Seventy years after Pather Panchali released on August 26, 1955, we finally get it. Shuttling between the village of Boral and a studio in Calcutta, caught between worrying about the next purse of funds and wondering which item to mortgage next, Satyajit Ray was explaining Indians to themselves, discovers Sreehari Nair.
'He was not highly educated. He was Class 10 passed but his intelligence was high. He could impress any group of people.'
'...it should not delude itself into thinking that India's security or its great-power ambitions will be advanced by those partnerships.'
'Instead, what India should focus on is on riding out the next three-and-a-half years of Trump's presidency with minimal damage to itself.'
The textile and apparel sector is India's second-largest employment provider, after agriculture, and it is now caught in a wave of uncertainty following the Donald Trump administration's tariff policy.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has alleged that some Congress leaders pressured individuals to donate funds to the Young Indian and Associated Journals Limited (AJL) on instructions from senior party functionaries. The ED's chargesheet in the National Herald case claims that these individuals made payments to the company "under the influence" from senior leaders who promised them "certain favours" in party politics. The chargesheet, filed on April 9 before a local court, names Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi as accused, along with five others, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The agency alleges that these donations were not made voluntarily but in expectation of political benefits. The ED also found that YI and AJL received funds from various entities through "quid pro quo" arrangements, where individuals were asked to make payments for advertisements in the National Herald in exchange for past favours from Congress leaders.
Kolkata Police stopped the trailer launch of 'The Bengal Files', a film based on the 1946 Calcutta Riots, its director Vivek Agnihotri claimed, sparking controversy and allegations of censorship.
'Rahul Gandhi is not coming to seek votes, but to reach out to people for awareness of their democratic rights.'
It is sporadically chilling but the disparate elements take forever to come together, notes Deepa Gahlot.
Vaikhari Sonawane tells us how she went from writing blogs about her therapy sessions to creating a nationwide student-led mental health network.
'Anyone they don't like can be potentially arrested and thrown in jail for 30 days to induce regime change.'
Expressing surprise over political parties not coming forward in filing objections related to 65 lakh excluded voters, the top court directed the chief electoral officer of Bihar to implead them in the court proceedings.
South Africa's leading paceman Kagiso Rabada says it is time to move on from the euphoria of beating Australia in the World Test Championship final while admitting a belated major trophy success has come as a relief to his team.
'The definitions in the Act are so wide and so vague that they can be easily misused to target individuals who may not be conducive to the present government in power.'
A disturbing incident of molestation was captured on CCTV in Moradabad on August 3, showing a man engaging in indecent behaviour with a burqa-clad woman in broad daylight. The footage quickly went viral on social media, sparking outrage and demands for immediate action.
'People are enjoying freedom in everyday life because of their sacrifice.'
Ayodhya district administration has imposed a complete ban on unauthorised drone operations across the district following an order by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath due to potential drone-related threats.
India's top information- technology (IT) services companies, all cash-rich, have been tightfisted about ploughing back their earnings in new projects or acquisitions and the bulk of the profits have been distributed to shareholders through dividend and share buybacks. In the past 10 years (that is, excluding the current one), the firms have reinvested in growth and expansion only around 13.5 per cent of the cash flow generated from their operations.
'China reduced its exports of urea to India gradually.' 'In 2020-2021 we imported 28 lakh tonnes of urea which reduced to 16 lakh tonnes in 2022-2023 and that has now reduced to 1 lakh tonnes in 2024-2025.'
In the past 10 years, over 500 PSB officers have died by suicide. When targets are overwhelming, senior management and customers are both impatient, and there is constant fear, not every banker has the resilience to survive and thrive, warns Tamal Bandyopadhyay.
'On our first day at the Kumbh Mela, there was a fire and shook our confidence. 'There must have been a few crore people there.' 'How do we place the camera in between them?'
The schools included Delhi Public School, Modern Convent School, and Shree Ram World School, a senior police officer said, adding that the threats were received via e-mail.
'We knew there would be a silence from the audience after watching the film because Dhadak 2 is that kind of a film.'
The NDRF has deployed its first-ever team of cadaver dogs to help locate those feared dead in the cloudburst incident in Uttarakhand. Disaster swept through the Himalayan village of Dharali on the way to Gangotri on Tuesday with a massive cloudburst leading to flash floods that barrelled through homes, trees, and cars, trapping 60-70 people and leaving at least four dead.
A Hindu temple and two Asian-run restaurants in Melbourne were defaced with racist graffiti, sparking concern within the community.
A 26-year-old domestic worker was arrested for allegedly strangling her newborn to death after giving birth in her employer's bathroom in Patel Nagar. She confessed to the crime due to fear of social stigma.
Security agencies in Jammu and Kashmir are facing a new threat from 'bedroom jihadis' who use social media to spread misinformation and incite communal discord. These individuals, operating from their homes, are part of a sophisticated cross-border effort to destabilize the region by disseminating inflammatory content and propaganda.
'The government only wakes up after devastation.' 'The government does not understand the gravity of the situation nor they do not want to understand the gravity of the situation.'
'People are fed up with rising crimes and poor law and order.' 'Modi must have got feedback and decided not to touch the 'jungle raj' issue as it will backfire.'
The Supreme Court has directed the Delhi government and civic bodies to address the 'extremely grim' stray dog menace by picking up strays and housing them in shelters for sterilization and immunization. The court also warned against obstructing authorities and ordered the creation of a helpline for reporting dog bite cases.
A witness in the 2008 Malegaon blast case claimed he was tortured and forced by the Maharashtra ATS to name Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The special court acquitted all seven accused, citing unreliable evidence and involuntary statements.
This is the first time a JD-U leader has openly expressed fears about the party's future.
The Bombay High Court ruled that possessing documents like Aadhaar, PAN, or voter ID does not automatically grant Indian citizenship, emphasizing the importance of the Citizenship Act of 1955.
Australia return home for a limited-overs series against South Africa, while the West Indies play Pakistan in three T20Is and three one-day internationals.
An Indian-origin nurse in Ireland is devastated after her daughter was racially abused and attacked. This incident, along with other recent attacks on Indian citizens, has raised concerns about safety and racism in Ireland.
As night fell over Chositi village, rescuers worked frantically and pulled out 167 people from under mounds of rubble. Of these, 38 are in a serious condition, officials said. The death toll went up steadily as the day progressed and there were fears it could rise further.
Even after 50 years, Sholay remains a lasting reminder of unity, shared memories and the joy of cinema, notes Mohammad Asim Siddiqui.
The always dependable Pratik Gandhi finds a match in Sunny Hinduja and they are surrounded by a top notch supporting cast, observes Deepa Gahlot.
The way to deal with a bully is to resist bullying, because submission in the first instance only invites even more overbearing demands in future. What may seem like a small price to pay now will lead to a much higher price later, warns former foreign secretary Shyam Saran.
Sholay's Basanti is the face of women's empowerment and gender equality. That's why, half a century after the movie first released, we're still talking about her.
Adding another layer of controversy to an already strained India-Pakistan cricket ties, a fan wearing a Pakistan cricket jersey was reportedly asked to cover it up by security officials during the fourth Test between England and India at Old Trafford in Manchester.