Yadav’s capital gains: Back in the early 2000s, a young Mohan Yadav played King Vikramaditya’s father in a local play in Ujjain. Fast forward to 2025 and, as Madhya Pradesh chief minister, he staged a full-blown Vikramaditya festival at the Red Fort. The three-day event was not just about the king after whom the Vikram Samvat Hindu calendar is named—it was also a showcase of the state’s soft power and Yadav’s growing stature. The fest ticked important boxes like Hindu heritage and Delhi outreach and even won Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s praise. Having recently crossed 500 days in office, it has to be said that Yadav’s political script is coming along very well | Illustrations by Jairaj T.G.

Flight and the fight: Malayalam actor Shine Tom Chacko had made headlines last week after pulling off a dramatic, cinema-style escape from a Kochi hotel during a police drug raid. (As per reports, he jumped from the third floor to the second, and then into a swimming pool before running away). He briefly went into hiding before appearing before the police, was arrested on charges of drug use following an interrogation and was then granted bail. Meanwhile, Democratic Youth Federation of India national president and Rajya Sabha MP A.A. Rahim had said that the likes of Chacko should understand who was ruling Kerala—a statement meant to play up the toughness of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. However, the Congress youth wing hit back, alleging that Chacko’s escape was made possible by the administration. Adding fuel to the fire, the Congress dug up a social media post from 2021 in which the actor had endorsed the left front.

All eyes on Kejriwal: Aam Aadmi Party national convener Arvind Kejriwal is known for being extremely diligent in preventing the leakage of information to the media. But, the former Delhi chief minister recently encountered a tricky situation. At his daughter’s wedding, the newshounds were keeping a close eye on invitees to identify and assess his principal political acquaintances. However, all they could spot was Kejriwal himself, dancing rather exuberantly. He had not invited high-profile political guests, thereby thwarting a cycle of exaggerated rumours.

Star gazing: From the world of Barbie (in which he played Ken), Ryan Gosling is plunging into the world of Star Wars. He has been roped in to act in a stand-alone Star Wars film—Starfighter—to be helmed by Shawn Levy, the director of the hugely popular Deadpool & Wolverine. Apparently, the film is not part of the Skywalker saga and will take place about five years after the events of Star Wars IX: The Rise of Skywalker (2019). There are also talks of a Barbie sequel, this time through the perspective of Ken. Greta Gerwig’s Barbie was the highest-grossing film of 2023. Whatever Gosling does, may the force be with him | Getty Images

Marriage made in Hollywood: How many times a day do you detonate imaginary nukes at your spouse? Apparently, waging World War III within the privacy of your home is not a universal phenomenon. In over 10 years of marriage, George and Amal Clooney say they’ve never had an argument. “We’re trying to find something to fight about,” joked George. On a more serious note, he added, “There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think I’m the luckiest man in the world.” To be married to someone as bright and beautiful as Amal is hitting the nuptial jackpot, but to never fight with her? That must surely be the stuff of a Hollywood blockbuster | Getty Images

Learning through loss: Andaleeb Wajid is coming out with a memoir—Learning to Make Tea for One: Reflections on Love, Loss and Healing. The author of nearly 50 novels writes about losing her mother-in-law and husband in a span of five days during the pandemic. The book, published by Speaking Tiger, is not just a tribute to her loved ones, but also her chronicle of dealing with grief and finding hope in the midst of hopelessness. Perhaps the best way to expunge grief is to express it | Bhanu Prakash Chandra

A newsroom victory: Filmmaker Vinay Shukla’s documentary While We Watched has won the Grand Prize of $1,00,000 at the inaugural 2025 Henry Awards, presented by the Harvard Kennedy School’s Shorenstein Centre. The newsroom drama, which premiered at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival, follows journalist Ravish Kumar for two years as he combats the attack against free press. “While We Watched is a deeply personal film—not just about one journalist, but about what it means to hold on to your values when everything around you is shifting,” said Shukla, adding that he felt like he had won Kaun Banega Crorepati, even though he had never been the “smart sibling” | Getty Images