CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI ■ ■ kollam l tuesday l november 25, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l city EDITION Dharmendra: 8 December 1935 - 24 November 2025 A life lived king-size Na m rata J o s h i @ Mumbai D harmendra made a soft landing in Hindi cinema singing Mukesh’s “Mujhko is raat ki tanhai mein awaaz na do” in Arjun Hingorani’s Dil Bhi Tera Hum Bhi Tere (1960), a sad, star-crossed love story about the poor and disempowered in Mumbai, who are unabl e t o r i s e ab ove t h e i r circumstances. The film also showcased a facet of Dharmendra’s personality that he came to be identified with for the rest of his life—his unquestionable handsomeness. The audience could not take its eyes off the chaste good looks and trim body he sported as a young street salesman-turned-boxer. A few years down the line, the screen caught fire, metaphorically in O P Ral, han’s Phool Aur Patthar (1966) when Garam-Dharam, as he later came to be called, loomed over a sleeping Meena Kumari and took his shirt off to thoughtfully shield her from the cold. At a time when fitness was not quite the characteristic of a Hindi film hero, Dharmendra rang in a new paradigm of robustness. A legacy carried forward by the likes of Vinod Khanna and Salman Khan, and practically every single contemporary male star. However, there has been a significant difference: Dharmendra’s was not about sculpted, gym-toned, six-pack abs but a rugged, healthy male ideal. His mascu- linity before getting taken over by the action and stunts and loudness in the 80s was also underlined with a quiet tenderness, overwhelming romance and playful humour. Dharmendra remained impervious to the superstardom of his contemporaries, Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan, but didn’t get celebrated as much for his own. Despite the diversity of roles in over 300 films and 65 years in the film industry dotted with innu, merable hits, being the He-Man ended up defining Dharmendra and confining him as well. But for every action entertainer like Raj Khosla’s Mera Gaon Mera Desh (1971), and Nasir Hussain’s Yaadon Ki Baaraat (1973), there was Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s hilarious Chupke Chupke, and the same filmmaker’s poignant Satyakam. And of course, there was Ramesh Sippy’s Sholay. Through the 80s, 90s and 2000s, his career began sliding, and his own children and nephew—Sunny, Bobby, Esha and Abhay Deol—took to showbiz. He later retired to his farmhouse in Lonavala. It took Sriram Raghavan to celebrate the Garam-Dharam magic in Johnny Gaddar (2007). And, ironically it’s Raghavan’s , Ikkis, a few weeks away from release, that’d perhaps be his last, and posthumous, performance. From a mar tyr in Haqeeqat to the father of one in the Raghavan film, hopefully it , would be the fitting finale for the multi-layered person and P8 actor Dharmendra was.  He was iconic, a phenomenal actor who brought charm and depth to every role. The manner in which he played diverse roles struck a chord with people — Narendra Modi, prime minister He never forgot his roots. He was a man of the earth and he remained very close to his real self... I didn’t see any change in him with stardom and popularity — Sharmila Tagore, actor Farewell, my friend. I will always remember your golden heart and the moments we shared. Rest in peace, Dharam ji — Rajinikanth, actor Halt ops, give us Level up: PMO to babus on cabinet notes 3-mth window: Maoists to govt s u m i t k u m ar si n g h @ New Delhi 53 CJI rd On his first day as CJI, Justice Surya Kant set a new norm on mentioning cases for urgent listing, saying they must be made in writing. Oral requests only under extraordinary circumstances Page 7 Major share of household spending goes to durables: Study D I PA K MON D A L @ New Delhi THE consumption pattern of Indian households has changed dramatically over the past decade with the share of monthly per capita expenditure on food falling below 50% for the first time and a larger portion going to non-food items such as durable goods, a new study reveals. According to the study which , compares data from the Household Consumption Expenditure Surveys of 2011-12 and 2023-24, household spending is shifting from basic necessities to assetbuilding items such as domestic appliances. The findings are part of a working paper released by the Economic Advisory Council to the PM. Mobile phones have emerged as the primary medium for information, entertainment and communication, with near-universal ownership across both urban and rural areas and all consumption groups. Among B40 rural households, mobile phone ownership rose from 66.5% in 2011-12 to 94.3% in 2023-24, it noted. Television ownership in rural areas, too, increased from 49.6% recorded in the 2011-12 survey to 61.1% in 2023-24. Letter to CMs of MP, Maha and Chhattisgarh seeks time for collective call on surrender E J A Z K A I S E R @ Raipur THE Maharashtra-Madhya Pradesh-Chhattisgarh (MMC) Special Zonal Committee of the banned CPI (Maoist) has sought time until February 15, 2026, to arrive at a collective decision on surrendering arms and accepting the government’s rehabilitation package. The MMC committee operates