The intitial turn out for India’s opening ICC Champions Trophy match at the Dubai International Stadium (DIS) was a far cry from the spectators who showed up for India’s home series matches against England  recently. It was full house in Nagpur and Cuttack, and around 60000 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad for the third ODI. The men in blue are a big draw anywhere in the world but on Friday — which is not a holiday here — there were not many takers, most of them having saved Dirhams for the India-Pakistan group match on Sunday, which is a weekend holiday. The DIS can hold between 25000 and 30000 people and by the time Mohammed Shami and Harshit Rana struck blows in the first 10 balls of the match — after Bangladesh chose to bat  winning the toss — one could  see empty seats  at the Stadium. The venue which has a canopy like roof and gives a ring of fire like visual as  dusk settles in, has become a popular venue in the UAE — the other two being the Sharjah Cricket Stadium and the Shaikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Tickets are priced as low as 250 AED and it goes up to a high of 12500 AED for the Grand Lounge at the DIS. The ticketing arrangements have been done by the host Pakistan Cricket Board  and Emirates Cricket Board and much of the gate receipts should be going to Pakistan’s kitty. Wickets were falling in a heap in the first hour of the match as India gained the upperhand and the only disappointing aspect was skipper Rohit Sharma spilling a catch at slip to deny left arm spinner Axar Patel, a hat-trick.

In a week’s time, that’s next Sunday on February 23, the world of cricket would swing to the passions reflected across India and Pakistan in the ICC Champions Trophy. The clash between the arch rivals in cricket will be a sell out with every seat at the Dubai International Stadium, where the expatriates will shell out thousands of Dirhams and create an electrifying atmosphere. Seventeen months ago, a near full house at the Narendra Modi Stadium rooted for the Rohit Sharma-led Indian team against Pakistan in the ICC World Cup. India which won that match was the host of the World Cup and Pakistan travelled to Ahmedabad for the marquee event. The Pakistan Cricket board (PCB) being the host of the ICC Champions Trophy, believed India would travel across the border to give the local fans — either in Lahore or Karachi — a real experience of a high-octane tension filled match, but the BCCI, not allowed by the government of India, refused to send its team to Pakistan — citing security concerns — and India’s group matches were scheduled in Dubai.  An India-Pakistan contest in any sport is an extraordinary event by itself, but one between the cricketers of the two countries is truly uplifting to the millions of fans of the country that wins the contest. Eight years ago Pakistan downed India by 180 runs in the Champions Trophy final at ‘The Oval’ in London. Pakistan holds a 3-2 edge in the Champions Trophy and 73-57 edge overall in ODIs, but it’s 2-0 for India in Dubai with Rohit Sharma totalling 317 runs in five matches with a high of an unbeaten 111 against Pakistan in the 2018 Asia Cup. 

Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district seems to be on the radar of corporate India. Two big projects, an iron ore, and a steel plant, involving huge investment is expected to transform this naxal-infested belt forever. Sajjan Jindal promoted JSW Group is setting up a 25 million tonne steel plant – world’s largest — by investing Rs 1 trillion over next seven to eight years. Helping the steel plant with regular supply of iron ore is B Prabhakaran-promoted Thriveni Sainik Mining. This company is a prominent player in the coal mining sector with a capacity to deliver 15 MTPA of coal. Coming to iron ore, Thriveni has entered into an agreement with Mukesh Gupta-promoted Lloyds Metals and Energy as Lloyds was granted a 50-year iron ore mining lease in 2007 for 348 hectares at Surajgarh Village. This area is known to have a major iron ore reserve. It may be recalled that Gupta was a high-profile businessman in the nineties running a clutch of companies from steel to real estate to pharma. Thriveni which got into play in 2021 after being appointed MDO or Mine Developer and Operator has already produced over 3 MTPA and plans to produce 25 MTPA iron ore. Sometimes back, Thriveni Group was in the news not because its promoter Prabhakaran was arrested over his role in a mining scam but, because the Union minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw before entering politics was a director in Prabhakaran-promoted iron ore company Thriveni Pellets Pvt Ltd set up in 2019. 

