Vasanth Kumar Shivashankar Padukone was born on this day in 1925. His name was changed Gurudatta Padukone after a childhood accident.
Guru Dutt remains a legendary figure in Indian cinema. Here is a story about one of his most popular films at the time of its release. 1/10 The 1942 film Khandan, featuring Noorjehan and Pran, was a massive success. Written and directed by her husband, Shaukat Hussein Rizvi, the film showcased his strong scriptwriting skills. Following partition, Rizvi moved to Pakistan, leaving the film's story and script ownership with Asia Theatres. 2/10

Charles de Gaulle, the founder of France’s Fifth Republic, is said to have survived more than 30 assassination attempts. One in particular stands out — here’s why. 1/20 On 22 August 1962, Charles de Gaulle, founder of France’s Fifth Republic and then-President, was en route to his country home in Colombey-les-Deux-Églises. Accompanied by his wife Yvonne and protected by elite security personnel, the journey was meant to be routine. 2/20

What began as a policy rift spiraled into one of the most bitter face-offs in 20th-century geopolitics. Indira Gandhi vs. Richard Nixon — a diplomatic Cold War drama, soaked in ego, war, and unfiltered racism. Let’s rewind to the early 1970s. Thread.
1/16 The world was on edge. India was on the brink of war with Pakistan. Bangladesh was fighting for freedom.
Millions of refugees were pouring into India.
And the White House—was furious.
Why? Because Indira Gandhi wouldn’t bend to U.S. pressure.
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Magnus Carlsen’s dramatic fist slam this week after an unexpected defeat by Gukesh Dommaraju sparked waves worldwide. But, chess has always been war. In 1978, a world title match featured hypnotism, black magic, yogurt conspiracies, and a murder trial in India.
Thread

1/20 On the surface, it was a game of 64 squares. But in the shadows, it was war. Not metaphorical war — real, ideological, psychological, and bizarre. It’s a game of strategy and psychology, yes, but history tells us it’s also a theater of madness. 2/20

In just a few hours, PSG will face Inter Milan—one of Italy’s most iconic clubs—in the UCL final. Indian fans have long held a soft spot for Italian football, yet few remember that it was a group of Italians who sparked Bengaluru’s passion for the game. Thread

1/15 Karnataka has produced many cricket legends — Vishwanath, Kumble, Dravid. In a city that lives and breathes cricket, home to the iconic Chinnaswamy Stadium, there’s one neighborhood that worships football: Gowthampura.

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Today being National Biscuit Day, we present to you one of our past threads about an iconic Indian biscuit brand that became a symbol of national pride and a new Indian identity (1) In 2011, a Nielsen survey report stated ‘Parle-G’ was one of the bestselling biscuit brands in the world surpassing hugely popular international brands like ‘Oreo’. So how did the cheapest teatime snack become the no. 1 choice around the world? (2)

Last month, India hit rock bottom in news culture. But once, there was a journalist so trusted, villagers from remote corners wrote him letters asking about everything from world affairs to kitchen remedies. Meet the forgotten father of Indian journalism. Thread. 1/20 There was a time when if Ramananda Chatterjee said something—people believed it without question. So much so, that strangers from across India would write to him asking things like: "How much does it cost to build a house in Ghatsila?" "Do the floors crack from the summer heat?" 2/20

Mysore Pak is in the news for all the wrong reasons. Some shops have reportedly begun renaming the iconic sweet. Mysore Pak is more than that. Its origins trace back to one of India's most progressive and secular rulers—a history that's now ironically under strain. Thread 1/13 As the story goes, in 1935, in the city of Mysore ruled by food connoisseur Maharaja Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV, a creative head chef named Kaksura Madappa created a delectable new sweet treat made of ghee, gram flour, and sugar.
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Since Turkey 🇹🇷 is trending in the news, it's the perfect time to revisit this gem:
The mind-bending word origin of the turkey 🦃, the bird.

This is a history of global geographic mess and mistaken identity. Few stories never get old. A thread.

1/11 The origin of turkey, a bird that is now a traditional feature of American Thanksgiving dinner and Christmas supper in the United States 🇺🇸, has long been a source of curiosity.

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For any Bengali, this face needs no introduction — Bantul the Great. But during the India–Pakistan wars of the last century that split a subcontinent and birthed a nation, this comic book hero became something else: a symbol of hope and resistance.

Thread. 1/16 The bald-headed, barrel-chested comic strip hero in the 1960s became more than just a childhood favorite. He was the neighborhood strongman. No crime escaped his fist. Thieves, thugs, and goons all met the same fate — smashed into shape by Bantul.
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In Vidarbha, Maharashtra, the towns of Yavatmal and Murtizapur share a colonial-era legacy tied to cotton trade, a freedom fighter’s wife, and a rare wedding gift that still echoes through history. 1/19 The year was 1944. A newlywed couple and a retinue of relatives were waiting on the railway platform at Murtizapur to board the next train to Daryapur. 2/19

Terror isn’t just fueled by hate — it runs on money.
From fake charities to bank heists, hawala to narco-trade—a secret economy powers the bloodshed. How terror groups sustain themselves — and why it matters more than ever.

