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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.
The greatest fear as the findings of the probe into the Air India crash are awaited is that the manufacturer would somehow fix the blame on pilot error or human error to account for the tragedy. Selective leaks from the preliminary report carry plenty of evidence of where the probe may be headed as Boeing’s reputation, already in tatters after the crashes of the Boeing Max aircraft, is set to hit a nadir. Diversionary tactics of shifting the blame to the pilot have been spotted, including in a visit to the father of one of the pilots of the ill-fated Boeing Dreamliner by personnel attached to the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) that was way out of protocol. They were guilty of insinuating to Pushkar Raj Sabharwal that his son Captain Sumeet Sabharwal may have turned off the plane’s fuel switches. That they came pretending to offer condolences made the story even worse. The preliminary investigation report released in July had noted that both the airplane’s fuel switches moved from “run” to “cutoff” position within a second of each other moments after the take-off from Ahmedabad airport. The report also suggested there was confusion in the cockpit without clarifying whether the pilots had deliberately moved the switches. It would suit the aviation industry to blame the event on human error while also serving Boeing’s legal woes in compensation to victims which could be scaled down if this was not an accident, the first for the Dreamliner series, caused by mechanical failure. The Supreme Court had also described portions of the AAIB report as “unfortunate and irresponsible” as they allowed (misleading) media narrative to take shape besides compromising the dignity and privacy of victims’ families.
The DP Asia Cup Twenty20 tournament in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has overwhelmingly encapsulated the bad blood between the rabid followers of the game across the border and the diaspora of the India and Pakistan hue in the world. The social media – largely Indian – has been bellicose and proactive in the days leading to the eight-nation tournament in which the Suryakumar Yadav team has remained unbeaten. Many, following the Pahalgam terror attack on Indians, did not want the men in blue team to lock horns with Pakistan, but with India (read BCCI) being the host nation, a boycott against Pakistan was an improbable event to happen! The Indian team chose to respond in a different way though; it did not even bother to accept “well done” greetings from the Pakistan players or extend their hands to them in the two “blockbuster and money spinning” matches featuring the two teams in the tournament. The ICC intervened when matters went a bit out of control and three players — India captain Suryakumar Yadav and Pakistan’s Haris Rauf and Shahibzada Farhan — were censured for their comments and gestures resembling politics. India outplayed Pakistan in the Preliminary and Super4 matches which brought joy to the Indian fans and angered the Pakistan fans and hoped for a turnaround in the final which the BCCI officials chose to see on the small screen after their Annual General Meeting in Mumbai. The Asia Cup Twenty20 in the UAE has shown that ‘encounters’ between the two in sports arenas will be far from cordial in the future including the women’s in the World Cup clash in Colombo.
It has become rather hard to classify a film star politician or a politician drawing massive crowds as a star in the South. At least two deputy CMs of significant states have added value to their Star status…Udhayanidhi Stalin and Pawan Kalyan. Pawan Kalyan’s just released film, They Call Him OG, is setting all kinds of records for crowds drawn, collections at box office and the craze for the actor politician. In just two days, OG swept in Rs 200 crore globally. Trade analysts are busy with their matrix of comparison with other “hits”. We in India are quite familiar with cinema and star craze. But Germany had a shocking incident …a poster of Pawan Kalyan was bathed in milk in public and incensed the Germans, who were angry about such low-level civic sense. In a Chittoor (Andhra Pradesh) cinema, a huge garland on the hero’s poster caught fire and people ran helter-skelter. But such over the top intense hero worship is par for the course in a star struck ecosystem. If the star is a weighty politician, the frenzy and celebrity fever only intensifies. Despite record-breaking collections, critics have cautiously slammed the plot and the film. But then do critics matter? When you lead a mammoth fan club, the film just flaunts the Hero…and all is in the well at the Box Office. Keep your hold on those fans …the magic formula.
Mumbai is undergoing a massive scale up of its housing sector housing including for its 41% slum dweller population. This includes over 910 buildings undergoing redevelopment that could add up 44,277 new homes by 2030, as per real estate analyst Knight Frank report. About 809 high rises (above 40 floors) have been approved in the city that currently has about 252 skyscrapers and another 416 under construction as per a Bombay High Court appointed expert committee on high risers. Besides these, about 541 acres of land is being used for rehousing Dharavi residents including 124 acres of the Deonar dumping ground and 254 acres of salt pan land, that essentially helps prevent flooding by sponging water. A recent report found about 6021.50 acres of land in Mumbai, almost 17.71% of its total habitable land, belonging to the state and central government, being unlocked for development. This includes about 2,068.59 acres being used for rehousing slum dwellers under the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) scheme. Experts though are far from convinced about this model of development. “Mumbai’s development is entirely unplanned and piecemeal, lacking coordinated growth in roads, water supply, and sewerage systems. It is not supported by essential social infrastructure like schools, hospitals, parks, playgrounds, or even trees, and therefore does little to make the city more liveable,” notes architect and urban planner Alan Abraham. “Instead, it risks creating a saturated, overbuilt Mumbai that will ultimately be unsustainable,” he adds.
This one is quite known for hill temples. This has two hill temples – one for Lord Yoga Narasimhan and another for Lord Anjaneya. The temple for Lord Narasimhan is a part of the 108 Divya Desam temples. The temple town of Sholinghur near Arakkonam in Tamil Nadu has a plant of Brakes India, once a part of the composite TVS group. Grapevine has it that a jasmine extraction plant is being planned here. The proposed plant is reported to be blessed by this organisation. Jasmine extracts have huge export opportunities for making perfumes, medicines etc. Tamil Nadu Agri budget also has announced the setting up of such facilities. It is learnt that Brakes India plant in Sholingur has thousands of employees. They are encouraged to cultivate jasmine and other natural ingredients in their lands for supplying to the extraction plant to produce aroma diffusers, essential oils and cosmetic intermediaries for tapping the big export market in Europe. Brakes India is promoted by the TSF Group, whose heritage dates back to 1911. The 10000-plus employee company led by Sriram Viji has manufacturing plants in 21 locations and earned a revenue of $910 mn. The group’s interests span the automotive and financial services sectors. Well, this new plant has the blessings of the Lords, it appears.
Janhvi Kapoor has carved a distinctive space in Hindi cinema by consistently balancing content‑driven performances with mainstream, masala entertainers. From early hits like Dhadak to more challenging outings such as Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl, Milli and Good Luck Jerry, her choices have demonstrated a willingness to oscillate between star‑led commercial projects and single‑minded, performance‑oriented films. That versatility has kept her visible: even when her filmography lacks a long list of commercial blockbusters, endorsements, a strong social‑media presence and curated publicity have ensured she remains in the public eye. What sets Janhvi apart is her readiness to embrace markedly different screen personas. On one hand, she takes on glamorous, crowd‑pleasing roles in big‑banner potboilers that rely on charm, song-and-dance and mass appeal. On the other, she accepts taxing, festival‑friendly parts that foreground craft over gloss. Her recent internationally lauded turn in Homebound — playing a marginalized, complex character — has won critical praise and is India’s Official Oscar entry, while her work in more commercial fare continues to draw mainstream attention. This duality is not accidental: it’s a strategic blend that expands her range and broadens her audience. Her upcoming releases further underscore this balance. The Dussehra‑timed Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari positions her in an ultra‑glamorous, high‑energy entertainer aimed at wide family audiences, even as her involvement in arthouse projects keeps her relevant on the festival circuit. Few contemporary actresses manage this tightrope so consistently: to command box‑office visibility while also earning critical credibility. By alternating between mass entertainers and serious, performance‑led films, Janhvi has ensured simultaneous traction in both columns — critical appreciation and commercial promise — keeping her career lively and versatile.
After Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu now language war erupts in Odisha. The tug of war about signboard language is already heating up in Odisha just like other states. Trade bodies and shop keepers representing commercial establishments are now on the frontlines of Odia language imposition tussle. The labour and ESI department in Odisha have swung into action issuing over 1606 show cause notices to commercial establishments for not displaying their outlets name in Odia language boldly. This has been confirmed by Labour Minister Ganesh Ram Singh Khuntia’s in the Assembly this week. Out of 1606 served show cause notices, 100 owners have been issued show cause notices for repeating the violations with Jharsuguda and Khurda district taking the lead followed by Balasore in Odisha. From Odisha state’s point of view, giving importance to Odia language isn’t just about words, it’s about keeping Odisha’s identity and history alive. The government’s immediate objectives are two-fold: introducing amendments to reinforce states’ commitment to Odia language preservation, two promote pride in Odia language and culture just like other states have done to preserve their local languages. To push compliance, the state government’s Labour and ESI departments are organizing rallies to raise awareness of this issue. As an incentive for compliance, the Odisha government has offered a 5% discount on trade license renewals for shops and commercial establishments that follow the rule using Odia script.
