Ram Rahim Singh has put forth a request for parole for farming. But the publicity-hungry baba is hardly the kind to leave jail and fade away into the farmland. Should his parole be approved, where are we going to see this “Messenger of God” next?

English cricketer Ben Stokes consults famous numerologist and spiritual adviser on Twitter before officially changing his name to Mather Jones. Sources predict this isn’t going to go well.

With 48 games being played at this World Cup, chances are even non-fans will end up being forced to watch a match. Here’s how to survive those seemingly endless affairs. (Hint: Always pray for rain.)

Shirley Abraham and Amit Madheshiya’s The Hour of Lynching follows the aftermath of the death of Rakbar Khan, a 28-year-old dairy farmer lynched on suspicion of smuggling cows.

The life of a journalist in UP different from any other state. This is why UP needs to set up its own specialised journalist training school, one that teaches a different set of skills, such as how to react when a cop decides to turn you into a urinal.

After Rahul Gandhi blamed Ashok Gehlot, Ashok Gehlot blamed Sachin Pilot, Mayawati blamed Akhilesh, and Akhilesh blamed Mayawati for the 2019 election loss, the Opposition has said the loser of the pass the parcel game will be held accountable. PM Modi to watch live-stream with a tub of popcorn.

Tired of watching young boys crying to Tere Naam songs, thousands of officers quit their jobs overnight. Donald Trump says people who watch JCB ki khudayi videos on YouTube are not welcome.

Now that the World Cup has arrived, you’re sure to find yourself in a crowd watching the games, whether through a store display window or a in a bustling living room. Keep an eye out for the person who still carries a torch for Sachin, and the self-promoter who adds three stories to their Instagram for every over.

Closure is always the first word that is urgently thrown around every time someone sniffs heartbreak in their vicinity, even though it’s really the last emotion that a broken heart has the ability to process. So why do we force ourselves to seek closure instead of letting it find us?

After Arun Jaitley wrote to the PM saying that he will not be part of the new government, Narendra Modi’s inbox has been flooded with emails asking “Job available hai kya? CV forward karu?” Subramanian Swamy has reportedly sent him a LinkedIn request.

Team behind viral JCB videos says the PMO should consider moving his ceremony if he doesn’t want to be embarrassed by the low turnout; Company’s CEO says he’ll now start charging people who hang around at excavation sites.

For those who don’t devote a good portion of their time keeping abreast of the smartphone market, it can be a pretty overwhelming place.

After the EVM theory failed, non-BJP leaders say they have unveiled a bigger conspiracy. It is not the machines but the people of the country who have been hacked, they say.

If sources are to be believed, a number of TV channels are planning to broadcast the Indian election results from the moon. Word is, news anchors have already started preparing for their toughest performance yet.

After the petition to remake the Game of Thrones Season 8 went viral, DB Weiss and David Benioff have reached out to Indian politicians. “We have heard that they have a knack of rewriting history, GoT then will be a cake walk for them,” they say.

Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has promised her followers that she will learn not to laugh at jokes after she was found giggling at a roshogolla meme. The Bengal Sweet Association is reportedly upset and has asked Didi to take a train to Odisha.

Political analysts say that the #MainBhiRadarExpert campaign is likely to go viral. A video song “Main Bhi Radar Expert Hoon” is already in the works featuring General GD Bakshi and the actors of Uri.

At a time when actors are overeager to broadcast every part of their lives online, there remains little reason to watch a celebrity chat show. It’s precisely what should have triggered the talk show fatigue years ago. That might change now with Pinch by Arbaaz Khan.

The IPL finals are two days away, and the whole world has gone cricket-mad. Lucky for those who don’t care about cricket, IPL is the gift that keeps on giving. Turns out, you don’t have to focus on the game at all, thanks to the riveting human drama that comes with each match.

After failing to make excuses for his poor performance in examinations, a Class X student came up with a brilliant plan. Taking cue from the heated election campaign, he decided to bring up Rajiv Gandhi.

With an all-star line-up of Urmila Matondkar, Sunny Deol, Hema Malini, and Moon Moon Sen, and a cameo by a pink-pant-clad Khiladi, the Lok Sabha election could easily be made into a masala Bollywood blockbuster. Here’s what the screenplay would look like.

