MUMBAI | 24 FEBRUARY 2019 IN DEPTH 7 . <

A peek into former The bungalow also comes with living quarters for staff members and deputy chief security personnel. These, however, are not as glamorous as the bungalow minister Tejashwi itself. In fact, they are very basic in 's official A house fit for their design and lack even air coolers. Most people were allowed only up bungalow shows to the official wing of the bungalow. However, it doesn’t mean that the his disregard for rules office has no goodies. The office space and love for a flashy a deputy CM is also artistically constructed with a big chamber and an ante-room for the lifestyle, writes deputy chief minister, a couple of cabins for his personal assistants, a Satyavrat Mishra conference room and a working space for a small group of junior staff. There is also a recliner sofa in the ante-room n February 12, Rashtriya for a quick power nap. (RJD) chief Lalu “Now I know why, Tejashwi Yadav Prasad Yadav’s younger was so adamant on keeping the Oson and heir apparent, bungalow,” quipped Modi. Tejashwi Yadav, finally shifted out of Modi, who is now the deputy chief 5, Deshratna Marg bungalow in minister, puts the remodelling cost Patna. The young RJD scion fought a for the bungalow at ~4-5 crore. one- an-half-year-long court battle However, the government, has no to retain it, but lost it earlier this clue where the money came from. month when the Supreme Court “We don’t know about it,” said dismissed his petition and ordered Building Construction Minister him to check out within a week. It Maheshwar Hazari, “we have ordered was vacated at night, apparently to an enquiry into the matter.” escape media glare. According to the minister, However, that was not meant to members of the state cabinet are be. The government bungalow is once allowed to spend only ~3 lakh in five again in the news after Deputy Chief years and that too only on Minister took infrastructure . “All the furnishing was possession of it last week and invited done when Yadav had the charge of media persons for a tour of the road construction as well as building property. construction They were stunned by the The staff portfolios. If he extravagant decoration and quarters are not has spent more furnishing of the bungalow. “I am as glamorous as than the limit, speechless. It’s nothing short of a the bungalow. then either he seven-star hotel. Those, who have They are very used his own been to the 1, Anne Marg (the official basic in their money or residence of Bihar chief minister) and design and lack misused Raj Bhawan (the governor’s house), even air coolers department would agree that it’s way fancier than funds. Either both. There has been a splurge as if it way, it’s a was meant for some raja-maharaja,” punishable offence,” Hazari said. said Modi. Since the media tour, the The bungalow, which is a stone’s bungalow has snowballed into a throw from the chief minister’s major political controversy. The residence, was allotted to Tejaswhi in ruling Janata Dal (United) and BJP 2015, just days after the Grand alliance has been attacking Tejashwi Alliance government was sworn into and RJD over the issue. “He wasted power in the state. The young RJD public money in making it a lavish leader became the deputy CM in place. It’s sheer misuse of money and accordance with the power-sharing power,” said Modi. agreement between Chief Minister While the RJD has been quiet and RJD chief Lalu over the matter, it was quick to accuse Prasad Yadav. Tejaswhi was also given Chief Minister Kumar of incurring the additional charge of the road more expenditure than Tejashwi on construction and building housing. “Nitish Kumar has three construction department. bungalows in Patna. In Delhi, he has Renovation work on the bungalow (Clockwise from top) The facade of the been allotted a bungalow and there is began in January 2016. The bungalow; one of the bedrooms; the also a suite in the Bihar Bhawan,” said engineers, to keep their minister bathroom with imported tiles; and RJD spokesman and lawmaker happy, let go of all rules and the reception area of the house Bhai Virendra. regulations and constructed a Tejashwi has been in Delhi ever beautiful abode for the deputy chief since he vacated the bungalow. He minister within a year. petition twice and ordered him to equipped with a fancy six-door fridge and an illuminated pathway. There maintains that his fight was against However, Kumar snapped ties vacate the bungalow. However, and an automatic five-burner stove, are three small ponds in the garden as the “spiteful and partisan attitude” of with Yadav after the RJD chief, his Tejaswhi kept pushing and which, however, was never used as well. Sources say there was a plan to the state government. “My fight was wife and ex-CM, , and son challenged the decision in the the labels were still on. construct a swimming pool, but it against the arbitrary, spiteful and Tejashwi were named in the FIR filed Supreme Court. The apex court threw The luxury bungalow comes with went awry when its resident lost his partisan attitude of the Nitish by the Central Bureau of out his petition in the very first three bathrooms; one at the ground portfolio in 2017. government. My democratic fight Investigation in connection with the hearing on February 7, and even fined floor and two on the first floor. Each of A total of 35 air conditioners (ACs) would continue. Nitish Kumar IRCTC Hotel scam. Kumar resigned him ~50,000 for wasting valuable them is fitted with shower panels, have been installed