GOING BANANAS OVER ART

MAKING it to the headlines requires certain unwritten qualifications. It must grip the collective attention of the nation, the achievement of which is no mean task. Even wars have become commonplace, often finding themselves relegated to sections assigned for topics that have lost their news worthiness in a world so weary of conflicts.

- Jitha Karthikeyan

Quickly as the next drama unfolds. Then there are those shocking indictments, ground-breaking legislations and national catastrophes that jostle for front page space every day and truly deserve our scrutiny and reflection.

Yet, who would have ever imagined that a humble yellow banana could waltz into this premium slot and have the last laugh? And no, it wasn't the conceited lychees, figs or kiwifruits that made it, but the modest plantain that sells on carts at every street corner, beckoning us all with its affordability. But this was no ordinary banana—it became the world's most expensive one, after it was sold at an art auction for ₹523,661,008 last week!