Nine years after the Left Democratic Front (LDF) headed by Pinarayi Vijayan blocked the then ruling UDF’s plan to allow private universities into Kerala, the LDF has had a change of heart. “The government’s latest decision is in sync with changing times,” says Higher Education Minister, R Bindu. Any agency which has experience and credibility can apply to set up a University provided it deposits Rs 25 crore as corpus money and also has the requisite land as per regulatory agency. In case the proposed Private University is a multi-campus varsity, then at least 10 acres of land is required. The government’s move is to ensure that Malayali students remain in Kerala. As per a joint study by Gulati Institute of Finance and Taxation (GIFT) and Centre for Development Studies (CDS), nearly 50.8% of Malayali students migrate to neighbouring Karnataka alone for higher studies. Though the government has indicated that the new policy has attracted many institutions/universities, it is too early to predict how things will play out due to certain stiff parameters included in the proposal.  They include 40% seat reservation for permanent residents of Kerala and that SC/ST students have to be provided scholarships and fee concessions. The LDF government has also indicated that its nominees — Higher Education Secretary and another Department Secretary should be nominated in the Private University’s governing council. And if this is not enough intervention, the state government will have a nominee as member of the University’s executive council and three nominees in the academic council. It will also comply with directions of regulatory agencies regarding appointment of Vice Chancellors and faculty members. Initial indications are that the Azim Premji University and another Gulf-based institution with the blessings of the promoter of Lulu hyper-market chain, M A Yusuff Ali, have indicated their interest.

The Union Home Ministry’s decision to grant actor-politician Vijay, the chief of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), ‘Y’ category security in Tamil Nadu has stirred the political pot. Sources said while the security was accorded after an internal security audit by the Intelligence Bureau, it has prompted a  sharp reaction from the AIADMK, which suspected that the BJP would use the security cover to get the newbie politician to its side at a time when it is planning a grand alliance with TVK and the Congress for next year’s assembly elections. It may seem the Centre’s security decision is being over analysed. But sources say the Congress is already under pressure from AIADMK to change its TN president ahead of the assembly polls as he is being viewed as too close to the DMK, post Erode assembly by-elections. Meanwhile, it is felt Vijay may accept the security cover as it will be helpful in managing the crowd during his public engagement as a politician. AIADMK functionaries however are unconvinced that the Centre’s decision was merely a security decision. Strongly backing the Centre’s decision to give Vijay ‘Y’ security cover, TN BJP chief K Annamalai pointed out that the Central government had given CRPF security to Opposition leader Edappadi K Palaniswami, regardless of whether the AIADMK was in alliance with the BJP or not. He pointed out that similarly the central government had given ‘Y’ security to Vijay. “The reason that Vijay is not able to meet the public is because of the huge crowds.” He also wanted to know why the DMK government in the state had not come forward to give Vijay this sort of security. 

The recent release of Chaava, featuring Vicky Kaushal and Rashmika Mandanna, has ignited significant discussions around the intersection of art and political scrutiny in India. While the film has garnered considerable buzz and attention at the box office, it has also faced backlash from various political groups, often dubbed as the “moral police.” This scrutiny particularly intensified around a promotional song featuring a traditional lezim dance that depicted the historical figure Sambhaji Maharaj in a manner some deemed inappropriate. Critics argued that the portrayal of the king dancing was historically inaccurate and disrespectful, prompting Maharashtra Minister Uday Samant to advocate for a review by historians to preserve the dignity of the Sambhaji Maharaj. In response to this pressure, director Laxman Utekar met with political leader Raj Thackeray and ultimately decided to remove the contentious scene. This incident reflects a growing trend where political entities feel entitled to intervene in Bollywood productions, raising concerns about the freedom of expression for artists. This pattern is not new; previous controversies, such as the uproar over the song “Besharam Rang” from Pathaan and the backlash against the song “Malhari” from Jodha Akbar which faced criticism for its use of the phrase “Vaat Laavli,” underscore the inconsistent responses from the industry and authorities. Sanjay Leela Bhansali, known for his grand historical narratives, has frequently found himself at odds with political outfits, from Jodha Akbar to Padmaavat to Gangubai Kathiawadi. This trend illustrates a troubling reality where the creative landscape is increasingly shaped by political agendas, often at the expense of artistic integrity and historical representation. As the lines between art and politics blur, it raises critical questions about the future of creative freedom in India. 

In Tamil Nadu, the Dravidian major AIADMK is going through a minor crisis of confidence with a senior member in Sengottaiyan staying away from an event that felicitated the party chief Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS). The former minister explained it away saying he was told there would be no portraits of party founder MGR and his protégé J Jayalalithaa at the venue and the party explained it away by saying the event was by a federation of farmers. The minor misunderstanding alone is not, however, what the leader and former chief minister EPS is facing. He is deprecated as the ‘dubbing voice’ of the BJP by TN chief minister MK Stalin and assailed every day by those who he had forced out of the party like TTV Dhinakaran of the Sasikala clan. While Palaniswami may be forced to accept that to go with the BJP in the Assembly elections of 2026 could be the only option given the scattered vote share of the Opposition, he is being offered an olive branch by the ousted former chief minister O Panneerselvam (OPS) who now senses an opportunity to call for unifying all forces so the party may regain the strength of old and be a force to be reckoned with in the state. OPS is now saying he is willing to patch up and return even with EPS as chief. provided fair elections are held soon with all party members allowed to vote for their chief. Meanwhile, word has come in that political advisers are saying that only a front against the ruling DMK with AIADMK, BJP and Vijay’s fledgling TVK could fancy its chances of downing the ruling party. 

