'Till my wife called me up one day and said, "Hey, we need food on the table".'
Religion and economic barriers continue to define love in modern India, discovers Preshth Bhardwaj.
'I was completely in awe of him. After the shot was okayed, I would quickly run back to my chair and sit quietly till I was called again.'
This time Modi has no emotive message to take to the stump. Muscular nationalism doesn't work against the backdrop of China's successive inroads into Indian territory. Rising prices is a sore point that cuts across class and caste barriers; unprecedented levels of unemployment has the youth in a ferment. This has reduced the BJP campaign to a laundry list of recycled grievances and thinly veiled communal appeals, neither of which are working as well as they have in the past, argues Prem Panicker.
Andhra Pradesh Minister for Backward Classes Welfare M Mukesh Goud has written a letter to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi saying 'the concerns of various sections of people living in Hyderabad need to be looked into' while taking a decision on the Telangana state demand.
Cricket, time travel, artificial intelligence, haunted homes, World War II -- it's all there on OTT this week.
'As we enter 2025, it must be acknowledged that there is a convergence of capital, influential people (from business and politics) and technology deciding the destiny of others in the name of pride, patriotism, nationalism, nation building, all of it thinly veiled disguises for personal profit and glory,' asserts Shyam G Menon.
India may need to take a fresh look at its monetary policy, says Amartya Lahiri, professor of Economics at the University of British Columbia.
'People in politics have lost the value of being connected to their own people.' 'Now it's all about vote share, vote bank, how many parties can you break and make them join you.'
Shigeru Ishiba is expected to prioritise strengthening Japan's military capabilities and fostering deeper international partnerships, particularly with India, with whom Japan shares significant strategic interests, explains Dr Rajaram Panda.
The life of 97-year-old Gangubai, born in a family of boatmen, was an incredible saga of struggle to reach the pinnacle of a musical career, dotted with poignant incidents of battling financial woes, ridicule by casteist neighbours and a constant battle between staving off hunger and delivering sublime music.
A procession of barges will take nearly 7,000 athletes along the river past Paris's most famous landmarks, while more than 300,000 spectators will watch from the banks.
From the early pioneers to today's global superstars, the Olympics have captured hearts and minds, shaping cultures and inspiring generations.
The Election Commission of India has set up more than 200 polling stations within housing societies in the urban areas of Uttar Pradesh to increase the voter turnout in the politically crucial state.
Having a smooth and successful inter-caste marriage is something you are more likely to realise in a dream than in reality. For those in this situation, here's something I learnt from my own experience.
'BJP's ultimate ambition is to control Bihar independently.'
A substantial number of castes and groups are already placed in the reserved category, getting about 52 per cent of reservations altogether. It would be completely inequitable to place the Maratha community in the Other Backward Class (OBC) category, it said.
After a dry, dreadful, spell of darkness and desolation, it looks like Bollywood love stories are ready to rock the silver screen again.
"What the legislature cannot do is to say that we think the judgment is wrong and therefore we overrule the judgment. The judgment of a court cannot be directly overruled by the legislature," the CJI said.
Chaudhary also announced that if his party is voted into power in Uttar Pradesh, high court benches will be set up in western Uttar Pradesh, Bundelkhand and Purvanchal areas of the state.
'I want to believe that now the world is my oyster.'
He also said "forward-looking" policies and judgements were needed to ensure that the benefits of social welfare measures actually reach the citizens.
In the three decades since reservation of seats for women in panchayati raj institutions was introduced, the country saw women dismantling gender barriers to take the lead in the political field at the grassroots level and excel in it.
Manjummel Boys is a largely conventional, commercial movie. But given the rather curvy observations that do stay intact in the film, Rohit Sathish is tempted to think what an even braver, more ambitious film would have done.
The party's most important electoral challenge lies in whether it can meet the aspirations of the youth who were drawn by the promise of gainful work.
'It is important to understand that the disability is not in the person.' 'The problem lies in societal attitude and the discriminatory treatment given to disabled people in our country.'
'In Bangladesh, I have played so many dynamic characters, be it a freedom fighter, a circus trapeze artist, sex worker, and many more.'
After Krishna's November 17 concert to be held at Nehru Park was cancelled by AAI, the Aam Aadmi Party government had on Thursday stepped in to organise another performance by Krishna, who often finds himself in the cross-hairs of controversy over his outspoken views.
When the post-pandemic audience wants large-scale entertainers, Anubhav Sinha has the courage to make a film that determinedly veers away from escapism, applauds Deepa Gahlot.
'But he was very quick and did a very stylish adab.' 'Of course, I didn't expect him to hug.'
In the mood for romance but don't know which movies to watch? Tamil cinema has a lot to offer on OTT, and Arjun Menon lists his favourites.
If the PM gives the historic opportunity of laying the foundation stone of the Ram temple to a Dalit girl, it will send a transformational message to the Dalits in India and will give them a sense of belongingness, says Dr Sudhir Bisht.
'The only violence I have had in any film of mine is a slap.' 'When Nikhil narrated the film to me, I was blown away.' 'I was literally screaming out of my chair.'
'What he says, he does.' 'People say if Khargesahab has said something, it will be set in stone.'
Jayanta Roy Chowdhury reports on how the West Bengal elections are being fought by the BJP and Trinalool Congress amid COVID challenges, 'Bangaliana', and campaigns based on religion, region, and caste.
'I'm pitching India for the strengths we offer, including the English language, engineers, doctors, nurses, professionals, innovative talent of startups.'
The Supreme Court on Friday said it would hear after four weeks a plea seeking a direction to the Centre and others to take steps to create an appropriate system which empowers citizens to petition Parliament and seek initiation of deliberations on issues highlighted by them.
A bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and justices PS Narasimha and JB Pardiwala said that a citizen cannot seek a right to stand up in Parliament.
While the polling so far has been peaceful, police had to open fire in the air in Purnia to disperse a crowd trying to disturb voting, even as people boycotted polling at 12 booths in Katihar in protest against barriers not being set up at two railway crossings.