With the authorities certifying the Mumbai Metro-3 Aqua Line safe for operations, a red-letter day will dawn soon in the metropolis as lakhs of commuters will be able to save precious time day in and day out. The average Mumbaikar is accustomed to spending at least five hours daily, commuting between home and the place of work. The journey in overcrowded suburban trains and overloaded BEST buses becomes more arduous. All that will be past as henceforth, the travel between SEEPZ in Andheri (E) and Cuffe Parade at the extreme end of south Mumbai will be less than 30 minutes, in AC comfort. The service frequency will run a train every three minutes. The Aqua route will be completely underground save one station. While its 26 stations will be below ground, the Aarey Colony station will be at grade. This means it will be at ground level and hence visible. Metro Line 3 will utilize a critical Tunnel Ventilation and Environmental Control System (TVE) to ensure passenger comfort and safety, including 24×7 cooling, fresh air supply and smoke extraction during fire emergencies. This technologically advanced system lowers tunnel temperatures, removes harmful gases and controls smoke in the world’s most modern underground rail network. The line’s commissioning had been planned much earlier but the COVID pandemic and allied developments have delayed the project.
This soft gentle hero, R Madhavan has travelled all the way from a Jamshedpur TamBrahm middle class upbringing to the giddying heights of Bollywood and Kollywood with an untarnished reputation. He also made box office history with strong story line plots of love, sentiment and family bonds, and directed a few patriotic films. His biopic Rocketry: The Nambi Effect on Nambi Narayanan, was warmly received. In a recent media interaction, Madhavan decoded his strategy for choosing between “financial stability and making Good films”. If the overriding concern is financial stability, you tend to grab every film that falls your way …but choosing good films can happen only if you are financially secure. Profound or trite? With Madhavan there is no Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde stand. This clean-cut hero has come a long way to make his home in Dubai. And that not to be missed trapping…he is the proud owner of a yacht. “There is buzz that I own a ship …nothing of the sort…it is just a Rs 16 crore 75 feet pleasure boat”. There is also talk that Maddy has dabbled in real estate and owns property in Mumbai. Sensible, down to earth middle-class values …use your money in sensible ways, not prowl for instant wealth. He does remind you of Dhoni who succeeded enough to make his name a brand with his outstanding play, quietly made his millions…balanced fame and fortune, curated. Dhoni and Maddy are like peas of the same pod …humble, practical and at the end of the day poster boys for middle class ethos, not razzmatazz power play.
“My heart has broken, I am in unbearable, inexplicable pain and grief,” actor-politician Vijay said in his first reaction after tragedy had struck hours earlier in the form of a stampede that took 41 lives at TVK’s rally. Meanwhile, a campaign had taken off in Tamil Nadu to place the blame entirely on the actor whose political movement is attracting so many people on his weekend visits to various places in the state that it has become quite a political phenomenon not seen in the cinema-crazed state for decades now. The government put out an immediate message to journalists about inexperienced organisers not following rules or instructions, how Vijay came seven hours late to the venue leading to restlessness and the actor not taking any responsibility and running away from the spot. Be that as it may, this avoidable tragedy was everyone’s fault, including that of Vijay’s unruly fans of whom much has been said in the two weeks since he began his political campaign. The administration has been placing 25 restrictions on his meetings and even if he faithfully follows all of them, there is no saying when a mad following will burst the controls and surge towards the magnetic star as they did that night in Karur when the stampede that everyone had feared took place. Police control over the crowds in his rally have been very lax too. His political foray having snowballed into a GenZ phenomenon, Vijay will have to be cautious on how he can control the crowds that he is attracting, and which is drawing political envy and fear as well.
India’s stunning win against Pakistan in the Asia Cup final and refusal of Congress leaders particularly Rahul Gandhi to acknowledge it has become an intense subject of political scrutiny. The BJP was quick to point out that it was perhaps similar to how the main Opposition party couldn’t congratulate the Indian Army for its stupendous strike during Operation Sindoor. Party’s I-T chief Amit Malviya in a post even suggested that the Congress was perhaps “waiting for permission from Pak minister Mohsin Naqvi and their other handlers in the neighbouring country” before joining the nation in celebrating the Indian cricket team’s success. Launching a scathing attack on the Congress, BJP Rajya Sabha MP Dr Sudhanshu Trivedi said “both Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Vadra should keep sports separate from politics”, as they did not give any reaction to India’s victory over Pakistan. He said that the Congress and the opposition alliance are always ready to side with Pakistan at every level be it sports or diplomacy and this is their true identity. He pointed out it was India’s 9th victory in the Asia Cup. In this tournament, India defeated Pakistan three times consecutively. The Indian team made a clean sweep by winning all the matches in this Asia Cup. For this, the Indian cricket team, its captain Surya Kumar Yadav, and all the fellow players certainly deserve congratulations. PM Modi tweeted “Operation Sindoor on the games field. Outcome is the same — India wins!. Congrats to our cricketers.”
Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who was spearheading the demand for statehood for Ladakh and had been on an indefinite fast for 15 days, has been arrested. Wangchuk’s journey from thanking PM Modi for granting Ladakh’s UT status in August 2019 to inciting violence that left four people dead as recently as September 25 symbolises the dangers of political opportunism and external manipulation. Thousands of people had come out and indulged in arson and stoning. Local BJP office was set on fire. Wangchuk called off his indefinite fast soon after the violence spread. It is worth mentioning that the Centre had scheduled October 6 for talks between the agitators and the high-powered committee. Previously, informal talks were scheduled to begin on September 26. Despite these firm assurances, the agitators resorted to arson and violence. It’s not easy to understand the logic behind it. BJP leaders allege that Congress instigated the violence because the party wanted to create a “Nepal-type” situation in India. Why does Wangchuk now raise hackles in India’s power circles? One it is his close and continuing association with foreign funded LEAD India and International Association for Ladakh Studies. His climate project ICE STUPAS faced criticism from the locals for being unsustainable. His recent calls to halt the Army’s infrastructure projects in Ladakh citing climate concerns have sparked serious unease. Besides his American wife Rebecca Norman and her connection with Ford Foundation and Soros’s Open Societies have been a matter of concern. In 2023, Wangchuk began his outdoor hunger strikes, demanding “constitutional safeguards” like inclusion in the Sixth Schedule. It is unbelievable that the engineer-innovator Wangchuk who had developed solar power tents for Indian Army and inspired actor Aamir Khan’s character Phunsukh Wangdu in the popular film Three Idiots, is being portrayed as a NGO person using foreign funds– to undermine the country.
With Bihar assembly elections around the corner, both the BJP and the Congress were seen wooing women voters. While PM Modi reached out to women in Bihar via video conference from Delhi, formally launching the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rozgar Yojana that promised to reach out to 75 lakh women across the state. Under the scheme, women would receive Rs 10,000 each through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) into their bank accounts. Modi described the initiative as a transformative step for entrepreneurship among rural women. In his address, PM Modi said the scheme was possible because of the Jan Dhan financial inclusion programme launched 11 years ago. He called the scheme part of the government’s effort to make women “Lakhpati Didis” — women earning at least Rs 1 lakh a year — under the central government’s campaign to create 3 crore such women nationwide. The launch of the Rs 10,000 scheme by PM Modi clearly upset the Congress and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. For a party that has come to power in two southern states — Telangana and Karnataka — on the basis of guarantees it was odd that Priyanka even questioned the basis of DBT pay-outs in Bihar and its timing. Speaking to groups of women, she said the promise of Rs 10,000 so close to elections was a transparent attempt to secure votes. Why didn’t BJP give you Rs 10,000 for the last 20 years. Priyanka announced a Congress poll promise of granting land ownership to women. She said every landless family in Bihar would receive 3 to 5 decimals of land, and that ownership titles would be in the names of women.
