Shoring up saffron

Poll promise: At the BJP’s national council meet in Delhi on January 12, Mukul Roy, in-charge of elections in West Bengal, made a promise to Narendra Modi and Amit Shah—not only would he rise to Shah’s call for 23 saffron seats in Bengal, but would also reduce Mamata Banerjee’s tally to below 20. “The Congress and the CPI(M) will not win a single seat [of the 42],” added Roy. On hearing this, Modi just smiled. Said a Trinamool leader: “Roy does not know how much is too much. Let him win two seats this time.” | Illustrations by Jairaj T.G.

The Rahul jacket: Narendra Modi might have tried to destroy everything Nehruvian, but he has kept his predecessor’s jacket close to his heart, quite literally. And even though BJP supporters say it is a Modi jacket, one would be hard pressed to find many differences between the two. Speaking of jackets, Nehru’s descendant and Congress president Rahul Gandhi has made one popular himself—the sleeveless puffer jacket. And many young Congress politicians, including Jyotiraditya Scindia and Sachin Pilot, have adopted the style. While it may or may not help spark a new trend, it will sure keep them warm in Delhi’s cruel winters.

A pat from afar: Tillotama Shome has won the award for best actress for her performance in Rohena Gera’s Sir at the Brussels International Film Festival. In the film, Shome plays a widow, Ratna, who goes to Mumbai to work in a rich household. “It feels like a warm hug from afar, a pat on your back to keep at it,” she said. “It is a privilege to have your film releasing in so many countries so far from you... but winning an award is hugely encouraging.” | AFP

The kiss count: It seems Emraan Hashmi is not thrilled about the ‘serial kisser’ tag. “I had 10 kisses in my first film and one in my upcoming film, so that is progress according to me,” he said. “Perhaps, I will not have a kiss in the next one. No, wait, that has one too. So, perhaps in the one after that.” Hashmi will next be seen in Why Cheat India opposite Shreya Dhanwanthary. Is she the lucky woman who is sharing the kiss with him? | PTI

Stuck in stalemate: The film No Fathers in Kashmir, directed by Oscar nominee and two-time national award winner Ashvin Kumar, has been stuck with the censor board for months. And now, actor Swara Bhaskar, MP Shashi Tharoor and filmmaker Pritish Nandy have tweeted in support of it. “Their support inspires all of us not to back down and keep challenging those who would prefer that reality and truth remain buried,” said Kumar. The film is about a teenage British Kashmiri who tries to find her father by retracing her roots.

Welcome, Jaden: Will Smith’s son Jaden Smith is all set to perform in Pune next month at the Vh1 Supersonic music festival. He will be performing songs from his debut album Syre. The festival lineup includes artistes like British musician Bonobo and American and Indian DJs Marshmello and Arjun Vagale. Jaden has acted in films like The Pursuit of Happyness and The Karate Kid | Debby Wong