As India prepares for Gaganyaan, NASA astronaut, Russian cosmonaut explain the making of a space traveller

No grifts, please: Ahead of his birthday on July 1, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav asked his followers and party members to refrain from giving him gifts, flowers or other tokens of affection. Instead, he asked them to contribute to a memorial for his father and SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, which is under construction on over eight acres in the family’s ancestral village—Saifai in Etawah. Soon after Yadav made the appeal, an account number popped up online soliciting donations for the memorial. There was just one problem—the account number had no connection to the SP. The party was quick to call out the scam on X, but whether enthusiastic supporters had already sent donations remains unknown. Meanwhile, the SP’s critics could not resist asking if all the “ill-gotten wealth” from the party’s days in power had been frittered away that it had been reduced to asking for donations | Illustrations by Jairaj T.G.

Hungry leadership: After a recent news conference led by Congress bigwigs Mallikarjun Kharge, K.C. Venugopal and Jairam Ramesh at the party’s new headquarters—Indira Bhavan—journalists were invited to stay for lunch. On hearing this, Kharge looked around the hall and asked with a straight face: “Hamare liye bhi khana hai kya? (Is there food for us, too?).” The journalists burst into laughter, but Kharge was not done: “I am asking because nobody is at home (to cook).” The joke landed well and there was another round of laughter.

Saffron shade: The AIADMK’s stance on its alliance with the BJP is well known—it is purely political, not ideological. Even so, the Dravidian party now finds itself trying to contain the fallout from its presence at a religious conference organised by the Hindu Munnani. But the controversies don’t stop there. A fresh row has erupted after S.P. Velumani—former minister and a key aide to party general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami—participated in what seemed to be an RSS centenary event. Velumani said it was not an RSS function but a celebration of the birth centenary of Shaivite spiritual leader Shanthalinga Adigalar. However, the RSS connection was unmistakable and so was his motivation—Velumani’s brother, S.P. Anbarasan, a businessman from Coimbatore, has been inducted into a new Sengol Governance Awareness Committee. This committee, aimed at promoting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s initiatives, is largely comprised of RSS and BJP members.

Need for speed: FI: The Movie, the new Formula One racing movie starring Brad Pitt, is sure stepping on the gas, scoring $55 million in its opening weekend and debuting at number one at the US box office. It may become the biggest hit of Apple Studios. The film, directed by Joseph Kosinski of Top Gun: Maverick fame, follows Sonny Hayes (Pitt), a former F1 driver who comes out of retirement to mentor a younger driver, Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris). “FI: The Movie brings vintage cool across the finish line,” states Rotten Tomatoes. Fast cars, slick visuals and the ultra-macho Brad Pitt behind the wheel—strap in for a thrill fest | AFP

Affairs to remember: It is always a pleasure to read about someone who has led as eventful a life as Clint Eastwood. Film critic and writer Shawn Levy’s new biography, Clint: The Man and the Movies, is being touted as the “must-read book for summer”. Among other things, the book recounts Eastwood’s many extramarital affairs outside of his two marriages to Maggie Johnson and Dina Ruiz. In one interview with his classmate Mamie Van Doren, she says that Eastwood was always straight and direct. “He always knew the most straight and direct path to my dressing room,” she quipped. Levy has also penned books on Paul Newman and Robert De Niro. Clint: The Man and the Movies released on July 1 | Getty Images

Proud papa: If Shanaya Kapoor is waiting with bated breath for the release of her debut film Aakhon Ki Gustaakhiyan, then her father Sanjay Kapoor is even more anxious. At the trailer launch of the film, Sanjay almost could not hold back the tears. “I have been working for the last 30 years, but I have never been this nervous,” he said. Shanaya stars opposite Vikrant Massey in the film, which is an adaptation of the Ruskin Bond short story The Eyes Have It. It is scheduled to release on July 11 | PTI

Evergreen Austen: Jane Austen continues to remain evergreen as a new generation of actors brings alive her stories on-screen. Exactly 30 years after Ang Lee’s 1995 adaptation of Sense and Sensibility, Daisy Edgar-Jones has been roped in for a new adaptation. Lee’s version, that cast Emma Thomson as Elinor Dashwood and Kate Winslet as her sister Marianne, had been nominated for seven Oscars, including for best picture, best actress and best supporting actress. Edgar-Jones is following in the footsteps of her compatriots like Dakota Fanning and Anya Taylor-Joy who had starred in the adaptations of Austen’s Persuasion and Emma. Starring in an Austen adaptation almost seems a rite of passage for Hollywood actors | Getty Images