in the three- himself is occupying two residences on 26 July 2017, and within hours judicial time. tough-end glass curtains and toiletry bedroom house and the office area is by clubbing together as many as six stitched an alliance with the fittings from leading international fitted with 11 ACs. To keep water tanks bungalows,” he said after the apex (BJP) and lthough Tejaswhi maintained that brands. Even the wall tiles in cool in the summer months, shades court verdict. He also alleged that at formed the government on July 27. Ahe would continue to live with his bathrooms were specially imported. with heat-resistant materials have least 10 MLAs and former ministers The tussle over the bungalow parents in their nearby 10, Circular Road “It must have cost no less than ~10 been constructed over them. were in illegal occupation of began in August 2017, when the Residence, money was used without lakh per bathroom,” exclaimed a staff Only a handful of people were ever ministerial bungalows in Patna. government served eviction notice to any check to redecorate the place. at the bungalow. There is a meditation room and a allowed inside the house and Meanwhile, despite the grandeur Tejaswhi. He was allotted 1, Polo Road Expensive curtains and luxurious The bedrooms are also beautifully puja room with wooden flooring; RJD photography was strictly banned. No of the bungalow, its new occupant has instead as the leader of Opposition in leather sofas fill the rooms and high- designed. They open into the front sources inform that Yadav Junior is a journalist was ever invited inside the no intention of living there. “In its the state Assembly. The young RJD end fixtures can be found everywhere courtyard of the house and the devout person. The first floor has a house. A few days ago, the young current shape, living here would be leader, however, refused to vacate the from the living room to the bathroom. manicured garden can be viewed second drawing room between the leader organised an online chat with like maintaining an elephant,” he bungalow and challenged the notice Plus, Yadav Junior, who is a former from the room. The floors are made of bedrooms, and a small Astroturf his social media followers at his said. Instead, Modi would continue to in the Patna High Court. He argued IPL player for the Delhi Daredevils, Marbonite tiles and king-size beds lawn. bungalow’s garden. To stop media live in his ancestral house in Patna. the 1, Polo Road bungalow was “not incorporated a special room with a and leather sofas fill up the space. An The double storey house itself is cameras from wandering off, a special However, he accepted that he would matching his status”. pool table for amusement in the adjacent room was turned into a walk- nestled in a beautifully designed two- stage was constructed to hide the use the plush office quite often as it is The high court quashed his design. The modular kitchen is in closet for the young leader. acre garden that has a jogging track house and its features. equipped with the latest technology.

IMO The awards show that didn’t lock out women directors PTI THE ONGOING KASHMIR CRISIS None of the major awards-giving bodies nominated a female director for a feature film this year Aditya Raj Kaul@AdityaRajKaul Significant. New Zealand is the very first country to CARA BUCKLEY Ava DuVernay, and newer names like pass a motion in their parliament against the 23 February Chloé Zhao, who directed the critically Pulwama terror attack in Kashmir in support of cherished indie The Rider, and Marielle India. Global consensus growing in support of This Saturday, on the beach in Santa Heller, who directed Melissa McCarthy New Delhi. More to come soon. Monica, California, inside a tent filled and Richard E Grant to Oscar nomina- with glamorous people drinking, some- tions in Can You Ever Forgive Me? Dr Ajoy Kumar@drajoykumar thing aberrant could go down. A woman despite being locked out of the nomi- Pulwama attack: BJP admits Modi addressed a could win a directing award. nations herself. political rally hours after the Kashmir incident At the Independent Spirit Awards, Change can also be gauged by looking which are held every year on Oscars eve, at the ways many journalists described Dr David Frawley@davidfrawleyved three of the five nominees for best direc- female directors, in particular Bigelow, Through terrorist Adil Ahmad Dar's video for the tor are women: Debra Granik for Leave just a decade ago. While there were Reliance Communication Chairman Kashmir attack said he was targeting cow urine No Trace, Tamara Jenkins for Private notable exceptions, including The Times’ Anil Ambani drinking Hindus, the media doesn't regard it as a Life and Lynne Ramsay for You Were Manohla Dargis, who wrote a profile religious hate crime. Is this because they don't Never Really Here. extolling Bigelow’s talent, a lot of writers ANIL AMBANI GUILTY OF CONTEMPT respect the Hindu religion or they want to hide This is a record for the Indie Spirits, could not seem to get their heads around OF COURT the religious nature of the crime? and especially notable because none of the facts that she was attractive and Rahul Gandhi@RahulGandhi the other major — and very few of the directed action films. The brave are martyred. Their families struggle.40 Shekhar Gupta@ShekharGupta minor — awards-giving bodies nomi- Director Debra In the run-up to her Oscar win, Jawans give their lives but are denied the status of Great of Prine Minister Modi to say that terrorism is nated a female director