'Deeply flawed, Sacred Games and Mirzapur come nowhere close to representing the diversity of stories from this country,' says Vikram Johri.
Tainted pacer Shantakumaran Sreesanth's plea for a review of his life ban has been 'summarily rejected' by the Board of Control for Cricket in India, which says it will not compromise on its zero tolerance policy towards corruption.
The newly chalked Futures Tours Programme (FTP) and the hefty compensation of Rs 850 crore to now-defunct Indian Premier League franchise Kochi Tuskers Kerala will be discussed extensively when Board of Control for Cricket in India's Special General Meeting is held in New Delhi on Monday.
'In the new Bollywood, where success can translate, like a chain reaction, into gains in related fields, mere appearance on the screen is no longer a guarantor of fame,' says Vikram Johri.
Raising security issues, the defence lawyers referred to a media report on the death of a judge who had dealt with the case and said "misreporting has already caused prejudice to both sides". They said it was a "sensational" case and some untoward incident could happen if publication of reports was allowed.
The Central Information Commission (CIC) on Friday urged the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators running the Board of Control for Cricket in India to 'immediately initiate efforts' to look into the issues raised by historian Ramachandra Guha in his resignation letter.
'Even when he moves beyond his traditional repertoire, he sticks to a template that does not take him too far from the viewer's gentler emotions,' notes Vikram Johri.
BCCI president Anurag Thakur and coach Anil Kumble on Wednesday attended a meeting with ICC and Hawk Eye representatives, who made a detailed presentation of the upgraded version of Decision Review System (DRS). There are talks that DRS could be used during the upcoming India-England series, comprising five Tests, or during the series against Australia later. As per initial feedback, the BCCI bigwigs including the president and the coach have felt that there are "some improvements" which meant that some of India's issues have been addressed in the upgraded system.
Parthiv Patel was unlucky to miss out despite a fine showing in the Test series against England as the selectors preferred to recall Wriddhiman Saha for the one-off Test against Bangladesh.
'Vajpayee was predictable in his ways.' 'Modi is a schemer, possessed of a shrewdness that can be rewarding in the chaotic world of politics.' 'His political journey gives reason to believe that 2019 will be another milestone in his private project,' notes Vikram Johri.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India treasurer Aniruddh Chaudhry has questioned COA member Diana Edulji benefitting from a one-time ex-gratia payment given to women international cricketers, implying conflict of interest in the allocation.
Accordingly, 12 affiliated units -- Andhra, Assam, Goa, Jharkhand, Kerala, Mumbai, Rajasthan, Railways, Tripura, Universities, Uttar Pradesh, Vidarbha -- have submitted their suggestions to the amicus curiae and they have reached a common ground.
'It is this difference in their personalities -- one in eloquent command of the requirements of Parliamentary debate, the other unable to infuse spontaneity in his script -- that will be as much a factor in who India votes for next year, as other more germane factors,' says Vikram Johri.
The Supreme Court on Friday termed as a "serious matter" the issue of alleged mysterious death of special Central Bureau of Investigation judge B H Loya, who was hearing the Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter case, and sought response from the Maharashtra government on pleas seeking an independent probe into it.
The CIC has invited only seven RTI activists -- Aruna Roy, Nikhil Dey, Shekhar Singh, Amrita Johri, Anjali Bharadwaj, Venkatesh Nayak and Lokesh Batra -- for the function to be held on Friday.
'While they do -- and should -- speak up for causes close to their heart, the couple should be mindful of the nature of social media and how even the best intentions can quickly degenerate into rancour if the issue is not approached with nuance and caution,' says Vikram Johri.
The violence-affected areas witnessed several rounds of stone-pelting from pro and anti-CAA protesters. At least 11 police personnel, including DCP Shahdara and ACP (Gokalpuri) were injured. 2 CRPF personnel were also injured. All private and government schools in Northeast Delhi district will remain closed on Tuesday.
'Khaitan's film will continue to invite comparisons with Manjule's, but the fact that it is out there for viewers to see is perhaps a greater tribute to the original than is conveyed by the cautious desire to remake it,' says Vikram Johri.
Batting for larger transparency, the Central Information Commission (CIC) has urged the Committee of Administrators running the Board of Control for Cricket in India to look into the issues raised by historian Ramachandra Guha.
'Karti Chidambaram may be the beginning of a larger can of worms that the government has waited thus far to pop open,' says Vikram Johri.
'The Left brands any criticism of Islam -- its history, its dogmas -- 'Islamophobic', conflating criticism of an ideology with criticism of a people,' notes Vikram Johri.
Taking strong exception to the Board of Control for Cricket in India 'misleading' everyone on key issues such as disbursement of large amount of funds to state associations, the Supreme Court-appointed Justice Rajendra Mal Lodha-panel on Tuesday said it is unfortunate that their directions have been 'misinterpreted'.
According to a report in the Indian Express newspaper, the decision to call off the tour was taken following Justice L M Lodha committee's direction to banks to freeze the accounts of the BCCI.
Ties between India and the United States have been strained in recent years because of trade policies and patent disputes.
'North Korea could choose to go China's way by selectively opening up the economy, but Kim does not seem enthused by the idea.' 'Getting Pyongyang to give up the nuclear programme may be the best outcome Trump can hope for at the moment,' says Vikram Johri.
Jauhar is a recurrent theme in the history of that period. And Khilji was hardly the only Muslim invader whose onset forced women to self-immolate. Nearly the entire Mughal clan, including the benevolent Akbar, forced jauhar on the defeated, says Vikram Johri.
'That only a certain Mumbai story -- look at Salaam Bombay and Slumdog Millionaire for other examples -- gets made when an international audience is as much a target as the desi viewer, should invoke questions of representation,' notes Vikram Johri.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India seems to be all set to retain chief coach Anil Kumble as acting president C K Khanna on Thursday wrote a letter to secretary Amitabh Chaudhary urging him to defer the recruitment process till the end of the West Indies tour.
'What has taken the wind out of its sails is the government's own expectation management and its inability to strategise on delivery,' says Vikram Johri.
Jaitley's team presents a quintessential mix of foreign-educated, intellectual technocrats and seasoned bureaucrats
The way the present government has dealt with appointments of civil servants remains to be a cause for concern.
The two-day meeting is scheduled in Singapore from December 7.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India's Committee of Administrators (COA) on Wednesday made it clear that they will not sacrifice India's interests while dealing with the International Cricket Council.
'Can he be the statesman that a divided nation needs?' 'Not remotely, but by following his gut, he may yet surprise the scores upon scores of naysayers,' says Vikram Johri.
The BCCI on Tuesday named Ravi Shastri as the new chief coach of the Indian cricket team with former fast bowling great Zaheer Khan being appointed the bowling coach for a period of two years.
The Looming Tower reveals the bitter CIA-FBI turf battles that led to the worst terrorist attack in America's history.
When Deepak Singh first started working as a salesman in the US, he was ashamed of the fall in status this signalled, says Vikram Johri.
Best vs Best. Tiger vs Tiger. Star India, BCCI team up for a high decibel campaign for the cricket jamboree.
The nature of modern celebrity is particularly explosive when Bollywood romances cricket.
Purists may balk at this level of public discourse, but no one can deny its ability to marshal opinion.
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