In Focus by The Hindu

The Islamabad peace talks between the US and Iran failed to yield a peace deal after 21 hours of negotiations. Both the sides have blamed each other for the failure.

What exactly were the sticking points? What does the deadlock mean for the ceasefire? And how will the US attempt to blockade Iranian ports take shape?

Guest: Suhasini Haider, The Hindu’s Diplomatic Affairs Editor

Host: G Sampath

Producer and editor: Jude Francis Weston

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Traditionally, higher inflation leads to interest rate hikes to slow demand. This approach was used after the pandemic, when prices surged across major economies. But this time, the situation is more complex. The conflict in West Asia has pushed up energy prices and while that is driving inflation higher, it is also straining household budgets. As people spend more on essentials like fuel and electricity, they tend to cut back elsewhere.This creates a difficult balancing act. Could raising interest rates now risk pushing economies into a slowdown or even a recession? Or does holding back risk letting inflation persist? And how much of this hesitation is driven by uncertainty around the evolving conflict and energy markets?

In this episode, we unpack these questions and examine why central banks are holding back and how this phase of inflation is different. We also look at what it could mean for growth and policy choices going forward.

Guest: Professor Rohit Azad, who teaches Economics at the Jawaharlal Nehru University

Host: Devyanshi Bihani

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Tamil Nadu is heading into a crucial election, with the DMK government led by M. K. Stalin completing its first full term in office. While the party continues to foreground its welfare-driven “Dravidian model,” questions are being raised about governance, fiscal sustainability, and whether there is any perceptible anti-incumbency on the ground. The AIADMK is attempting to consolidate the opposition space even as leadership challenges persist. At the same time, the BJP has been trying to expand its footprint in a State where it has historically struggled, raising the question of whether Tamil Nadu remains a bipolar contest or is slowly becoming more competitive. Adding a new dimension to this election is the political entry of actor Vijay through his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, which could potentially reshape voter dynamics, particularly among the youth. 

So, how strong is the anti-incumbency sentiment against the DMK, if at all?  Can the AIADMK mount a credible challenge? How will leadership changes affect BJP's prospects?  And is Tamil Nadu still firmly bipolar, or are we witnessing the beginnings of a more fragmented political landscape?  

Guest: R Kannan, former UN officer, and author of MGR: A Life, Anna: The Life and Times of C.N. Annadurai and The DMK Years: Ascent, Descent, Survival 

Host: Sharmada Venkatasubramanian 

Edited and produced by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian 

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Cuba is facing its worst crisis since the Soviet collapse. The Trump administration has imposed a de facto naval blockade, cutting off oil supplies for three months, triggering repeated electricity grid collapses, and leaving over 1,00,000 patients waiting for surgery. President Trump has spoken of "taking Cuba," while Secretary of State Marco Rubio has called for regime change.

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As Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal, Assam and Puducherry head to the polls, India's vibrant democracy is on full display once again. But behind the rallies and roadshows, there’s a growing concern: elections are becoming increasingly expensive.With political parties spending heavily on campaigns, advertising, and outreach, the role of money in shaping electoral competition is under scrutiny. Data shows that nearly 93% of India’s Members of Parliament are crorepatis, raising questions about whether access to political power is becoming more unequal. What does this mean for smaller parties and independent candidates? Is the system still a level playing field — and what would it take to fix it?

Guests: M.R. Madhavan, Co-founder and president of the PRS Legislative Research and Rangarajan R is a former IAS officer and author of ‘Courseware on Polity Simplified’

Host: Nivedita V

Edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian

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After a dramatic 24 hours that saw U.S. President Donald Trump shift from a stark warning of mass destruction to announcing a two-week pause in military action, a fragile ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran is now in place. With Tehran calling it a victory, Washington framing it as mission accomplished, and Pakistan emerging as a key mediator, questions remain over what really changed, what the deal contains, and whether this is a genuine de-escalation or just a temporary pause before the next phase.

Guest: Stanly Johny, International Affairs Editor, The Hindu

Host: Smriti Sudesh

Edited and produced by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian

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On March 28, millions of people took to the streets across the U.S. under one banner — “No Kings” — marking one of the largest protest mobilisations in recent American history. What began as a loose coalition of advocacy groups has rapidly evolved into a broad-based movement cutting across issues such as civil liberties, immigration enforcement, foreign policy and the cost of living.With organisers claiming participation in the millions across thousands of events, the protests represented one of the most significant expressions of political dissent since the return of Donald Trump to the White House.Is “No Kings” a genuinely grassroots uprising or a network-driven mobilisation? What role have issues like the Iran conflict and global democratic anxieties played in expanding its reach beyond the U.S.? And ultimately, can a decentralised protest movement convert its momentum into real political influence?

Host: Reuben Joe Joseph

Guest: Anisha Dutta, New York-based journalist

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India is a poor country, but it is ‘data-rich’. The dominant consensus today holds that data – including personal data -- should be exploited for economic growth. Is it possible that this consensus is wrong?

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West Bengal is gearing up for assembly elections. Mamata Banerjee will face her toughest challenge, given the anti-incumbency factor of three terms. The BJP, in 2021, had cemented its position as the primary opposition, winning 77 seats to the Trinamool’s 215 seats. This time, unusually, but no longer surprisingly, the Election Commission has become a key character in the political narrative. The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) ended up deleting more than 60 lakh voters. And in many constituencies, the number of voter deletions is greater than the margins of victory in previous elections. Another issue is the mass transfers in the state bureaucracy, which are unprecedented, and were challenged in court by the TMC. Mamata has used these developments to frame the polls as a fight between a besieged Bengal and Bengali ‘asmita’ on one side, and a BJP-led Centre on the other. The BJP has been playing the anti-migrant card to polarise voters, and has also sought to target the TMC on corruption and misgovernance. Whose narrative will gain the upper-hand? What is happening with the lakhs of voter deletions? How will the SIR impact the outcome? We speak with Shiv Sahay Singh, The Hindu’s Chief of Bureau in Kolkata.

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With elections in Tamil Nadu gearing up, one development drawing sharp attention is the entry of Vijay, whose political debut is expected to command a significant share of the vote. He comes from a long line of figures in the State who have transitioned from cinema to politics.

In Tamil Nadu, the film world and politics have mutually benefited each other. The Dravidian movement changed the face of cinema. C. N. Annadurai, founder of the DMK, and former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi deeply influenced Tamil cinema. Cinema became a medium to propagate ideas of social reform.

The dialogues Karunanidhi penned for Parasakthi, starring Sivaji Ganesan in the lead role, marked a clear departure from a cinema that had been largely dominated by songs. This helped the DMK secure power in Tamil Nadu.

Similarly, M. G. Ramachandran, popularly known as MGR, used cinema to meticulously cultivate an image that later helped him in politics, going on to become the Chief Minister of the State.

But does entering politics necessarily guarantee success? And how crucial has cinema been in defining the political landscape of Tamil Nadu?

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