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Nitish Kumar: Destined to be perpetual No.2?
The aphorism “know thyself” was explained by Greek philosopher Socrates as a phrase which referred to an “unexamined life”. The renewed rumours about Nitish Kumars future plans provoke queries as to whether the Bihar Chief Minister has closely examined his life in politics.
So far, his political journeys have seen him move from the company of his friend Laloo Prasad Yadav during the days of Jayaprakash Narayan’s anti-Congress agitation to Atal Behari Vajpayee’s government at the Centre and an alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Bihar, to Laloo Prasad Yadav again as a part of an anti-BJP Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) in Bihar and then back to the BJP.
After these switches, there is speculation that he may return to the Mahagathbandhan again. The reason for the latest conjecture, that has dwelt on the possibility of an electoral contest between Narendra Modi and Nitish Kumar in Varanasi in 2019, is the latter’s reported unhappiness over the way he has been treated by the Modi dispensation during his latest tenure as the Chief Minister.
A sign of this displeasure was Nitish Kumar’s refusal to have anything to do with the International Yoga Day, which the BJP likes to observe with great fanfare. In addition, the Chief Minister has been sending out signals that he will call the shots in Bihar in the matter of seat-sharing with the BJP in 2019. Since he cannot expect Big Brother to accept this proposition lying down, he is obviously spoiling for a fight.
A recent phone call by Nitish Kumar to Laloo Prasad Yadav to inquire about his health has added grist to the rumour mills despite the categorical refusal by Yadav’s son, Tejashvi, to allow Nitish “chacha” (uncle) to return to the alliance with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Congress.
There are contrary views apart from such gossip which assert that the BJP’s currently somewhat weakened position after several by-election defeats has encouraged the previously embattled Nitish Kumar to assert himself in order to secure a better bargaining position.
Against the backdrop of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s reported advice to the BJP to be more accommodative towards its allies (which made Amit Shah have a closed door meeting with the Shiv Sena’s Uddhav Thackeray while Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis waited outside), Nitish Kumar has probably decided that the time has come for him to flex his muscles.
At the same time, he may not be averse to playing both sides since sections in the Congress are said to be not unwilling to let him return to the “secular” fold.
Whatever the outcome of these calculations, it is undeniable that Nitish Kumar has done his reputation considerable harm by being the subject matter of such guesswork. There is hardly any other example of a generally well-respected political leader being associated with what only be described as floor-crossing on so many occasions.
Opportunism may be too harsh a word for a senior leader like Nitish Kumar, but what is obvious is that, first, he does not find it easy to choose the right ally and, secondly, that having chosen one, his hopes about how he should be treated fall short of his expectations.
This happened in the days of the Mahagathbandhan in Bihar after its trouncing of the BJP in 2015 and has happened again after he joined the BJP two years later. On both occasions, he apparently felt that being the Chief Minister was not enough, for he was not being treated with adequate respect.
Nitish Kumar’s disadvantage is that his support base is not strong enough. Being a Kurmi, a backward caste which constitutes four per cent of Bihar’s population, he was unable to match the social and political clout of the Yadavs, who make up 14.4 per cent, the largest percentage of all the castes in the state, when he was in the Mahagathbandhan.
Now, as an ally of the BJP, Nitish Kumar appears to be unable to cope with the overbearing nature of the Modi-Amit Shah duo. The realisation may be dawning on him, therefore, that his fate marks him out to be a No. 2 person wherever he is, notwithstanding his reputation as “Sushashan Babu” or a person known for delivering good governance, which cannot be said, for instance, of perhaps the most important person in recent years in Bihar’s political life, Laloo Prasad Yadav, who currently alternates between being in jail or in hospital.
Given the shaky nature of Nitish Kumar’s present status, where he does not seem to be at ease in the BJP’s company while the “secular” camp can hardly be said to be waiting for him with open arms, the former poster boy of the national opposition with the potential to be the Prime Minister is at a loose end.
