What Really Matters

Migrant workers with their family on the road as they look to head back to village .  Credit/Scroll.in On March 24, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared a nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of the coronavirus. States sealed their borders and transport came to a halt. Little did anyone know, at the time, the effect it would have on the lives of migrant workers, left to fend for themselves. With all avenues of making money shut, many agitated workers staged demonstration, demanding trains and buses to transport to their native places. Several thronged to the railway and bus stations, flouting social distancing rules and putting themselves and others at risk, all in vain. Clashes erupted at many places including Mumbai and Surat, forcing the police to resort to lathi charge. PM's slogan 'stay home, stay safe' meant little to these workers, who had families to feed. The choice was to either die of hunger or take a chance with the deadly coronavirus and head...

The chemistry between the two central characters in Normal People is so palpable that it only takes a few seconds to fully immerse in their world. Marianne, played by Daisy Edgar-Jones, and Connell, portrayed by Paul Mescal in his first TV role, weave in and out of each other's lives in this intense TV adaptation of Sally Rooney's novel. Set in Ireland in the 2010s, the 12 half-hour-long episodes masterfully capture the complexities of first love. The show will either leave you wanting more or relieved that you no longer have to go through the agony of young love. Marianne and Connell are schoolmates from opposite ends of the social spectrum. Marianne comes from a wealthy background, while Connell's mother (played by Sarah Greene) works as a cleaner in Marianne's family house. Marianne is an outcast at school, opinionated, intimidating, and sarcastic, while Connell is charming, athletic, popular, and shy. Despite their differences, the two share a fondness for each o...