar to new heights this year with an IAF air show planned as part of the festivities. In a major boost, the Modi government approved shifting the annual air show from Bengaluru where it is normally held to Mysuru. An elated Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah thanked Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and extended a formal invitation to him to attend. In a letter addressed to Singh and shared by Siddaramaiah’s office, he said: “It would be a great honour if you could personally grace the occasion. Your august presence will be a source of immense encouragement to the citizens of Karnataka and will further strengthen the bond of respect and admiration that we hold for our Armed Forces.” Dasara 2025, Karnataka’s ‘Naada Habba‘, will be held in Mysuru from September 22 to October 2. The celebrations will feature a blend of traditional and grand events including the Gajapayana (elephant march), extended palace illumination, vibrant cultural programmes, and the majestic Vijayadashami procession, Jamboo Savari. Meanwhile even as Karnataka CM was only too happy with the Centre for being kind to him with its move on IAF air show and as well as bringing a law to block leaders with criminal antecedents from holding office (hopefully implicating DKS), his deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar, who has been probed by the ED, surprised his colleagues in the state assembly and flaunted his familiarity with RSS’s signature anthem “Namaste Sada Vatsale“. It wasn’t clear if DKS was sending a desperate message to the Gandhis or trying to reach out to the Centre.
In West Bengal the Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari has challenged chief minister Mamata Banerjee once again, stating that he is prepared to contest against her in the next Assembly election, even from Bhabanipur. Referring to the ongoing “special intensive revision of electoral rolls,” Adhikari claimed that several names would be struck off the voter’s list. BJP sources indicated that Adhikari has initiated a survey in Bhabanipur to assess the voter base, booth-level details, and party performance. There is also speculation that he may establish a separate office in the constituency. Meanwhile, TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee has shifted focus to Nandigram, Adhikari’s constituency. Over the past few weeks, he has held meetings with district-level leadership across several organisational units. Abhishek met leaders from the Barasat and Tamluk districts. According to party sources, Abhishek stated during the discussions that he would convene a separate meeting dedicated to Nandigram. Booth presidents, local leaders, and functionaries of different party wings from the constituency are expected to be part of the deliberations. Though the date of the meeting has not been finalised, the constituency is set to receive additional attention in Trinamool’s electoral preparations. In the 2021 Assembly election, Nandigram witnessed a high-profile contest between Didi and Suvendu, who won by 1,956 votes. The outcome remains under judicial review. Political sparring between the two parties has continued since then, with the TMC describing Adhikari as the “load-shedding Leader of Opposition,” while the BJP refers to Mamata as the “compartmental chief minister.”
On the penultimate day of Monsoon Session of the Parliament, PM Narendra Modi once again reloaded his battle against corruption–a theme which had won him the historic mandate for the first time in 2014. It is a battle in which people have always stood with him. Coming on the eve of Bihar elections, it surely helps set the mood for the polls. Home Minister Amit Shah moved the 130th Constitutional Amendment in the Lok Sabha that brought the PM’s office into the ambit of law along with that of CMs, State Ministers and other Ministers. By this amendment Modi was essentially reversing the 39th Constitution Amendment which Indira Gandhi had brought during the Emergency in 1975 to exclude her office from prosecution. Of course, Rahul Gandhi explained it as going back to medieval times when the king could just remove anybody at will. An entire Opposition saw a BJP design to destabilise their government. The Centre had legitimate worries. Delhi saw 3 AAP leaders reluctant to quit during their jail term — Arvind Kejriwal, Satyender Jain and Manish Sisodia. Then there has been the classic case of Senthil Balaji in TN who the DMK inducted into the cabinet while on bail. Senior Congress leader KC Venugopal attacked Shah. He said, leaders of the BJP are saying that this bill is to bring morality into politics. “Can I ask the Home Minister a question? When he was the home minister of Gujarat, he was arrested. Did he uphold morality at that time?” Quickly rebutting Venugopal, Shah said when the Congress trapped him in a completely fabricated case, he had resigned even before being arrested. “I did not hold any constitutional position and even after being released on bail, until the court fully acquitted me.”
Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin was apparently livid on learning that a section of his party leaders had begun to project the Vice-President election as a “Centre Vs DMK battle”. He was particularly shocked to find out that party’s Rajya Sabha MP Tiruchi Siva had thrown his hat in the ring by offering to be Opposition Veep candidate. This DMK leader known to often break into Mohammed Rafi songs fancied he could win some popular rating among MPs. The main concern was that DMK votes do not go to Tamil candidates offered by the NDA – CP Radhakrishnan (CPR). Siva’s soundbite was all over Tamil news channels. This at a time when Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had reached out to Stalin seeking his support for CPR. It is being said Stalin gave an earful to Siva. DMK’s hyperactivity made TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee oppose a Tamil candidate; she wondered why everyone was mollycoddling the DMK when TMC was a larger party with 28 Lok Sabha MPs than DMK’s 22. That’s why the Opposition opted for pro-left Justice Surendra Reddy. A pro Left judge, his appeal could be among those ideologically backing him, not culturally. The YSRCP which is outside the NDA has already extended support to CPR. More Opposition votes are likely to cross over or abstain. As for Stalin, he is still struggling to cope with the charge about how his father Karunanidhi had not helped a Tamil president Dr APJ Abdul Kalam get a second term as Sonia Gandhi was opposed to it. In all probability Stalin who enjoys a good equation with CPR may not repeat his father’s mistake. Meanwhile CPR who is in Delhi is not staying in Maharashtra Sadan though he continues to be Maharashtra Governor. He is staying at the residence of Union Minister Prahlad Joshi, his campaign manager for the elections.
