Veteran actor Arun Bali dies at 79
Mumbai, (PTI): Veteran actor Arun Bali, best known for his work on the TV show Swabhimaan and blockbuster hit 3 Idiots, died on Friday morning at his residence in suburban Mumbai. He was 79.
Bali's son Ankush said his father was suffering from Myasthenia gravis, an autoimmune disease caused by a communication failure between nerves and muscles, for which he was admitted to a hospital early this year.
Ankush said his father was responding well to the treatment but passed away at around 4.30 am.
My father left us. He was suffering from Myasthenia gravis. He had mood swings for two-three days. He told the caretaker he wanted to go to the washroom and after coming out he told him he wanted to sit down. He never got up then, he told PTI.
Bali made his acting debut with noted filmmaker Lekh Tandon's TV show Doosra Keval as superstar Shah Rukh Khan's uncle and went on to work in TV shows such as period drama Chanakya, Swabhimaan, Des Mein Nikola Hoga Chand, Kumkum Ek Pyara Sa Bandhan, and P.O.W. - Bandi Yuddh Ke.
Some of his popular films include Saugandh, Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman, Khalnayak, Satya, Hey Ram, Lage Raho Munna Bhai, 3 Idiots, Ready, Barfi, Manmarziyaan, Kedarnath, Samrat Prithviraj, and Laal Singh Chaddha.
His last film Goodbye, also featuring Amitabh Bachchan and Rashmika Mandanna was released on Friday.
Bali is survived by a son and three daughters.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