Explained.

1/25 Militants need money as much as guns. In India’s insurgent zones, groups like LeT & JeM fuel their campaigns through a shadow terror economy — bank heists, extortion, hawala, fake charities. Globally, others follow the same playbook. Here is a simple breakdown. (Data 2002)

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The heinous Pahalgam attack underscores the chilling reality of Lashkar-e-Taiba’s never-ending menace. But where did this ruthless group come from? The answers lie in a complex web of religious extremism, geopolitics, and strategic patronage.
LeT's dark origins, explained.

1/23 In the late 1970s Pakistan’s military ruler Gen. Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq seized power and launched an intense Islamization campaign. He allied closely with Saudi Arabia, adopting a Saudi-backed policy of Islamization that infused strict Wahhabi ideas into state and society​.
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You may know Susanna Anna-Marie Johannes from 7 Khoon Maaf. But her story began long before the film—a few centuries ago, in Bengal.

In 2021, we followed the trail down a narrow lane off GT Road—and stood before the real Susanna’s tomb.

A Thread.

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In Vishal Bhardwaj's 7 Khoon Maaf, Susanna Anna-Marie Johannes (Priyanka Chopra) marries—and kills—all her husbands in a quest for love. Each marriage ends tragically, but the film only scratches the surface of her story.

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Larger-than-life cutouts are a staple of Tamil cinema.
A ritual. A spectacle. But the very first cutout wasn’t of a male superstar. It was of a woman in a silk saree. And it stood for something much bigger than fandom. Thread.

1/20 This is a story of one filmmaker’s relentless resistance to caste system. In 1940, Tamil director Krishnasamy Subrahmanyam released Bhaktha Chetha—a mythological film that delivered a message that was anything but mythical. 2/20

We all grew up hearing stories about Mullah Nasreddin — the man on a donkey, armed with wit sharper than any sword, who used humour to reveal deeper truths. This very character once became the face of a bold magazine. A magazine that dared to question everything. 1/23 He’s a familiar figure across the Muslim world. Nasreddin appears in countless stories across the Muslim world — sometimes clever, sometimes foolish, always memorable. His tales are rich in subtle humour and gentle wisdom. 2/23

Veteran actor Manoj Kumar passed away at 3:30 AM yesterday in Mumbai. He is best remembered for his iconic roles in patriotic films, which earned him the nickname "Bharat Kumar." Interestingly, one of the most poignant songs from his films was inspired by a real-life incident. 1/12 Authors @anibhat123 and @vittalbalaji have beautifully documented the story in their book Gata Rahe Mera Dil – 50 Classic Hindi Film Songs. Upkar, the directorial debut of Manoj Kumar, was one of the biggest box office hits of the 1960s. 2/12

You may have noticed that the hit songs "Tamma Tamma" and "Jhumma Chumma" from the 1990s sound strikingly similar. While both sets of composers claimed credit for their respective versions, the original song and its composer trace back to Guinea. Here’s the real story. 1/13 Around 1995, pubs across Germany and beyond were alive with the beats of Yeke Yeke, a track by the German electronic duo Hardfloor. Topping several charts, this remix was based on Mory Kanté’s iconic Afro-pop song of the same name. 2/13

Eid Mubarak to everyone celebrating! We marked the day with a delicious plate of Biryani. And perhaps, today is a good time to revisit the origins of an iconic Biryani—and the story of a tragic Indian mother buried in Paris. A thread on a fabled concourse of history.

1/18 Back in 1856, Lord Dalhousie, the Governor-General of British India, annexed the kingdom of Awadh with the allegation of misadministration and exiled the Last Nawab Wajid Ali Shah to Calcutta.

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Legend has it that a group of Jews from Kochi once embarked on a secret and daring expedition. Upon their success, the king of Kochi granted them a place to live, a street for the Jews. Now, it is a vibrant tourist destination. 1/14 The story begins with a quarrel & a bit of mischief. The Dutch & the King of Kochi shared an amicable relationship, but one day, that was put to the test. According to Ruby Daniel’s account the king dozed off briefly while listening to the Dutch governor’s ramblings in court 2/14

In the 1960s and 70s, a woman in a saree took the stage across Europe, mesmerizing audiences with her renditions of Hindi Bollywood songs. Her voice was flawless, her pronunciation impeccable. But she wasn’t Indian. She was a girl from Romania. This is her incredible story 1/14 Her name was Maria Amarghioalei, but the world knew her as Naarghita. Born in 1939 in a small Romanian village, she had a difficult childhood after her parents separated.
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