in the dense tri-junction forest region of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh — a strategically vital corridor used by Maoist cadres to move between different areas of the Dandakaranya Special Zone. In a signed press release issued in the name of Anant, spokesperson of the MMC Special Zonal Committee, the outfit addressed Chief Ministers of the three states — Devendra Fadnavis (Maharashtra), Vishnu Deo Sai (Chhattisgarh) and M o h a n Ya d av ( M a d h y a Pradesh) — requesting a halt to anti-Maoist operations. The letter released to the media claimed that the proposal has the approval of Politburo member Sonu Dada and Central Committee members Satish and Chandranna, all of whom have reportedly renounced armed struggle and surrendered. Acknowledging the lack of Request to convey message on radio Maoist leader Anant requested that his message be run on radio to ensure it reaches cadre soon. “Allow us to meet representatives and journalists, so that we can declare a date on laying down arms,” he said secure and rapid communication channels within the underground network, the statement said: “Since we do not have a fast mechanism to contact one another, the requested period till February 15, 2026, is required. This is well within the March 31, 2026, deadline set by the government.” Reacting to the development, Bastar Range Inspector General of Police P Sundarraj said, “The remaining Maoist cadres and their depleted leadership now have no option except to shun violence and join the social mainstream. Such a press note has emerged when the organisation has crumbled... They are now leaderless, directionless and demoralised. As per directives of governments and desire of the native population, troops are committed to bring an end to the left-wing extremism as early as possible.” IN a sharp message to the bureaucracy the Prime Minister’s , Office (PMO) has ordered all ministries to stop working in silos, drop blame games and prepare only “high quality” cabinet notes that match Indian policies and projects with global standards. The strongly worded directive, issued last week, asks secretaries to shed “routine bureaucratic mindset” and focus on “value addition” while drafting or commenting on cabinet notes — proposals which ministers submit before the government for approval on major policy decisions. The PMO made it clear that these instructions reflect Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s per- onus on pulling together in same direction A senior officer said that currently each secretary optimises for his/her own ministry’s interest rather than the country’s interest. When a major infrastructure project involves five ministries, the Prime Minister often gets five different agendas that pull in different directions. “This needs to end at the outset,” the officer told this newspaper sonal views and must be strictly followed by all. “Finalisation of cabinet notes should be monitored regularly to avoid delays. Ministries must focus on value addition rather than routine comments,” the note reads. It emphasises early inter-ministerial consultations and, if required, face-to-face meetings to iron out differences instead of letting files gather dust in endless back-and-forth. The PMO said: “Proposals 10 India went from 95/1 to 105/5, losing four wickets for ten runs. This is the worst collapse for these wickets for India at home since 1984 Jansen leaves a mark Marco Jansen (C) took six wickets to help South Africa gain a massive 288-run lead against India in the 2nd and final Test | pti | P11 72,005 in the fray for local body elections E x p ress Ne w s S er v i c e @T’Puram A total of 72,005 candidates are officially in the fray across the state for the upcoming local body election, as per provisional data released by the State Election Commission late on Monday . The final picture of the candidates became clear after the deadline for withdrawal of nominations ended on Monday . The list of candidates includes 37,786 women, 34,218 men and poll picture Total candidates 72,005 Male 34,218 Female 37,786 Transgender person 1 Data is provisional, as on Nov 24, 10pm one transgender person. Meanwhile, all major fronts are facing the menace of rebel candidates who have refused to withdraw their candidature de- submitted to Cabinet Committ e e s re l at i n g t o va r i o u s projects/schemes/programmes and policies should, wherever possible, incorporate details of benchmarking with global standards with respect to that proposal.” T he PMO also war ned against the tendency to push files with narrow departmental views, and to keep in mind the overall public interest while conce ptualising a policy proposal. spite efforts by party leadership to mollify them. While the LDF and the UDF have five rebel candidates each in Thiruvananthapruam corporation, 11 rebels are causing headache to the Congress-led front in Kochi corporation. Six-time BJP councillor Shyamala S Prabhu, who turned a rebel this time, is taking on the official candidate of the saffron alliance in Kochi corporation’s Cherlai ward. While the UDF has six rebel candidates in the fray in Thrissur corporation, four rebel candidates are poised to play spoilsport for the LDF