From Azhar and Sanju to Thackeray and Swatantrya Veer Savarkar, Bollywood has often struggled to tell controversial true stories without turning their subjects into heroes.
Pincky Balhara secured a bronze medal in the women's 78kg Kurash event at the Asian Games, making her the first Indian to win two medals in the sport at the continental showpiece. Despite battling a knee injury sustained in the quarterfinals, Balhara fought valiantly before losing to South Korea's Sumin Mo in the semifinals. This achievement adds to her silver medal from the 2018 Jakarta Games.
India's Davis Cup campaign ended in a 1-3 defeat against Korea, with Sumit Nagal attributing his loss to physical disadvantage against Kwon Soonwoo. Despite winning opening sets in initial singles matches, India failed to convert, leading to an insurmountable 0-2 deficit. Captain Rohit Rajpal emphasized collective responsibility and the impact of home advantage, while Nagal expressed his best effort despite the outcome.
Twelve people, including climbers and support staff, are missing after an avalanche struck the base camp of the 7,126-metre Himlung Himal peak in Nepal's Manang district, with human casualties feared.
Germany secured their first win under new coach Juergen Klopp against Serbia in the Nations League. Portugal continued their strong run despite Cristiano Ronaldo's absence, while the Netherlands staged a comeback draw against Greece. Other results included Wales beating Norway and Ireland drawing with Austria amidst protests.
A butcher in Vijayawada, Shaik Shafi, has been arrested for allegedly murdering a 29-year-old woman, Kalyani, dismembering her body, and dumping the parts in a canal. The crime was reportedly a result of monetary disputes, as Kalyani frequently demanded money from Shafi, who had adopted her son. An accomplice, Shaik Abdulla, was also arrested.
India achieved its most successful day at the Asian Games, securing 10 gold medals, 21 silver, and 29 bronze, bringing the total to 60 and improving its ranking to seventh. Compound archers swept all team golds, including an Olympic quota, while trap shooters Neeru Dhanda and Kynan Chenai also won mixed gold. Boxing and wrestling added bronze medals, and the women's hockey team reached the final, assuring at least a silver.
Indian chess teams, both open and women's, secured victories in the second round of the 46th Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, maintaining their top positions with four match points. While the open team faced some challenges, including draws for D Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa, Nihal Sarin's win was crucial. The women's team achieved a more dominant performance with wins from Divya Deshmukh, Vantika Agrawal, and B Savitha Shri.
Indian wushu athlete Roshibina Devi Naorem secured a silver medal in the women's 60kg sanda event at the Asian Games, losing to China's Zhang Xiaoyu in the final. This marks her third Asian Games medal.
A man allegedly stabbed a lottery vendor in Nambiarkunnu, Wayanad, after becoming enraged that a ticket he purchased did not win a prize. The victim, Vinitha Rajesh, sustained serious injuries but is in stable condition, and the accused, Sivakumar, has been taken into custody.
World champions India, featuring a strong line-up of T20 stars, are set to face Pakistan in the men's gold-medal cricket clash at the Asian Games, a match where a silver medal would be considered a 'royal embarrassment' for India.
Dupahiya 2 offers a chaotic yet engaging follow-up to its first season, notes Deepa Gahlot.
Indian shooter Neeru Dhanda secured a historic gold medal in the women's trap event at the Asian Games, becoming the first Indian woman to achieve this feat. Her victory came despite a severe illness that hospitalised her just 10 days before the competition, and challenging weather conditions during the final. Coach Peter Wilson praised her dedication and focus, highlighting her ability to overcome adversity.
India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is actively courting Sri Lanka's Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), a Marxist party with strong Sinhalese nationalist roots, marking a significant shift in bilateral relations despite ideological differences. This engagement, highlighted by a recent high-profile visit by JVP leader Tilvin Silva, aims to foster cooperation on economic projects and address New Delhi's concerns over slow progress in India-aided initiatives in the island nation.
India's Asian Games soft tennis campaign came to an end on Friday after the men's team suffered a 0-2 defeat to Indonesia in the quarterfinals.
Indian chess teams, both Open and Women's, face a significant challenge to defend their Chess Olympiad titles in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, after crucial losses and a historical 'winner's curse' where no Open section champion has successfully defended their title in the last five editions.
West Indies head coach Daren Sammy acknowledged the financial challenges leading to player pay cuts, stating it's "not what you want to hear before a series." He also highlighted the team's need for greater bowling discipline, especially after failing to defend a 405-run target against India, and reflected on missed opportunities to score higher in the second ODI.
'In fact, when monetary policy has been deployed, it does not distinguish between types of shocks. It goes straight for the kill.'
The Congress party has announced a significant organisational reshuffle in its Uttar Pradesh unit, appointing Aradhana Misra-Mona as president and Imran Masood as working president. This strategic move comes ahead of the state assembly elections next year and aims to strike a social balance while strengthening the party's position in the crucial state.
Indian wrestler Sujeet Kalkal secured a gold medal at the Asian Games, overcoming an Olympic champion and a significant deficit in the final bout. His victory, marked by an extraordinary comeback, has fueled his belief in contending for an Olympic medal in 2028, showcasing his fearless mindset and determination.
