Exclusive: Life in Russia in the shadow of Ukraine war

Ganesh goes to Russia: The Hindu god of good tidings will soon be in Moscow for four days. The Indian National Cultural Centre is going all out to ensure that it is an authentic experience for Indians in Russia—from prayers, to daily aartis and singers being flown in from India. Sindhi devotional singer Saral Roshan will perform the Durga aarti with his band. There will be a dandiya and garba night. The highlight of the event will be a concert by singer Ishita Vishwakarma. It will be a spiritual high—no Russi influence here—and the food will be satvik. On the final day, there will be a boat visarjan for the idol. The divine presence will hopefully turn the tide for Russia | Illustrations by Jairaj T.G.

Rain on, rain off: After a long dry spell in the state, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan prayed at the Mahakal temple in Ujjain for good rainfall. The rain started soon, and, by mid-September, heavy rains were lashing parts of the state. This presented a problem to Agriculture Minister Kamal Patel; a rally was due in his hometown of Harda. So, he prayed for the rain to stop. And, it did. The Congress promptly made fun of the opposing prayers of the BJP leaders. Everyone seems to have missed that meteorologists had predicted almost the exact duration and extent of rainfall.

High tea: Getting high in the skies is a contentious topic in India. Except for the few heady, initial years of private airlines in the country in the 1990s, it has been restricted. A few years ago, the authorities sought the opinion of private airlines on the same. But with reports of unruly passenger behaviour and “peegate”, er... trickling in steadily, it is unlikely to change for now. So, domestic passengers have had to be content with green tea, juice and coffee. Enter low-cost carrier Akasa, which is offering kombucha, a fermented tea drink with minute alcohol content (often less than 1 per cent). It may not be much, but it is the best we have got, for now.

Rebel in a cape: Actor Huma Qureshi has taken up the pen. Her debut novel, Zeba—An Accidental Superhero, will be published by HarperCollins in December. “Been working on this for the past two years and everyone around me knows how much this means to me,” Qureshi said on Instagram. The book is described as a “thrilling tale of heroism and transformation, and ultimately, the triumph of the human spirit in the face of adversity.” Zeba, we hear, is a “rebellious brat” who accidentally discovers her superpower. We can't wait to find out what it is.

Words' worth: Arundhati Roy recently received the Prix Europeen De L'Essai for lifetime achievement. This is the first time that an Indian author has been presented with the European essay prize. “It would be presumptuous, arrogant, and even a little stupid of a writer to believe that she could change the world with her writing,” she said. “But it would be pitiful if she didn't even try.” To celebrate the occasion, Penguin announced a special edition box set of Roy's selected nonfiction, which includes The Shape of the Beast, The Doctor and the Saint, Broken Republic and The Algebra of Infinite Justice | Salil bera

All the president's fears: Oscar-winning actor Sean Penn's famous face might have gotten “weathered” over time, as he says in his latest documentary Superpower, but it still gets him access to conflict zones and embattled leaders. One of them is Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, whom Penn interviewed on the first day of the Russian invasion. He also went to the war front and spoke to numerous Ukrainians. Superpower might be worth a watch, if only for the way it captures the conflict inside Zelensky's mind as much as the one he is fighting outside | Getty Images

The whole picture: S.S. Rajamouli just announced his next project after the resounding success of RRR. Titled Made in India, the film will chart the rise of Indian cinema through Dadasaheb Phalke's life. “When I first heard the narration, it moved me emotionally like nothing else,” said the Baahubali maker. The film is to be produced by his son S.S. Karthikeya and Varun Gupta, and helmed by national award-winning filmmaker, Nitin Kakkar. Rajamouli plans to release it in six languages—Marathi, Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada | AFP

Rocking the ramp: former miss world Manushi Chhillar made her runway debut at the london fashion week. She was the showstopper for Rocky Star, who has designed for the likes of Beyonce and Paris Hilton. The black ensemble with sheer detailing that she wore is part of Star's new Spring/ Summer 2024 collection. Chhillar also debuted at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, after being announced as the brand ambassador for Estee Lauder. Looks like she has considerably upped her fashion game this year | Getty Images