Twisha Sharma Death Case: Why should parents be blamed even in case of “love marriage”

 

If you have been following the TV news coverage of Twisha Sharma death case, you would realise that her parents are clearly blaming themselves for not being able to save her. And this is happening despite the fact that Twisha had found her own husband digitally on a “dating app” and hers was a “love marriage”. Do you see any contradictions here?

Typically, in an “arranged marriage” situation, where the daughter has limited decision making rights and parents make decisions to shortlist her match, if the groom turns out not-good later, the daughter gets right to blame her parents for “ruining her life”. But how about “love marriage”? In case of Twisha, thanks to her parents, she was educated, financially independent, and empowered enough to make her own life choices. She found her husband-to-be by herself and dated him for several months before introducing him to her family as her match. There was about 6 months gap between engagement and wedding, which was again the period during which she could have seen any red-flags and backed out. But we can guess that she was confident about her man and hence went through the marriage. And soon after the marriage, everything falls apart. Post marriage, she relocates to her in-laws house in Bhopal, loses her work-from-home job, gets pregnant, her some conflicts with her husband, and now she felt “trapped”. Her independence was gone, her previous lifestyle was gone, her husband started behaving coldly, and perhaps she thought that once the baby was born, she would not have got chance to get out of the marriage, hence she did an abortion. Everything she did, she did on her own and her parents were merely spectators or support groups. But the question is, if she was herself responsible for everything she did, did she have right to blame her parents?

From what we see from the chats shared in media, Twisha clearly blamed her parents for sending her back to her in-laws house (which any family would have done). There was clearly no physical threat at in-laws house in Bhopal, as not a single message she sent to her mother pointed at any threat. She was seen asking her mother to “come and take me back tomorrow”. In the chats, her parents never committed at bringing her back permanently, and although they did make a ticket booking but Twisha did not know. And then suddenly, her death happens. Since her death, her parents have been blaming themselves as if it was all their fault. How is this fair?

Does this mean that if parents choose a person’s life-partner in an “arranged marriage” scenario, they would be blamed if marriage turns bad later; and even if the person chose his or her own life-partner and did “love marriage”, the parents would still be blamed if the marriage turns bad? There is clearly no logic in all this.

But relationships run on emotions and not logic. It does not really matter who caused the bad things to a person, or whether the person brought self-inflicted pain, his/her parents would “always” blame themselves for not being able to save their child. That is the sacred thread of parent-child relationship which has remained pure no matter how commercialised and materialistic our modern world has become. Hence, being a parent is clearly always a “losing game”. This is why it is the biggest responsibility one can ever have.

It is time young men and women need to understand their world and their parents correctly.

- Rahul 

Twisha Sharma Death Case: Twisha’s family should not be able to terrorise others merely because of a “hunch feeling”

 

If you have been following TV news coverage of Twisha Sharma’s death case, you would have seen statements and videos from her parents, openly blaming and threatening her in-laws family, in particular her husband and the mother-in-law. I saw one video where Twisha’s mother openly says on camera that she would “kill” Samarth Singh, Twisha’s husband. And why? Because she “thought he killed Twisha”!

The important point to consider in this case is that there is so far absolutely no evidence to suggest that Twisha was murdered or forcibly hanged by her husband or in-laws. Since the postmortem at AIIMS Bhopal confirmed sui*ide, her family started demanding second postmortem in Delhi. If that also came out not in their favour, what would be their next demand and where will it end? There has to be some basis to suspect that Twisha’s in-laws were involved and there was some foul play. Perhaps that is the reason why the Bhopal court did not grant second postmortem request to her family. Perhaps they thought that if they granted once, every other family would keep demanding in similar manner. As I said before, there has to be some basis to suspect foul play and so far, there is none.

We have also seen videos and interviews of Twisha’s mother-in-law where she is visibly distressed because of the accusations on her and her son. Twisha’s husband Samarth is absconding, perhaps fearing a witch-hunt and fearing for his life, and would surrender to the court when he feels safe. I am not sure if what he is doing is good or should he risk his life and surrender now to satisfy the media and Twisha’s vengeful family. But one thing is for sure: he is terrified, his mother is terrified, and only Twisha’s parents are to be blamed.

