Lok Sabha battle is personal for Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray as they try to stay relevant

Meaningful X-change: What happens on X, seemingly does not stay on X. When the Samajwadi Party’s media cell posted about the sorry state of roads in Uttar Pradesh, the handle of the office of urban development minister A.K. Sharma responded quite strongly. The exchange included name-calling by ‘@AKSharmaOffice’ and attempts to justify it by saying that the SP also uses crude language. The handle also tagged former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav indirectly by adding the hashtag totichor—a reference to allegations that Yadav had taken off with taps from the chief minister’s official residence at the end of his tenure. Now, the matter seems to be headed to court with both sides threatening legal action | Illustrations by Jairaj T.G.

Friends in need: While former Union minister Smriti Irani’s name has been doing the rounds as a possible chief ministerial face for the Delhi elections, another BJP leader has also emerged as a strong contender—Praveen Khandelwal, Lok Sabha MP from Chandni Chowk. Interestingly, Irani and Khandelwal go back a long way. When Irani had made her electoral debut as a Lok Sabha candidate from Chandni Chowk in 2004, Khandelwal had managed her election campaign. More recently, after her defeat in Amethi in the Lok Sabha polls, one of Irani’s first public appearances was at a traders’ event organised by Khandelwal in Delhi. Now, it seems as if these old associates will have to fight it out for the top post in the event of a BJP victory.

Taciturn townies: Indians are increasingly getting uninterested in taking part in surveys. And this is according to a survey by the National Statistics Office! At its last household expenditure survey, nearly 10 per cent of urban Indians refused to share information, compared to just 4 per cent in villages. The number of citizens unwilling to participate in surveys have doubled between the previous National Sample Survey, pre-Covid, to the latest one, last year. So much so that the government even organised a conference in the national capital to discuss this worrying trend. It found that the reticence to share information is a predominantly urban phenomenon, and was increasing at a rapid pace.

Need for speed: What is it with men and racing? Is it some kind of testosterone booster? After actor Keanu Reeves made his professional racing debut on October 5 (he spun off-track on to the grass and finished 25th out of 33 racers), it is now the turn of south star Ajith Kumar, who started racing in 2003 and took a break for a few years to focus on his acting career. Kumar, known for films like Billa (2007) and Mankatha (2011), had recently launched his own team, Ajith Kumar Racing, which will participate in international events from next year. “Wishing you and your team a safe and successful racing career ahead,” posted Kumar’s wife Shalini on social media. From Tiger Shroff (mixed martial arts) to Jean-Claude Van Damme (shotokan karate), it seems some men just can’t keep the action onscreen.

Bridget without bite: The best thing about fictional characters is that they never age. That means Elizabeth Bennet and Scarlett O’Hara will never need Botox or dermal fillers. But now, the makers of Bridget Jones’s Diary are breaking that rule by making Bridget (played by the glorious Renee Zellweger) age. She will be a widowed mother of two in her 50s in the fourth instalment of the series. According to Hugh Grant—whose Daniel Cleaver is being resurrected in the film—the new Bridget Jones film is going to be “very, very sad”. What? Bridget being sad is a travesty for the sisterhood of single women. Her self-deprecating humour is what makes Bridget herself. Without it, she is like football without Pele. Or the Met without its Monet | Shutterstock

Barbie goes desi: This Diwali, Barbie comes to town. In collaboration with the toy company Mattel, Anita Dongre has designed the first-ever Barbie Signature Diwali doll in an attempt to “merge the Indian cultural heritage with Barbie’s global influence”. Dongre went with a blue choli top, floral koti vest, a lehenga skirt and accessories in gold. “I wanted it to be a contemporary design, and represent a cool, modern fashion forward India that I see in the women around me today,” said Dongre. As for the rest of us, we are just glad to get a break from all that pink | Instagram@anitadongre

Swift coins: At 34, most women are vying for promotions at work, saving up for their next staycation or striving to break the glass ceiling. But then, Taylor Swift is not most women. She has not just shattered the glass ceiling, she has also done it with a killer bank balance. She is now the richest female musician in the world, with a net worth of $1.6 billion, thus beating Rihanna, who with $1.4 billion from her Fenty Beauty and Savage X Fenty brands, is close behind. Swift’s wealth is largely thanks to her wildly successful Eras Tour and music catalogue. Swifties must be clinking their glasses, but as for Swift herself, breaking records has become as frequent as the rest of us breaking our diet and exercise resolutions | AFP