The India-Pakistan clash at the Asia Cup T20 tournament scheduled in Dubai, come September 14, was inadvertently called off on August 11 itself when the Indian Parliament cleared two new laws to henceforth govern domestic, international sporting encounters. The National Sports Governance Bill and the National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bills became the national authoritative laws governing sports emanating out of India, established a clear legal framework for sports bodies, introduced stricter accountability and dedicated mechanisms for dispute resolution. The Anti-Doping Amendment Bill aligns India’s anti-doping agency with global standards. The National Sports Board has authority to recognize/derecognize National Sports Federations, can suspend bodies while enjoying the powers of a civic court of law with its decision being final only allowing for appeal before the Supreme Court of India. While the ostensible reason for the NSB is to clear the currently pending backlog of 350 court cases, sources indicate that the cancellation of the India-Pakistan Asia Cup tie is already a foregone conclusion. Already public opinion has consolidated against India playing the fixture against Pakistan in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack following which India has not only cut off the rogue nation’s water supply under the Indus Waters treaty of 1960 but also cut off all further ties with Pakistan. Even the BCCI, mostly independent of government funding, has been brought under provisions of the RTI. The bill was amended so that RTI would only apply only if the private cricket trust accepts government funding to allay fears of unwanted government controls. However, the BCCI has consistently accepted waivers of tax levies and fees payable for conducting the multibillion-dollar IPL, other cricket tournaments for years now.
On paper this film had everything: a near Rs 400 crore production, two of India’s biggest stars — Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR — backed by Kiara Advani, Anil Kapoor and Ashutosh Rana, and the marketing muscle of a major studio. It should have been a global blockbuster. Instead it collapsed under its own weight, and the fault lies squarely with the writers. The story is credited to Aditya Chopra, a name associated with some of Hindi cinema’s biggest commercial properties. The screenplay and execution were entrusted to Sridhar Raghavan (whose earlier work on big projects raised expectations) and dialogue by Abbas Tyrewala, a writer capable of sharp lines. Together they should have turned this star-studded canvas into a taut, emotional spectacle. Instead, overconfidence and sloppy plotting have produced a film that looks spectacular but feels hollow. Technically, the film often delivers: lavish set pieces, slick VFX and ambitious action set-pieces that scream big-budget cinema. But those production values only highlight the script’s failures. Characters are one-dimensional; motivations are perfunctory; scenes exist to justify action rather than to emerge from character. Even sequences that should thrill — aerial dogfights, tense confrontations — veer into the absurd and invite laughter instead of awe. This is not a failure of stars or resources but of storytelling. Aditya Chopra’s confidence in scale seems to have tipped into complacency: the belief that marquee names and massive budgets can substitute for a coherent story. What should have been a Rs 1,000 crore-level tentpole looks unlikely even to cross Rs 250 crore. This movie is a reminder: scale magnifies both strengths and weaknesses. No amount of star wattage, stunts or VFX can compensate for an unmoored script.
It is not only Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray’s criticism of India playing Pakistan in September that will be ringing in Indian ears. Whatever the BCCI’s justification for fielding Team India in the Asia Cup T20 tournament in the UAE next month, it is certain to prove unpopular. This will certainly be displayed most on social media where people have already noted that it is BCCI’s greed that is driving this move to resume sporting ties with Pakistan. Coming as they do so soon after hostilities on the border have barely ceased and the success of Operation Sindoor is being spoken of in Parliament and outside, India-Pakistan matches may not have the same resonance as before. And to prove how greedy they are about putting up this spectacle, the organisers of the Asia Cup have shown some ingenuity in trying to bring about at least two meetings between India and Pakistan in the league and Super Four stage but also a possible third match if both teams qualify for the final. UAE may be the safest place in the world at present to host these matches, but the hit on the national sentiments of Indians and cricket lovers may be deep. “Blood and water cannot flow together,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi thundered when abrogating the old Indus Waters Treaty. Apparently, blood and cricket can now flow together. There may be some logic to BCCI trying to ensure no threat to a place for Team India in the Los Angeles Olympics of 2028, but to think playing in the Asia Cup will help is a stretch. It will be ironic if Pakistan pulls out of the matches against India.
The chatter in the social media as to whether India should play Pakistan — after the Pahalgam terror attack — in the Asia Cup Twenty20 in Dubai in September has subsided a bit; it may gather steam though once the Indian team is announced on Tuesday (Aug 19), but the media has already gone on an overdrive to speculate the likely squad for the eight nation tournament. The Continental tournament is the first of a handful that will help the big boys in Asia to prepare for the Twenty20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka in 2026 and so India – the ICC World Twenty20 winner last year – would be keen and eager to put its team through the wringer from now on. India will play Pakistan on September 14, in between its opening campaign against UAE and Oman. The Asia Cup spins around India-Pakistan clashes with a full house assured at the Dubai International Stadium. India is the host of the Asia Cup, but it has chosen to run the competition in Dubai because of Pakistan’s presence in the competition and also that a hybrid model would not work what with India refusing to travel to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy that Rohit Sharma’s team won in Dubai six months ago. With India drawing the Test series (2-2) in England and with skipper Shubman Gill in good nick, the grapevine is rife with speculation of who all will make the cut, in particular Jasprit Bumrah, Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shreyas Iyer etc. The selection committee will look at a basket brimming with players, all talented bringing in their explosive dynamics to the 120-ball format.
After steel, aluminium and mining leadership, Odisha is now focusing big time on niche semiconductor business. It now wants to contribute to the national semiconductor ecosystem. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet has approved the U.S. chip major Intel-backed 3D glass semiconductor manufacturing unit in Odisha with an investment of Rs 1,943 cr. The plant will be set up by Hetrogenous Integration Packaging Solutions Pvt Ltd with an annual production of 5 crore units. Apart from this a silicon carbide semiconductor plant will also be set up at Bhubaneswar with an investment of Rs 2,066 cr by SiCem Pvt Ltd in collaboration with Clas-SIC Wafer Fab, UK to manufacture 9.6 million Silicon carbide chips per year which will be used in missiles, satellites, telecom towers, rockets, railway engines, solar power, fast chargers and others. Immediately, Odisha focus area will be chip assembly and training and workforce development meeting infrastructure needs. Odisha seems confident to take the leap first by chip assembly followed by chip manufacturing, backed by government incentives. Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan feels Odisha will emerge as a semiconductor hub because of “PM’s purvodaya vision of Look East Policy.” He said chip manufacturing process is part of PM’s election promise to double Odisha’s income. Sources say, though actual investment will take time to materialise, however serious assessment has already begun where Odisha stands particularly with regard to the availability of engineering talents from IITs, National Institute of Science Education & Research which compliments semiconductor start-ups. IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnav feels with these plants Odisha will be able to attract the best of brains to Odisha.