While proper investigation should definitely be carried out to bring out the truth, and now the case is with CBI, at the same time, why should Twisha Sharma’s family be allowed to make sweeping accusations at her in-laws without even an iota of proof? They are carrying out absolute terrorism without regard to what effect their actions could cause. What if the husband witnessing a witch-hunt against him also chooses to take some wrong step? Going by the events so far, Twisha’s mother would certainly be satisfied with such an outcome, and it won’t matter to her whether he was actually guilty or not.

Not only media, but the government and the Police are also being seen sympathetic to Twisha’s family in this witch-hunt. And it has become a very sorry state of affairs. I don’t understand why Twisha’s family should be allowed to openly threaten and terrorise another family merely because of their “hunch feeling”.

Think about it.

- Rahul

Twisha Sharma Was a Textbook Woke Woman: And This Irony Died With Her

 

If you are currently consuming any type of mass media in India, you are likely aware of the Twisha Sharma death case. TV news channels are presenting every minute detail of the case as if it were a matter of great national importance. The deceased woman’s family is from Noida, and since most national media channels have their studios in Noida, this explains the disproportionate coverage of Delhi-Noida-NCR events.

One aspect of this news cannot be ignored: Late Twisha Sharma was a “textbook woke woman.” Here are a few points to support this assertion:

1.   She received a good education up to the postgraduate level and worked for many years.

2.    She chose to join the glamour industry, as she found her calling there.

3.    She married at the relatively advanced age of 32.

4.    She selected her own life partner.

5.    She met her partner through a digital dating app.

6.    She chose a man from a different caste.

7.    She dated him for a year before marriage.

8.    She entered into what is called a “love marriage.”

9.    She terminated her pregnancy of her own free will.

All these points align with the description of a modern, empowered woman. Yet, the tragic end of Twisha’s life makes this fact deeply ironic.

For years, traditional Indian values and ways of life have been ridiculed by modernists. Some of these traditional elements include:

1.   Allowing parents to choose a life partner, as they have seen the cycles of life and are believed to make better decisions.

2.    Marrying at the “right age” (early twenties) and having children at the appropriate time (twenties or early thirties).

3.     Avoiding work in the glamour industry, which is often considered “sinful.”

4.  Choosing a partner from known family connections or with social validation, reducing risks of misrepresentation or fraud.

5.     Marrying within one’s caste to align family values and increase compatibility after marriage.

6.    Avoiding boyfriends or girlfriends before marriage, keeping marriage as a “sacred” bond.

7.    Never aborting a pregnancy, as childbirth is seen as a divine blessing.

Modernist propaganda has long dismissed these traits as belonging to “uneducated, backward families” living in the 18th century, insisting such values need eradication.

At this point, it is immaterial whether Twisha Sharma committed sui*ide (as claimed by her in-laws, doctors, and police) or whether she was murdered (as speculated by her parents). From the chat messages shared in the media, it is clear she was sad, frustrated, and deeply troubled in her marriage. Her “love marriage” had failed from the start, her pregnancy was terminated by choice, her husband had stopped communicating with her, and her parents were not of much help. The “empowered woman” narrative promoted as a panacea by modernists failed miserably, and someone must answer for it.

All the woke female journalists and celebrity women who sold us this “empowered woman panacea” need to be questioned. If a “textbook woke woman” like Twisha Sharma was not safe, what right did they have to discard, denounce, and ridicule traditional Indian values as outdated customs? What is wrong if men and women take help from parents in finding the right match, marry at the right age, have children at the right time, and build a life together in a way that benefits both family and society?

These questions have been entirely missed in the debate surrounding this case. The media is busy sensationalizing, the deceased woman’s family is consumed by vengeance, and ordinary people are caught in the middle. It is high time that common people start questioning those who spread propaganda but disappear when faced with difficult questions.

Our society cannot outsource its thinking ability to TV channels and modernist celebrities parroting Western values as a cure-all for India’s problems. We must wake up, use our own judgment, and create a culture that is safe for women, families, and society at large. This is the only way to prevent more innocent women from becoming another Twisha.

Om Shanti. May Twisha's soul gets peace, and she is reborn into a happy long life.   