What has led him to a blind alley is a seeming failure to “know” his strengths and weaknesses while taking a hard look at his options in a sharply polarised atmosphere.
Rs 7 Crore Betting On This Hero
Megastar’s son-in-law Kalyan’s Dhev is getting ready for release. The film has reached a budget of Rs 7 crore as per unit members. Usually, on a new hero, Rs 2 to 3 crores are spent.And if it is a star kid, then there is virtually no limit on his debut film. But in Kalyan Dhev’s case, Sai Korrapati is spending Rs 7 crores in all.
Though the film was planned on a small scale, the budget has increased over time. In fact, with inclusion of star cinematographer Senthil Kumar, the budget spiked.Technical value has increased and total project cost, release costs and publicity have all added up to Rs 7 crores.
Usually, Sai Korrapti distributes his own films and leaves Nizam area to Suresh Babu. But it is unclear if he will repeat the same formula this time or sell all areas.Malavika Nair has been cast as the heroine opposite Kalyan Dev. Also, since the likes of Rajamouli has attended the audio release funtion, the buzz around the film has increased.
RX 100 and Chinna Babu are releasing alongside Vijetha.
Gossip: Prakash Raj Does It Again!
Time and again, there have been incidents of Prakash Raj having misunderstandings with leading directors, actors and producers.Apparently, he flew off the handle again during the shooting of Hello Guru Premakosame, starring Ram and Anupama Parameswaran.Trinadha Rao Nakkina is the director of the film which is currently being shot in Hyderabad.
One version is that Prakash Raj who plays Anupama’s father in the film was discussing a certain scene with her on how to enact it in the best way.During the course of their interaction, Anupama reportedly lost her cool, and said, “Don’t I know how to act? Why do you keep telling me?” She then broke into tears and went and sat down in her chair.
Another version is that Anupama missed a prompt while enacting the scene and Prakash Raj ‘took a class’ because of which she got upset.Anyway, an equally upset Prakash Raj left the venue and shooting was cancelled on Saturday.
Shriya Bhupal-Anindith Reddy wedding: Starry Affair
Shriya Bhupal, the granddaughter of leading businessman GVK Reddy, tied the knot with Anindith Reddy, the grandson of Apollo Hospitals chairman Prathap C Reddy.The wedding was a grand affair indeed, with many celebrities in attendance. From Telugu star Mahesh Babu’s wife and former actress Namrata Shirodkar to Ram Charan and his wife Upasana Kamineni, many celebrities lit up the celebrations.
Upasana Kamineni is the cousin of the groom, and took to Instagram to share pictures of the wedding.
On the other hand, Namrata attended the function with her daughter Sitara.
The marriage, which took place in Hyderabad, was solemnised by Jaggi Vasudev.Shriya was earlier engaged to actor Akhil Akkineni, the younger son of Nagarjuna. The two were in love, but for reasons unknown, the marriage was called off.
Would a Priyanka-Nick marriage be sustainable?
Many, many years ago, the doyen of Marathi-Hindi cinema V. Shantaram was told by his daughter, the actress Rajshri, that she wanted to marry her American boyfriend Greg Chapman.Shantaram was at that time in the midst of pre-production for a film called “Boond Jo Ban Gayee Moti”. He stared at his daughter with disbelieving eyes, unwilling to accept that she would betray her father in this way.”And the best thing was, Shantaramji wasn’t worried about Raj — her pet name — marrying an American. He was only worried about his film. He quickly told his daughter to do whatever she wanted to and signed Mumtaz to play the lead opposite me,” recalls veteran actor Jeetendra, a close friend of Rajshri.
Her last film in India “Suhaag Raat” was with Jeetendra who visits his pal Raj even now when he is in the US.Rajshri’s marriage to Greg Chapman has lasted for more than 35 years. Once she moved to the US with Greg, she never looked back, never had a hankering to return. Theirs is a marriage that defies all cross-cultural scepticism, forging as it did an alliance that went far deeper than the passport could ever record.