Confused ex-Prime Minister Deve Gowda wonders why he was spared during BJP’s campaign, while other PMs like Jawaharlal Nehru and Rajiv Gandhi were criticised. “Are you saying I was the best PM ever?” letter sent to PMO asks.

Comparisons have been drawn between Cyclone Fani and a superstorm of a similar scale that struck in 1999. The super-cyclone, sometimes referred to as Cyclone Paradip, hit Odisha and caused the deaths of almost 10,000 people, making it one of the worst natural disasters recorded in Indian history.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that the loving relationship you share with your parivaar can be fraught with difficulties. Siblings are perpetually competing for the Most Annoying award and mom keeps trying to make tinda-aloo a thing. Fortunately, there is one saviour for our shared sanity — and its name is the Indian Premier League.

East Delhi is set to hold a nail-biting fight between AAP educationist Atishi and cricketer Gautam Gambhir from the BJP. We finally have a contest to look forward to.

If you are still part of the Whistle Podu Parishad, you are a loyalist who doesn’t switch allegiances even when your Captain’s hair turns grey, while a true Kings XI fan is just here for a good time, not for a long time.

By chairing the year’s most “non-political” interview with PM Modi, smack dab in the middle of the most political season ever, Akshay Kumar proved that he is the ultimate apolitical khiladi. Can the rest of Bollywood please take notes?

Akshay Kumar has the knack for talking to famous men who are not interview-friendly. After his highly publicised interview with the PM, his next guest is the Avengers’ greatest foe, Thanos. The “non-political interview” is likely to air at 9 am on Friday, the day Avengers: Endgame releases in India.

If you find yourself on a date with a cricket fan, you just have to fake it ’til you make it. Here’s how to impress potential soulmates, despite thinking that a Googly is a type of search engine, and a bouncer is that beefed-up guy outside the bar.

It’s been over a decade since the demonic hero from Dark Horse Comics made his last appearance on the big screen. And while Hellboy might never be as popular as Iron Man or Wonder Woman, the character has dedicated fans that know what they want.

In leaked footage from the show’s first episode, two of the show’s lead characters put on a mini skit in praise of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. Sources say this is just one of many “subtle” plugs that have been included in the hit show.

Both the BJP and the Congress have released their campaign songs – “Phir Ek Bar, Modi Sarkar” and “Ab Hoga Nyay” – a few days before India goes to polls. We’re proud to report that both feature the kind of sentimental vocals and intense instrumental breaks that we usually associate with good governance.

Being spoilt for choices, whether it is when we are zeroing in on our professions, partners, or a show on Voot, can be liberating. And in a world designed to keep reinventing itself by the minute, choosing not to experiment with things that are #NonStopNew is a travesty.

The last time PM Modi made an announcement, the entire country found itself in an ATM queue. Thankfully, the #MissionShakti address did not have dire complications. We know India is now in an elite space club, but what exactly are A-SATs and Low Earth Orbits?

Each time L K Advani sees his chowkidar these days, his BP mysteriously shoots up. He spends most of his time reminiscing over his heyday in Ayodhya, planning a Second Innings home for snubbed netas with MM Joshi, and listening to “Chariots of Fire” on loop.

Kesari, a retelling of the events of the Battle of Saragarhi, tells you nothing about the clash between the valiant 21 Sikh soldiers of the British Indian Army and 10,000 Afghan tribesmen that a quick Google search will not. The battle is uninspiring and unnecessarily long drawn-out, and there is little imagination in the fight sequences.

In the midst of election season when Bollywood is all too willing to play along with the ruling party’s narrative, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s Mere Pyaare Prime Minister just adds to that noise: a film that is so much about its expired message that it forgets to have a believable story.

The Surf Excel Holi ad seems innocent enough, but somehow the idea that two children of different faiths could be cordial in a fictional setting triggered a very vocal section of social media. The only safe option is a 30-second PSA explaining the benefits of participating in Holi on our souls narrated by Amitabh Bachchan.

When the rise of the machines becomes a reality, AIs like A.I.SHA will be coming for every Sharmaji ka beta – the doctor, engineer, IT professional. And the creative, who was always told that he would never amount to anything in life, will have the last laugh.

Even after Amit Shah announced the number of Balakot air strike casualties on live TV, some people have been asking for proof, a source in the government said. “So now we have asked the RBI to come up with an exact figure, the way they did with demonetisation.”

