Spotlight is firmly on the women at Tokyo Olympics

C for Chan, champagne, comrade: Indian communist parties hardly get any occasions to cheer about, of late. Little wonder why cyber comrades went to town when Hong Kong-based Hollywood star Jackie Chan said that he would like to join the Communist Party of China. What next? Chan might join Che on t-shirts, perhaps | Illustrations by Jairaj T.G.

Victor meets victor: An interesting reunion took place in New Delhi when BJP’s Guna MP K.P. Singh Yadav met newly-appointed Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia with a bouquet. Once a close confidante of Scindia (during his Congress days), Yadav had fallen out with him after the 2018 Madhya Pradesh assembly polls. He then joined the BJP and defeated Scindia in the 2019 general elections. While Scindia had met many other prominent BJP leaders and public representatives from MP after he joined the saffron fold, his meeting with Yadav happened only after he became a Union minister. The duo’s meeting once again proved that there are no permanent friends or foes in politics.

Crash course: Deepika Padukone proved once again what a crowd-puller she is when Clubhouse’s server crashed after she hosted a festival called ‘Care Package’, with 8,000 people listening in. The festival consisted of “conversations and performances” around the theme of mental health by the likes of Clubhouse co-founder Paul Davison, singer-songwriter Prateek Kuhad and artist Raghava K.K. Padukone talked about how she finds meaning in life, what motivates her every day and how she separates her professional and personal life. As one user said, you know a superstar has arrived when servers crash | AFP

Beauty queen’s musings: Vaidehi Dongre, 25, was crowned Miss India USA 2021 in the beauty pageant held over the weekend of July 17 and 18. Dongre, who graduated in international studies from the University of Michigan, is a business development manager. “After a full year of deep reflection and work on myself, the Miss India Michigan pageant made me realise how much growth can come from leaning into challenges,” Dongre had posted on Instagram right before the Miss India USA pageant. “Participating in and winning the Miss India Michigan pageant brought me a level of internal clarity and confidence that I didn’t think was possible.” Former Miss World Diana Hayden was the chief judge for the pageant. Dongre also won the ‘Miss Talented’ award for her impressive kathak performance | Courtesy: Instagram

Aid for the aged: Mithila Palkar, upset at seeing videos of senior citizens abandoned by their kin, wants to open an old age home. “I saw a video of an old man who was abandoned, and living on the streets,” said the actor. “My heart sank when I saw those videos.” Palkar is close to her parents and grandparents who, she says, brought her up with a lot of love. She wants to collaborate with NGOs working for people suffering from Alzheimer’s and dementia. She will also visit old age homes to learn about the specific needs of the inmates.

Jungle city: A new podcast hosted by journalist and writer Raghu Karnad will explore Mumbai’s ecosystem and ecology. Guests will include Bollywood stars, artists and climate activists who will talk about their engagement with the city’s ecosystem. The 10-episode series will feature the likes of Dia Mirza, Anupama Chopra, Amitav Ghosh and Sameer Kulavoor, among others. Listen up for interesting titbits on leopards and domestic pets, the role of city parks and what exactly is a Bombay slug.

A prince’s tale: After Meghan Markle’s book, The Bench, it is now the turn of husband, Prince Harry, who is coming out with an “intimate and heartfelt” memoir. “I’m writing this not as the prince I was born but as the man I have become,” said Harry. “I’ve worn many hats over the years, both literally and figuratively, and my hope is that in telling my story—the highs and lows, the mistakes, the lessons learned—I can help show that no matter where we come from, we have more in common than we think.” The book, to be published by Penguin Random House, is scheduled to release in late 2022 | AP