Eternal flame

Rules? Conditions apply: The Karnataka government has announced a partial lockdown in the state to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa appealed to IT companies to let employees work from home and urged people to practise social distancing by avoiding large public gatherings and wedding receptions. But on March 15 he himself travelled to Belagavi to attend the grand wedding reception of the daughter of Mahantesh Kavatagimath, the BJP chief whip in the state legislative council. Newly appointed state Congress president, D.K. Shivakumar, too, toured his constituency on March 15, drawing large crowds. Hope the virus can differentiate between a VIP and the common man | Illustrations by Jairaj T.G.

Faith fever: Though the country is facing a coronavirus scare, BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya is confident that India would be safe because it is “home to 33 crore gods”. He says he has a corona-pachhad (beater) in Indore—referring to the massive idol of Lord Hanuman which was installed on his own initiative. Vijayvargiya declared that Bajrangbali would take care of the virus.

Purely coincidental, people: Love U Pappu, an upcoming feature film is set to ruffle some feathers in political circles, especially in the Congress, as it is being produced by Pankaj Shankar, a former aide of Rahul Gandhi. The makers of the film insist that the storyline is completely fictional. However, there is a buzz that it is a critical look at Rahul’s political trajectory, and the central character, named Yuvraj—who is a politician—is inspired by him. Shankar described the film as a triangle love story.

Hidden chords: Alicia Keys’s memoir, More Myself, is set to release in a few days. The book will elaborate on lesser known aspects about the singer. Like the “challenging and complex relationship with her father, the people-pleasing nature that characterised her early career, the loss of privacy surrounding her romantic relationships, and the oppressive expectations of female perfection”. More Myself is part autobiography and part biography, as it also includes the views and recollections of her loved ones. Trained as a classical pianist, Keys released her debut album, Songs in a Minor, at the age of 20 in 2001 | Getty Images

Star kids galore: Karisma Kapoor’s daughter Samaira Kapur, 15, has acted in a short film, Daud, about a Mumbai slum girl who wants to run professionally. The seven-and-a-half minute film was directed by Chunky Pandey’s daughter Rysa, and also stars Sanjay Kapoor’s son Jahaan. Karisma shared the movie’s link on Instagram and asked her followers to “please like, share and subscribe”. As it happens, Daud is not Samaira’s debut film. Five years ago, she had directed and acted in another short film titled Be Happy.

The breakup bard: Emmy award-winning British-Pakistani actor, rapper and activist Riz Ahmed’s new album, The Long Goodbye, describes a breakup, but not with a woman. It includes nine tracks about Ahmed being dumped by a post-Brexit Britain, and is accompanied by an 11-minute short film. “So many of us feel like we are being dumped by the place we call home, a home that we built,” said Ahmed. A crucial voice against Islamophobia from the world of pop culture and entertainment, Ahmed had dropped out of the Gates Foundation’s GoalKeepers Award ceremony last September to mark his protest against PM Narendra Modi’s participation in it | AFP

The lighter side: Illeana D’Cruz will next be seen in a ‘lighter’ comedy titled Unfair And Lovely, which takes a dig at the country’s obsession with fair skin. D’Cruz plays Lovely, a dark beauty tussling with the societal bias against her skin tone. “This role is different from all my earlier work and a challenging one,” said the actor, who will be paired opposite Randeep Hooda in the film. “The character requires a lot of sensitivity and I am waiting to see how it unfolds.” Unfair And Lovely marks the directorial debut of screenwriter Balwinder Singh Janjua | Getty Images