— Rahul

Normal Vs New-Normal

 

I always get air in my motorcycle tyres only at petrol pumps because many poor local air filler guys deliberately puncture tyres to get repair work. Plus, air is always “free” at petrol pumps. But after the recent Iran war made the finances of oil marketing companies tight, I noticed many petrol pumps had their air filling machines closed. Finally, I found one petrol pump where the air machine was working, so even though half of my motorcycle’s fuel tank was already filled, I went and got petrol filled.

I always say “normal” as soon as the petrol pump guy starts his work, to avoid paying for the expensive version of petrol which everyone thinks is just a marketing gimmick. After getting “normal petrol” filled in my motorcycle’s tank till the brim, I went to get “free air.”

As soon as the air filling guy saw me, he shouted, “Nitrogen?” I shouted back, “No, normal!” He said the petrol pump was giving only free nitrogen and the air machine was not working. Don’t know what happened to all the air filling machines in the city. As I moved away, I realised I had said “normal” instead of saying “air.” So, while petrol became “normal” earlier, now even “air” became “normal.”

This struggle to get “normal” things is really real.

I remember the first time this habit of shouting “normal” while buying things started - it was while buying packaged drinking water at railway stations. If you don’t tell them to give you “normal” water, they give chilled water by default, which takes several hours to come back to “normal” temperature.

In India, the phrase “normal” is often used by buyers in shops to distinguish between multiple varieties of the same product. Here are some common examples:

Biscuits: Many brands have cream-filled, chocolate-coated, or premium versions. Shoppers often say “normal Parle-G” or “normal Marie” to mean the plain, everyday biscuit.
Cold drinks: With options like Diet, Zero Sugar, or flavoured sodas, people ask for “normal Coke” or “normal Thums Up” to mean the regular sugary version.
Milk: Packaged milk comes in toned, double-toned, skimmed, or full-cream. “Normal milk” usually means the standard toned milk most households use.
Chips: With masala, cheese, and exotic flavours available, “normal chips” refers to plain salted potato chips.
Ice cream: Brands sell sugar-free, low-fat, or premium flavours. “Normal vanilla” or “normal chocolate” means the basic, regular scoop.
Tea: Shops may stock green tea, herbal blends, or masala chai. “Normal tea” means the everyday black tea with milk and sugar.
Rice: With basmati, brown, organic, and specialty varieties, “normal rice” refers to the everyday non-basmati white rice used in most homes.

“Normal” is basically shorthand for “don’t give me the premium, diet, or fancy variant - just the regular one everyone uses.”

As PM Modi used to say, “this is the New Normal” in the post-Covid world, now the “not normal” has become the “new normal” no matter what you try to buy. Asking for “normal” itself feels like an anomaly.

In today’s complex world, when everything becomes “not-normal,” perhaps the “normal” is the real “not-normal.”

– Rahul

Travelogue: Captain Tanaji Kalate Udyan (Public Park), Wakad, Pune

 

- Rahul

Movie Review: Ginny Wedss Sunny 2 (2026) – A Fun Filled Rom-Com with a Social Message

 

After watching his film “Laila Majnu” (2018) on TV, I became actor Avinash Tiwary’s fan. I was really touched by how he portrayed the role in that film, which went deep in the heart. After a while, I happened to watch another of his film “Madgaon Express” (2024), which was a comedy, on TV and was highly impressed by how perfectly Avinash Tiwary played in a comedy too. Therefore, when I came to know about this film “Ginny Wedss Sunny 2” being released in the theatres, I got chance to watch his first film on the big screen. And how lucky I turned out to be.

“Ginny Wedss Sunny 2” is a romantic comedy based on the life of Sunny or Shivansh, played by Avinash and Ginny or Geetanjali, played by Medha Shankr who get married under hilarious circumstances and it only starts a chain of events murkier than their marriage. Both Avinash and Medha have given great performance, with even slightest emotions portrayed so well; and even supporting actors like Sudhir Pandey have done a great job. The first part of the movie before intermission is largely comedy, and the whole theatre was in splits laughing at the perfectly timed and executed situational comedy scenes. If you have read my two previous movie reviews, you would understand that I was not going to pardon the film if I found any absurdities or imperfections. But this movie gets “A” grade in all departments. 

