Biggest Story In India Headlines 28th February 2025
The entertainment industry is in shock following the untimely and unexplained deaths of iconic actor Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, found dead in their Santa Fe, New Mexico home. Authorities were notified on Wednesday afternoon when deputies made a welfare check at 1:45 p.m. local time to discover the couple and one of their dogs dead. Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza confirmed the terrible find, reporting that although there is no evident proof of any foul play yet, the case is still active to determine the circumstances. Hackman, a towering cinematic presence at 95, and Arakawa, a brilliant pianist in his 63rd year, leave behind them a legacy celebrated and now enveloped in so many unanswered questions.
Gene Hackman’s acting career was simply extraordinary. His gravelly baritone and presence commanded attention throughout six decades on screen, securing two Oscars for his gritty work in The French Connection and his unforgettably haunting role in Unforgiven. His triumph in Bonnie and Clyde paved the way for a career filled with accolades—two BAFTAs, four Golden Globes, and a Screen Actors Guild Award among them. Fans and colleagues alike are grieving a giant whose range included tough cops and comedic villains. As the probe continues, rumors abound, with some attributing it to natural causes considering their ages, although the fact that there is a dead pet adds a spooky dimension to this developing tragedy.
The Odia film fraternity is shrouded in grief at the passing away of veteran actor Uttam Mohanty, with the actor passing away due to a prolonged illness on Thursday evening in a Delhi hospital. The 66-year-old legend had been fighting with acute liver problems, necessitating an emergency airlift from Bhubaneswar to the capital on February 8. Mohanty’s life ended despite efforts by medical professionals, leaving behind his wife, award-winning actress Aparajita Mohanty, and his son, odia superstar Babushan. His death brings an end to an era for Ollywood, where he was a charismatic superstar for decades.
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi was saddened by X, referring to Mohanty’s passing as a “huge void” in the state’s cultural scene. He commended the actor’s lasting legacy in Odia cinema, assuring that his memory would live on in the hearts of people. In a befitting gesture, Majhi ordered that Mohanty’s last rites be conducted with full state honors, a reflection of his cultural legacy. With a life’s work amounting to well over 100 films, the charisma and appeal of Mohanty enriched the storytelling of Odia, such that his departure is a hard-won gap in India’s regional cinema texture.
The financial markets in India received a bruising setback on February 28, when the Sensex fell 1,000 points and the Nifty dropped below 22,250, in response to the latest economic apprehensions. The Nifty 50 has lost more than 4% this month alone, its fifth month of falls in a row—the longest such run in almost three decades. A perfect storm of decelerating growth, fading corporate profits, and unrelenting foreign investor selling has pulled the benchmarks 14% down from their September highs. Adding to the fire, U.S. President Donald Trump’s new tariff threats have shaken world confidence, and India finds itself in the line of fire.
Trump’s Feb. 27 warning signaled steep new tariffs—25% on products from Mexico and Canada beginning March 4, and another 10% on Chinese imports on top of a previously imposed 10% tax in response to the fentanyl epidemic. These steps, taken to stem drug flows into the U.S., risk contaminating international trade flows and affecting India’s export-oriented sectors severely. Broader markets were hit particularly hard, with BSE Midcap and Smallcap indices falling more than 2%. Investors are waiting for December quarter GDP figures, but in the trading halls of Mumbai, the atmosphere is one of fearful caution, with Trump’s actions casting a long shadow over India’s economic horizon.
In a cosmic twist of fate, Muslims everywhere will search for the Ramadan crescent moon on one night alone—February 28, 2025—bringing about a once-in-a-lifetime occasion of togetherness. This unprecedented alignment results from the concurrent beginning of Shaban 1446 AH among countries such as Saudi Arabia, India, America, and Indonesia, eliminating the customary daylong lag in crescent sighting between South Asian and Gulf nations. The Saudi Supreme Court has urged faithful to search the horizon on this day, 29 Sha’ban, to decide Ramadan’s break of dawn—March 1 if the moon is seen, or March 2 if it is not.
This international convergence is an organizational wonder and a religious benchmark, heightening the excitement for Islam’s most sacred month. In Saudi Arabia, officials are mobilizing people to report their sightings to neighborhood courts, fusing tradition and community spirit. Across London and Jakarta, Muslims will gaze through telescopes or use the naked eye, the collective stare embodying a unified devotion. The special event captures Ramadan’s universal appeal, heralding a unified beginning to a month of fasting, contemplation, and rejuvenation.
A plea of distress has come from Maharashtra, where the family of Neelam Shinde, an Indian student who was left critically injured in a California accident, is appealing for immediate U.S. visas. Neelam, who is from Satara district, was hit by a car on February 14 and had severe head and chest injuries along with multiple fractures. Now in a coma, her condition hangs in the balance, prompting her father, Tanaji Shinde, to appeal for swift travel permissions to be by her side.
