For the farmers: Karnataka Agriculture Minister B.C. Patil has a reputation for creativity. Now, the former cop and Kannada actor has appealed to the staff of the Bengaluru Agriculture University, and farmers, to answer their phones with “Jai kissan” instead of “Hello”. The three-time MLA from Hirekerur has also instructed his department to use the state farmers’ anthem as their mobile caller tune to instil a sense of pride in the farming community | Illustrations by Jairaj T.G.

The Covid-19 fig leaf: All eyes were on Telugu Desam Party legislators during the recent Rajya Sabha elections in Andhra Pradesh. A year after the YSR Congress Party came to power, a few TDP leaders had started drifting towards the ruling party. TDP MLA Anagani Satya Prasad, who has been maintaining a distance from his party, wrote to TDP supremo N. Chandrababu Naidu on the day of elections. He said he could not vote as he had come in contact with a Covid-19 positive person and was in self-quarantine. However, later that evening, he showed up on news channels saying that his test report was negative. “Had I received this report a few hours earlier, I would have voted,” he said. Timing, we say!

Back in demand: It has been more than a year since Navjot Singh Sidhu resigned from the Punjab cabinet over differences with Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh. Now, he is being wooed by many, including the AAP and the breakaway faction of the Akali Dal. As the buzz over a cabinet reshuffle gained traction in Punjab, Asha Kumari, senior Congress leader and in-charge of party affairs for Punjab, said Sidhu was welcome to join the cabinet again. Sidhu has been quiet so far. However, it appears it is not just the political parties who are chasing Sidhu. A team of the Bihar Police had recently landed in Amritsar looking for the former cricketer as he was booked in a case during the elections last year. Some feel it is a message to Sidhu—stay away from campaigning during the Bihar assembly elections later this year.

Brand new graduate: Congratulations poured in from everywhere as Pakistani activist and Nobel Prize-winner Malala Yousafzai, 22, graduated from Oxford University with a degree in philosophy, politics and economics. Among her well-wishers were singer Shakira, former American presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg, and our own PeeCee. Sharing a picture of both of them, Priyanka Chopra remarked what an incredible achievement it was. “I’m so proud,” she gushed. Yousafzai herself says she is not sure what is ahead. “For now, it will be Netflix, reading and sleep,” said the young graduate.

For dad, with love: Many of us might be fans of our fathers, but only a few would go to the extent of getting inked for them. Kirti Kulhari is one among the few. She got her first tattoo as a tribute to her father, a retired commander of the Indian Navy. The tattoo is of her father’s response whenever she caught him over-indulging his sweet tooth. “What is the problem, yaar?” he used to ask. “My husband suggested that I should ink this hilarious response,” said the actor, who will next be seen in the Hindi remake of the Hollywood film, The Girl on the Train.

Packing a punch: In his latest video, Vidyut Jammwal gave a lesson in bone prana punch, which is a form of self-defence in kalaripayattu. “It is not only about how you punch, it is about your skeletal system, your muscles, your sync and your harmony with yourself,” he says, before punching an old book nearly into pulp. He attributed his literary choice to the lack of punching bags during lockdown. The actor is known for interacting with his fans on social media and giving them tips on fitness and self-defence | Getty Images

A dose of Bose: After films like English, August, Mr and Mrs Iyer, Antaheen and Jhankar Beats, you might have wondered what happened to Rahul Bose. He has returned in the recent Netflix original, Bulbbul, in which he plays a double role, set in early 20th century Bengal. Inspired by a folk tale, the film is about the legend of a witch brought out through the story of a child bride. Produced by Anushka Sharma’s Clean Slate Films, it began streaming on June 24 | PTI