“Oh my God, it’s a dream come true. I can’t put into words the amount of gratitude I have. Life has been treating me king-size since my debut,” chirps Pashmina Roshan. Her bubbly voice gives away the sheer thrill and joy she’s feeling. You can tell she’s been waiting for this moment. Her debut film, Ishq Vishk Rebound, a reboot of the cult classic 2003 rom-com Ishq Vishk starring Rohit Saraf, Jibraan Khan, and Naila Grrewal, was released recently. Besides Ishq Vishq Rebound, her claim of fame is the Roshan Surname. She’s music director Rajesh Roshan’s daughter and Hrithik Roshan’s cousin. Talk to her about her family and she gets nostalgic about the time spent on the sets of Hrithik Roshan’s iconic film Koi… Mil Gaya. “My first experience of being on the set was Koi… Mil Gaya. It was like magic personified. They made the makeshift town of Kasoli in Film City. Me and my sister, Suranika, were on the set every day. The kids in the film were older than us, so we would look up to them. It was this little make-believe world, like a storybook world but it felt so real. I never felt like going home,” she grins.

She adds, “We were not allowed around my dad’s music recordings because we were naughty. Even on the sets of Koi… Mil Gaya, while filming the last scene where the aliens are going back, I remember we were having a field day in the forest. I remember Chittu Papa (Rakesh Roshan) yelling at me on the mic. I have a picture with Jadoo as well. In college, just to mess with people, I used to tell them I played Jadoo in the film and they used to believe it.” Pashmina admits that she was influenced by films as a kid. She even cut her hair like Kajol’s Anjali in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. Pashmina has come a long way from playing pranks. She’s taking cousin Hrithik Roshan’s advice more seriously than ever. “His feedback is one of the most important things in life. I value the work he puts out and I value the kind of human being and soul he is. I look up to him. Be it film, or even if it’s like a small piece of art, I seek his feedback,” she says.

As she reflects on her journey, the newcomer admits she’s had a sheltered life. She muses, “I was born and brought up in Juhu; my school was down the block. I had not seen enough of Mumbai, let alone India. And there was a thought that, okay, I need a degree. I need to fall back on something. So I studied mass media at Jai Hind. I had done Bharatnatyam but that is again not enough. I need to do more.” Just when she was about to leave for further studies in the UK, she realised something was amiss. “I was sad to the point where I couldn’t do anything other than take naps in the afternoon.” That’s when Pashmina recalled her father’s advice, “My dad has always said that, look, an artist should always create his art. No matter how big or small, that’s the only way you’re going to be satiated and happy. That’s the day I took a leap of faith.”

The Ishk Vishq gang had a rollicking time on the set. “We are all of the same age; our teams are the same age and even the assistant direction team was of similar age; it felt like everyone was going in as students. Our humour also matched. We were close throughout filming and we got even closer during the promotional events,” she shares. That being said, it isn’t all fun and games. Pashmina is self-aware of her last name. Speaking about her privilege, she shares, “I completely understand that there is a discussion about nepotism. And I respect that. I can understand that the audience will view me through that lens as well. But I have worked hard. I have auditioned for this role.

I have auditioned for many other roles and I’ve often been rejected. I’m here today after all of that. I know that maybe going forward, my last name will have a lot of weight. But I feel if I think about this too much, I’m not going to go further. My focus can’t shift to too many different things. It has to be my performance.”

While the enormity of entering Bollywood hasn’t fully hit her, the debutante is choosing to find joy in the little things. She says, “My name is part of a cult film’s legacy. I cannot explain to you the gratitude I feel. So everything is small compared to that. At times, it’s a pinch-me thing. I can’t even believe that this is happening,” she concludes.

AAP leader Manish Sisodia was released from Delhi’s Tihar Jail Friday evening – even as the dark clouds hovering over the national capital all day broke to shed much-needed rain – hours after the Supreme Court granted the ex-Deputy Chief Minister bail in the alleged liquor policy scam.

Mr Sisodia – who held multiple portfolios while a member of the Delhi government, including Education – was received by a large crowd of jubilant Aam Aadmi Party supporters.

Standing in the rain, a triumphant Manish Sisodia gave a short speech.

“Ever since this order came in the morning, every inch of my skin has been feeling indebted to Babasaheb (Ambedkar). I don’t understand how (I) will pay this debt to Babasaheb…”

After exiting Tihar Jail Mr Sisodia left for Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s residence. Like himself, the Chief Minister was arrested, in March, by both federal agencies in the liquor policy case. Mr Kejriwal has received bail in the case filed by the Enforcement Directorate but not the CBI.

Earlier today, in a series of powerful observations the Supreme Court called Manish Sisodia’s nearly 18-month incarceration a “travesty of justice” and asked tough questions of the trial court and the Delhi High Court for failing to consider the violation of his right to liberty by keeping him “behind bars for unlimited time”. Mr Sisodia was arrested by the CBI in February 2023.

“In a matter pertaining to the life and liberty of a citizen – which is one of the most sacrosanct rights guaranteed by the Constitution – a citizen cannot be made to run from pillar to post,” a bench of Justice BR Gavai and Justice KV Viswanathan had said.

Mr Sisodia could not be made to run “from pillar to post” for bail, the court said.

Mr Sisodia’s party has welcomed his release, calling it “victory of truth”.

Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha, in a euphoric post on X (formerly Twitter), declared “the entire country is happy today as Manish Sisodia, hero of the Delhi education revolution, got bail.”

“This verdict is a slap on Centre’s dictatorship. He was in jail for 17 months. His life was destroyed in those months. He could have worked for education of children in that time,” Sanjay Singh – who was also arrested, and later granted bail by the top court, in this case – said.

“Satyamev Jayate,” Delhi Education minister Atishi posted on X.

In releasing Mr Sisodia, the court also made critical observations on the federal agencies’, one example of which was Justice Gavai saying, “In this case 493 witnesses (were) named (and) there is not remotest possibility that Manish Sisodia’s trial will conclude in (the near) future.”

On the question of Mr Sisodia allegedly tampering with evidence, the court pointed out “most evidence is documentary” and that these documents were already with the probe agencies.

The court has, though, imposed certain conditions on Mr Sisodia, including demanding he surrender his passport and report to the Investigating Officer every Monday.

The court has also warned Mr Sisodia he will be returned to jail if there is tampering of evidence.

Russia declared a federal-level emergency in the Kursk region after a substantial incursion from Ukraine, mobilizing reinforcements to counter the attack. This incident followed Ukrainian troops crossing the border, representing Kyiv’s largest attack on Russian soil since the war’s onset. Concurrently, a Russian missile strike on a Ukrainian shopping mall resulted in multiple casualties.