The title of the new Telugu film Idupu Kayitam (ఇడుపు కాయితం) has triggered an entirely avoidable controversy. For many in Telangana, the title is perfectly ordinary. Idupu Kayitam means exactly what vidakulu (విడాకులు) means elsewhere – divorce. Yet, social media has predictably split into camps. One insists the title is ‘wrong Telugu’. The other is…
July has arrived, but summer seems to have forgotten to check the calendar. In Hyderabad, mornings have become slightly kinder after a few spells of rain. Across parts of India too, the monsoon has begun to make its presence felt. Yet the larger picture remains disturbing. The heat refuses to retreat. Scientists warn that a…
The latest social media darling is Vijay Sethupathi. He reportedly declined to perform romantic scenes with Krithi Shetty, telling the makers that she looked like his daughter. Neither the actor nor the film’s team has confirmed the story. But that small detail has not prevented social media from breaking into spontaneous applause. We have reached…
Election season in India comes with many familiar sights – helicopter landings in dusty maidans, impossible promises, sudden displays of religiosity, and Rahul Gandhi discovering yet another explosive scandal involving his political opponents. The routine rarely changes. An accusation is launched with great flourish from a public platform. Television channels amplify it, party workers circulate…
The latest meme doing the rounds on social media deserves preservation in the British Library, right next to the Magna Carta. It carries an image of the famous black door at 10 Downing Street and the caption: ‘Sponsored by Airbnb – Perfect for short stays.’ One cannot disagree with the description. For generations, occupying No….
Kerala’s love affair with parotta and beef fry is legendary. It transcends caste, creed and politics. The Left, the Congress and the BJP may disagree on everything from economic policy to foreign affairs, but put a plate of flaky parotta and spicy beef fry before them and ideological differences melt faster than a blob of…
There was a time when children of the 1960s had very few Days to celebrate in our country. We belonged to what is now fashionably called Generation Jones, though in those days we were simply children with scraped knees and dusty shorts. Our calendar was uncluttered. We had Independence Day, Republic Day, Teachers’ Day and…
My granddaughter was reading aloud from her alphabet book the other day. A for Apple, B for Ball… and eventually, G for Goat. Nothing has changed, I thought. Sixty years ago, when I was in nursery school, my alphabet book also had G for Goat. The animal looked much the same – four legs, two…
Rahul Gandhi and Donald Trump may disagree on almost everything under the sun, but they have inadvertently formed one of the most productive political partnerships in recent times. Trump speaks. Rahul amplifies. Trump speculates, Rahul celebrates. Trump attacks Modi, and Rahul treats it as certified truth. One can almost imagine the LOO (Leader of the…
The recent statements of former Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and Trinamool Congress spokesperson Riju Dutta offer a revealing glimpse into a disturbing aspect of contemporary politics – the willingness of individuals to suspend personal judgment and repeat party narratives, only to distance themselves from them later. Though separated by time, political context, and…