Indian Teqball players Declan Marshall Gonsalves and Mohamed Anas Imran Beg were eliminated from the men's doubles medal race at the Asian Games in Nagoya after losing both their group matches. Despite strong domestic and some international success, the duo could not secure a win in their debut Asian Games appearance for the sport.
The Bombay High Court's Goa bench has ruled that draft electoral rolls cannot be the sole basis for deleting names from voter lists, asserting that administrative software cannot supersede statutory laws. The court questioned the Election Commission of India's authority to delete voters without a hearing, highlighting concerns over the ERONET system's limitations and its potential to disenfranchise citizens.
Team Europe's Carlos Alcaraz saved two match points to defeat Taylor Fritz, while Team World's Alex de Minaur stunned Alexander Zverev on day two of the Laver Cup. Learner Tien also secured a win for Team World, but Team Europe ended Saturday with a 7-5 lead after additional victories by Zverev/Ruud.
Lovlina Borgohain (75kg) and Parveen Hooda (65kg) have clinched gold medals in women's boxing at the Asian Games, ending India's 12-year wait for titles in the category.
'...because of the character, how it was to be portrayed, the speech, the scenes.' 'There was a physicality involved because he was a TB patient who eventually had cancer and passed away.'
India U-19 secured a commanding innings and 48-run victory over Australia U-19, continuing their dominant run. Lakshya Raichandani's double century and exceptional bowling performances from Yashbardhan Chauhan (6/75) and Ishan Om (4/62) were key to the win. This victory follows India's 3-0 sweep in the preceding Youth ODI series.
Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) has accused DMK president M.K. Stalin of 'body-shaming' their Dharapuram bypoll candidate P. Satyabama during a campaign rally, petitioning the Election Commission to revoke his star campaigner status and impose a temporary ban.
Three residents from Gujarat, India, who attempted to travel to the US via an illegal route, have gone missing in Ethiopia. Their families claim they were kidnapped and are being held for a ransom of Rs 1 crore, having already paid substantial amounts to agents for the illicit journey. Police have registered a missing persons complaint as contact was lost after September 22.
Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson acknowledges India as the benchmark in white-ball cricket but expresses confidence in his team's ability to challenge them at the Asian Games. He also defended Pakistan's T20 performance, highlighting their improved ranking and series wins, while downplaying captaincy speculation for Sahibzada Farhan.
Indian squash players Anahat Singh and Abhay Singh both secured silver medals at the Asian Games after losing their respective singles finals to Malaysian opponents.
India's national soft tennis federation is pushing for the sport's inclusion in the 2030 Commonwealth Games in Ahmedabad, following a historic Asian Games medal. Special Advisor Harshang Khodadhara highlighted India's strong global ranking and its position as the leading Commonwealth nation in soft tennis, expressing confidence in winning gold medals if included.
Led by R Praggnanandhaa on the top board and World champion D Gukesh on the fourth, the Indian men scored an emphatic 3-1 victory over Holland but the Indian eves were shocked by Poland in the fifth round of the 46th chess Olympiad in Samarkand.
India finished fourth at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games with 85 medals, a significant dip from the previous edition's record haul. While traditional strongholds like shooting and athletics underperformed, breakthroughs in archery, wrestling, golf, boxing, hockey, and cricket showcased a broadening sporting base. The performance serves as a reality check on sustaining progress towards top global rankings and highlights areas for improvement in mental conditioning and preparation.
The Indian women's hockey team secured a historic Asian Games gold medal, defeating China 1-0, which also guaranteed direct qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Goalkeeper Savita Punia highlighted the team's focus on Olympic qualification and credited the new coaching staff for fostering unity and belief, transforming the team's performance and mindset over the past 10 months.
Trisha, daughter of Jharkhand Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Dipika Pandey Singh, was among four people killed when their car rammed into a stationary truck on Marine Drive Road in Jamshedpur. The accident occurred in the early hours, also claiming the lives of Sarthak Agarwal, Naman Gupta, and Vanshika Khandelwal.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has approved the use of pink balls in day-time Test matches on a trial basis, aiming to mitigate the frequent loss of overs due to fading light in the final session. This decision, applicable to series starting from October 1, allows for mutual agreement between teams to use the pink ball for the entire duration of a Test.
Kumkum Mohod, a 17-year-old archer from Amravati, has achieved significant success at the Asian Games, securing a gold and a silver medal. Her father and coach highlight her journey from a bamboo bow to international competitions, overcoming financial challenges, and her ultimate dream of representing India at the Olympics. Her performance, particularly against South Korea, has brought pride to her family, hometown, and the nation.
Two-time Olympic medallist P V Sindhu and young shuttler Ayush Shetty notched up straight-game wins to progress to the singles pre-quarterfinals.
Manchester United suffered a historic 3-2 home defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion in the League Cup, despite taking a two-goal lead. This loss marks the first time in nearly 50 years United have lost at home after being two goals up, adding to their recent struggles including a Premier League loss to Manchester City and a poor start to the season.
The Indian women's table tennis team secured a hard-fought victory over Thailand to advance to the quarterfinals of the Asian Games. However, the men's team faced an early exit after a 0-3 defeat against South Korea in the round of 16.
