New face of governance: How personal branding is reshaping state elections

A dhurandhar for development: Uttarakhand’s BJP government recently marked four years in office, and the occasion called for a suitably cinematic touch. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh obliged, calling Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami “Dhurandhar Dhami”. The Bollywood duology has become a cultural phenomenon and the word, while layered, is loosely translated to stalwart. Singh, a former Uttar Pradesh chief minister, has been a consistent backer of Dhami and explained the new moniker saying he was a leader of firmness, resolve and developmental vigour. State leaders and cadre received it with visible delight | Illustrations by Job P.K.

No permanent gangsters: A recent remark in the Supreme Court offered a different take on the alleged misuse of the gangsters act in Uttar Pradesh. The suggestion was that with every change in government, the list of gangsters seems to change, too. Those once seen as pillars of society become hardened criminals overnight, while yesterday’s gangsters emerge as spotless citizens. The comment pointed to the concern that the law, intended to fight organised crime, may instead be reflecting political shifts.

Star service: They say it takes three to make a marriage work. In the case of newly-weds Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna, the third person is a young fan who was invited to their Hyderabad home, along with her family, when she shared on Instagram her disappointment at not being included in their wedding celebrations. The two stars personally served food to the child, with Vijay ladling out the rice and Rashmika feeding her laddus. At one point, the girl asked if they are all friends, to which both stars smiled and nodded. She later expressed her gratitude at the actors’ kindness and said she felt completely at ease in their presence | PTI

Mistress of space: Not many people might remember the first American woman to fly in space. That is about to change, with Amazon MGM Studios giving the go-ahead to The Challenger, a limited series starring Kristen Stewart as astronaut and physicist Sally Ride. In 1977, Ride answered a newspaper ad to join NASA and on June 18, 1983, at the age of 32, she became the youngest American and the first American woman in space as one of the five crew members aboard the space shuttle Challenger STS-7. In 2013, she was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by president Barack Obama. The Challenger is inspired by the 2023 book The New Guys by Meredith E. Bagby | Getty Images

Let the magic begin: From Bridgerton’s gilded halls and guilty secrets, Nicola Coughlan has moved to the fantasy world of Enid Blyton. She is playing Silky in the film adaptation of Blyton’s The Magic Faraway Tree, to be released on March 27. The film, directed by Ben Gregor and Simon Farnaby of Paddington 2 fame, co-stars Andrew Garfield and Claire Foy. To those uninitiated into the Blyton-verse, the Faraway Tree books are about three children who find a tree, climbing to the top of which reveals magical lands that change periodically. To everyone else, it will be a treat to return to the lost world of Moonface, Mr Watzisname, Silky, the Saucepan Man and Dame Washalot—characters who branded the childhoods of a generation that grew up pre-Minecraft and Call of Duty | Getty Images

Taste of espionage: Gaurav Gera likes his doodh soda chilled. The actor is riding high after the success of Dhurandhar 2, in which he plays an Indian spy. The film has not just changed his fortunes, but also made him a viral sensation. Everything he touches now turns into doodh soda. Cinema halls have added the beverage popularised by his character in the film—a mix of milk and lime soda—to their menus. Videos of theatre staff trying to copy his style of pouring the drink are being shared widely. For just Rs250, you can get a taste of chilled betrayal, served in a doodh soda glass | Getty Images