What makes The Favourite delightful and devastating is how director Yorgos Lanthimos subverts the expectations from men and women to bring to life a comedic masterpiece. So often, cinematic descriptions of royalty overlook the relationship royal women share with power.

The reality of a war between India and Pakistan is not a pretty one. But social media provides a perfectly safe platform for a generation of smartphone-wielding jingoists to thump their chests, call for the destruction of the enemy, and signal their patriotism, while being at a safe distance from the actual frontline.

Teasing some big reveals to come, the trailer of A.I.SHA Season 3 promises an escalation of the show’s conflicts around cybercrime and the battle between man and machine.

Kia’s eccentric new teasers, featuring a tiger, an astronaut, and a car, are more like an elaborate riddle than your everyday vroom-vroom ads of fast cars. What does it all mean? Read on for our highly scientific, expert opinions.

The Centre’s apathy is the biggest enabler of yesterday’s SC verdict that ordered for forced evictions of over 1 million forest-dwelling households. The verdict is perhaps the cruelest blow on undermining the Forest Rights Act, that concerns itself with conserving the rights of the marginalised communities.

In the wake of the Pulwama attack, the distinction between sympathising with terrorists and hoping that peace will prevail has become increasingly blurry for those infected with a taste for vengeful retribution. At this point, someone could advocate a nuclear war and they’d receive a warmer reception than a person calling for peace.

The fact that in the wake of the Pulwama attack, the media chooses to amplify the voices shouting the loudest and most reactionary statements, like Kangana Ranaut, is regrettable. But at least we know that there is another, more tolerant way, as we saw with Sania Mirza.

Like hieroglyphics and cave drawings, the popularity of the emoji is a testament to how much we love to speak in cute little pictures. But like every language, even emoji needs an update – let’s start with the Pride heart emoji.

Former UP chief minister Mayawati was directed by the SC to refund the public exchequer for constructing statues of herself and her party’s symbol across parks in the state. Will she resort to the massive cash garlands she received back in the day or auction her many branded handbags?

The only transport agency that Indians can rely on is the ISRO. Citizens in Mumbai, Delhi, and Bangalore have petitioned the organisation to launch passenger satellites to take commuters on high-traffic routes like Churchgate-Borivali.

Virat Kohli might seem invincible, but there is one thing he fears more than James Anderson’s bowling – it is Karan Johar’s Koffee couch.

After a year in Antigua, PNB scamster Mehul Choksi has given up his Indian passport. According to local reports, he has also invited his fellow bank chors Nirav Modi and Vijay Mallya over to form a Mahagathbandhan against the Indian state.

From the broad strokes that Why Cheat India paints, there’s no doubt that the film barely makes an effort to possess some intelligence. According to its understanding of education, all rich students have no brains, and all smart students are poor.

There’s no way any woman on earth would respond well to the boorish, juvenile guys in most men’s grooming ads. So why do shampoo commercials and shaving cream ads insist on shoving the trope of the tiresome manchild down our throats?

Everyone knows about the senior actor who forces young actresses to sleep with him. And about the casting director, who refuses to record any woman struggler’s audition unless she takes her top off. But will Bollywood back #MeToo and finally talk about its real villains?

Self-described actor Fardeen Khan is carrying out a morcha for out-of-work thespians. Khan and his supporters are demanding 10 per cent quota in supporting roles such as Hero Ka Sidekick, and Best Friend Who Can’t Act.

The Citizenship Bill proposes to allow “persecuted minorities” from neighbouring countries to seek citizenship in the country. It’s ironic to see the BJP project itself as a champion for minorities in other countries, when it can be argued that they’ve failed at creating a safe haven for those already residing within our borders.

The Gully Boy trailer is firm indication that Ranveer Singh is Bollywood’s finest A-lister. Two of last year’s biggest hits, Padmaavat and Simmba, benefited from Singh’s natural exuberance – yet, he disappears completely in the Gully Boy trailer, letting the character enrich him.

How many people can claim to have slapped Sachin Tendulkar? The greatest coaches do not simply train champions, but raise gentlemen that also showcase good character and discipline in their personal lives, and Ramakant Achrekar was no different.

The new year is the perfect time to be hopeful. What do the stars foretell? Will your parents take you to this year’s Kumbh Mela to lose you on purpose? Will you end up puking on Anil Ambani’s shoes during the Mumbai Marathon, and be dragged to court in a multi-crore suit?