Even as torrential rains ravaged drought hit regions of Maharashtra causing much destruction, the state is stuck in limbo unable to help its farmers. With state debts crossing Rs 9.32 lakh crore, the state is struggling to deal with this natural calamity of this scale and is now looking at the Centre for aid. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis rushed to Delhi to present his case but hasn’t yet got anything concrete in hand. Till then the government has been trying to play with numbers to dissipate agrarian anger. The Rs 2215 crore aid package announced for farmers turned out to be the release of pending aid for earlier damage assessments. For the 31.64 lakh farmers in the state, this would have just meant Rs 7000 per head, pointed out farmer leaders. Insensitive gestures like plastering mugshots on aid kits as done by deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde generated more uproar than goodwill. Umpteen ministerial visits lacking concrete assurances after being ordered by the CM, also aggravated public sentiments on the subject. Unrelenting media coverage and backlash from the opposition members only added to the state discomfiture. The opposition is pushing for complete loan waiver for farmers and aid of Rs 50,000 per hectare. Incidentally, it took Uddhav Thackeray, who always gets accused of operating from his home, to get the government to step up in action. He demanded that the Centre dig into the Prime Minister’s Care Fund to help farmers. State Congress chief Harshvardhan Sapkal wondered how the state fell short of funds only for aiding farmers and never for funding its mega projects.
Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has asserted that he will stay in the state for the full term of five years. Talking to senior editors at the India Today Conclave in Mumbai, Fadnavis reiterated that he is making this statement since he is conversant with the way the BJP takes important decisions. Fadnavis is considered a front-runner to take up the BJP’s presidency and media speculation has been rife on this count. Rejecting any such possibility, he said the successor to present BJP president JP Nadda will be a staunch follower of the RSS ideology. Nadda has been given extensions amidst reports that the RSS and the BJP are still to agree on the next incumbent of the single largest political party in the world. Taking a dig at the media forecasts, Fadnavis said he was amazed to read some of the names mentioned to be in the race. Fadnavis has also discounted reports that a discord exists between him and deputy CM Eknath Shinde. He said, “During my first tenure, Shinde was in my cabinet. Later, I became deputy CM in his cabinet. Now, the position has reversed again. We are working in close coordination and there is no substance in the reports that we are at loggerheads.” Fadnavis has been the focus of opposition criticism for some time on different issues and it has been suggested obliquely that some of his cabinet colleagues are fomenting unrest against him. Hence, his unambiguous assertion about leading the state for the full term is likely to dampen any such attempts, if they are made in reality.
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has once again turned Durga Puja into a campaign arena and cultural outreach, leaving Opposition parties scrambling to match her scale. While the BJP views the festival as a potential political weapon, Mamata has neutralised it, ensuring the celebrations remain firmly under her influence. Over the past seven years, the number of Puja committees spanning Kolkata and remote districts has grown from 28,000 to 45,000. Likewise, the financial support during the same period has also scaled up from Rs 10,000 to Rs 110,000 this year alongside electricity bill waivers. In effect, Mamata expanded her reach from Cooch Behar to Kakdwip as chief patron of the festivities. During the Left Front era, the CPI(M) maintained organisational control in several spheres but deliberately kept a distance from Puja. Leaders like late Subhash Chakraborty occasionally engaged, but the party never made the festival a political stage. This allowed Mamata, post-2011, to steadily enlarge her presence, transforming Puja inaugurations into high-visibility public relations opportunities. Even Opposition leaders like BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari seldom attended Puja inaugurations in Kolkata or districts, leaving the party largely absent from major events. Apart from Sajol Ghosh in Kolkata, BJP has no significant foothold. Initially questioned in courts, these grants have been strategically tied to Bengali cultural identity, intertwining Durga Puja with heritage and pride recognized by UNESCO, effectively transforming the festival into both a cultural and political instrument. Didi has also expanded the Puja arena not only through grants but the puja idol immersion carnival inspired by Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro, now institutionalised and set for Red Road on October 5.
Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar is finding himself in troubled waters for his two recent statements. Firstly, Pawar told agitated flood victims in no uncertain terms a couple of days ago, “You can make any claims but money can’t become available unless you have it.” He was interacting with the aggrieved farmers who have been demanding substantial assistance since they have lost everything in the current flooding calamity in many parts of the state. His candid admission has caused consternation, some of which is political. Pawar has been called insensitive by his detractors. Secondly, Pawar’s assertion that reservations should be based on an applicant’s economic status has invited ire by his closest associate, firebrand leader Chhagan Bhujbal, who has been championing the OBC reservation cause. Bhujbal said the reservations was not a Garibi Hatao programme but it was a measure to uplift the communities that have been backward socially. Bhujbal’s vocal opposition has once again bared the split in the polity of Maharashtra. At the core of the conflict is the state government’s recent resolution to grant ‘Kunabi’ status to Marathas, which is considered a higher caste on the social spectrum. Bhujbal has not minced his words in the past, either. So far, Pawar has not reacted to his outburst. But either way, the reservation issue is bound to have repercussions in the coming local body elections that will determine the shape of the politics in Maharashtra.
Ahead of assembly elections in Bihar, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, the BJP has deployed several Union ministers to take charge of these states’ elections. For Bihar, the BJP has appointed Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan as its election in-charge. Alongside him, Union Minister CR Paatil and Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya have also been named as co-in charges. Significantly, Pradhan and Maurya are prominent OBC leaders. With the Congress trying to play catch up with the NDA in OBC politics by releasing a resolution for Most Backward Classes or Atipichda Nyay Sankalp at its recent Patna CWC meeting, it is interesting that the BJP managers are prominent OBC leaders. The Bihar Legislative Assembly election for all 243 seats is scheduled for October–November 2025. The previous polls were held in October–November 2020, after which the NDA formed the government with Nitish Kumar as chief minister. In August 2022, JD(U) broke ties with the NDA and joined the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan, only to return to the BJP-led NDA in January 2024, once again installing Nitish Kumar as CM. For West Bengal, the BJP has appointed Union Minister Bhupender Yadav as its election in-charge. Former Tripura CM Biplab Kumar Deb has been named as co-incharge. It is important to note that the BJP has appointed senior leader Baijayant Panda as election in-charge for Tamil Nadu, while Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol has been named as co-incharge. Party sources feel the choice of Panda for TN assumes significance as he was credited for turning around BJP’s fortune’s in Delhi and wresting the state from AAP this year. It is quite possible that the party leadership has similar expectations from him in the southern state too.
A fresh feud is taking shape in the family of RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav, following a cryptic post by his daughter Rohini Acharya, who had donated her kidney to her father in 2022. While Tej Pratap has been sulking ever since father expelled him from the party earlier this year, Rohini who has been nursing political ambitions, raised eyebrows with a series of cryptic tweets in the past few days. Rohini, 47, wrote X: “I have been performing my duties as a daughter and a sister and will continue to do so. Neither am I hankering after a post nor do I have any political ambitions.” A medical graduate who chose to be a homemaker and settled with her husband in Singapore, Rohini first came to the limelight in 2022 when she donated a kidney to her father, who was in need of a transplant. Last year, she made an unsuccessful electoral debut from Saran constituency, which was represented by her father long ago. Speculations were rife that she wanted to try her luck again, in the upcoming assembly polls but got a cold shoulder from brother Tejashwi. Her brother’s refusal to accommodate her in state polls, made her attack his close aide – tech savvy Sanjay Yadav– a Haryana born leader Rajya Sabha since April 2024. He was introduced to Tejashwi by Samajwadi Party’s Akhilesh Yadav. It is not clear if it was Sanjay Yadav’s idea to restrict “kith & kin” in ticket distribution. Whatever it is, the family feud is worrying the Congress — a key ally which is holding the CWC meeting in Patna on September 24. Meanwhile, to openly project Tejashwi as CM, Congress will look for some decent seat share.
Former Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai is once again in focus. The buzz in Chennai BJP is that he is probably working for the DMK. Or else it is inexplicable that after being cajoled into coordinating with his party colleagues by senior BJP leader BL Santosh — he had even dropped by Annamalai’s residence only last week — and had promised to work for the AIADMK-BJP alliance. Party sources say he was found liaising over the weekend with a breakaway AIADMK faction – TTV Dhinkaran’s AMMK — which he had insisted must be re-inducted into the NDA. This development so upset the state unit that TN BJP chief Nainar Nagenthran rushed to Delhi to meet BJP national president JP Nadda. It was felt Annamalai could be reaching out to Dhinakaran as part of Home Minister Amit Shah’s general advice to ensure BJP presence in southern districts of TN. But does that mean Shah would signal Annamalai to wreck the very foundation of BJP’s ties with the AIADMK and the understanding reached with party chief Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS)? Possibly not. Party insiders feel Annamalai was most likely acting on his own as he expressed regret over Dhinakaran’s exclusion from the alliance. Sources say Annamalai is determined to weaken AIADMK chief EPS and split the BJP-AIADMK alliance. All this is being done with an eye to benefit the incumbent DMK, which is bound to benefit from a split in non-DMK votes. It is also possible he may be driving AIADMK, in desperation, towards the actor Vijay-led TVK. He wants to take revenge on EPS and prevent him from becoming CM in 2026.Within BJP, he is targeting his successor Nainar Nagenthran.
