Can Tejashwi Yadav Nitish Kumar-boosted NDA in Bihar?

One family, varied leanings: In Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, actor-politician Chiranjeevi’s family, which has more than half a dozen actors, has proved that the members are versatile even when picking sides in politics. Chiranjeevi had declared support to two BJP candidates—C.M. Ramesh in Andhra Pradesh and Konda Vishweshwar Reddy in Telangana. His son Ram Charan, also a popular actor, threw his weight behind his uncle and JanaSena Party chief Pawan Kalyan; he visited Kalyan’s constituency Pithapuram. Chiranjeevi’s nephew, Allu Arjun of Pushpa fame, campaigned for friend Shilpa Ravi Chandra Kishore Reddy, who is the YSR Congress’s candidate from Nandyal | Illustrations by Jairaj T.G.

Safety and the stars: As the CCTV cameras at the strongrooms—where electronic voting machines are kept after polling—in Nilgiris and Erode conked off for a while owing to a technical glitch, Lok Sabha candidates of all parties were worried about the safety of EVMs. Not one to take any chances, AIADMK rebel O. Panneerselvam stationed a team of his supporters to guard the strongroom 24x7; he contested from Ramanathapuram as an independent with the BJP’s backing. A day after the polling, the former Tamil Nadu chief minister visited Kerala. While some said that he went for an ayurveda treatment, his supporters said that he consulted an astrologer, who said that his fortunes would turn for the better after May 1. Panneerselvam and his supporters are keeping their fingers crossed.

Fund-raiser: Om Prakash Rajbhar of the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party, an ally of the BJP in Uttar Pradesh, has given his followers a unique mantra to overcome resource crunch this election season. At rallies, he has been asking his supporters to snatch money from the opposition. The modus operandi is thus: check vehicles; if you find money, seize it and report it to the police. But here is the catch: if you find Rs10 lakh, he says, report only Rs1 lakh to the police. The remaining Rs9 lakh can be used to fund elections, as the Election Commission keeps a sharp eye on spending. Wonder what the police have to say!

Unparalleled Bond: Renowned writer Ruskin Bond was presented with the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship on May 11 at his home in Mussoorie. Although he had received the award in 2021, it could not be presented to him in person due to his ill-health. Bond has written over 300 short stories, essays and novels and more than 30 books for children. Incidentally, he is celebrating his 90th birthday this month | Instagram@ruskinbondofficial

Coming soon: Baby Bieber: It’s official. Justin Bieber is about to become a father. He and wife Hailey announced the pregnancy on Instagram, along with photos of them renewing their marriage vows. Justin has been wanting kids for a while now. “I am going to have as many as Hailey is wishing to push out,” he said on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2020. “I’d love to have myself a little tribe.” Good thing he added that the choice was Hailey’s since it was her body. A tribe of Baby Biebers, no matter how cute, could be a tall ask | Getty Images

Flying high: After winning over 17 international awards, Shaunak Sen’s All That Breathes has bagged the prestigious Peabody award in the best documentary category. The film is about two Muslim brothers and their relationship with black kites. Sen shares the award with Vinay Shukla, whose film While We Watched is about an NDTV anchor and his struggles in the newsroom. Incidentally, this is the second consecutive year in which Indians are getting the award. Last year, it was won by Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh’s Writing With Fire | Getty Images

Beauty and the beat: South Asian singer and YouTube sensation Vidya Vox is releasing her new EP, Sundari, in which she honours the inspirational women in her life. “Growing up with an abusive father, my childhood was full of violence,” said Vox. “Despite the stigma against divorce in South Asian culture, my mother made the brave decision to leave, choosing to raise me and my sister on her own.” Her YouTube channel—started in 2015 with “mashups of western pop hits and music from her native India”—has over seven million subscribers | Ellie Pritts

Sister act: No one doubts that Tabu is a powerhouse of talent, and now Hollywood is sitting up and taking notice. She has been cast as Sister Francesca in the upcoming series Dune: Prophecy—a prequel to the Dune movies released in 2021 and 2024. Her character is described as “strong, intelligent and alluring”. The prequel is set 10,000 years before the rise of Paul Atreides (played by Oscar-nominee Timothee Chalamet), the protagonist of Dune | Getty Images