Sacred Games single-handedly ended the drought of smartly written and performed shows of Indian origin, on the internet. It was that unicorn that treated the small screen with the same level of ambition and respect usually reserved for the silver one.

The revelation that “the woke” didn’t shy away from being predators behind closed doors and mobile screens was the catalyst for India’s #MeToo movement. Here are extracts from some of our best essays on the subject.

Let’s hope 2019 is not as toxic as 2018. Let it be full of Big Dick Energy and not Twitter wars where people brand each other Urban Naxals. You got to be living under a rock, if are not getting my drift… just throwing in a few words the year threw at us.

In India, it’s hard to tell the difference between a faux pas and an actual planned statement of idiocy. Still, in 2018, we witnessed the brief nomination of BS Yeddyurappa as Karnataka chief minister, and still haven’t figured out Hanuman’s caste.

We wept after watching Hima Das on the podium after her historic win, had our hearts swell with pride on witnessing the selflessness of Kerala’s fishermen, and were left seething over the #MeToo testimonies. 2018 has been an emotional rollercoaster. Here are the images that will stay with you long after the year is over.

Following a series of progressive judgments, the Supreme Court has gone from being the Johnny Lever of institutions -- cult following, some people laugh -- to the Ryan Reynolds of institutions -- everyone wants to kiss them on the mouth.

Volunteers who turned 13 women away from the Sabarimala shrine felicitated by union minister with garlands. “This is the real dignity of labour,” minister says.

Our prime minister has delivered more speeches since coming to power than Amitabh Bachchan does at the end of Mohabbatein. Some have been insightful, others hilarious, but on more than one occasion, he’s made us go, “Wah Modiji Wah”.

T-Pain allegedly plagiarised Arijit Singh’s “Tum Hi Ho” and then lashed out at “brown Twitter” after the internet outrage. Only if the rapper knew that India has the second-largest internet population in the world. Mr T-Pain, you weren’t throwing shade at some geeks sitting on the sole computer in a hamlet.

Around the Isha Ambani-Anand Piramal wedding, a number of comparisons did the rounds, questioning the Ambanis’ “gross” display of wealth in a poor country. But how come “middle-class” people like us don’t feel the same guilt we expect the Ambanis to naturally feel?

Nita Ambani has shimmied her way to the front of the celeb mom line, just like she edged to the foreground of the Ambani-Piramal engagement photos. Even in the veritable galaxy of stars that thronged the shaadi, Mama Ambani shone brighter than the rest.

Guess what we just found out? Fizz Day is on December 8. It’s the day when you could show your fizz to the world by styling some unique looks. We jumped on the bandwagon. Why don’t you?

After Yogi Adityanath suggested that he’d rename Hyderabad to Bhagyanagar, geography students across the nation carried out protests outside classrooms. “Android se zyada geography textbook update ho rahe hai,” complained Sharma ji ka beta.

Barely a week before the Telangana Assembly Elections, Chandramukhi Mavvula, the first and only transwoman contesting elections in the state has gone missing. Over 24 hours after her disappearance, the state government has still been unable to answer #WhereIsChandramukhi.

#ThisWeekOnArré: Dear Modiji, today my manager told me, “PM 18 ghante kaam karte hain aur tu 8 baje nikal raha hai! Half day kis khushi mein?” Have mercy on someone who hasn’t seen the sun set in six months and has had every leave rejected in the past year.

Recently, 19-month-old Hiba was hit by a pellet in Kashmir’s Shopian district and doctors fear she might lose sight in one eye. Often used to quell protests, pellet guns have led to more than 6,000 injuries since they were introduced in the state in 2010. Isn’t it time we agreed that they are lethal?

The Aam Aadmi Party has announced an inter-collegiate competition in Delhi to design an innovative two-in-one mask that can protect Arvind Kejriwal from pollution as well as chilli, ink, and egg attacks.

Like any other “low-key Konkani wedding”, DeepVeer’s wedding involved guests taking a boat and climbing up a hill in custom Sabyasachi while innumerable patrolling boats kept paparazzi at bay. The clincher, the couple’s no-picture rule.