What an irony that Mithun Manhas, a sub-committee member appointed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), to administrator cricket in Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA), is to be elected as President (unopposed) of the BCCI itself! Those who call the shots at the BCCI, a financial behemoth, surprised one and all by choosing to back Manhas for the post of President and five more to its three-year Apex Council. The 45-year-old Manhas, born in Jammu and Kashmir, was not lucky to play for India, but he has ticked a handful of weighty boxes; he is a 157-match first class cricketer for Delhi and J&K, turned out in big numbers in limited over matches and Twenty20, was contracted by three IPL teams as player, coached a handful of IPL teams and the Bangladesh under-19 team. His latest role is “Member, Cricket operations and Development” JKCA. The question is “Does he receive any honorarium” from JKCA? Manhas was one among the few, but well-known like Sourav Ganguly, Harbhajan Singh, Raghuram Bhat and Jaydev Shah in the 35-card electoral list and hence eligible to contest elections. And at the residence of a Union Minister in New Delhi on Saturday (Sep 20) some influential members of the BCCI proposed Manhas and five others for different posts. The discerning in the BCCI – past and present administrators- feel that the Supreme Court validated Reforms-in-Cricket incorporated in the BCCI Constitution has eliminated the democratic process of an election. Elections did not take place in 2019 and 2022 and when vacancies were created for three posts from November 2024. But with Manhas set to become President on September 28, the trend of cricketers becoming BCCI Presidents continues.
Face the stark truth. Every step that Donald Trump takes will be against Latinos or Indians. All this talk about “My good friend Modi” is beginning to grate in the ears. And in one fell swoop, the U.S. President has now hit Indians in the stomach with his punitive annual fee of $1,00,000 (nearly Rs 90 lakhs) on H-1B visas. The move will hit all those who take these visas to work in the U.S. but consider the fact that Indians take over 70% of such visas granted every year in the H-1B visa lottery (Chinese less than 2%) and you know who the worst hit will be. It is becoming easy to see through this good-cop-bad-cop act that Trump was running with his aides like Navarro and Lutnick berating India at every turn while the U.S president speaks lovingly of India and its PM Modi. The trade talks may have been resumed but the U.S. well knows that India will not let two red lines be breached. Opening the agriculture sector is a no-no forever while the buying of Russian oil will go on till everything else is agreed upon and a trade deal is on the table ready to be signed. No amount of posturing is going to change the fundamental position that Trump has taken against India and with Pakistan, partly because Pakistan played up to him and even invested in his family cryptocurrency business. Trump may not forget in a hurry the image of Vladimir Putin inviting Narendra Modi into his limousine in China even if he himself did share a limo ride with the Russian President in Alaska. If anyone believes things can be sorted with Trump and the U.S. soon, they may have other thoughts coming up.
It is striking how quickly lack of marketing leads some producers to resort to manufactured controversy as a substitute for a coherent release strategy. Hindi feature film, ‘Ajey: The Untold Story of a Yogi’, a biopic of Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath illustrates the risks of that shortcut. The film, directed by Ravindra Gautam with newcomer Anant Joshi in the lead, endured censor delays and repeated postponements, and was released with almost no pre‑release publicity: no sustained trailer campaign, limited social assets, negligible media buying and no visible on‑ground outreach. With no established star, director profile, or promotional momentum, the makers appear to have leaned on controversy to generate interest. Media reports and social chatter suggested that some groups opposed the film and that it faced restrictions in certain overseas markets; those narratives were amplified across news channels and digital platforms, creating a storm of attention that had little to do with the film’s craft or storytelling. By contrast, Jolly LLB 3 benefited from classic, disciplined marketing: franchise recognition, TV integrations, viral short‑form content and broad social amplification. The result was Jolly LLB 3 reported opening day collection of around Rs 13 crore, while Ajey managed barely Rs 20 lakh nationwide. That gulf underlines a simple truth: controversy is not a marketing plan. Manufactured outrage may produce headlines, but it rarely translates into sustained audience trust or ticket sales. The Ajey case serves as a cautionary tale for low‑budget and debut projects. Effective promotion need not be extravagant, but it must be strategic: clear positioning, targeted digital spend, festival and critic engagement, and grassroots visibility. When films are launched without those basics, manufactured controversy becomes an all‑too‑tempting, and usually ineffective, fallback.
Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, Director General of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has finally cracked a whip on several state governments to comply with airport safety measures which is often taken for granted, particularly one relating to the bird-hit menace. In 2024, bird hit cases in the country rose to 1,278 cases compared to 528 cases in 2019. DGCA’s new resolve is to strengthen India’s respective airport director’s repeated safety warnings often taken casually by most state governments. DGCA now wants to regulate critical safety measures to eliminate bird hit possibilities in and around the airports. DGCA has requested all state Chief Secretaries to ensure strict time bound enforcement of rules which prohibits activities that attract birds and animals. To ensure “real compliance” Kidwai has asked respective Chief Secretaries to set up a compliance monitoring mechanism and send him quarterly reports. This means Odisha and other states will now have to seriously start mapping and take actions on unauthorised slaughter houses, meat shops, dairies, garbage dumps, tree pruning, lamp post removal obstructing flight path and unauthorised civil constructions next to the airport in and around 10 km radius of the airport. For Odisha, DGCA’s intervention is rather God sent because for long this issue was never addressed seriously. Sources say, the recent DGCA initiative to institutionalise a compliance monitoring mechanism with quarterly reports to DGCA is now having a cascading effect on respective state’s chief secretaries, commissioners and district collectors.
Controversy continues to dog Tollywood, this time over the release of four much-awaited films that are set to clash during Durga Puja, the industry’s most lucrative season. Directors Nandita Roy-Shiboprosad Mukhopadhyay, Anik Dutta, Shubhrajit Mitra and Dhruva Banerjee have lined up their big-budget movies — Raktabeej 2, Joto Kando Kolkatatei, Debi Choudhurani, and Raghu Dakat. Despite a recent intervention by a state-appointed committee, industry insiders confirm that disputes have emerged over screen distribution and prime-time show slots. Speculation is rife that Dev’s Raghu Dakat, co-produced with SVF, has secured an edge in theatre count and timings. Writer Jinia Sen (Raktabeej 2) and producer Firdausal Hasan (Joto Kando Kolkatatei) admitted they had heard “market buzz” about Raghu Dakat cornering a good number of theatres. The speculation gained momentum when Trinamool Congress (TMC) spokesperson and actor Kunal Ghosh publicly questioned why an “influential” film had been given extra slots. Though he did not name anyone, many in the industry viewed it as an indirect swipe at actor-MP Dev, his party colleague with whom he has sparred earlier on social media. Dev’s recent release Dhumketu’s co-producer Rana Sarkar hinted at a deeper game. Exhibitors Naveen Chokhani and Jaydeep Mukhopadhyay, along with distributor Shatadip Saha, dismissed claims of preferential treatment for Raghu Dakat, saying no final decisions had been made. Still, several single-screen owners admitted the real pressure would fall on them, as unequal slot allocation during Puja season often sparks discontent. Ghosh also added a political edge, claiming Raghu Dakat owed thanks to TMC for the backing Dev reportedly received from local leaders during district promotions.
India’s longest sea bridge, the 21.8 km long Atal Setu has started showing signs of wear and tear within 20 months of its inauguration. Following viral videos showing potholes on the Rs 17,000 crore bridge, senior officials visited and levied a penalty of Rs 1 crore on Daewoo-Tata Infrastructure Projects, the contractors for the project. The contractors have also been asked to redo the entire distressed stretch between 14-16 km with Dense Bituminous Macadam (DBM) and asphalt concrete post-monsoons at their own costs. Though the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has attributed the stress to “weather extremities due to monsoons” and “continuous traffic flow”, it raises questions about the quality of India’s infrastructure growth story. Another landmark project, Mumbai’s coastal road costing over Rs 14,000 crore, which was inaugurated in March 2024, has also started showing up uneven patches even as flooding has led to closures on its underpasses during heavy downpour, which it was supposed to withstand. Incidentally, the potholes on the regular Mumbai roads have been registering a tale of corrupt practices that led to over 6758 potholes registered during monsoons this July including on its cement concrete roads. The BMC spent over Rs 154 crore this monsoon just to fill up potholes including its costly cement concrete roads. The BMC had pushed for cement roads as a solution to prevent potholes but now with even cement roads throwing up potholes in Mumbai, citizens are in a fix. Mumbai’s shoddy infrastructure has been attributed to corrupt practices.