Malayalam movies abound in realism, and low budgets. But even as these movies gained recognition for down to earth plots, the reality of gender exploitation had become a scourge…female artists often faced casting couch exploitation, and other forms of sexual harassment. AMMA (Association of Malayalam Movie Artists) under superstar Mohanlal faced serious charges, chapter and verse instances that could not be swept under the carpet. The Hema Committee Report forced the entire body to resign and face fresh elections. When former Miss India Femina Beauty Queen, 51-year old Shwetha Menon threw her hat in the ring, the male oligopoly did not take it as a serious threat. But just to ensure Shwetha got besmirched by bad publicity, a scandal campaign on Shwetha made the rounds; it quoted and charged her under Section 67 A of the obscene films law …a smear campaign that would have scorched any other female artist. But not her…she got acquitted. Not only that she worked her way to win 159 votes against actor Devan who got only 132 votes. For the first time in its 31-year old history, AMMA has a female artist as its head. Even though she tries to pun on AMMA, “Yes, a real Amma heads the Association now.” She has a plan but first she wants to get all the members on her side and work without rancour. Workplace sex exploitation is widespread. But women are now getting tough and willing to crack the whip on those whose touch is creepy.
A pigeon, or a white dove, is a widely recognized symbol of peace. This symbolism is rooted in various cultural and religious contexts, particularly in the story of Noah’s dove in the Bible. Nonetheless, the issue of feeding these birds in open public places has created unprecedented heat in Maharashtra politics for over a fortnight. The clash between the two sides has been showing alarming indications since some of those reacting on social media are seen to be using their language indiscriminately. At the core of the controversy is a fiat by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation or BMC whereby feeding of the pigeons in public places called ‘Kabutarkhana’ has been prohibited. Those flouting the ban are liable for penal action. Mumbai High Court has endorsed the BMC’s decision till further orders. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has advised both camps to exercise restraint so that an amicable solution can be found. However, even mundane issues are seen to be painted with linguistic and community shades. Pigeons have been an integral part of Mumbai life and countless references to their existence in the metropolis are found in historical records. However, there are valid concerns since many medical experts have opined that the habitation of the pigeons causes serious health problems, occasionally fatal. The pro-feeding proponents argue that the findings are open to challenge. All said and done, passions have inflamed on both sides, some bird lovers feeding them in defiance of the ban and accepting to pay the fine.
After years of CIA and FBI stranglehold on the global cinema audience, an Israeli spy story series Fauda in 2015 became the benchmark for spine-chilling storytelling, pitting bitter enemies in death strangleholds. Fauda and later Teheran much-watched and lauded spawned a long line of spy thrillers, some even playing out the most recent and may be still unfolding events of Ranneeti: Balakot & Beyond. Fauda was cloned as Tanaav for India. But why clone, when we have our own braveheart stories? Our creative teams scaled new heights in espionage thrillers with Sare Jahan Se Accha, The Family Man, Special Ops (two seasons of pure thrills, spills and chills in which Kay Kay Menon plays the antagonist-protagonist), Sarzameen, Rannneeti: Balakot & Beyond and currently Salakaar, a hit show guaranteed to nail bite to stumps. Naveen Kasthuria, an unmistakable Ajit Doval with Mouni Roy, the alluring honey trap Mariam aka Shrishti, give a new meaning to heroism. Are these new genres building new age heroes? The valiant and versatile intel agents who risk their lives as much as the military combatant, gathering invaluable humint? We predict OTT will be the future launch pad for real life (but unseen) heroes …the reel life ones have had their day. No one denies that these thrillers carry significant hype…intel failures have changed the course of border protection. But it is clearly an era of Sare Jehan Se Acha.
Odisha’s KIIT-KISS University promoter Achyuta Samanta is on an image building exercise. It may be recalled that for last one year Samanta, founder of the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) University and ex-Biju Janata Dal MP, has been mired in controversy over alleged suicide of a Nepalese girl student in his campus and forcible eviction of 1,000 Nepali students from KIIT campus. This move caused a diplomatic embarrassment as India and Nepal enjoy a good relationship. Recently, he invited Hon’ble Justice N Santosh Hegde, Former Judge of the Supreme Court and Former Lokayukta of Karnataka, to KIIT & KISS as chief guest to talk on “Fall in social values and its consequences”. While talking on the subject Justice Hegde heaped praises on Samanta’s contribution to KISS/KIIT institutions. He lauded the generous dedication and remarkable contributions of Dr Samanta, towards humanity and the upliftment of society. Justice Hegde said in his lifetime he has visited 1,861 institutions, yet had never seen anything like KIIT. He praised the exceptional educational infrastructure, cleanliness, and discipline maintained across the campuses. He also noted that KISS Deemed to be University—the higher education wing of the Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences—is the only university in the world exclusively for indigenous scholars. Justice Hegde compared Samanta with Atlas – the Greek mythology figure who carries the entire load on him, saying Samanta’s institution is second to none. This open praise from an impeccable Justice Hegde has indeed bolstered the tarnished image of Samanta but it has also set tongues wagging.
‘Sholay’ has become a legend and keeps on attracting film lovers even after half a century. Many stories, real and apocryphal, associated with it abound. It has been widely reported how some of the actors in ‘Sholay’ were paid small sums for their performances and how they accepted the amounts without any murmur. One of them is veteran Marathi actor Sachin Pilgaonkar, who also has recently celebrated his film career spanning 50 years. Sachin’s role of Ahmed in ‘Sholay’ was very brief but quite powerful. The grandson of a wheelchair-bound septuagenarian, played by AK Hangal, the then teenager Sachin is remembered even today for the effective depiction. Equally interesting is the fact that Sachin was gifted with a refrigerator instead of monetary remuneration. He did not grumble since it was a common practice in those days to compensate in kind. Sachin has since appeared in numerous films and is an icon for the Marathi stage and cinema. His wife Supriya is a household name due to her varied film roles while their daughter Shriya, too, has made her debut on the screen and is well accepted. Recalling the history, Sachin has said in a social media post, “Sholay is an emotion. A celebration. I’ll always be grateful to Ramesh Sippy Ji who I considered one of my Gurus for making me a part of this magnum opus and for giving me the opportunity to learn so much even behind the scenes.”