for a feature film Granik (left) and Bigelow received an unprecedented “Shaheed”. While this man has never given & the enemy not Kashmiris, and nobody should this year. Not the Hollywood Foreign cast members of amount of media coverage, according to only taken. He’s gifted 30,000Cr of their money & harm them. So what is he planning to do about Press Association, which doles out the the film Leave No Martha Lauzen, the executive director will live happily ever after. Welcome to Modi’s Governor Tathagata Roy, who wants them Golden Globes; or the Broadcast Film Trace of the Center for the Study of Women in NEW INDIA. boycotted... Critics Association, which hands out the Television and Film and a professor at Critics’ Choice Awards; or the Baftas, the San Diego State University. Lauzen found Prashant Bhushan@pbhushan1 Mehr Tarar@MehrTarar British equivalent of the Oscars or the temically kept out the directors’ chair, our. At Sundance, after the actress Tessa that most articles about Bigelow men- Anil Ambani guilty of Contempt of Court!? How I wrote an article on the Pulwama attack, looking Directors Guild; and, lastly, not the and awards contention, for nearly a cen- Thompson announced her commitment tioned her age, her brief marriage to the could this happen to Modi's favourite crony at the situation in Kashmir from all angles. motion picture academy. tury. I encountered similar reactions to work with a female director in the next director James Cameron — a Daily News selected by him as Rafale middleman? As I was waiting for it to be published, I was In the Oscars’ 91-year history, only from academy old-timers during the 18 months, more than 100 producers and scribe called Bigelow Cameron’s “shrink- emailed by one of the editors (Indian) that their five women have received best director #OscarsSoWhite controversy a few years actors, as well as seven studios, echoed ing violet of a former wife” — and, invari- Sunil Jain@thesuniljain editorial guidelines prevent them from publishing nominations, and just one has tri- back. More than one longtime member her promise. They called it the 4 Percent ably, her appearance. Per the Washington Unprecedented in India's history, to change SC it. I must have written the truth?? umphed — Kathryn Bigelow, for The patiently explained to me that academy Challenge, after the finding by the Post: “She has big eyes and big hair, and order after it has been given...obviously someone Hurt Locker, in 2010. The significance voters did not have a problem with or Annenberg Inclusion Initiative that just is the sort of woman who looks good in bribed the Supreme Court officials to upload a AERO INDIA SHOW 2019 of Bigelow’s achievement cannot be history of racial exclusion in the least. 4 percent of the top 1,200 films of the restaurants, on the fantail of a yacht or on different order in the Anil Ambani contempt Manu Pubby@manupubby overstated, yet it has had a curious dis- Hadn’t they awarded an Oscar to Sidney last decade were directed by a woman. the cover of a magazine.” case.While Chief Justice has dismissed the Disastrous ending too for the Aero India show. torting effect on the perceptions some Poitier? Well, yes. Yes, they had. In 1964. Researchers in this field have long Right. That sort of woman.The officials, calls for probe, this is really brazen Started with an air crash, ending with over a 100 show business people have about the The outlook has become brighter for said that shifting the default assumption Independent Spirits Awards celebrate cars being gutted after dry grass caught fire in the number of female directors working on female directors. In 2017, Patty Jenkins that directors are men is crucial. A few films made for $20 million or less; female Swati Chaturvedi@bainjal parking lot. Flying suspended. major films. broke multiple box office records with years ago, in a study for the Sundance directors far and away work with much I am willing to wager that even with the Supreme Until recently, whenever I asked Wonder Woman, and last year Greta Institute and Women in Film Los lower budgets than their male counter- Court threat of being jailed over Anil Ambani Sanjayvikram@sanjayvikram10 Hollywood insiders — and not just male Gerwig became the first woman of the Angeles, dozens of film industry buyers parts, and it is refreshing to seem them @PMOIndia will still insist on ensuring him the Aero show fire ! It’s logistically unviable to have ones — why they thought so few female decade to land an Oscar directing nom- and sellers were asked to name female honoured in that space. Of the two male #Rafale offsets. Modi’s decision making is such a mega show now in yelahanka ! It’s directors ascended the industry ranks, let ination, for Lady Bird. And thanks to the directors that would be on the consider- nominees, one is Barry Jenkins, who is extremely questionable surrounded by hundreds of high rise apartments alone won awards, they usually replied, more intense scrutiny on studios and ation lists for movie projects. They listed black, and directed If Beale Street Could often triumphantly, “There’s Kathryn pressure from organisations like Time’s an average of three names; most listed Talk, and the other is Paul Schrader, who Bigelow!” It was as if her win made up for Up, hiring female directors is slowly zero names. That is changing, thanks to is 72 and directed First Reformed. the rafts of women who have been sys- becoming something of a badge of hon- the successes of Jenkins, Gerwig and ©2019 The New York Times News Service