Dressed in his best gender-bending, haute-couture-meets-chappri attire, Ranveer Singh will enter his bachelor party dancing to the acoustic version of “Tune Maari Entriyan.” This is the last time he will be thrusting his pelvis in public without being penalised with a night on the couch.

We are under attack. Almost every minute a bomb goes off. From the window I can see children with guns and soldiers running around yelling code words at each other, “Happy Diwali! Happy Diwali!”

What terrors lurk in the month ahead? We scry the heavens to bring you a catalogue of misfortunes, from a busking Anu Malik to family feuds.

Congratulations to Nick Jonas, who was recently anointed the white brother-in-law India has always wanted. Now for the important questions: What’ll he wear at the mehendi? Will he dance to “Lal Dupatta”?

We visit Delhi after SC's judgement that banned the sale of crackers and imposed a two hour time limit on bursting green crackers. Even the idea of clean air has sent everyone’s brain into toxic shock.

As a freedom fighter and one-time power player, ND Tiwari’s legacy would be memorable enough by itself. Unfortunately, back-to-back scandals at the denouement of his political career have also ensured a more salacious version of Tiwari’s life will live on in public memory.

Almost 14 years ago, writer-director-producer, Karan Johar did the unthinkable: He brought our favourite Bollywood stars from the big screen, straight into our living rooms. Rarely have our stars been as relatable as they have been on Koffee With Karan.

In an exclusive interview from the temple’s entrance, former union minister MJ Akbar tells us he is upset about having to resign. He hoped to beat Harvey Weinstein’s record one day.

A year into the #MeToo movement, we’re going to give credit where it’s actually due, and acknowledge the real kickstarters of the campaign: The men who made sexual harassment possible in the first place.

Hidayatullah National Law University students have been up in arms, protesting rampant sexual harassment on campus. This could have been a story about the strength of young women fighting the embedded structures of educational institutions. But it seems in danger of becoming a reminder of the impunity of men in powerful positions.

What is common to all the 12 Zodiac signs this month? It’s a good time to lock yourself up in the house and hide under the bed.

If you want to know whether an adultery law is archaic AF, checking to see if it grants women any agency, or just regards them as their husbands’ property is a good place to start. Which is exactly what the Supreme Court did.

The Supreme Court verdict on Aadhaar is thicker than the last Harry Potter book, looks like a football score, and reads like the fine print of a mutual funds ad on TV. But what does it really mean for you and me? And what should cows who have Aadhaar do with their cards?

Nitin Sandesara, the absconding director of Sterling Biotech, reportedly opened over 300 shell companies to launder over ₹5,000 crore. Shell companies are to money launderers what #wanderlust is to travel bloggers and Undertaker is to WWE – indispensable.

With Jio spreading across the country faster than plague in Ancient Rome, there is no excuse for anyone to not watch the India-Pakistan Asia Cup game. Those who show no interest in the match should be immediately likened to Navjot Singh Sidhu, India’s newest “Pakistani puppet”.

On a scale of spending your days monitoring transactions to saving the world, how Jack Ryan are you? Take our quiz to find out.

Assam and Nagaland are facing a deluge. As we saw in Kerala, the aftermath of the disaster will involve repairing broken lives, and warding off waterborne illnesses and epidemics. That’s why we’ll only get by with a little help from our friends.

Yesterday, Sudha Bhardwaj, Varavara Rao, Arun Ferreira, Gautam Navlakha and Vernon Gonsalves were arrested in relation to the Bhima-Koregaon violence. All of them were charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. But what exactly does this law entail?

On a scale of Max from Josh to Vivek from Hum Saath Saath Hai, which Bollywood Bhai are you? Take our quiz to find out!

The floods in Kerala, considered the worst in a century, have claimed over 324 lives and displaced over three lakh people. Once Kerala survives this, it’s evident that God’s own country will have to be rebuilt from scratch. And they'll need our help.

The Bangladesh protests have made it clear that student protestors around the world are making their voices heard. Younger folks tend to have a romantic idealism about the world, and in Stephen Kinzer’s words, “It is never wise to discourage youthful idealism.”

Tamil Nadu likes its politics packaged in a performance. But DMK patriarch Karunanidhi’s demise, nearly two years after his rival Jayalalithaa’s, has forced the people to confront a new reality. We’ve just witnessed the end of one of the last great rivalries of Indian politics – and what an action-packed potboiler it has been.