Maharashtra keeps proving that there are no permanent friends or enemies in politics. So, the BJP which had launched a vociferous diatribe against Ajit Pawar’s Dhananjay Munde in Beed through its local legislator Suresh Dhas there, suddenly mediated a peace meet between them signalling de-escalations in political tensions on that front. Maharashtra reeled in a shock when Dhas admitted to dropping in to check up on Munde’s health following a surgery after spending weeks accusing his aides of extortion and murder. Uddhav too has started warming up to BJP chief minister Devendra Fadnavis prompting talks of a BJP-Sena alliance after calling each other names like Fadtus and Kadtus to each other. Fadnavis though met up with his cousin Raj Thackeray sparking talks of BJP aligning with him. Uddhav’s bete noire Eknath Shinde, on the other hand, displayed signs of warming up to Sharad Pawar. Sharad Pawar played a masterstroke by publicly felicitating Shinde, praising him and clearly dropping out Uddhav Thackeray from his books like a hot potato. Shinde these days is already having an upper hand with Operation Tiger; he intends to poach Uddhav’s three MPs. Ajit Pawar has already started attending events with the senior Pawar on the dais sparking talks of both the NCP factions warming up to each other. Amidst all these shifts and readjustments, probably to gear up for the forthcoming local body polls, the Congress is the only party which finds itself left lonely to nurse its wounds all alone. 

The silent war for supremacy claims between Rajini and Vijay’s fans has been smouldering for a few years now. Vijay has conquered that top slot in box office status which Rajini and Kamal shared. Who is the highest paid actor is the bone of contention…obviously the commercial success of Vijay’s formula padded high-octane films is hard to ignore, harder not to acknowledge it. Recently, it took an ugly turn when the X (formerly Twitter) handle of Rajini fan clubs carried an unsavoury threat to Vijay. The plan was to chuck rotten eggs at Vijay in his political meetings. The rotten eggs were to be sourced at bulk rates from Namakkal. This audio caused a major flutter and Rajini’s PR mouthpiece condemned the plan. “A genuine fan of our Thalaivar would never think of such base actions. Mutual respect for fans is what we profess. Don’t make cinema a divisive force”. Another distasteful event had preceded this one on February 7 when Ajith’s long-awaited Vidaamuyarchi hit the screens. Suddenly at the Nellai’s Ram theatre, a bunch of diehard Vijay fans and newly minted party acolytes came, waving TVK flags and matching swag to impress the crowd about their leader. A few Ajith fans caught hold of the enthusiasts and thrashed them, saying you want to watch a movie, do so without pomp and flag fare. Even when celebrity stars don’t resort to cheap publicity, the fan clubs bring a bad reputation. And when cine glitz transforms into politics, the stakes are higher. 

Aadav Arjuna, son in law of lottery king Santiago Martin, convinced poll strategist and founder of Jan Suraaj Prashant Kishor to meet actor Vijay at his Neelankarai residence. During the meeting, it is learnt, Kishor talked about forging an omnibus alliance in Tamil Nadu – Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), AIADMK and the BJP. The meeting that lasted over two hours left the media and watchers agog with curiosity and questions. TVK commands 20% of the votes in TN, a figure that Prashant is said to have spoken about to mainline media as well as podcasters. “My two-hour meeting has set 2000 kites flying with their own versions,” said Prashant. It was said that Prashant who visited Vijay as a friend has spelt out the dos and don’ts. He has set out three commandments. First suggestion, his exhortation to TVK and Vijay build up the party to reach every nook and corner. Cinema can only go so far in providing optics. The second commandment, TVK was recently started and does not have enough time to build a full-scale infrastructure in the short time before 2026 hustings. It is not possible to stand alone and hope to fight elections without the support of a strong alliance. The third one is seen as most strategic. In 2017 DMK was almost reborn after a 10-year Vanvas but it had seamlessly worked with alliances that stood the test of time. So instead of fighting a monolith coalition, try to wean away the unhappy B Listers. For now, Kishor has just thrown the bait …it was obvious that TVK and Vijay were working, planning and converting every chance into an opportunity. And now with the Centre’s Y security status accorded to Vijay, he is already in the chosen list.