Grass is greener
Calcutta, 2011

■ For possibly the first time in her life, Mamata Banerjee was speechless. In front of her, lakhs of Trinamul Congress workers, all waving green flags, raised slogans ecstatically, while their leader stood on a makeshift stage. “The people have won,” Banerjee croaked.

Wearing a bloody bandage on her head — goons from the Communist Party of India (Marxist) had allegedly attacked her in her residence soon after it became clear this morning that the Left Front was sliding to defeat in the West Bengal assembly elections — Banerjee said she had lost her voice after addressing scores of rallies in the run up to the historic election.

New role for SRK
Mumbai, 2015

■ After a three-year gap, Shah Rukh Khan is all set to dazzle his fans with a festive season release this year. Khan, 50, plays the role of an elderly man in love with a young woman in a remake of the 2007 film Cheeni Kum. “It’s a challenging role, earlier essayed by the one and only Amitabh Bachchan,” Khan told reporters.

“You’ll have to tell whose performance is better.”

Later, in his popular blog — to which Khan has been devoting more and more time as he waits for meaningful roles to come his way — the actor explained that he meant no disrespect to Bachchan, 73. “He is the grand old man of cinema; I am just grand,” he wrote.

Jaswant down, but not out
Darjeeling, 2014

■ Former Bharatiya Janata Party minister Jaswant Singh took off his traditional Rajasthani turban, and placed it gently on a side table. He placed a Gorkha topi on his head and said, “Jai Gorkhali.”

Hours after he lost his Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat, which he fought as an independent, the former finance minister said he had no intentions of retiring from active politics yet. Expelled from the BJP in 2009, Singh has been actively campaigning for a separate state for Gorkhas.

“The campaign continues,” he said, “but it will be on hold for a few months.”

Singh said he would be busy now with the launch of his new book on General Zia-ul-Haq of Pakistan. “He was a much misunderstood man,” said Singh.

Rah Rah for Rakhi
Mumbai, 2019

■ Remember Rakhi Sawant, the woman who starred in a public match-making ceremony on a television reality show 10 years ago? A little bird tells us that she is back, and all set to act in a television series about an adulterous mother-in-law.

The soap, to be produced by Balaji Telefilm Ltd, which was responsible for a spate of TV series about conniving mothers-in-law in the 1990s, is about a middle-aged woman who has an affair with her crafty neighbour, her genial brother-in-law and her innocent son-in-law — all at the same time. “This is the age of the new mother-in-law,” says a source in Balaji Telefilms. “And Rakhi is just right for this very daring role.”

Bye-bye Bebo, Hello Begum
New Delhi, 2012

■ Guess who was spotted at Lap Top, the new club in town where the jet-setters love to be seen? None other than the Begum of Pataudi Junior, aka Kareena Kapoor. The actress who broke many hearts when she tied the knot with her long-time beau Saif Ali Khan, recently was seen shaking a leg with her proud hubby. And guess what?

She wasn’t in those skinny jeans and tank tops that were once her trademark — but demurely wrapped up in a pale pink georgette sari with a string of pearls around her delicate neck. “Now that she is married into royalty, she has to behave like a princess,” whispers a friend.

Oh Bebo! What a waste of a size-zero waist!

New wine in new bottle
New Delhi, 2014

■ The young are expected to dominate Prime Minister Rahul Gandhi’s cabinet when it is sworn in at the Rashtrapati Bhawan tomorrow. But while Sachin Pilot, Jyotiraditya Scindia and Milind Deora are all slated to get Cabinet ranks, sources close to 10 Janpath say there is going to be a surprise in the pack. Former Infosys boss Nandan Nilekani, who chaired the government’s ambitious Unique Identification Authority of India, is expected to be sworn in as the new telecommunications minister. It is believed that Gandhi had a meeting with Nilekani after the successful completion of the world’s largest citizen database project that began in 2009.

Bengali does it again
Stockholm, 2015

■ Writer Amitav Ghosh’s journey on the Ibis — an old slaving ship taking indentured labour to Makeech — has brought him all the way to the Swedish capital of Stockholm. The Nobel Committee at the Swedish Academy today announced that this year’s prize for literature has gone to the Indian writer of the Ibis Trilogy.

He is the second Indian — and the second Bengali — to win the world’s most prestigious prize for literature — the reason why the eastern Indian state of West Bengal went into raptures as the news broke late last night. “He is the pride of Bengal,” said West Bengal culture minister Tapas Pal. “We salute him.”

Dada bowls a maiden over
Calcutta, 2017

■ Sourav Ganguly is all set to wield the willow once again — but on the silver screen. After a long stint as a quiz master on television, the former India captain is getting ready to star in a Tollywood film. Ganguly is the central character in the yet-to-be named film about a talented but misunderstood cricketer who is victimised by a visiting foreign coach.

“There may be some similarities between Dada’s own life and the theme of the film. But the film is an out-and-out romance,” says one of the produces of the film, speaking on the condition of anonymity. The producer adds that Ganguly has been taking dance lessons for the film.

Exit Karat, enter Yechury
Chandigarh, 2011

■ Communist Party of India (Marxist) Politburo member Sitaram Yechury today took over from Prakash Karat as the new general secretary of the party, bringing to an end an era that analysts believe marked a nadir in the party’s 47 years of existence.

Karat made way for his old colleague after the party made it mandatory for its top leaders to step down after two terms in office. The ideologue’s stint was a particularly inglorious one, leading to the defeat of the party in the three states where it ruled, and dwindling numbers in Parliament.

“We have a challenge ahead of us,” said Yechury, who, many believe, will lead the party down a moderate path, abandoning the hardline approach that his predecessor favoured. Karat was not available for comments.

Actor comes of age
Mumbai, 2018

■ Young Darsheel Safary smiles impishly — with irregular, somewhat jutting out teeth — from a framed photograph on the actor’s desk. In front of it, the 21-year-old grins, baring teeth that shine like a set of pearls. And Safary has reason to smile. This year’s national award for the best actor has gone to the former child artist for the film Barish ka aadmi, where he plays the role of an autistic savant. “It was my first film as an adult,” says Safary, who made a mark as a child actor in the 2007 film Taarey Zameen Par. “I am glad people still like me after my dental work. Some people, however, insist that I looked cuter with my buck teeth.”