Twenty-four action-filled years have passed on in 49-year old Malaika Arora’s life, since she gained global fame for her dance Chaiyya Chaiyya with Shah Rukh Khan atop a moving train in Dil Se. Nothing much has changed for this feisty and fast fashionista…her love for undiluted publicity, fashion statements and boundless energy have only grown along with her passion for fitness. Oh! Yes, her liaisons do make for high voltage news, not surprising that after her divorce from Arbaaz Khan (brother of Salman Khan) social media chatter made her every link newsworthy, especially her long standing relationship with Arjun Kapoor. Now the same ‘GRIPE VINE’ is trumpeting a break with Arjun Kapoor. Recently HT carried an interview with Malaika about her past state of mind and her present transformation, a weighty self-assessment and certification. “Till now my style quotient, dress sense, fashionista status and relationships determined my personality in the eyes of others”. Pardon us, but celebrities are scoped for this very reason, if this scrutiny and projection stop, the celebrity is no longer a celebrity. What was Malaika conveying? Others cannot influence what I should do. “But when I stopped justifying my actions and appearance, I felt a lot more free”. She concluded by forgetting what people think, it’s important what you think of yourself. She justifies her boldness, openness and going that extra mile which has put her on top. For added measure she states that people who contain her in a narrow perception cage are not her well-wishers. Is Malaika down to earth honest or is she styling for her next move? Best to be an enigma and baffle the curious.
It is a politically-sensitive commodity. Not surprisingly, it has often found itself in the spotlight? Over the last week, almost all newspapers carried flashy advertisements from cement majors such as JK Cement, Adani Cement, Ultra Tech Cement and the like wishing Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his birthday. Not just that. These ads also lauded him for the GST cut — from a heavier 28% to a lighter 18% — which will go a long way in benefitting people across the canvass. The tax reduction, they argued, will not only benefit consumers but also industries as it would boost cement demand and beef up the distribution network. Sounds like a win-win situation? There is a catch, however. Cement in India is never known to be sold at the MRP (maximum retail price)! Several summers ago, an ad was circulated by a company claiming that it was selling cement with no ash content in it. Upon verification, it was found that none of the cement carries ashes in it! Marketing can play the perfect tool to make or mar a perception. Well, we are talking about the GST cut. Enterprises have the uncanny knack of turning any situation to their advantage. Grapevines have suggested that the cement makers have quietly upped their prices so that they are ready to bring them down when the GST 2.0 kicks in on September 22. What do we make of this? Well, more the changes, things look — nay remain — the same!
People are justifiably wondering about the movie title Idli Kadai, featuring popular Tamil star Dhanush with Nithya Menen as a leading lady. Perhaps the movie may just prove that titles don’t matter as long as the content is gripping. Strangely enough Dhanush seems to have that innate trick of marketing his film through the curiosity factor. In a recent promo event Dhanush talked about his childhood when his family couldn’t afford even idlis, how he yearned for them and hence centrifugal his plot with a well fermented storyline, soft, spongy and sentimental. Like all mid-level heroes, Dhanush is at the crossover crossroads …which option to jump to the next level? Especially after Vijay pole-vaulted to politics and his bête noire Sivakarthikeyan inching to top slot, though Madharaasi fell flat despite the hype. But Dhanush has a leg-up which many don’t have; he can multi-task as an actor, director, singer and scriptwriter. His female lead Nithya Menen is a dependable lead, talented and fearless …though her film Thalaivan Thalaivi was rejected both in cinemas and OTT. In that too Nithya romances a Kothu Parotta seller …food is the rocket to a man’s heart, head and bank.
Actor-politician is getting more daring by the day even as crowds keep flocking to his Saturday meetings in district towns of Tamil Nadu. The latest salvo he fired at Stalin was to challenge him to cut the audio system or the power when the Prime Minister, the Home Minister or the RSS chief comes to Tamil Nadu. It is a fact that whatever caused these disruptions, they did take place at Vijay’s meeting in Trichy when the audio of his speech did not carry to the several lakh people who gathered at his rally and mysterious power cuts took place. Try imposing the conditions – about 25 are thrust upon his meetings before permission is granted by the police – when the PM and the HM come calling, says Vijay. For all the lofty liberal principles of respecting political opponents that the ruling DMK may profess, it is clear they are rattled by the momentum Vijay is gaining. The imposing of strict conditions – including that he speaks only for 30 minutes at any rally – is a clear sign that the ruling DMK will do its best to disrupt Vijay’s campaign as he poses the biggest threat to Stalin emulating his father in getting re-elected. That may still happen as the DMK is still ahead in the race, but their image will have taken a beating as they are doing exactly what ruling parties tend to do in trying to rein in rivals to power.
The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena is testing its own concoction, that too, in Dadar, Mumbai where the Shiv Sena was born. The Shiv Sena and its breakaway faction, MNS, have invariably championed the cause of Marathi and Marathi Manoos. It always taunts the BJP on this count. But the wheel has turned a full circle now. The trigger is an eatery, ‘Indori Chaat and Much More’ started by staunch MNS spokesman, Sandeep Deshpande in the heart of Dadar. The chef and the menu are, of course, from Indore. The restaurant attracted attention when two famous food bloggers visited and then praised it. The BJP has seized the opportunity to troll Deshpande. The media, too, has reminded MNS of its original agenda of preserving Marathi, jobs for locals and justice for the sons of soil. A BJP social media activist has taunted Deshpande for an earlier MNS declaration that the next Mumbai mayor will be a Marathi Manoos. “You can’t even find a Marathi chef but boast of installing a Marathi mayor in Mumbai,” says one of the posts. Incidentally, Maharashtra and Indore have a historical connection. The Indore rulers, the Holkar clan, had their origins in Maharashtra. Indore’s most illustrious ruler, Devi Ahilyabai, was born in the state’s Ahmednagar district, which is now renamed as Ahilya Nagar after her. Deshpande’s restaurant has given his detractors a chance to hit back, literally in the belly.
Maratha reservation demand’s uncrowned king Manoj Jarange Patil is known for his stinging tongue. His two favourite targets are Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and NCP’s senior OBC leader Chhagan Bhujbal. While attacking them, Jarange has crossed the limit occasionally and has had to apologise, too. As the intensity of the Maratha agitation is waning for a variety of reasons, Jarange has warned the government of staging a mass rally in Delhi to press the demand afresh. The protest action led by him in Mumbai a couple of weeks ago elicited a huge response but the government resolution issued subsequently is now mired in controversy. Hence, to keep the steam up, Jarange had organised a meeting of his close associates at his village, Antarwali Sarati. As the meet was underway at an open field, those present started running helter-skelter suddenly. The reason was that a swarm of honeybees had descended on the group, forcing the activists to abandon the discussion. Fortunately for Jarange, some of them had a shawl with them. They covered the leader and took him to a safer place. In the reconvened meeting, Jarange did not forget to warn Bhujbal in his trademark style. But the social media discussion centred on the poetic justice dispensed to Jarange. “If you bite others, beware of a fallout,” some suggested wryly.
The sweet and sour friendship between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and NCP leader Sharad Pawar has been vexing political circles for all these years. Neither loses a chance to reiterate its existence nor to take pot shots at each other. But both have maintained a dignified level. On the other hand, the Congress and the Shiv Sena (UBT) don’t waste a single opportunity to criticise Modi and the BJP. Both these parties had reminded Modi on his 75th birthday that he himself had imposed the age limit for retirement from active politics. Of course, the BJP had soon thereafter clarified that the observation did not apply to Modi. Still, some mediapersons approached Pawar to elicit his comments on the issue, hoping to extract a juicy quote. Pawar being Pawar, he floored them all. He said, “If I myself have not retired, how can I advise anyone to bow out?” Pawar was born on 12 December 1940. Interestingly, there were no further questions. Pawar has disappointed INDIA Bloc and other Opposition parties on many occasions by taking a clear stand on several issues without caring for the possible criticism. For instance, when there was a demand to appoint a JPC to probe the Hindenburg allegations against the Adani Group, Pawar had dismissed the proposal as a non-starter. It is another matter that the industrialist has been a regular caller on Pawar. It is also a coincidence that Pawar’s statement about Modi’s 75th birthday has come on the day Adani has been exonerated by the SEBI of any wrongdoing.