Nationalist Congress Party MP Supriya Sule has taken up the cause, urging External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar via X to expedite the process. “This is a medical emergency,” Sule wrote, highlighting Tanaji’s need to support his daughter. News says Neelam’s accident was with a four-wheeler, and she remains in a state of fragility. The family’s distress has resonated widely online, with appeals for humanity cutting through red tape as they rush to her bedside with seconds to spare.
India’s financial regulator landscape is gearing up for change as Finance Secretary Tuhin Kanta Pandey takes charge as SEBI Chairman. His three-year tenure, effective upon the completion of incumbent Madhabi Puri Buch’s term ending March 1, was sanctioned by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet. Buch, who was the first woman to occupy the SEBI top job when she assumed the office in 2022, is relinquishing the charge to Pandey, an IAS officer belonging to the 1987 batch with a reputation of fiscal acumen.
Pandey’s appointment signals continuity in SEBI’s leadership tradition, following predecessors like Ajay Tyagi and UK Sinha, who each left significant marks over multi-year terms. His background in revenue and finance positions him to navigate India’s evolving markets, especially amid recent economic turbulence. As Buch exits, Pandey’s arrival on March 2 promises a fresh chapter for the regulator, tasked with safeguarding investor trust in a volatile climate.
Filmmaker Reema Kagti’s perfectionism took a tasty turn on the set of her upcoming movie Superboys of Malegaon, where a prop mishap led to a midnight culinary mission. Actor Vineet Kumar Singh praised her meticulous eye, recounting how she once halted a scene over misplaced props. Kagti herself told the humorous anecdote from a night shoot: a Punjabi samosa platter was served instead of the keema variety written into the script. “I bellowed, ‘These aren’t keema samosas! ‘” she remembered, causing her assistant directors to scurry into the kitchen and cook up the right dish.
The incident underscores Kagti’s commitment to authenticity, a trait her cast admires even as it tests their patience. “You have to get it right,” she insisted, laughing off the chaos. Superboys of Malegaon, poised to charm audiences, reflects her dedication—a blend of grit and humor that’s as flavorful as those late-night samosas.
There has been a smoldering controversy erupting in Mumbai, where Mack Star Marketing’s Sumit Saha is questioning the Economic Offences Wing’s decision to shut down a cheating case against HDIL promoters Rakesh and Sarang Wadhawan. Saha’s February 25 complaint letter to the CBI and CVC raps the EOW’s closure report as “motivated,” claiming it ignores evidence of ₹88.47 crore worth of fraud.
The case, initiated by a 2023 FIR, alleges that the Wadhawans have clandestinely sold office spaces in the Kaledonia business park, a joint development with Mauritius-based ODIL.
The EOW’s report, filed this month, holds the dispute as a civil one, excluding criminal intent. Saha, whose company had a tie-up with HDIL, alleges undue influence influenced the probe, seeking a further probe. The deadlock brings back Mumbai real estate dealings into the crosshairs, with Saha’s quest for justice running against a bureaucratic hurdle.
Royal Challengers Bangalore’s quest for a home win continues to evade them as Gujarat Giants, fueled by Ashleigh Gardner, handed them a third straight loss on February 27. In pursuit of a paltry 126, Giants strolled to the win with 21 balls remaining, courtesy Gardner’s destructive 58. RCB’s top order struggled, collapsing to 26/3 in the powerplay, as stars such as Ellyse Perry and Smriti Mandhana were sent packing cheaply.
In spite of a temporary rally by Raghvi Bist and Kanika Ahuja, the innings crawled to 125, marred by Gardner’s bowling and a late meltdown.
Gardner’s onslaught at the hands of RCB’s bowling—hitting sixes and boundaries—quietened the home audience, while early breakthroughs by Renuka Singh could not halt the flow. The defeat puts RCB’s season on the brink, the early promise succumbing to chronic mistakes in Bengaluru.
FC Goa tightened their hold on second position in the Indian Super League 2024-25, beating Punjab FC 1-0 in New Delhi on Thursday. Carl McHugh’s goal on the stroke of halftime proved to be the difference, taking Goa to 45 points from 22 games—eight points ahead of Bengaluru FC and Jamshedpur FC. The Gaurs’ free-flowing football came to the fore, creating opportunities before McHugh’s goal sealed the victory at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.
With a possible semi-final spot in view, Goa’s win highlights their consistency, even as Jamshedpur waits in the wings with games in hand. Punjab FC’s fight couldn’t stop Goa’s juggernaut, and fans can now hope for a good run towards the end of the season.
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