'Presidential poll is an opportunity to reshape Sri Lanka': Anura Kumara Dissanayake

Raje to the rescue: After being passed over for the top post in the state last year, former Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje focused on her son’s constituency for the Lok Sabha campaign. But, with the BJP facing a tough challenge in Haryana, Raje has been brought in as a star campaigner because of her strong ties with communities that hold sway in the two states. Will she be considered for a bigger role after the polls? That remains uncertain. For now, she will lead the charge in Haryana against Rajasthan rival Ashok Gehlot, whom the Congress has appointed as an observer | Illustrations by Jairaj T.G.

Cherished memory: Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh credits party veteran Sushil Kumar Shinde for the chance he got to become chief minister of Madhya Pradesh in 1993. At the launch of Shinde’s memoirs recently in the national capital, Digvijaya recollected that Shinde was the AICC general secretary in charge of Madhya Pradesh in 1993 and was instrumental in ensuring that a 40-year-old Digvijaya beat stalwarts like Arjun Singh, Motilal Vora, Madhav Rao Scindia, Shyama Charan Shukla and Vidya Charan Shukla to the chief minister’s chair.

Police yourselves!: Of late, the immersion process of Ganesh idols in Hyderabad has started resembling a high-decibel competition. The deafening beats blaring out of the pandals and vehicles have left many citizens fuming. They poured out their grievances on social media to Hyderabad Commissioner C.V. Anand, who is active on X. The experienced IPS officer, who understands local dynamics, responded candidly on the issue. Any strict action by the police to address the issue will be branded anti-religious, he said, while adding that this type of social responsibility should come from within.

Second time lucky: The last time they came together was eight years ago for the song ‘Ikk Kudi’ in Udta Punjab, a film about the drug menace in Punjab. And just as the high was wearing off, Alia Bhatt and Diljit Dosanjh are once again collaborating on the track ‘Chal Kudiye’, for Bhatt’s upcoming film Jigra. The song, sung by Bhatt and Dosanjh, was written by Harmanjeet Singh and directed by Manpreet Singh. It is an anthem for women everywhere, even as Dosanjh urges Bhatt to make her dreams come true. Judging by the comments on YouTube, Dosanjh and Bhatt coming together is itself a dream-come-true for many fans | Reuters, AFP

A perfect combination: Some dynamite combinations were always meant to be, like peanut butter and jelly, or Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol, or Christmas and snow. Arijit Singh and Ed Sheeran was one such combination waiting to happen. Singh was joined at his London concert by Sheeran, and it was perfect as the two sang Sheeran’s ‘Perfect’ in perfect sync. Sheeran, it seems, has a thing for India. In March, he was joined by Diljit Donsanjh on stage during his India tour. He was also one of the guests on Kapil Sharma’s show, Breakfast With Champions. And when in India, be an Indian on steroids. He tried butter chicken, did an SRK pose with SRK, and played cricket with Shubman Gill. He didn’t quite nail the sport, but full marks for sportsmanship | AFP

Cross-over fashion: What happens when Italian craftsmanship meets Indian savoir-faire? You get Tod’s x Rahul Mishra, one of the biggest designer collaborations of the year. Mishra has an almost mystic approach to design, as seen in his collections like ‘The Enchanted Garden’, ‘Tree of Life’ and ‘Cosmos’, and when that meets the understated elegance of the Italian luxury brand, the result is a capsule collection that one feels like showcasing in a museum instead of actually wearing. At the launch party to celebrate this iconic cross-breeding was a cross-bred guest-list, with the likes of Anoushka Shankar and Jacqueline Fernandez rubbing their designer sleeves with American actor Ashley Park and Anglo-French actor and model Paul Forman | AFP

The name’s Smith. Will Smith. : High fashion, low humour and your garden-variety backstabbing—the Emmys this year had them all. Murphy Brown legend Candice Bergen took a dig at Republican vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance; hosts Eugene and Dan Levy took a dig at the The Bear being nominated as a comedy; and the stars of Saturday Night Live took a dig at the show’s creator and executive producer Lorne Michaels never having won an Emmy, despite being nominated 85 times. However, the award for the best dig goes to Will Smith, but not the one you are thinking of. Writer of the show Slow Horses referenced movie star Will Smith’s ‘slap-gate’ from the 2022 Oscars, when the actor walked onstage and slapped comedian Chris Rock. “First of all, relax,” quipped the other Will Smith. “Despite my name, I come in peace.” Ouch | AP