At a time when a section of the Opposition leaders such as Kapil Sibal, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Manoj Jha and Jairam Ramesh were all keen that former Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar should take on the Modi government for forcing him out of office and were hoping that he would possibly be propped up as a candidate for the September 9 Veep election. On his part, Dhankhar has played wisely and remained out of reach for the Opposition leaders. A seemingly worried Kapil Sibal posted on X seeking the whereabouts of Dhankhar and made it clear that only Home Minister Amit Shah should know; Dhankhar himself did not fall for the Opposition bait. He has played by his ear and instincts. According to well-informed Jaipur journos, the political buzz is that PM Modi and Dhankhar have already reached a deal. They probably had a meeting. Though the contours of the Modi-Dhankhar agreement are not clear, the government has been making arrangements to please the Jat leader from Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan. The Rajya Sabha secretariat last week appointed Kaustubh Sudhakar Bhalekar, who had been Dhankhar’s senior PS, as the private secretary to the former VP. Sources said there are about 20 people who Dhankhar had brought in along with him in the secretariat. There are issues about regularising their services. With nominations closing for Vice-President next week, it remains to be who will be the Opposition candidate for V-P contest.
In a surprise pick the BJP-led NDA announced Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan as its candidate for the Vice-Presidential election to be held next month. He would be the second leader from Tamil Nadu after President R Venkataraman to preside over the Rajya Sabha as its chairman. His elevation would be significant as it would come on the eve of Tamil Nadu assembly elections next year. Radhakrishnan belongs to the dominant Gounder community just as AIADMK chief Edapadi K Palaniswami and former TN BJP chief K Annamalai. The candidate choice could pose a problem for the DMK which has 29 Lok Sabha MPs and 10 Rajya Sabha MPs. It surely can’t be seen voting against a Tamil candidate and may have to back the NDA choice. He is known to enjoy good equation with the DMK. In 1999, he got the DMK to join Vajpayee-led NDA government.. It may be recalled that Jharkhand Mukti Morcha had voted for President Droupadi Murmu in 2022 because she was the first tribal candidate for presidency even though she was NDA’s choice. Radhakrishan’s announcement was made at the end of the BJP parliamentary board meeting, which was attended by top party leaders, including PM Modi and Union Minister Amit Shah. Radhakrishnan’s choice for the high office is interesting as it comes a year after he was sworn in as Maharashtra Governor on July 31, 2024. Before serving as Maharashtra Governor, he served as the Governor of Jharkhand for nearly one and a half years. Born on October 20, 1957, in Tiruppur in TN, the Maharashtra Governor has been a member of the RSS and served as the State Executive Committee Member of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh in 1974.
The BJP has zeroed in on the rightly suitable candidate to serve India’s next Vice Presidentship, scheduled meeting of NDA allies for consensus come Monday. Erstwhile V-P Jagdeep Dhankhar’s bitter experience ensures Modi won’t repeat same mistake, leading to selection of a hardcore BJP loyalist this time round, just like President Draupadi Murmu’s candidature for the Indian Presidency was finalized. Gujarat governor Acharya Devvrat was called to New Delhi on August 16 highlighting his name as the most likely choice of PM Modi. However, Lt Governors of Delhi – Vinai Kumar Saxena – Jammu & Kashmir – Manoj Sinha – also find serious consideration, according to BJP sources. Devvrat held governorship since 2019 in his current post, also served as Arya Samaj Pracharak and principal of Gurukul in Haryana till 2015, before his first appointment as governor of Himachal Pradesh, de facto Chancellor of Universities in the state and then in 2019, in Gujarat as well. Saxena was appointed Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor in 2022 becoming the first corporate sector honcho appointed to the gubernatorial post. His three decades of corporate experience include chair of Khadi & Village Industries Commission between 2015 and 2022. Lt Governor of Jammu & Kashmir, Manoj Sinha, is in zone of consideration for elevation considering his able tenure in erstwhile terror infested state unbundled into Union territories alongside repeal of article 370 from the forehead state of India. While the next V-P being a hardcore BJP loyalist is near certainty, PM Modi is known to keep his cards close to his chest.
PM Narendra Modi, RSS Pracharak himself, commemorated the organization’s centenary year during his Independence Day speech from Red Fort even as 80-year-old former RSS Pracharak Prakash Pathak returned the freedom fighter certificate issued in June 2025 in disgust over rampant corruption in Maharashtra. The certificate signed by CM Devendra Fadnavis was given to him for 18 months imprisonment during the “Emergency”. Pathak had eschewed celibacy, become householder, participated in public life as elected municipal councillor in Latur municipal council and then corporation. When BJP assumed power in 2014, Fadnavis installed as CM, he thought justice would be done with the corrupt booked for pillaging Latur’s public funds. Associated with ABVP, he repeatedly cited Latur’s goings to Fadnavis through 50 communications and last year brought to notice non-recovery of Rs 350 crore from errant contractors, civic officials. Says he, “Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s office forwarded my communication seeking SIT to probe gross irregularities to Maharashtra CM who ignores repeatedly reiterated state government auditors’ reports.” Last year Pathak threatened self-immolation just like a ABVP woman student did in Orissa just recently. Says Pathak, “I returned the certificate issued to me in June 2025 bearing the signature of CM Fadnavis. I am not broken by the failure of the executive and legislature as the Aurangabad bench of Bombay High Court on August 1 admitted my PIL proving that one pillar of democracy is still alive and kicking.” Justices Manish Pitale and YG Khobragade of HC’s Aurangabad bench directed Pathak to deposit Rs 5 lakh by September 2, 2025, to register the PIL.