that rules the civic body. The BJP-led NDA too has a rebel candidate in Vadookara ward, its sitting seat in Thrissur corporation. Kannur, the lone UDF-ruled corporation, has rebel trouble for the Congress-led front in three seats. A CPM rebel candidate in Kannur corporation withdrew his candidature on Monday, offering relief to the ● More on P5 LDF. EXPRESS READ Audio clip renews protest against Rahul T’Puram/Palakkad: Landing the Congress in a spot two weeks ahead of the local body elections, an audio clip circulated on Monday renewed protests and calls for detailed probe into the sexual assault allegations against Rahul Mamkootathil, even as the Palakkad MLA said it offered “nothing new” and vvowed to act legally. The audio clip is of an alleged conversation between Rahul and an unidentified girl. P5 INS MAHE COMMISSIONED Kochi firm first private entity in India to design Navy warship A n u K u r u v illa @ Kochi Chief of the Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi during the commissioning ceremony of INS Mahe at Naval Dockyard in Mumbai on Monday | PTI When the Indian Navy commissioned INS Mahe on Monday, it was not just the launch of a new anti-submarine warfare (ASW) corvette — it was a landmark for India’s private ship design ecosystem. The Mahe-class lead ship, built by Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL), is the first Indian naval vessel designed by a private firm. And it has a Kochi tag. Smart Engineering & Design Solutions (India) Pvt Ltd (SEDS), a naval architecture company operating out of Kakkanad, has etched its name as a pioneer in the sector. INS Mahe — the first of eight shallow-water ASW corvettes — represents both a technological leap and a shift in how India is opening its defence architecture to private players. “Frontline ships like aircraft carriers will continue to be designed by the Warship Design Bureau. But the government has been encouraging private sector participation to strengthen the shipbuilding ecosystem. INS Mahe is the first major result of that effort,” said Hariraj Puliyankodan, COO of SEDS which employs 153 people. Designing the corvette required navigating tight spatial, weight and machinery constraints. “These ships have to carry advanced sensors, weapons and equipment in a very compact frame. The design kept evolving with each requirement from the Navy,” he said. Mahe now leads her seven sister ships, all under construction or trials at CSL. SEDS’ role in naval projects does not end with the Maheclass. The company also provided the design for the Indian Navy’s massive `20,000-crore fleet support ship programme, currently being built at Hindustan Shipyard Ltd. “This project had originally been contracted to Turkey. But when ties with Turkey soured, the deal was cancelled. The project was restarted entirely in India, and we designed the vessels from scratch,” said Antony Prince, ● More on P5 CEO of SEDS.  “Departments should not focus only on their limited turf but look at the larger national perspective,” it stated, especially in multi-ministry schemes. To ensure speed and quality, the finalisation of every cabinet note will now be tracked closely. Ministries have been told to incorporate global benchmarking wherever possible so that India’s policies match the best in the world. Officials say repeated logjams and inter-ministry turf wars in recent months have prompted the tough directive from the PMO. With several big-ticket refor ms and infrastructure projects in the pipeline, the government wants to cut red tape and deliver faster results, a source said. Death sentence to first accused in 2021 Anitha murder case E XP R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @Alappuzha The Alappuzha Additional Sessions Court-III on Monday awarded the death penalty to first accused Prabeesh, 37, of Nilambur in the murder of Punnapra South resident Anitha that took place at Kainakari in Alappuzha in 2021. Judge M Shuhaib also directed the prosecution to produce second accused Rajani, 38, a resident of Kainakari and a close friend of Prabeesh, in court on November 29 after which the quantum of punishment to her will be pronounced. Rajani is currently lodged in an Odisha jail in an NDPS case. As per the prosecution, Anitha, a mother of two, had separated from her husband and was l iv i n g w i t h Prabeesh in Rajani’s Anitha house. During the time, she got pregnant. Though the accused tried to persuade her to terminate the pregnancy, she refused, leading to conflict which ultimately ended in her murder. The prosecution said Prabeesh strangled Anitha to death while being physically intimate with her at Rajani’s house on July 7, 2021. He killed Anitha so that he could continue living with Rajani. Believing she had died, the accused took an unconscious Anitha to Pallathuruthy in a boat and dumped her in a canal near the Arayanthodu bridge. Residents discovered the body the next evening. Anitha’s brother recognised the body the following day. A postmortem examination revealed injuries to the throat and damage to the thyroid gland, raising suspicion among doctors, who alerted the police. An analysis of Anitha’s call data records showed the last call came from ● More on P5 Prabeesh.