Gujarat elections: BJP has some headaches, but nothing Modi can't solve

His way and the highway: After having been dropped from the BJP’s parliamentary board, the party’s highest decision-making body, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari seems to have returned to his plain-spoken ways. He recently earned plaudits from the Congress when he said India is indebted to former prime minister Manmohan Singh for ushering in economic reforms. He also won over the common man in Madhya Pradesh by apologising for the poor construction of a highway in the state. Interestingly, a blunt compliment from Maharashtra Governor B.S. Koshyari recently landed Gadkari in a controversy. At an event in Maharashtra, Koshyari called Gadkari as a new icon of the state, much like Chhatrapati Shivaji was in “olden days”. The comment soon sparked a row, as opposition parties demanded Koshyari’s resignation for “insulting” Shivaji. But the row has also given Gadkari a leg-up in state politics | Illustrations Jairaj T.G.

Clan with a plan: Can a looming bypoll put an end to a family dispute? In Uttar Pradesh, apparently it can. In Mainpuri, where the death of Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav has necessitated a byelection, party chief Akhilesh Yadav and uncle Shivpal Yadav have ended years of bickering. They recently shared a dais to seek votes for Dimple Yadav, Akhilesh’s wife and the party’s candidate in the bypolls. The reason for the newfound love: the BJP has fielded SP turncoat Raghuraj Shakhya, whose community makes up a considerable chunk of Mainpuri’s electorate. Apparently, electoral calculations prompted Akhilesh and Dimple to visit Shivpal’s home, where tears were shed, hugs exchanged and promises made. With the uncle and the nephew publicly praising each other now, the family reunion seems perfect.

The doting dad: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has made a habit of meeting people during morning walks and asking them about his government’s functioning. On November 21, though, he asked his walking companion, Health Minister Ma Subramanian, a question that was both amusing and unrelated to governance: is Kalaga Thalaivan, the new Tamil movie starring his son Udhayanidhi Stalin, any good? “The movie is good,” replied a smiling Subramanian. “Even the songs are good, making the audience sit and watch.” As a video clip of the chat went viral, many people asked whether the chief minister and his cabinet colleague should spend time reviewing films. Others, however, said there was nothing objectionable about a father wanting to know how his son was faring.

A fairytale beginning: You thought when Cinderella met Prince Charming, they lived happily ever after. End of story. But, apparently not. Disney is bringing back its heroine from the classic, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella (1997), in the upcoming film, The Pocketwatch. Brandy, the nightingale from the 1990s, will reprise her role as Cinderella, although this time, the limelight will be on Chloe (Malia Baker), the daughter of Cinderella and Prince Charming. Brandy, who was then a rollicking R&B star, became the first racially-diverse Cinderella in what many feel was the best iteration of the fairytale. The fairy godmother was played by the fabulous Whoopi Goldberg, who was still brushing off the fairy dust from her superstar role in Sister Act | Getty Images

Footloose and fab: Luminary, the world’s largest subscription podcasting and audio network, launched in India recently with two headlining shows by Konkona Sen Sharma and Masaba Gupta. First up is Barefoot Boys, which tells the inspiring story of 11 barefooted Indian football players who defeated a trained and experienced British team during a match in 1911. The story will be narrated by Sharma who reiterated what a great honour it was for her. “The tale of Barefoot Boys is timeless,” she said. “It will stand the test of time even 100 years from now. This is the power and guts of the story.” | AFP

New kids on the block: Mukesh Ambani’s daughter Isha and son-in-law Anand Piramal have become parents to twins, a boy and a girl. “We are delighted to share that our children Isha and Anand have been blessed by the Almighty with twins on November 19, 2022,” stated the family. “Isha and the babies, baby girl Aadiya and baby boy Krishna, are doing well.” Isha married anand, a childhood friend and heir to the piramal empire, on december 12, 2018 | Reuters

Changing gears: After playing a conniving philanderer in Monica, O My Darling, Rajkummar Rao is taking an about-turn in his next, Sri. Rao plays a blind businessman, Srikant Bolla, who triumphs over adverse circumstances to found Bollant Industries, a company that manufactures areca-based products. Alaya F. plays the female lead in this inspiring biopic. It also stars south Indian actor Jyotika who returns to Hindi cinema 21 years after Little John (2001), her last trilingual film. The real Bolla himself will co-direct the film along with Tushar Hiranandani of Saand Ki Aankh fame. It is scheduled to release next year | AFP

The evergreen act: At the recent International Film Festival of India (IFFI), Telugu superstar Chiranjeevi was felicitated as the Indian Film Personality of the Year. Chiranjeevi, 67, made his acting debut with Punadhirallu (1978) and has since featured in over 150 films as actor, dancer and producer. He will next be seen in Waltair Veerayya, co-starring Ravi Teja and Shruti Haasan, and Bhola Shankar, co-starring Tamannaah and Keerthy Suresh. Both films are scheduled to release in 2023 | AFP