At the Goa film festival, Suhasini Maniratnam seemed to have had her patience tested once too often. While chatting at an IFFI sidebar event, she reportedly found herself fielding more questions about her husband, filmmaker Mani Ratnam, than about her work. Suhasini, who was hosting a conversation with Khushboo Sundar, gently—but firmly—reminded everyone that wives are not automatically secretaries, spokespeople, or helpdesks for their husbands. Women, she noted, do manage to exist as individuals with their own professional identities. If someone truly wants insights from Mani Ratnam, she quipped, perhaps they could try the radical step of asking him directly. A small, pointed reminder that autonomy isn’t too much to expect, yet often elusive.

PMO presses for ‘ease of living’

The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has instructed ministries to identify petty violations that needlessly draw ordinary people into disproportionate legal complications. Emphasising “ease of living” for citizens, the move aims to decriminalise minor lapses and discard outdated regulations. The PMO has also said that India’s laws should reflect today’s realities, not the paperwork of a bygone era. At its core, the initiative aims to simplify compliance, streamline governance, and demonstrate that a modern nation cannot be governed by antiquated rules. Ultimately, this reform is about more than reducing cases—it is about restoring common sense.