From East India Company to Big Tech: Why corporations keep seeking colonies

Big moment, bigger guests: A high-profile wedding in Chennai on Sunday witnessed a convergence of political heavyweights and movie stars. The daughter of a prominent businessman was marrying the son of Y.S.R. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s brother. That meant that Reddy was a constant presence, outshining the bride and groom. The morning ceremony, held in traditional Chettinad style, was also attended by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin. Perhaps the couple secretly hoped that they could hog all the attention in the evening. But, at the reception, actor and TVK leader Vijay turned up—clad in a crisp white shirt, a beige suit and matching trousers! | Illustrations by Job P.K.

Delulu drive: With elections approaching in Kerala, leaders across parties are producing “content” to project a “common man” image and connect with Gen Z. Recently, Minister for Waterways Roshy Augustine attempted this with a seemingly ‘staged-candid’ video of himself riding a Royal Enfield Bullet—“after a long time”, as he put it—through the streets of Thiruvananthapuram, without police escort. Augustine posted the video on social media and captioned it “Delulu”. In the comments, he also shared an interview in which he spoke nostalgically about his fondness for the Bullet and claimed he never expected the ride to become news. Netizens, however, were unconvinced. Comments ranged from “election, election” to questions about how the unidentified cameraman managed to spot Augustine among regular commuters and follow him for so long.

Blair is back: For every ’90s kid, watching Gossip Girl was a rite of passage. Immersing in the glitz and glamour of Manhattan’s Upper East Side was the height of vicarious pleasure. And now, Serena van der Woodsen (Blake Lively) and group are back, except that this time, Serena’s not the belle of the ball; it is her best friend Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester). Cecily Von Ziegesar, the author of the original series, is writing a new book, Blair, set 20 years after the original Gossip Girl series. The novel will be published by Grand Central Publishing and is expected to be out in summer 2027. So, has Blair lost her lethal charm in two decades? Is the love-hate relationship between the best friends still intact? And most important, will Leighton reprise her role in the TV adaptation as the bold, beautiful and bitchy rich kid who everyone hates to love? | Getty Images

Quit like a Quinn: It seems poor Benedict and Sophie—the protagonists of the just-released part one of Bridgerton’s season 4—have been left in the lurch by their creator. While netizens are dissecting the show—whether the Cinderella storyline has become stale and whether the lead pair’s chemistry lacks sizzle—the author of the Bridgerton books herself has taken a backseat. Julia Quinn, it seems, is now more interested in politics than pantaloons. She says her priority today is protesting “a government who is killing people and abducting children” amid the ongoing ICE controversy in the US. Julia, who began writing historical romance as a Harvard student—has published over 35 historical romance novels. Bridgerton season 4, like the past seasons, achieved astounding success upon release, sustaining its no. 1 spot on Netflix’s English TV list for the second week with 23.4 million views | Getty Images

Do’s and Dons: What comes up must come down sometime, dictate the laws of gravity and Bollywood. After the high of his film Durandhar’s success, it is time for Ranveer Singh to come down to earth. Farhan Akhtar’s Excel Entertainment has reportedly demanded Rs40 crore from the actor for pulling out of its project Don 3, causing delays in scheduling, planning and other commitments. With the dispute having reached an impasse, despite a two-hour meeting between the production house and Ranveer, the Producers Guild of India has stepped in to mediate. The first look of Don 3, starring Ranveer, was released last year, but was panned on social media, following which the actor walked out of the project citing creative differences with Excel. Was it the right move or did he just make a 40-crore-sized mistake? | Getty Images

To laugh or not to laugh: After the critically-acclaimed A Death in the Gunj and a short story in the Netflix anthology, Lust Stories 2, Konkona Sen Sharma is taking the director’s seat once more, this time for a comedy series. The leads for the Amazon Prime Video show have been locked—Aditi Rao Hydari and Barun Sobti. This is not just Konkona’s debut web series, but also the first time she is trying her hand at comedy. The show is a contemporary rom-com set in South Delhi, set to premiere later this year or early 2027. Konkona in her films has often saddened, touched or surprised us, but can she make us laugh? | AFP