The National Sports Governance Bill (NSGB) 2025 has not yet set the cat among the pigeons, but it will, once the supreme National Sports Board (NSB) is put in place by the Central government. Seasoned sports administrators fear that the NSB can play hell with the majority of the national sports federations and individuals. Former Olympian and seasoned administrator (Athletics) Adille Sumariwalla though feels that the age (up to 75) and tenure (three terms of four years each for the top three office bearers (president, secretary and treasurer) with a four-year cooling off after 12 years is a step in the right direction as this will help Indians get elected to World bodies and campaign for international events. Time will tell how the NSB functions, but cricket (BCCI) and its members — governed by the Supreme Court-endorsed Constitution as recommended by Justice Lodha — will need clarity on the amendments its AGM can consider. The BCCI and its members’ Apex Council is set at nine, with two nominees from the ICA and one from the CGI. The NSGB has capped a national federation’s Executive Committee to 15 — with a minimum of four women representatives, and this is where the first of teething problems can start because of the structure of the BCCI, its member units and how its Apex Council is elected. Newbie cricket administrators also point to the eligibility criteria to contest for the top three posts at the national and member units. The present bye-laws allow for a first-generation administrator to contest for the office bearers post, the NSGB appears to block it. A lot of clarity is needed for the BCCI and its member units and other federations, too.
It is now clear why Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was more keen on street protests than keeping his appointment with the Election Commission of India on August 11 to discuss Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls in Bihar. In its communication to the Congress leader, the EC had said it cannot host more than 30 people. The Congress was asked to send a list of Opposition leaders who would like to interact with the EC. Jairam Ramesh had even confirmed the appointment and EC officials were waiting for details to make arrangements to receive them. However, now one hears Rahul suddenly changed his mind and decided that the Opposition must go en masse, demonstrate its street power rather than go for a sombre interaction with the EC. Rahul’s street move took both the Opposition leaders and EC by surprise. It is learnt that the Congress found it difficult to pick 30 Opposition leaders as there were too many factions in every party. For instance, when the Congress began drawing up the list, each party claimed that they wanted to send in at least 12 leaders as part of a team to meet the EC. For instance factionalism was quite apparent in DMK which has 22 Lok Sabha MPs; half its members owed allegiance to Thoothukudi MP Kanimozhi and the other half to TN Deputy CM Udhyanidhi Stalin. It was then that Rahul dropped plans of meeting the EC officials. He was only too happy to hit the streets as it created a media buzz. Also, a dinner hosted by Mallikarjun Kharge in a 5-star hotel saw 300 MPs turn up. His conversation veered around to how the Modi government was now over ! Only the SC verdict banning street dogs in Delhi-NCR clouded the Opposition celebrations!
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has announced a three-member panel to investigate the allegations of corruption against Allahabad High Court Judge Justice Yashwant Verma. The panel includes Supreme Court judge Justice Arvind Kumar, Madras High Court Chief Justice Maninder Mohan Srivastava, and Karnataka High Court senior advocate BV Acharya. Inclusion of Acharya is of particular interest; he was the public prosecutor in Tamil Nadu CM late Jayalalithaa’s corruption case and is credited with taking the case to its logical conclusion. The panel will submit a report on the allegations against Justice Verma soon. Justice Verma has been at the heart of the storm after unaccounted cash was found at his home. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla informed the House that he had received a motion for the impeachment of Justice Verma by BJP MP Ravishankar Prasad as well as leaders of the Opposition and leaders of the alliance of the ruling party on July 21. Former Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankar had resigned after he made an abortive attempt to take up a Opposition-sponsored motion in the Rajya Sabha to impeach Justice Verma.
PM Narendra Modi always converts adversity into opportunity! Come December, he will take a shot at converting tariff penalties @50% into penalty corners instead – He along with three countries Brazil and Argentina, all slapped with high tariffs by Trump, will kick off an Indian Football League. Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Virat Kohli will lead teams at Wankhede for this Indian Premier League (IPL). Playing in the league will be the international stars including Lionel Messi, Neymar – representing Argentina, Brazil respectively and, even Europe. The tariff strikes by the U.S. president upon the three nations has birthed this new found sporting spirit between PM Modi, Presidents Javier Milei and Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, for trade deals alongside sharp passes of football scaled up to IPL standards based out of India. Cricket boasts a limited number of 20 odd playing nations, the IPL football league will enjoy options from over 155 football playing nations. Modi’s plan to land penalty kicks upon Trump also offers the Latin American nations included in Trump’s foul tariff hit list, massive infrastructure/ stadiums for the football premier league while retaining their national pride. Unlike their football clubs/players being poached by oil rich Middle East nations, the IPL deal offers lucrative contracts for football stars maintaining their status with millions in contracts, merchandise, telecast rights and more to be made, say sources. Modi will thus provide gainful tournaments on scale for Indian footballers also who would benefit from international exposure in the sport in their own backyards to throw up international Indian stars just like IPL cricket has done. Good money for youth with huge filip to their countries’ economies to boot. Goooooaaaaaaaalllllll!
There will be no early call on Jasprit Bumrah’s place in Team India in Tests. While the BCCI bigwigs may have been unhappy over his selective approach to playing Tests in the England series, they are loath to take a big decision on individual fast bowler’s workload management. Team India believes intensely in its premier fast bowler even if social media is agog with caustic views of Bumrah’s ‘maybe, maybe not’ approach. A less than 100% match-fit Bumrah was not much use in the third of the Tests that he played, in Manchester. But that was on a belter of a batting pitch when Bumrah was not certain of his match fitness to bowl about 50 overs in five days. Team India will be allowed to decide on the fast bowler’s presence in the two-Test series against the West Indies. But since his workload in home Tests may be far less against such a lowly opponent as the team from the Caribbean, the BCCI will be happy to allow the team to take the call. There will be no central decision on fast bowlers playing or opting out of matches. What Bumrah’s presence in the team can do is too well-known. His 219 Test wickets at 19.82 at an average just under 20 runs per wicket makes him only the only bowler along with Scott Boland -who has 62 wickets at 16.53 from 14 Tests – with a sub-20 economy rate among contemporary bowlers. Sources close to Gautam Gambhir reveal that the chief coach will pick Bumrah for Tests in consultation with the chairman of selectors at an appropriate time in the coming home season.