The movie is based in Rishikesh and Uttarakhand, and captures its natural beauty very well. The whole natural beauty and daily life captured in this film is “dream like” beautiful. The movie also shows how social media is impacting our lives and h`ow India is torn between modernity and traditions. The film walks on a tight rope and comes out as a remarkable winner.

The wedding of Ginny and Sunny is only the beginning – and the movie then largely captures the “real task of marriage” – which is to “sustain” it. Marriages are falling apart in high numbers these days, and this movie captures the nuances of it in such a perfect manner. The male ego, the female ego, the burden of expectations from larger family, intrusion by society, impact of women’s education and independence on marriage and families, problems due to misunderstandings, role of elders in families, sibling rivalries and bonds, father-son and mother-daughter relationships, all these aspects are captured so very well in this film. And these are shown even while in the context of comedy, which is remarkable. The story is captivating and there is not a single boring moment in the film. The director of this film Prasshant Jha has done a genius work.

The songs of this film and also too good. Earlier I was enchanted only by the song “Chhap Tilak” but while watching the film, I got to know that there are total seven songs and all are so brilliant.

Without providing too much of spoilers, I would highly recommend this film for one and all. It is a wholesome family entertainer as well as an educational one for the young couples and those facing challenges in their marriage. I witnessed the entire theatre audience enjoying the film from the beginning to the end, and at the end they only wanted more.

Wishing all the success to this film “Ginny Wedss Sunny 2” and thanks to the makers for such a nice time watching it.

- Rahul

Movie Review: Bhooth Bangla (2026): From Dhurandhar’s Peak Detailing to Bhooth Bangla’s Weak Detailing; Bollywood Comes Around in Just a Month

A few weeks ago, 'Dhurandhar: The Revenge' had hit the cinema halls, and everyone said one thing, that it had “peak detailing”. Last week, another Bollywood film released, with Akshay Kumar, the hero of the masses in its lead. After watching it, I could not stop myself from noticing its “weak detailing”. Here is how. 

1. Similarity with Bhool Bhulaiyaa franchise: You will keep missing Kartik Aaryan 

Although, the original ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa’ (2007) film was directed by Priyadarshan, the same director of this film, and Akshay Kumar was its hero, but the real mass success of the franchise had occurred only when Kartik Aaryan had joined it for Part 2 and 3. About 20 years passed since the first film, and by now, Kartik Aaryan is synonymous with Bhool Bhulaiyaa franchise. And this film does not have Kartik! To make it feel weirder, this film still has almost whole cast of Bhool Bhulaiyaa franchise: Tabu, Rajpal Yadav, Manoj Joshi, Asrani, Paresh Rawal, etc. It keeps feeling as if the film makers chose Akshay instead of Kartik "by mistake". 

2. Akshay Kumar as boyfriend material 

Akshay Kumar is about 59 years old. And it shows in this film and we can’t ignore it. After a few scenes at the beginning, we can see his “chest hair” which is grey and weird. After a while, we need to see how his whole body skin is wrinkled, like a 75 year old man. We also need to notice every once in a while that he has “polished” his face to appear younger, and it has resulted in his face not matching with rest of his body and it keeps feeling “what the yukk”. His father-in-law Superstar Rajesh Khanna at least had the decency to take up "father roles: after he aged. Akshay Kumar is still chasing girls in the bushes. In one scene, when Akshay Kumar meets the fiancée of his sister, he calls him "beta" in a natural tone. That scene "nailed" the weak detailing of this film like a hard fact.   

3. Vulgarity in Comedy 

At the beginning of the film, in a comic scene, Rajpal Yadav pulls down Akshay Kumar’s trouser by mistake, and we are forced to see his bum, totally naked. At first, I could not believe “what just happened”, but I knew it was weak detailing camouflaged as peak detailing. After a while, the movie focuses entirely on the “housemaid” to create vulgar comedy. Rajpal Yadav, the famous “mandir ka ghanta” whom anyone can ring when one feels like, is made the villain while it is not even his fault – although this part has become totally hilarious. And by the end of the film, there is a song where group of women are dancing, and the same housemaid is seen dressed and dancing like other rich noble women. Weak detailing. 