BJP MLA Gopichand Padalkar’s shocking statement expressing doubts about the parentage of senior NCP(SP) leader Jayant Patil has been roundly condemned and is causing grave concern the depth to which political culture is sinking in the state. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has admonished Padalkar, who has declared that he will abide by the CM’s order and refrain from making such a statement again. Padalkar, a former aide of Republican leader Prakash Ambedkar, is known for his audacious utterances. But the barb at Jayant Patil has crossed all limits, Sharad Pawar told Fadnavis in a phone call. Initially, Padalkar had refused to apologise by arguing that Pawar was silent when some INDIA Bloc bigwigs had made objectionable statements about Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his mother. However, as the intensity of the criticism went on mounting, Padalkar relented. Jayant Patil is the son of the late Rajarambapu Patil, who was a heavyweight leader in the 1970’s and 80’s. He was tipped to become the chief minister of Maharashtra. His son Jayant is an astute politician and has handled the finance portfolio of the state for a long time, creating a record of presenting the maximum number of budgets. Jayant is among the closest colleagues to Pawar. The other angle to the acrimony between Padalkar and Jayant is that while the former belongs to the OBCs, Patil is a Maratha. At present, the two communities are at loggerheads on the issue of Marathas demanding reservations from the OBC quota. Tempers have been running high between the two sides. Padalkar has only added fuel to the fire by his reckless remark.
With the Bengali persecution issue placing the Bengal BJP under pressure, the party is seeking to recalibrate its electoral strategy by leaning harder on the Hindutva plank. The Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), already implemented but seen by insiders as an “unfinished project,” has been identified as the rallying point in the run-up to the 2026 Assembly elections. The BJP, along with its ideological parent RSS, is preparing a coordinated campaign to push for citizenship benefits under the CAA. The RSS convened a special coordination meeting attended by senior leaders of both organisations. BJP state president Shamik Bhattacharya represented the state unit, national general secretary BL Santhosh represented the central leadership. From the RSS, senior office-bearers Pradeep Joshi, Ramapada Pal, Jaladhar Mahato and Jishnu Basu, representing the all-India leadership in eastern India. BJP sources confirmed the central focus was ensuring the maximum number of refugees eligible under the CAA secure citizenship without delay. A concrete plan was drawn up to guarantee swift, fear-free submission of papers. The meeting also reviewed the upcoming Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Besides Bhattacharya, BJP regional leaders were present during the meeting, including legislator Deepak Barman from North Bengal, MP Jagannath Sarkar from Central Bengal, and state general secretary Jagannath Chattopadhyay from South Bengal. Insiders said these three leaders will supervise the CAA campaign across their respective regions. The RSS indicated that organisations under its umbrella will join the ground campaign, though sources stressed the BJP will lead. Ensuring citizenship for all eligible applicants was described as a non-negotiable target. The meeting, convened on an emergency basis, sought to prepare for large-scale mobilisation on the CAA agenda.
For a change, India’s sports fans curiously diverted their attention on Thursday (Sep 18) — from the Arab world’s pride, Dubai, where the Asia Cup cricket is happening to the East Asian capital city of Japan, Tokyo where the World Athletics championship is grabbing eyeballs. Amidst all the high-voltage running events on the track — thanks to the wonderful broadcast by JioHotstar — Indians were riveted on Neeraj Chopra, indisputably the country’s all-time great Track and Field athlete. The 27-year-old gold and silver medallist at the Tokyo Olympics (2020, but held in 2021) and Paris Olympics (2024) and winner of the World Championship in Budapest (Hungary) was expected to deliver another podium finish, but after two days of action, the champion felt disgusted and disappointed failing to go the distance. Two years ago, he had pipped the rest of the field with a 88.17 metres effort, but India’s track and field star for a decade fumbled and fumed with a best of just 84.03 metres, his second throw and best of the night out in Tokyo. Chopra was as flat as any top-notch athlete can be in any sport, but none expected him really to best his personal best of 90.23 metres at Qatar’s Doha Meeting at the Suhaim bin Hamad Stadium four months ago. Chopra could not spring a surprise as much as another Indian competitor, Sachin Yadav’s superb personal best of 86.27 metres to finish behind the bronze winner. Coached by legend Jan Zelenzy, Chopra finished 8th in a field of 12. The Javelin gold was won by the 2012 Olympics champion Keshorn Walcott coached by Klaus Bartonietz who had made Chopra a Javelin champion that he is.
The implementation of the three-language formula is turning into a contentious issue for the Maharashtra government. Part of the National Education Policy, the failure to implement the pet project of the Modi government in BJP’s key state would be a loss of face for the party. When the Devendra Fadnavis government tried to unroll the three-language format from Class 1 in July, 2025 a huge public uproar that perceived it as imposition of Hindi language overriding local Marathi language forced its withdrawal. While a committee headed by renowned educationist Dr Narendra Jadhav was meant to provide a decisive lead on the issue, the eight-member committee chose to pass the buck rather than take a call on the issue. Dr Jadhav, who was part of the Planning Commission during Dr Manmohan Singh’s tenure has realised the strong public undercurrents against Hindi, and has decided to sidestep it. The public uproar in Maharashtra against Hindi imposition in the education sector seems to match similar sentiments one saw in Tamil Nadu. Sure enough, Dr Jadhav, has decided to visit political leaders like Raj and Uddhav Thackeray, who had strongly opposed it. He is also embarking on an eight-stop visit across the state to gauge public sentiments. Incidentally, while Maharashtra’s cultural affairs minister Ashish Shelar, had earlier stated that 20 states had already implemented the three-language formula, Dr Jadhav informed that only two states including Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir, had implemented NEP and other states were keenly watching how Maharashtra was enforcing Hindi in the state.
It is not just the BJP and its cadres that celebrated PM Modi’s 75th birthday. Even NDA’s ally and TDP Minister Nara Lokesh, currently on an official visit to the UK made it a point to pray for PM Modi’s health and longevity at ISKCON Temple in London, asserting confidence in Modi’s Leadership to build Viksit Bharat. Sharing his birthday wish for PM Modi, Andhra Pradesh IT, HRD, and RTGS Minister Nara Lokesh offered prayers at ISKCON London. He tweeted, “Started the day with prayers at @iskconlondon on the 75th birthday of our Hon’ble Prime Minister @narendramodi ji. I sought blessings for his long life and his visionary leadership of our great country. I am confident we will achieve Viksit bharat under his guidance.” Interestingly, a day earlier the Andhra Pradesh government had hosted a high-profile Investor Roadshow in London at the Institute of Directors, Pall Mall, as part of its global outreach to attract investments ahead of the CII Partnership Summit 2025, scheduled to be held in Visakhapatnam on November 14–15. The event brought together more than 150 senior executives and global leaders representing sectors such as advanced manufacturing, finance, energy, and technology. In his remarks during the conversation with global leaders, Lokesh positioned Andhra Pradesh as India’s fastest-growing state. “Our message in London is clear: the sunrise state of Andhra Pradesh is the best place to do business in India. In just 15 months, we have facilitated investments worth over Rs 10 lakh crore and are now engaging global partners to be part of our journey towards becoming a $ 2.4 trillion economy by 2047″
There was much media hype about the revelation that Rahul Gandhi was to make in his press conference. He had hinted it would be a “hydrogen bomb” on ‘vote chori’. However, by afternoon Rahul was found diluting his own utterances via a post on X. The Congress leader who was raging about deletion of votes in Aland assembly seat in Karnataka in 2023 polls at a press conference at the AICC headquarters and had given the Election Commission a week’s time to reply to Karnataka CID’s letters and notices, was found looking for cover. He rushed to correct his mistakes after realising that the Aland seat was won by the Congress. This was pointed out by the BJP. Rahul Gandhi had “held an entire press conference” claiming that 6,018 votes were fraudulently deleted in Aland assembly seat and that the EC was blocking the CID investigation. “Until we pointed out that BR Patil, the incumbent MLA, is a Congress candidate. He even paraded people who claimed that their names were misused to delete votes, without the knowledge of the very individuals whose names were allegedly deleted. Now he makes a U-turn, saying their candidate could have lost if the votes were deleted! What a waste of public time,” said BJP’s Amit Malviya on X. The EC was quick to rebut all the charges. In a strongly worded response, the EC made it clear that no deletion of any vote can be done online by any member of the public, as “misconceived” by Rahul Gandhi. A FIR was filed by the EC itself to ensure the matter was investigated. One interesting giveaway from Rahul Gandhi’s attack on the CEC, was his claim that he had some Trojan horses within the EC who were leaking him info about EC’s working. No prizes for guessing…possibly officials brought in during the Congress time.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh’s response to the Supreme Court’s clean chit to Vantara has apparently not gone down well with the Ambanis. The Congress leader who takes a lot of pride in his earlier avatar as an environment minister in the UPA government tweeted on X questioning the speed at which an expert panel headed by Justice J Chelameswar probed alleged goings on in Vantara and submitted its report to the apex court, clearing the animal care centre of any wrongdoing. Party sources said sensitivities about Vantara were conveyed to Jairam by party bosses. The party leadership were equally shocked about the tone and tenor of Jairam’s post. In his post, Jairam even took pot shots at the judiciary for acting expressly. “When it chooses to, the Indian judicial system, which is defined by long delays, moves with the greatest of speed.” On August 25, 2025, the SC ordered an inquiry by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) into the affairs of Vantara, the wildlife rescue and rehabilitation centre established by the Reliance Foundation in Jamnagar, Gujarat. The SIT, comprising four distinguished members, was directed to submit its report by September 12, 2025. The SIT submitted its report in a “sealed cover” meeting the deadline. The SC accepted its recommendations and closed the case which had been triggered by a PIL filed on August 7, 2025. If only all cases were dealt with and settled so expeditiously and categorically — of course without this mysterious “sealed cover” business! Incidentally, while Jairam has taken a contrarian view on Vantara order, animal activists like Maneka Gandhi came out extending her strong support to Vantara. She said “We have visited Vantara…It is here that animals get life.” Vantara is a project closely monitored and managed by Anant Ambani, the younger son of Mukesh Ambani.