Looks like there is going to be a high-profile electoral contest within the “elite” Constitution Club of India, as two senior BJP leaders and former Union ministers, Rajiv Pratap Rudy and Sanjeev Kumar Balyan are facing each other for the post of Secretary. The club which has about 1200 members mainly consisting of MPs and existing ex-MPs is sharply divided on how Rudy has made the club so unaffordable for ordinary MPs. A section of the BJP is backing Jat leader and former Muzaffarnagar MP Sanjeev Balyan as Rudy has revamped the club beyond anyone’s affordability. The general buzz is that it has been made so exclusive that only “the corrupt and commission agents can afford the place”. “We have to replace Rudy and reclaim the Club that was founded in 1947 by President Dr S Radhakrishnan. If MPs cannot afford to step in, why should those who run it be there?”, asked Dr Sonkar Shastri, BJP Dalit leader. He pointed out that the rates charged in the restaurant were simply unaffordable for any retired MP. “On a monthly pension of Rs 31,000, I cannot possibly have a meal of Rs 900. When a meal in the Parliament canteen is Rs 70 or Rs 50 at our BJP office”. Dr Shastri is mobilising support of OBC and Dalit MPs in support of Balyan. So is Godda MP Nishikant Dubey. With voting set on August12, the wager is Rudy is likely to find going tough. A seasoned parliamentarian and trained commercial pilot, Rudy has previously been elected unopposed. On the other hand, Balyan’s connection with western Uttar Pradesh and Haryana leaders seems to be working in his favour. Some MPs are also helping him garner votes from southern states.
On August 8, 2025, Bollywood witnessed a disheartening chapter for two of its veteran filmmakers, Suneel Darshan and Rajiv Rai, whose latest releases, Andaaz 2 and Zora respectively, met with resounding rejection at the box office. These senior filmmakers, once titans of the Hindi film industry, are struggling to resonate with today’s audience, their latest works exposing a stark disconnect rooted in their adherence to outdated storytelling and production styles. Suneel Darshan, celebrated for launching stars like Priyanka Chopra and delivering hits like Jaanwar (1999) and Andaz (2001), returned with Andaaz 2, a sequel banking on nostalgia. Similarly, Rajiv Rai, known for stylish, music-driven blockbusters like Vishwatma (1992) and Gupt (1997), presented Zora, a murder mystery. Both films crumbled because of poor execution, weak screenplays and ineffective marketing. Andaaz 2 featured music by Nadeem of Nadeem-Shravan fame and lyrics by Sameer, the names synonymous with 90s chartbusters, but the soundtrack failed to evoke the same magic, sounding dated and uninspired. Zora’ suffered from a weak narrative and forgettable music, failing to capture the intrigue expected of a thriller. Both films were dismissed by audiences underscoring a critical truth: nostalgia alone cannot sustain success in today’s dynamic cinematic landscape. Interviews with Suneel Darshan and Rajiv Rai reveal a bitterness toward past collaborators, particularly actors who no longer align with their projects. This resentment, coupled with their reliance on 90s filmmaking tropes —melodramatic narratives, formulaic music, and predictable plots —highlights their struggle to adapt. The failure of Andaaz 2 and Zora mirrors the struggles of other veterans like Subhash Ghai and Ram Gopal Varma. Filmmakers, regardless of past laurels, must shed outdated baggage and embrace modern techniques.
They are different. And, the play the long-haul game. They do it without much ado. For all that, they have chosen to remain a family owned. Well, Johnson Lifts Pvt Ltd is today an over Rs3000 crore company, commanding a market share in excess of 20% in the Indian organised elevator space. Moving people up and down safely day in day out is their primary focus. To be sure, that’s a 24X7 exercise for them. Selling — nay installing a lift– is one thing. But servicing them till it’s life time — that could be anywhere between 15 and 20 — years is quite an onerous task. That’s where Johnson Lifts has earned the name and reputation for. Not surprisingly, Johnson Lifts finds itself in places like the New Parliament building and the Ram Mandir Ayodhya. Today, Johnson Lifts in an important constituent of the modern infrastructure growth in India. In the emerging geo political dynamics make in India assumes greater focus. And, Johnson Lifts has already achieved a localisation over 90%. A debt free and a family owned enterprise with well spread production network and robust R&D spend is now pining to become an India multinational enterprise. With a headcount over 9000 people, the Chennai based Johnson Lifts has quietly gone on a mission mode.
For the Odisha government, the top priority is to ensure uninterrupted supply of bauxite, the feedstock for Vedanta’s aluminium refinery plant. It does not want a situation that aluminium giant led by Anil Agarwal closes shop in Odisha for want of raw material. This explains why environmentalist activist Medha Patkar and her team were barred for the second time from entering the six gram panchayat at Odisha’s Rayagada district Sijimalli hills, about 350 km from Bhubaneswar, a few days ago. Also, the organisers of Niyamgiri Suraksha Samiti and Maa Mati Mali Suraksha Manch have also been barred from entering the area during this period. The rumour is, Odisha’s tribal chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi couldn’t care less about tribal agitation. Sources say, it’s a done deal having BJD legacy earlier which had issued a 50-year bauxite mining lease in favour of Vedanta at Sijimalli hills covering an area of 1,549 hectares, BJP is now doing carry forward job. This explains why the Majhi government is now getting ready to hand over Vedanta the Sijimalli hills which have approximately 311 million tonnes of bauxite. The handover would displace about 100 families covering 18 villages spread over two districts Rayagada and Kalahandi. For now, Majhi government’s focus is clear– it wants smooth sailing of mandatory environment and forest clearances through public hearings and not encourage any kind of protest or lobbying which will derail Vedanta’s bauxite mining project in Odisha.
