Firstpost Editor's Picks: Narendra Modi's Bollywood blitz, Arun Jaitley on CBI, Maharashtra govt's panel on bullet train; today's must-read stories

Maharashtra govt says panel on bullet train project met twice, but sub-committee didn't address most objections

At the first meeting, held after over five-and-a-half months of the formation of the sub-committee, they mainly discussed the proposed place of the terminus at Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) in Mumbai.

The MMRDA had raised its objection at the proposed terminus, for it could have an impact on the development potential at BKC. The urban development department even said it would lead to a revenue loss of Rs 48,000 crore.

Arun Jaitley advises CBI to steer clear of 'adventurism', but finance minister doesn't practise what he preaches

Jaitley's problem is that his own finance ministry often violates these 'Lakshman rekhas' he is drawing. Either he does not know what is happening in his own ministry (which I doubt), or Jaitley does not practice what he preaches. This government, and every other government before it, has had and will continue to have antipathy against some of us. That is fine.

But it should be pointed out that disrupting and maligning institutions that have won the Nobel Peace Prize is fine with Jaitley.

Narendra Modi’s Bollywood blitz, and a bandwagon of political films begs the question: Are we citizens or fans?

Big as Bollywood superstars are, Narendra Modi is the biggest social media brand of them all, and taking selfies with him means getting noticed by his ardent following. The prime minister gets to reinforce his image, as fans of Bollywood personalities watch their icons bending their knees to fit into a selfie frame. His timing in 2019 is impeccable.

Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened review — Netflix docu is as entertaining as it's insightful

Those keeping track would already be aware that this film chronicles the rise and fall of the now infamous Fyre music festival, a luxury resort event that was supposed to be the greatest thing since Woodstock, but ultimately turned out to be a gigantic dumpster fyre. The less you know about the events that unfold, the better.

Neelesh Misra on navigating fiction and fact: 'Journalism helped in striking the right balance in my storytelling'

Neelesh Misra is one of India’s most-loved oral storytellers, reaching more than 100 million people every week across radio and digital platforms. He is also the founder of Gaon Connection, India’s biggest rural media platform. He has written five books, and lyrics for over 30 Hindi films. He is an award-winning journalist, formerly deputy executive editor of a leading daily, and South Asia correspondent for The Associated Press.