While it took the Congress nearly a half century to earn the hatred of other political outfits, the BJP appears set to reach there in around six years, says Arun Bhatnagar, former secretary to the GoI.
With sublime control, a back heel flick, a pirouette and a sweet volleyed finish, Neymar fashioned a glorious goal at the Nou Camp on Sunday to rekindle memories of Barcelona's greatest Brazilian wizards.
With Joji, Dileesh Pothan has found a way, once more, to use everything he has learnt to further push the boundaries of his art, observes Sreehari Nair.
'It does not appear to me that the campaign of 2019 will be positive. By that I mean it is unlikely that there will be an 'achche din' style slogan either from the government or the opposition.'
Sukanya Verma looks at 2019's winners and washouts so far.
Barcelona's talismanic Lionel Messi remains the driving force of a talented side on the brink of repeating 2009's historic treble despite a change in their coach and style of football, not to mention a host of players.
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Thursday
'Rajan epitomised the best of his generation -- veneration for knowledge, for old fashioned morality of honesty and modesty.' Economist Devaki Jain, Padma Bhushan, salutes her brother who passed into the ages last week.
Rishi Kapoor passed into the ages on April 30.
Experts pick the most effective advertisements of the year.
Sukanya Verma lists the 2018 films that impressive her.
Not only did Alia Bhatt take the wind out of the sails of her detractors by sending herself up with great style, she proved just how smart she was by doing so, thus re-casting herself as not only smart but also cool.
Naipaul's views against the commonplace perception towards colonised countries and their people were not the only thing controversial about the famed author.
'During Diwali, many films with big stars are released. KB's film needed no stars. 'A film by K Balachander' was enough to draw the crowds.' Director Suresh Krissna pays rich tribute to the late K Balachander.
AB de Villiers won as many as five awards, including the South African Cricketer of the Year for a second consecutive time, at a gala function, hosted by Cricket South Africa (CSA), in Johannesburg on Wednesday night. Besides being voted Cricketer of the Year for the second successive season, the South African batting great bagged four more accolades out of nine major awards.
How did how a reluctant, chain-smoking, beer-swigging footballer captain the greatest football nation in the world?
World champion Viswanathan Anand got off to a disappointing start, suffering a rare defeat against Fabiano Caruana of Italy in the first round of the Tal Memorial Chess Tournament in Moscow.
Modi-Shah BJP has resurrected dangers and the enemy from the past and built a scary jingoism. It's a great diversionary tactic but history shows it never ends well, points out Shekhar Gupta.
'Since Piku, Irrfan seemed content in delighting us with his finesse than striking a nerve.' 'Now, why was this so?' 'Why did our No 1 soul-searching actor suddenly decide that he'd rather be a heart-warmer?' 'Did those journeys take too much out of him?' asks Sreehari Nair.
'In one mansion we visited, I was told the doors in the back courtyard had to be kept closed because to have the front and back doors open at the same time would result in Chettiar wealth flowing away,' notes Rahul Jacob after a memorable visit to Karaikudi.
'The whispers and the murmurs had reached even the king's private quarters.' 'Of a royal surgeon wielding a chain-saw like a carpenter; a chemist with a cannister of acid; the royal chief executioner instructing someone about the fine art of handling swords...' 'All this being supervised by Mohammed's closest confidant.'
Barca captain Messi opened the scoring with a "Panenka" penalty chipped straight down the middle in the 17th minute after Luis Suarez was fouled in the area, putting the home side ahead in the tie after a goalless first leg in France.
Imran Khan will always be first and foremost the enigmatic 'Kaptaan', who pulled off the impossible -- transform an immensely talented but fractious bunch of cricketers into world beaters.
If Kishore Kumar were alive today, he would have turned 90 on August 4.
Siva Sankar looks at S P Balasubrahmanyam's fantastic repertoire.
R K Narayan's house has been preserved as a simple museum with his memorabilia, thanks to the imagination of a commissioner of Mysore, who stopped its sale by RKN's successors to a property developer and purchased it for the government.
At some point, it became evident to the audience that a subtle musical duel was taking place. By the time the faster taans started, the notes had become sharp arrows shot with the intention to annihilate. A revealing excerpt from Namita Devidayal's The Sixth String Of Vilayat Khan.
A look at the top tweets from your favourite Bollywood celebrities.
'Is there any other batsman in the world who can hold a candle to Rohit Sharma in purely aesthetic terms?' asks Haresh Pandya.
'Sanjay Leela Bhansali's historical characters behave as though they are already aware of the chapters that will be dedicated to them and the sonnets that will be written in their memory.' 'And yet, they talk relentlessly about making and remaking history.' 'Can anything be more superficial?' asks Sreehari Nair.
'The airline business is very dynamic. If you are unable to keep up and lead, you end up last.' 'This is what has happened to Jet.'
The jobless armies of youthful India are getting angrier and desperate, warns Shekhar Gupta.
'In India a strong leader with a majority has never yet been defeated by a challenger.' 'He (or she, as with Indira Gandhi in 1977) must defeat himself,' says Shekhar Gupta.
There is a vital difference between Bofors and Rafale, explains Shekhar Gupta.
Ugly -- a constantly riveting, ticking timebomb of a film -- is by far Kashyap's finest film, says Raja Sen
If you happen to like this film, I have to assume there's something seriously wrong with your idea of a journey, Sreehari Nair says.
If Manto, the film, falls short of being a masterpiece it's because Nandita Das could not quite crack the Manto code: She couldn't quite see the wholeness of her subject with the same eyes that Manto saw his people. This imperfection in the film, in a way, becomes the greatest tribute to Manto, feels Sreehari Nair.
The top posts on social media from your favourite Bollywood celebrities.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes rises above all its predecessors, says Paloma Sharma.