Amid Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s recent call for a “Language Andolan” after alleged assaults on Bengali-speaking migrants outside the state — and her accusation that the BJP is targeting Bengalis through citizenship and voter list revisions — West Bengal’s film fraternity has revived its long-standing demand for primetime slots for Bengali films in all theatres. Leading actor-producers Rituparna Sengupta and Dev, filmmakers Kaushik Ganguly and Srijit Mukherji, SVF heads Shrikant Mohta and Mahendra Soni, among others, wrote to Banerjee alleging that distributors and exhibitors push single-screen theatres and multiplexes to give primetime to Bollywood films sidelining Bengali releases. They noted that such bias is absent in southern states or Punjab, where local films dominate prime slots. The state government has responded with a directive: all cinema halls and multiplexes in West Bengal, except GTA areas, must screen at least one Bengali film in primetime (12 noon–9 pm) for 120 days a year. Filmmaker Aniket Chattopadhyay called it timely, but Eastern India Motion Pictures Association chairman Ratan Saha warned that some theatres could face losses where Bengali viewership is low. The move coincides with Tollywood’s united front ahead of the August 14 release of Dhumketu starring Dev and Subhashree Ganguly. The industry claims distributors of Hrithik Roshan–Kiara Advani’s War 2 have pressured halls to allot all four shows to the Bollywood release during the lucrative Independence Day weekend. This sparked outrage from the Bengali film industry which petitioned Banerjee for fair screen sharing. Clearly, the fight is about survival of Bengali cinema for the next decade. With Dhumketu and War 2 set to collide, Tollywood vows this battle will redefine Bengal’s box-office rules.
While the Maharashtra government aspires to be a $1 trillion economy by 2030, the ground reality reflects a different scenario. Anandacha Shidha, a ration kit at Rs 100 for its 265.2 lakh ration card holders in state, costing exchequer Rs 350-400 crore per annum, has been discontinued this Ganesh festival citing lack of resources. Food, civil supplies and consumer protection minister Chhagan Bhujbal attributed the cut to the strain caused by the Rs 45,000 crore Ladki Bahin Yojana. A minor diversion of Rs 20-30 crore could have been handled but such a huge allocation was bound to strain other schemes, he explained. The Food & Civil supplies ministry received budgetary allocation of Rs 526 crore in the 2025-26 budget. The ministry’s other major flagship scheme, Shiv Bhojan thali, where a lunch thali is made available for Rs 10 and which costs exchequer Rs 140 crore annually, though continues for now, could be curtailed. About 3.97 crore thalis were disbursed from 1884 Shiv bhojan centers till November 2024. Social spendings have also registered a dip in recent years. Three departments — Social Justice and Special Assistance, Tribal Development & Food, and Civil Supplies — registered a 8.36% cut or Rs 4,476,93 lakh lesser than allocated spending in the 2023-24 budget. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had assured that the Rs 1,500 Ladki Bahin Yojana will not be discontinued. The BJP had promised to increase it to Rs 2100 in its election manifesto. Analysts have been warning of Maharashtra falling in a debt trap with debts crossing the Rs 10-lakh crore mark leading to a per capita debt of Rs 72,761.
Shruti Haasan is drop dead gorgeous…a classic beauty, inherited from both Kamal and Sarika. The powerful range of her voice often rock’s a stage with her talent and superb stage presence. But something has held back her climb to the top as an actor who could have given Nayanthara and Trisha a run for their money. Talent, looks and DNA of provenance, 39-year old Shruti has done over 45 films in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi from her debut in 2009. Her latest movie is Coolie with Rajinikanth. Even as Coolie’s promos are out like mushrooms in the monsoon, Shruti too has found her media voice …“acting with Rajini Sir is a blessing I have longed for. She is banking on Coolie big time. Director Lokesh Kanagaraj, who directed Kamal’s blockbuster Vikram (a film that pulled Kamal from his lean time) teamed up with Shruti for an album….Inimel (from now onwards), a pairing that was not too lauded . But it was Shruti’s stepping stone for Coolie; Lokesh asked her directly if she would join the Rajini film. Who wouldn’t like to act with the legend? Recently she basked in Kamal’s political success as she toured Parliament when he took his oath as a Rajya Sabha MP. The buzz is also strong..her performance in Coolie is one for the arc lights… Shruti Haasan …you deserve to be at that summit.
With eight scalps at ‘The Oval’ Prasidh Krishna has definitely given a boost to his fledgling Test career. The 191cm tall fast bowler was expected to play a big role in the five-Test series in England especially with uncertainties surrounding the linchpin Jasprit Bumrah. His performance in the three Tests at Leeds, Edgbaston and ‘The Oval’ was like a curate’s egg; he salvaged a lot with 4 for 62 and 4 for 126 in the cliffhanger of final Test and rubber. The important thing was that he took eight of England’s 20 wickets, with the livewire, game-changer and clincher Mohammed Siraj scalping nine! There is no denying that Krishna — who underwent quadriceps related surgery in February 2024 — held his nerves and demonstrated skill control to support Siraj; he beat and bowled Jos Tongue neck and crop to mount pressure on the home team that was forced to send Chris Woakes with his damaged left hand in sling and beneath the sweater with 16 runs separating the two teams. Krishna was hammered for 220 runs at Leeds and 111 runs at Edgbaston and was dropped for the two subsequent Tests at Lords and Old Trafford before the team chose him ahead of Anshul Kamboj once the call was made to rest Bumrah. Quickest in India’s pace pack, Krishna got rid of four batters in the first innings for 62, but was carted by Joe Root and Harry Brook to concede 126 in the second, but timely blows took his tally to eight in the match for 22 wickets in six Tests. Krishna had played out of his skin, indeed.
Those with feeble memories or who do not believe in miracles or a windfall can approach a car driver in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar in Maharashtra. Reportedly, Javed Shaikh, driver of Shiv Sena MP Sandipan Bhumre has become owner of a land parcel whose market valuation is said to be around Rs 2,000 crore. Shaikh is the beneficiary of a ‘gift’ of three acres of land in the city. The donors are the family of the famous Nawab Salar Jung of Hyderabad. But the government valuation is different. When the news hit headlines, the local Economic Offences Wing asked the state revenue department to evaluate the land plot. Even as Shaikh is dealing with a notice issued by the Income-tax department, the revenue authorities have reportedly informed EOW that the value of the land as per government’s calculations is over Rs 241 crore. Had there been a purchase agreement, the state government could have earned around Rs 17 crore by way of stamp duty and registration. However, as the land has been transferred in the name of Shaikh through a legal document called ‘Hibaanama’ (Gift Deed), no payment to the government is involved. Shaikh has asked for more time to appear before I-T authorities, whispers in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar suggest. Meanwhile Bhumre, a staunch follower of deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde, has pleaded unawareness about the whole affair.
