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Journalism of Courage
Good morning,
When a drop of water smudged Piyush Pandey’s notes, it washed in a moment of advertising genius: the seed for Dr Fixit’s iconic waterproofing ad. From Cadbury’s “Kuch khaas hai” to Fevicol’s sketches and Asian Paints’ warm, festive nostalgia, his words became part of India’s living room vocabulary. But before he redefined AdLand, Jaipur knew him as an aggressive batsman and a chatty wicketkeeper with pithy pointers. His friends from the field, like Arun Lal and Ramachandra Guha, remember a man who was equal parts humorist, craftsman and cricketer, the “M S Dhoni of Indian advertising,” as Guha puts it. Pandey, who passed away at 70, leaves behind a mourning universe of Indian advertising, and cricket-mates from his college years, who witnessed turns of his phrases and “chuckling” puns on the field.
With that, let’s move on to the top five stories from today’s edition:
🚨 Big Story
Convergence: Talks between India and the US over a long-pending trade deal appear to be inching towards closure, with negotiators known to be finalising the text, though a formal announcement will depend on “political convergence.” Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, speaking in Berlin Friday, underlined that India “does not do deals with a gun to its head,” stressing that any agreement must serve the country’s long-term interests. Officials in New Delhi said both sides have largely reached consensus on key issues and may hold in-person discussions soon. The deal, they added, will not be a conventional free trade agreement, but a bespoke arrangement reflecting reciprocal tariffs outside the WTO framework.
Following fresh US sanctions on Russian oil giants Rosneft and Lukoil, which together supply over two-thirds of India’s Russian crude, Reliance Industries Ltd, the country’s largest private refiner, said it is assessing the implications and will “comply fully” with government guidance. The company, India’s top importer of Russian oil and a major exporter of refined products to Europe, said it will also adhere to the EU’s new rules banning petroleum products. The move, seen as a major escalation in Washington’s attempt to force the Kremlin’s hand into ending the war in Ukraine, could sharply curtail India’s Russian oil imports as refiners and banks tread carefully to avoid secondary sanctions.
Read our latest Express View on India’s need to reassess its energy imports post Trump’s sanction on Russian oil firms.
⚡ Only in Express
Endgame?: Few leaders have ruled as long as Nitish Kumar. Two decades and many returns to the Chief Minister’s chair later, Nitish Kumar faces perhaps his toughest test yet – against time, health, and a new generation. His opponents call the free electricity promise a sign of fatigue; his aides say he’s still calling the shots. Either way, as Bihar heads to polls, the question, apart from winning or losing is whether, as a shopkeeper so eloquently put it, “Nitish has the blessing of ‘iccha shashan’ (ruling Bihar as long as he wants)”
All aboard: On the Amrit Bharat Express from Delhi to Motihari, Bihar, every berth is taken, every inch of floor claimed, there’s gifts for home, laughter, shared food, and no complaints. My colleague, Deeptiman Tiwary, onboard the train, says the passengers’ conversations move easily from Chhath Puja to caste, from Nitish Kumar’s liquor ban to Prashant Kishor’s promises, from dignity to migration – one word that defines modern Bihar. Read the account of homeward journeys and the politics that travel with them.
💡 Express Explained
Passed down: Since India became a republic, the promise of open political opportunity has coexisted with the persistence of dynasties. Former monarchs became political families, the Nehru-Gandhi lineage consolidated control over the Congress, and regional satraps across the country established family-led parties. Even parties critical of dynastism, including the BJP and Left parties, now field second-generation leaders or turncoat dynasts, prioritising winnability and resources over cadre loyalty. Today, more than 22% of India’s legislators hail from political families. What are the forces that sustain dynastic politics, and why does it endure in India? We explain.
✍️ Express Opinion
What next?: Two weeks on from Israel’s Gaza ceasefire, the truce is testing its limits, writes R Swaminathan, former ambassador of India to Egypt and former permanent representative of India to the Arab League. Sporadic IDF strikes, disputes over the Rafah crossing, and the slow flow of humanitarian aid underscore the fragility of the arrangement. “With growing concern in Washington that Netanyahu could derail the ceasefire and restart the war, special envoy Steve Witkoff and US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner arrived in Israel this week, followed by Vice President J D Vance, to ensure that Netanyahu stayed the course,” he writes. Read.
🎬 Movie Review
‘Thamma’, yet another Maddock Films offering a blend of the natural with the supernatural, “suffers from the law of diminishing returns”, writes Shubhra Gupta in her review. Despite its star power – Ayushmann Khurrana and Rashmika Mandanna as lovers entangled in a world of ‘betaals’ and ‘bhediyaas’ – Gupta shares the film “offers little that engages, weighed down by dull writing and “ear-splitting background music.” While Khurrana “tries hard, but is never funny enough,” and Mandanna “fails to raise any steam,” even Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s titular role, she notes, “is all flashing red eyes and snarl, and not much else.” Ultimately, “somewhere in the middle of it all, a character says: bas kar bhai, bahut ho gaya (Stop brother, enough).”
That’s it for today, have a great weekend!
Malavika Jayadeep