I don’t know if Priyanka Chopra would marry her American boyfriend. I can’t see her giving it all up like Rajshri to make a life in the US, unless Priyanka’s mother plans to make Nick her ghar-jamai (house husband). Would Nick Jonas, a hot favourite gay icon in the US, actually want to forge a marital alliance with our Desi Girl?
Something tells me this relationship lacks the staying-power of the Rajshri-Greg alliance. I will tell you why. For one, Greg had nothing to do with show business. He had no clue Rajshri was a star in India when they met in the US while she was shooting with Raj Kapoor for his globally-shot fiasco “Around The World”. Raj Kapoor would later joke that the only good thing that came out of this expensive disaster was Rajshri’s marriage.
In my experience, marriage of showbiz celebrities work best when the spouse is totally detached from the entertainment world. Nick and Priyanka are on the same side of the celebrity circus. Not good.Rajshri gave it all up for Greg. It wasn’t just love. Rajshri didn’t care a damn about being an actress. Would Priyanka be able to give it all up? And to be politically correct, let’s take the reverse course — would Nick be willing to give it all up and settle down in India?
I am sure Shah Rukh Khan would find a vacancy for him at Red Chillies.
While the future of Desi Girl’s bonding with the Firangi Munda remains uncertain, I am reminded of the most famous American to have dated an Indian actress. Hollywood superstar Gregory Peck dated 1950s diva Suraiya for a fleeting phase when he visited India. He was really taken up with the beauteous actress. But Suraiya’s grandmother didn’t see Gregory Miyan as a son-in-law.
On the rebound, Suraiya had a long relationship with the Gregory Peck lookalike Dev Anand. Alas, that too was a doomed alliance. But that’s another story.
My sons take me for granted at times: Madhuri
Actress Madhuri Dixit-Nene says there are times when her two sons take her for granted.The performance of Kishan — one of the contestants of the show “Dance Deewane” — that was dedicated to his mother left people teary-eyed, read a statement.
After his performance, Kishan said: “I regret ignoring my mom’s calls and not paying much attention to her.”Madhuri responded by saying: “Even my sons take me for granted at times and I feel embarrassed when I keep calling them, but I cannot help it. In fact, every mother in this world is protective about her child.
“When I was small, I used to do the same thing, but now that I am a mother I realise how this feels.”
Ileana Still Wanted In Tollywood
It’s been six years since Ileana walked out of Telugu film industry. She then migrated to Bollywood and did a few films there.While they have been successful, she did not become the top heroine there. However, taking a short break from Bollywood, she is now back in Tollywood.Though it was widely thought that she will not return to Tollywood, Ileana is making a re-entry with Amar Akbar Anthony.
The film will see her cast opposite Mass Maharaja Ravi Teja. But contrary to earlier doubts, Ileana has been getting quite a few enquiries and talk is that she could be seen in some big films in days to come.She has given bulk dates to Ravi Teja and despite foreign schedules, she will be free for quite some time. Meanwhile, Ileana can cash in on her time by doing at least three to four films.
With younger heroes too wanting to work with her, it surely looks like Ileana is still in demand!
Sai Dharam Has No Judgement on Scripts?
Sai Dharam Tej has given five flops in a row and his latest film “Tej I Love You” opened to not-so-encouraging talk.Trade pundits blame no one else but Sai Dharam Tej for his poor choice of scripts. It is evident that he has no judgement skills regarding stories.
He delivered hits when strong producers like Dil Raju or Allu Aravind produced films with him because they take care of script and other issues with utmost care. All his movies outside these productions bombed.Sai Dharam Tej takes good remuneration but he is not even recruiting good persons for selection of scripts when he is so poor at judging them.
The recent film’s openings prove that his career is in complete doldrums.