4. Wamiqa Gabbi as a fresh face in the female lead 

Perhaps the only sane and logical character in this film is of Wamiqa Gabbi who plays female lead opposite Akshay Kumar. She is shown as extremely beautiful, although at times she starts resembling Aishwarya Rai and at times even Alaya Furniturewalla (female lead of Kartik Aryan’s film Freddy (2022). She brings a fresh face among all other old stale, wrinkled stars. But then, our happiness is not made to last long. A few scenes into the film and I could not stop noticing that her upper tooth was “bent”. Out of the two front upper teeth, one is longer than the usual and is also bent as if dentist has tried grinding it to make it even. I know that it is not her fault, that best of the Hollywood stars also had some teeth problem, and it feels like “body shaming”, but I have just put my observations since I could not “un-notice” it. Almost feeling guilty now, but I wonder if this should be considered normal in the age of “peak detailing”. 

5. Other weak detailing

The movie’s plot is so weak and full of holes. First, no one can understand the necessity to conduct the wedding in that haunted palace even after it becomes clear that the bride would die if she gets married in that venue. The ghost fears light, but in the end scene the ghost is shown as making offering of twelve brides to demon in a cave full of “fire torches” which obviously emit “light”. In the climax scene in the cave, the bride’s wedding saree keeps changing colour from red to pink and pink to red. There is unnecessary “doubling” of characters and even Akshay Kumar plays a double-role and it becomes too confusing. The palaces in the film clearly look like Rajasthani palaces, but are claimed to be situated somewhere in UP. The scenes of world famous ghats of Varanasi and pictures of the city having multi-storey buildings are shown as some old city from centuries ago. And after completing this whole film about ghosts, Akshay Kumar does “virtue signalling” by slapping the astrologer of his sister’s in-laws after taking him aside in secret, and then tells him “do not tell anyone or else they will laugh at you”. It made no sense why the big jyotishi would tolerate getting slapped like that. And this “do not tell anyone” is repeated so many times in the film, and so many characters tell the same “do not tell anyone about this” to so many other characters so frequently, that this weak detailing becomes a joke.  

6. The bhoot and the horror are well-made and feel original 

Although slightly similar to the Bhool Bhulaiyaa franchise, the ghost/demon (bhoot) in this film resembling a bat, is really innovative and appears real. And the bhoot is finally a 'male', not a female ‘chudail’ like earlier films. The horror scenes are able to make you feel horrified and the use of old temple and gospel stories from the Hindu epic tales feel very real. But at the same time, I did not like the way Akshay Kumar is able to physically hurt the bhoot in the climax scene and the very long fight scene where he appears almost equal in physical strength to the Rakshasa. What is even the point of a big fight scene in the climax when everyone knows that the “hero will get beaten up at first but will be able to kill the villain eventually”. It is like a “fixed match” no one will bet even a paisa on. But then, this should not be surprising, since we are dealing with Bollywood’s ordinary films with weak detailing. 

Final verdict: Recommended 

All said and done, the film is entertaining, with too many comic and laughter scenes and at the same time some very good horror in the later part, with usual performances by the cast. The setup of royal palaces of Rajasthan and the dense jungle scenes are also nice to watch. I think this film should definitely qualify for an entertaining casual watch and hence I recommend it, despite my freak detailing in this blog review. 

- Rahul

 

Travelogue: E-Square Multiplex, Xion Mall, Hinjawadi, Pune

 

(C) Rahul 

Travelogue: Cognizant (CTS), Hinjawadi Ph1, Pune

 

(C) Rahul 

Poem: Nashik

Indians went to space and landed on moon

and we are also getting bullet train soon

but when something is done in TCS Nashik by a goon

the guardians of the trade are found to be cartoon

 

the govt promises action but waits for next distraction

so that people's memory can face obstruction

we are expected to move from one tragedy to the next

until we fell victim one day and end up in a text

then the cycle is expected to repeat

I wonder what they sent the man on moon to complete

Perhaps they know there is no TCS on the moon

And the demons on the earth won't reach there by noon

 

- Rahul Tiwary

Travelogue: INOX Megaplex, Phoenix Mall of the Millennium, Wakad, Pune

 

Travelogue: Phoenix Mall of the Millennium, Wakad, Pune

Travelogue: Shaheed Tukaram Ombale Udyan (Garden), Wakad, Pune