My latest AI song is here. It's my tribute to the moustache. Do give 'Mooch nahin toh Kuch nahin' some love. Share it, if you like it.

Dhanush has always been the underdog. No one ever imagined he’d be a superlative actor. No one thought he’d be hero material. No one predicted he’d be the first in line to start a political party after Vijay. The reality is that Dhanush is slowly transforming his fan base into a political organisation. Many political pundits don’t give him a chance. They say he’s not as popular as Vijay. They say he’s controversial. They say he’s not liked. They say he’s the BJP’s D-team. Dhanush couldn’t care less. He’s faced such doubters before. He seems clear-headed about what he wants to do. Goal-setting is the first hurdle. He seems to have crossed it and has a plan to move forward. There were rumours about him joining the AIADMK. Media reports claim EPS has shot down the idea. Today, Dhanush flexed his muscles by hosting a meet for his women fans. Interestingly, each of them was given a kuthuvilakku as a gift. We think there’s a cryptic hint here. Could that be his future party symbol? Having badly misjudged Vijay’s fortunes, the pundits should stop the guessing game about Dhanush. He will certainly fare better than Annamalai on the popularity front. Whether he develops an aura of credibility depends on the statements he makes and the actions he takes. Having tracked Dhanush since his first movie, all one can say about him is that he’s a Polladhavan when it comes to prep work. He’s the dark horse that will go far.

Annamalai seems to be in a hurry to burn his bridges with the BJP. There could be an electoral calculation behind this move. If WTL is to carry any weight, Annamalai needs to win the 2029 Lok Sabha elections. If he were to contest alone, he would suffer a fate worse than Seeman's. So, he needs an alliance, preferably with a formation that has a realistic chance of winning. He has three options: a) The Congress Party, b) TVK, and c) DMK. Having railed against the DMK all his political life, it would be suicidal to tie up with the Rising Sun. That leaves the Congress and TVK. Since his supporters are pitching 2031 as a battle between Vijay and Annamalai, joining the Vetri bandwagon would look like a surrender. The Congress Party looks like a tempting option. Which could explain why he has gone soft on Rahul G. The Congress will certainly be looking to cobble together a nationwide coalition to take on the NDA. Annamalai could try to pull off a Kamal Haasan by joining hands with Rahul G in exchange for a safe seat. If the TVK-Congress pact continues into 2029, TVK may not mind too much if Congress allocates a seat to Annamalai. With the combined votes of TVK, Congress, VCK, the Communists, and the Muslim League, Annamalai could have enough votes in his kitty to win his seat. That's his pagal kanavu. His dream of making it to Parliament. Kaalam badhil sollum.

Treat Annamalai as a former employee who went on to create a new start-up in the same domain. He will cross lines. He will open friendly fire. He will take plenty of U-turns. Aakhir paapi pet ka sawaal hai. Zyaada tension nahin lene ka. Bas ignore karne ka.

Six issues that should worry BJP supporters: a) The SIR protests continue despite all the steps taken to snuff out the movement. b) The Index of Opposition Unity (IOU) is at its highest in recent times. Mamata is willing to do business with the Left. Chandrababu has established a rapport with southern chief ministers. The Congress is no longer taboo for regional satraps. c) Rahul G has long outgrown the “Pappu” image. The political situation is such that the voting public has started considering him as an option. d) The “deep state regime change” theory put forward by the BJP as the reason for disturbances across the country has not been bought by the thinking classes. e) The cabinet reshuffle was touted as a move that would create fresh momentum. But the Modi government has been dragging its feet on it for some reason. f) Young people seem to be drifting away from the BJP. There has been no comprehensive plan to win them back.

Finally, a sensible move from WTL. The intent to contest local body polls has been announced. Hopefully, the party name and its symbol gets unveiled soon. Nothing like entering the fray and walking the talk. We wish them well.

My first interaction with Jai was when he was practically an inseparable twin with musician Aravind Murali. His name was hyphenated as Aravind-Jai in my mobile phone. We did some radio spots with him. Usually, sound engineers are aloof. Jai was different. There was a spark about him that was there for everyone to see. He was witty, philosophical, and so clued in to everything that every time we needed to do a radio spot, we'd return to Jai. Again and again. Jai was highly opinionated, like all of us. He didn't hesitate to call Dali's surrealism bullshit. Jai was particularly proud of the studio he had built. It felt almost like his monastery, filled with deep silence. His love for and knowledge of acoustics made him the God of Sound for anyone who needed to set up a sound studio in Chennai. Nearly every celebrity in Chennai would have had some touch of Jai somewhere in their studio. He was a musician too. And later, I gathered that he was a terrific friend to those close to him. The Lord Almighty was probably too envious of his ear for music, so he made him visually impaired to some extent during the last five years of his life. I was utterly shocked to learn today that Jaishankar Iyer, the man we all adored, had passed away in his sleep sometime last night. We had recently promised to catch up. Alas, that will have to happen on the other side. Travel well, Jai. You did awesomely well until you hit the last note.

Bruce Lee once said, "Be water, my friend." One man who's taking his advice seriously is Joseph C. Vijay. He's very liquid in his ways. He shapeshifts as the situation demands. One day, he's a campaigner. The next, a guy like us. He can effortlessly switch from defence to attack mode, as role-playing comes naturally to him. He's been doing it for 34 years. The one role he hasn't mastered yet is that of Chief Minister. He's learning on the job fast. Going by his track record, he should be at his best in a year. Unlike his predecessors, Vijay has the love of three generations. That's an unbeatable bond for anyone planning something big.

For long, we've mocked RahulG in many ways. But today, he came of age with his show of strength in Delhi. It's time we took him seriously.

Tamil Nadu BJP needs to become more development-oriented. Development is in Modi's DNA. If that can be translated into the party's daily work, it will be seen as positive and constructive. Decades have been spent playing the role of a fringe opposition party. Criticizing every move of the state government is not going to help anymore. The TVK government is doing certain things right, like its anti-corruption initiatives. Acknowledge them. Where the government slips, criticize. But also suggest a workable alternative. Party leaders need to do more research. Grassroots work is important. Leadership, even more so. Setting the governance agenda is where the future lies. Without adequate preparation, press statements will sound like empty words. The state BJP needs to aim for a top-two finish. It's not impossible. All it takes is poaching key leaders from the right parties at the right time. And rebuilding the organization in every district.