11 years after marriage, He secretly had a baby with another lady: Renu Desai
It’s been nearly 7 years since Renu Desai and Pawan Kalyan separated. Since then, their separation and the following divorce have been hot topics for the media and fans till date. While Pawan blissfully enjoyed his privacy and continue to be loved abundantly, Renu, on the other hand, was subjected to constant abuse and even death threats from several so-called Pawan fanatics.
All these years, Renu Desai kept quiet about her failed relationship with Pawan. But finally, she revealed several shocking facts about her divorce in a latest interview. Renu said that she is opening up after all these years, thanks to the support from her beau’s family members who encouraged her to come clear about her past.
Pawan Asked For Divorce, I Resisted: Renu Desai
Renu Desai clarified that it was Pawan who wanted the divorce even though she resisted a lot. “I was very hurt and angry and didn’t want to divorce him. But he insisted and I finally agreed for divorce,” said Renu. She further said that she is finally coming to terms and that she has slowly started to forgive Pawan.
He’s a good father, But No Time to Spend With His Children
Talking about Pawan as a father, Renu said, “no doubt that he’s a good father. But how many days does he spends with his children? Hardly a couple of days twice a year. I want to tell all the women that an independent woman can surely raise her kids and live a complete life. Your life shouldn’t end because of one man.”
11 years after marriage, He secretly had a baby with another lady: Renu Desai
“During our divorce, I requested Kalyan garu to issue a public statement to clarify about it, but he didn’t oblige my request. I get hate messages from many female fans of Pawan garu. I want to ask them only one question – How would you feel if Pawan was your husband and after 11 years of marriage, he becomes a father to another daughter without telling you?,” Renu shot a direct question.
KCR knows how to rid of rebel leaders!
We have seen bosses of political parties like the Congress and the Telugu Desam Party taking instant action against rebellious and troublesome leaders before they spoil the party structure in their respective constituencies.But Telangana Rashtra Samithi president and chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao seems to be a different politician.He knows which leader is creating troubles to the party not only in his or her constituency but also in the other constituencies. But he prefers to adopt wait and watch approach, rather than taking quick action.
May be KCR is of the view that if such leaders are expelled from the party, they would have enough time to join the rival parties and regain their strength.So, he wants to wait till the elections are announced and then dump them by not giving them party tickets. In the meantime, he would quietly groom alternative leadership in the constituency.
This is the strategy what KCR is adopting in case of Konda couple in Warangal. He knows that the couple – Konda Surekha and husband Konda Murali – have become troublesome not only in Warangal East constituency represented by her, but also in neighbouring Bhupalpalli and Parkal constituencies.
While Surekha wants to continue in Warangal East, she is encouraging her daughter Sushmita in Bhupalpalli constituency, which is represented by Speaker S Madhusudhana Chary. The couple wants to oust Chary from Bhupalpalli and promote their daughter and have been creating all sorts of troubles to him.
KCR has come to know about it, but he does not want to take any action against Konda couple at this stage, because he knows they are powerful leaders. If they are sacked from TRS, they would immediately jump into the Congress which is ready to accept them. Thus, within six months, they would be able to dominate entire Warangal.
So, he is allowing them to behave in a highhanded manner, while encouraging Madhusudhana Chary to do good works in Bhupalpalli, so that he would be in good books of the people.“Just before the elections, KCR will axe the Konda couple by which time, the Congress would have its own candidates in her constituency. Even if Konda couple joins the Congress in the last moment, they will have little time to take on the TRS,” sources said.
Aishwarya Looks Stunning In Her Latest Pic
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is currently in Paris for her various work commitments. While she is attending all the event, the actress is keeping her fans updated about the same. And now, the gorgeous lady took to Instagram once again to share a new post.
She uploaded a picture of herself in a black dress as she posed with a carousel behind. The actress is attending the event of a brand she is associated with.Well, no doubt she still is still the beauty Queen who rules everyone hearts!
On the work front, Aishwarya will be next seen in ‘Fanney Khan’ starring Anil Kapoor and Rajkummar Rao. The film is slated to release on 3rd August 2018.
