How the internet is changing us

What’s in a name?: A rose by any other name may smell just as sweet. But Lars Aagaard, the Danish minister for climate, energies and utilities, thinks that names do matter. During his recent visit to Delhi, he was asked about his meeting with the minister of power. Aagaard was amused: “Minister of power, I like that! I would be like to called minister of power.”The designation may smell just as sweet, but when it comes to designations for ministers, being powerful certainly helps | Illustrations by Jairaj T.G.

Sweet trouble: Mohanthal—fudge made with gram flour ghee and sugar—had long been the prasad at the famous Ambaji Temple in north Gujarat. The temple trust, headed by the Banaskantha district collector, recently replaced it with chikki (peanut brittle), triggering protests by the the Congress, the VHP, the Bajrang Dal and many devotees. Health Minister Rushikesh Patel said chikki was chosen because it had more shelf-life (about three months) than mohanthal (about a week). It can be couriered as well. It is not clear though what took the temple trust so long to realise these things.

Shoe-shocked: Madhya Pradesh Health Minister Prabhuram Choudhary was about to leave the birth anniversary function of the late Madhavrao Scindia in Gwalior when he realised that his shoes were missing. Some 50 cops and hundreds of party workers went on a fruitless hunt. The minister finally left the venue wearing a party worker’s footwear, and the cops were left wondering about the level of security at a programme attended by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and other BJP bigwigs.

Underwater romance: T-Series and Almighty Motion Picture are all set to adapt Bina Nayak’s best-seller, Starfish Pickle, into a film starring Milind Soman and Khushalii Kumar. The romantic drama revolves around a commercial diver, Tara Salgaonkar (Kumar), whose life takes an unpredictable turn when she meets Guruji (Soman) at a trance party. The film, to be helmed by Akhilesh Jaiswal, is set in the beautiful locales of Malta, and the actors are currently undergoing training at a diving school | Getty Images

Seventh heaven?: After seven years, Karan Johar is coming out with his seventh directorial, Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani, starring Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt. Upon the wrap of the film’s shoot, Johar penned an emotional note on Instagram. “I embarked on a journey of a film that I had to stop midway for various unavoidable reasons and then the germ of #rockyaurranikipremkahani came to me from a real-life anecdote (something my father once told me about) and then my soldiers helped me create everything I wanted to with my seventh feature....” he shared. The film is set to release in July. Johar’s last directorial was the musical romantic drama, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (2016) | PTI

Take three: It is that time of the year when fans of Delhi Crime take out their party shoes. Netflix just announced that the show has been renewed for a third season. Delhi Crime, starring Shefali Shah as Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Vartika Chaturvedi, follows the Delhi Police as they investigate gruesome crimes. Season one was based on the Delhi gang rape case of 2012, and season two on the Chaddi Baniyan gang. Other shows renewed for a third season include Mismatched, Kota Factory, SHE and Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives | AFP

A textbook case: Taylor Swift will make her presence felt, not just on your playlist, but also in your classroom. Stanford University has now announced a course on her song, ‘All Too Well’, to be taken by Stanford alumnus, Nona Hungate. Other universities which have introduced courses on Swift’s music include NYU and the University of Texas. ‘All Too Well’ was part of her fourth studio album Red (2012). Over the years, the song—which incorporated elements of country, folk and rock—has attained cult status | Getty Images

Wading into music: Renowned filmmakers and writers Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti are joining hands with singer-songwriter Ankur Tewari to launch the music label, Tiger Baby Records. “We hope to continue to empower newer voices and create sounds that break the clutter, and our roster of releases will reflect that,” stated Akhtar and Kagti. The label’s first release will be the title track of Tewari’s EP for children, Aaja Nindiya, which will be out on March 17. Akhtar and Kagti, who launched their film production company, Tiger Baby, in 2015, are the women behind such hits as Gully Boy and Made in Heaven | AFP