On a day when Rahul Gandhi led a Opposition charge against the Election Commission of India’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists in Bihar, KN Rajanna, ST/Dalit minister in Karnataka was forced to resign for criticising his “vote theft” charge in Mahadevapura assembly segment. Rajanna, a close aide of chief minister Siddaramaiah was forced to quit to strengthen Rahul’s battle against SIR in Bihar. Or so it seems. However, it is not clear if making a ST/Dalit leader– he belongs to the Valmiki community — is a politically wise move ahead of Bihar polls. Rajanna had questioned Rahul’s charge that the EC “colluded” with the BJP to allow more than one lakh bogus votes in the Mahadevapura assembly constituency. Rajanna pointed out that objections were invited after draft electoral rolls were prepared under our government. “What were we doing then? Shouldn’t we have checked the draft electoral rolls”. It is being said Rahul’s “vote chori” bogey in Mahadevapura assembly segment that falls in Bangalore Central Lok Sabha seat had simply also caught CM by surprise. He didn’t expect his deputy CM DK Shivkumar (DKS) to raise the issue of “vote chori” in Mahadevapura — which mainly has a floating population of I-T employees. The CM had assumed deputy CM as Karnataka PCC chief would have known better and expected him to flag the issue of vote chori in Bangalore Rural (Lok Sabha) from where his brother DK Suresh had lost. DKS, it is learnt, deliberately picked up Mahadevpura seat to earn brownie points with the Gandhis and help him become CM by year-end. It must be said CM Siddaramaiah was seen warmly receiving PM Modi at the Bengaluru airport over the weekend.
Colourful analogies were the highlight of the general council meeting of PMK, the party of the Vanniyars. The ongoing fight for control of the party between father and son Dr Ramadoss and Anbumani proved so exasperating that not even a high court judge could bring about a reconciliation. The meeting in Mahabalipuram went ahead to elect Anbumani as president for three years and Vadivel Ravanan and Thilagabama as general secretary and treasurer for another year. “In temples, sometimes the deity gets angry, and we perform rituals to please them. Here, the problem is not with the deity, but with the priests,” Anbumani said while referring to intermediaries who were preventing a patch up in the party’s first family. The dispute arose principally over the choice of alliance, with the son preferring the BJP-led NDA in the LS polls of 2024 while Dr Ramadoss wanted to go with AIADMK. Since AIADMK will lead the BJP and others in the AIADMK+ coalition into the assembly polls, there should be no reason for father and son to fight now. Of course, the choice rests with the PMK on whether to align with Vijay’s TVK, the new player on the block. The issue might boil down to money as the fund flow for the polls will be in the hands of Anbumani if he is accepted as the president of the party and not with Dr Ramadoss who was the founder and chief patron of the party. Anbumani still respects his dad and is hoping he will come around to be united again but it is something that the “deity” will have to decide. Meanwhile, the DMK is happy to see confusion reign in any party that opposes it.
Call it election fervour or a pilgrim’s progress, PM Narendra Modi has single-handedly opened up the Temple Parikrama to India’s devotion driven pilgrims. It’s a debatable point to talk about our country being more aware of the Himalayan Shrines and Kasi sacred spots, even the Buddhist temple trails. Has the same importance not been given to the Southern edifices of stunning and amazing temple architecture, the sagacity of the Royal lineage of Cholas and other kings who designed and built temples as the focal point of all cultural, artistic and socioeconomic aspects of life? Every visit of the PM has now showcased these divine wonders. The media has carried the visuals not just pan India but globally. This focus has indirectly enhanced tourism. After multiple visits, Modi is expected to visit Tamil Nadu again on August 28-29 to go to Thiruvannamalai and the majestic Arunachaleswarar Temple. This holy site holds great importance for the Ashram of Saint Ramana Maharshi. Modi is expected to host his Mann Ki Baat from the Chidambaram Temple (the astonishing rock sculptures here portray the 108 Karanas of Bharata Natyam. The Navagraha (nine planets) circuit is perhaps the most inspiring and informative …from Suryanar Koil to Saturn’s abode at Thirunallar (the only Navagriha place which is on the outskirts of TN). There are numerous myths and scientific lores…for example, the Sun’s rays resplendently light up the inner sanctum of Suryanar Koil on Makar Sankranti day …like the SUN temple at Konarak. The mythology and significance of the pantheons is not explained to the tourists. The Vatican has developed audio wearables for every sanctum for guiding the tourist. Maybe our PM can intervene and make it a truly spiritual and fulfilling visit to the Navagraha circuit.
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Looking back at the 1460 days, I must say Short Post has made its mark with people who matter via 4000 stories published in the areas of politics, business, entertainment and sports. All made possible by the unflinching commitment and dedication of our senior editors, most of whom have been part of this journey from Day One.
Small pack, big impact is in essence the story of Short Post which was launched at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021. It shows our conviction. In all humility, I can say, we have created a new niche in the news segment space like Hindustan Unilever which created a new segment, when it launched CloseUp Gel.
Yes, we have created a brand (in a limited sense), created demand (readers) and created supply (senior journalists). But we are facing teething problems like all start-ups. What makes us happy and confident is the recognition of our efforts. For instance, we have an arrangement with the OPEN Magazine, part of the $4.5 billion Kolkata-based Sanjiv Goenka-RPG Group. This arrangement sees around 10 Short Post stories posted on OPEN Magazine website every week. This arrangement is testimony that our content has been well received! Also, I may add that the Maharashtra government has recognised Short Post and has allowed our senior editor to cover the Assembly sessions. Ditto: Odisha.
Our goal is to ensure that Short Post becomes a habit. I would like people to keep checking their smartphones to know the latest Authentic Gossip. As regards AI and the fear of it disrupting all businesses including media. On that, personally, I have no such fear as I am confident AI cannot smell news particularly Authentic Gossip. That’s the place we are well entrenched.