The BJP leadership is all geared up to putting its Tamil Nadu house in order. With AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) meeting Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi on Tuesday (Sep 16) evening to firm up alliance in the state, ground was laid in TN to ensure smooth working within various groups and leaders. For a start, a coordination meeting of various state-level leaders within the state BJP was held in Chennai. The meeting was held in the presence of senior BJP functionary BL Santosh. The effect of the meeting was such that former TN BJP chief K Annamalai who was so far playing truant appeared mellowed down. For the first time, Annamalai conceded that EPS was drawing crowds in the state. Party sources said he had praised EPS in the party’s internal meeting too. This means Annamalai has come a long way; from initially opposing BJP’s alliance with the AIADMK to now agreeing to campaign with EPS. This would not only consolidate Gounder community votes in favour of the alliance but also consolidate victory. With Santosh in the chair along with TN BJP chief Nainar Nagendran it was decided that Nainar, Annamalai and EPS would now jointly campaign from Oct 1. It is not clear if Annanmalai had toned down his anti- AIADMK position because of a personal compulsion He is now compelled to answer queries over purchase of around six acres agricultural land in Coimbatore worth several crores of rupees. Annamalai said he had purchased it using a loan, his personal savings and that of his wife Akila. He had paid Rs 40 lakh in stamp duty and registration charges. Of course, no one in the BJP believes it.
Is he in or is he out? This question keeps popping up time and again. But none is willing to clarify. If he is like any normal employee, none will venture to speculate. But he is MS Dhoni, the Captain Cool. Not surprisingly, everyone is letting his/her imagination run amok. After Chennai Super Kings (CSK), the IPL franchise was born in 2008, Dhoni was appointed as Vice-President (Marketing) of N Srinivasan-headed The India Cements Ltd (ICL) in 2013. CSK was initially a division of ICL, which was the original franchisee owner of CSK. If grapevine is to go by, Srinivasan had reportedly given Dhoni a blank cheque to write his remuneration! In the past, Dhoni used to visit ICL plants across the country and address employees and dealers alike. In fact, in 2022, he unveiled the new premium cement brand, Conkrete Super King. Much water has flown under the bridge since then. Birla-owned UltraTech bought out N Srinivasan and his family in ICL. With ICL sold to UltraTech, Srinivasan has become the Chairman of CSK, which was hived off into a separate entity when the conflict of interest issue was raging. His daughter, Rupa Gurunath, too, has now become a Wholetime-Director of CSK. Given this backdrop, intense speculation is on whether Dhoni is still associated with ICL? There has been no official communication thus far either from UltraTech or MSD. The iconic Coromandel Towers, the corporate office of India Cements, in the meanwhile, is sporting the UltraTech brand along with ICL’s Sankar Cement, Coromandel King and Conkrete Super King. EWS, the holding company of N Srinivasan and family, Chennai Super Kings Cricket Ltd. and other firms have since moved to their new address in Adyar in the heart of the city. Season or no season, one thing is clear Dhoni remains a hot topic!
The Singur movement not only altered Bengal’s industrial trajectory but also marked one of the biggest power shifts in the state’s history — from the Left Front to Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress. Yet, the Nano car exit in 2008 left an enduring scar, branding Didi as “anti-industry” despite her repeated efforts to change that perception. Seventeen years later, the narrative seems to be coming full circle, with electric vehicle manufacturer Cynosure announced plans to launch a four-wheeler priced below Rs 1 lakh from Sugandha in Hooghly district — just 17 km away from Singur, where Ratan Tata’s dream project had collapsed in 2008. Cynosure revealed its plan at the launch of its electric three-wheeler in Kolkata and the prototype of the car would be unveiled after Diwali, with a commercial rollout targeted for January 2026. According to co-founder Sampurna Ghosh, the fully battery-operated vehicle will seat four passengers, including the driver with an aim to make personal cars affordable for the middle and lower-middle-class families. Sources said that the car’s final name would be decided by the chief minister. Political observers have pointed out that the announcement carries political undertones just ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections, as it can be recalled that in 2008, Tata Motors withdrew from Singur after completing 80% of the factory, blaming Mamata then opposition leader. The project later shifted to Gujarat. Didi has since maintained that her fight was against the Left’s forcible land acquisition policy, not against Tata.
A look at the representatives of the 35 members for the BCCI’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) scheduled for September 28 – published by the Electoral Officer in the documents section of the BCCI website – will tell one straightaway that none of them even thought of nominating a woman to attend the meeting. This year’s AGM will elect five office-bearers and one member representative to the nine-member Apex Council for a three year term. It is regrettable that the Indian Railways, Armed Forces/ Services and Association of Indian Universities (AIU) have not been able to find ways to nominate its representatives. While the three government departments have not explored ways, former India cricketers Sourav Ganguly (ex- BCCI president), Harbhajan Singh, Raghuram Bhat will attend the AGM representing Bengal, Punjab and Karnataka. The National Sports Governance Bill 2025 mandates the presence of four women at least in a 15 member executive committee of a national sports federation, and this will happen once the National Sports Board is put in place and the sports federations seek its membership. But as of now, none of the BCCI members have deemed it fit to nominate a woman, be it a former India or State cricketer or otherwise, to attend the AGM when many of them could have taken the step to empower women at a meeting like the AGM when policy decisions are taken. The BCCI, under Jay Shah took a number of initiatives to provide an impetus to women’s cricket. The young ICC chair, Shah, has increased the prize money manifold for the upcoming ICC Women’s World Cup, but the BCCI members are still reluctant to be game-changers by nominating a woman for a meeting that is convened once in a year.
Kerala’s Chief Secretary, A Jayathilak is facing flak for his high-handed behaviour from his IAS colleagues and state’s IPS officers. Jayathilak has come in the way of the career progression of at least three officers. Senior IAS officer, B Ashok, also principal secretary has alleged that Jayathilak refused to give him a vigilance clearance in June 2025 when he applied for deputation to the post of chief controller, VSSC, Department of Space. In his petition before the CAT, Ashok has contended that “the refusal to provide clearance despite the fact that there had not been any vigilance cases or disciplinary action against him, speaks volumes of the malice harboured by the chief secretary.” Jayathilak flagged a vigilance case regarding irregularities in the sanction of pay and allowance in the Ayush Department under Ashok. Following this, Ashok was forced to submit that the inquiry was completed and the government recommended no further action. This led to Ashok submitting a representation to the Chief Secretary to rectify his earlier statement. Interestingly, the correction was made only after the last day prescribed for submission of the application for the post in VSSC. Likewise, DGP, Yogesh Gupta who currently heads Fire and Rescue Services Department has initiated legal action against the State government for withholding a vigilance status report on him sought by Union Home Ministry for clearance for securing a post in the central service. Yogesh too has approached CAT. He has accused the government of using vigilance reports as a tool to control bureaucrats. And if this is not enough, Jayathilak has a running match with junior IAS officer, Prasanth N, who is under suspension for nearly one year, without giving proper reasons, which is against service rules. Sources say a fierce power struggle is brewing in the state’s IAS hierarchy with the tide slowly turning against Jayathilak.
Recent box‑office disappointments from Baaghi 4 and War 2 to the latest Housefull 5 instalment, all underline a fundamental shift: the star cast no longer guarantees good openings. In past decades marquee names could single‑handedly generate massive opening weekends; today even established superstars such as Tiger Shroff, Hrithik Roshan, Akshay Kumar, Salman Khan, Shahid Kapoor and Jr NTR struggle to ignite the immediate surge that once defined success. High‑profile casts with weak concepts are faltering, while content‑led films and global formats are finding passionate, sustainable audiences. Younger viewers, particularly Gen Z, now prioritise authenticity, narrative innovation and experiential value over celebrity worship. They binge Korean dramas, embrace Japanese anime like Demon Slayer, attend immersive live experiences and discover diverse global content on OTT platforms. The enthusiastic reception for Demon Slayer’s theatrical release and the success of content‑driven films such as Saiyaara demonstrate that strong storytelling, memorable music and convincing world‑building can outdraw even big‑name star vehicles. Conversely, titles that leaned primarily on star power including some recent franchise entries like Baaghi 4 and Housefull 5 have failed to translate celebrity into sustained box‑office momentum. For filmmakers, producers and studios the implications are clear. First, invest in content development: prioritise script refinement, richer character arcs and tonal clarity before locking in headline casting. Second, align casting to story needs rather than assuming star wattage will compensate for weak material. Third, embrace mid‑budget, high‑concept projects that allow creative risk and targeted marketing rather than relying solely on costly tentpoles.
Mumbai has registered a drastic 72% dip in tree plantations thanks to rapid urbanization and lack of spaces for tree plantations. The number of tree plantations in Mumbai have slid from 72,212 trees in 2023-24 to 20,044 in 2024-2025 as per the latest Environment Status Report released by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). This includes about 9234 saplings planted in the city by Maharashtra’s forest department as part of its target to undertake plantations of over 10 crore saplings this year to increase the state’s green cover from 21.25% to 33 %. The state has already achieved 50% of its target by undertaking plantations of over 5.32 crore saplings this year. Deterioration of Mumbai’s air quality has been attributed to its depleting tree cover. No tree census has been conducted since 2018. This means the actual number of trees remains unknown and we are stuck at 29,75,283 trees. Conservation activist and founder of Waghoba Foundation Sanjiv Valsan questions the validity of the figures released by the government pointing to the glaring absence of figures of trees that are officially cut to make way for various urban megaprojects in the city like Metro, Bullet Trains etc. The actual number of trees lost to rapid urbanization and redevelopment of old buildings, which is not revealed, could be quite high. Reportedly, an estimated 40 trees are lost daily to make way for various projects. “Miyawaki plantations can never compensate for the loss of tree cover since they are essentially vertical stalks lacking canopy and unable to provide equivalent benefits like oxygen generation or carbon sequestration,” observes Valsan. A small relief is the BMC policy now to earmark spaces for planting trees alongside cement concrete roads.
The Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi is seriously planning to make the state capital Bhubaneswar shine like Singapore. Call it infection from Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s Singapore inspired capital, Amaravati or PM Modi’s vision to create several Singapore within India. The Odisha government has already appointed Singapore-based Surbana Jurong Infrastructure to design the master plan for the proposed Bhubaneswar New City Project covering 800 acres with an estimated investment of Rs 8,179 crore. The new city will encompass three villages Daspur, Gothapatna and Malipada. The vision is to make it a multi-economic growth zone aligned with Odisha state’s long-term vision Vikshit Odisha 2036. The new city will have a total built up area of around 21.7 million sq ft covering residential, office space, commercial, industrial and neighborhood shopping area having MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Exhibitions) facilities and incorporating global standards and best practices in urban planning. The Odisha government intends to accommodate 15,000 housing units and 60,000 people in the planned Singapore style Bhubaneswar. Sources say Odisha government’s intention is to incorporate best practices and global standards in urban planning. It wants to make the project sustainable, vibrant and green, supporting Odisha’s economic growth, urban living, trust and shared future.
A little-known historical episode concerning the relations between India and Nepal has gone viral on the social media over the past few days. As the symbiotic bonds between the two countries are recalled by many people from both sides of the border, the role of Indian leaders concerning Nepal is under scanner once again. One such topic is the merger of Nepal with India that did not happen. It speculates how this probable relationship could have changed the political map of South Asia. Then PM Jawaharlal Nehru has been blamed for stalling this possible merger. It is said that Nepal’s then King Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah proposed that merger. However, Nehru rejected the idea, according to references in former President Pranab Mukherjee’s memoir, ‘The Presidential Years.’ Mukherjee observed that had Indira Gandhi been in her father’s place, she would have accepted, just the way she later integrated Sikkim into India. Former Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar also has backed Mukherjee’s claim. In his Hindi autobiography, moreover, he has stated that Nepal could have been a part of India but for Nehru. In ‘Jeevan Jaisa Jiya,’ Chandrashekhar has described how Nepalese leader BP Koirala was disturbed when then Deputy PM Charan Singh broached the subject of merger at their meeting in presence of PM Morarji Desai. Earlier this year, Nepal’s Deputy PM Prakashman Singh lauded Chandra Shekhar’s role in consolidating the Nepal-India relations at an interaction organized by the Ganeshman Singh Foundation on 7 April. Interestingly, Nehru was criticised in the past for rejecting a similar offer from Baluchistan, whose leaders wanted to join India.
Malayalam cinema’s suave hero, Dulquer Salmaan is truly a Lucky Baskhar. You might think so what? He is a nepo hero from the house of a film legend, Mammootty. Bloodlines can exalt a star only for a limited time, eventually they have to prove their mettle. Dulquer has leaped further than his father. His company, Wayfarer Films just released Lokah: Chapter 1 – Chandra is setting new records at the box office. In just 13 days of showing, it has collected Rs 200 crore and much critical acclaim for its producer Dulquer who plays a cameo in the film. Dulquer is shrewdly strategizing his status not just as a star but a producer of quality stuff. Dulquer’s upcoming film, Kaantha was all set for release on September 12 but he suddenly decided to postpone its release to get the best of Lokah’s ROI. Its cost of production was Rs 32 crore and Dulquer is confident it will bring in Rs 300 crore. He has already announced that he will share the overflow with the crew of Lokah. Dulquer wants Kaantha too, to be an unforgettable film. Success needs well thought out master plans. Luck is the magic component.
Imagine someone sitting next to you in a cinema house describing the climax of a suspense movie. You will be livid for receiving the unwarranted running commentary. You will certainly tend to express your anger in some manner. This is exactly what happened though the end of the incident was totally unimagined. This happened in Chinchwad, Pune, where the famous “The Conjuring: Last Rites” was being screened. Said to be another thrilling chapter of the iconic Conjuring cinematic universe, the movie is based on real events, shown in a powerful and spine-chilling end. As the audience was engrossed in watching the unfolding story with a baited breath, a couple began discussing the plot loudly. The magnanimous husband started dispensing the knowledge and soon reached the climax point. This naturally enraged the people sitting nearby as their interest could not hold after knowing the end. As someone sitting next to the couple asked the husband to remain silent, an altercation ensued. As the complainant was not ready to relent, the husband attacked him. The former’s wife tried to intercede but she, too, had to suffer blows from the attacker. The police have filed a case under various sections of the Indian Penal Code but no arrests have been made since there is no precedent in the annals of the criminal justice history of India.
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Editor’s Note: Short Post Noticed By People Who Matter
Four years have zipped by and we are crossing another milestone on 31st January 2025 – it’s our 4th Anniversary. It feels good.
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.