The debate between alternating current and direct current in the distribution of electricity is the subject of a new biopic starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Michael Shannon. The Current War, directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon (Me and Earl and the Dying Girl), traces the professional rivalry between inventor Thomas Edison and engineer George Westinghouse in the late 1800s in the United States of America. Edison backed direct current while Westinghouse favoured alternating current, and both men go to war in the trailer. Nicholas Hoult stars as inventor Nikola Tesla, who, when asked what he does for a living, says, “I fix problems for idiots.” The movie will be premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 9 and will be released in the US on November 24.
Reading
-
1
A new book studies ancient texts and ideas to identify six systems of Indian philosophy
-
2
‘Test’ review: Testing times for the film’s characters and viewers
-
3
Delhi HC fines BJP’s Shazia Ilmi Rs 25,000 for suppressing facts in case against Rajdeep Sardesai
-
4
What underpins India’s deep education inequality?
-
5
Shengole, Misal: This book on food from the Marathi kitchen features two one-pot recipes
-
6
How a young couple’s death made India and Pakistan reopen the ‘bridge to peace’ – briefly
-
7
Manoj Kumar (1937-2025): How the actor and filmmaker came to be known as ‘Mr Bharat’
-
8
Kele ki machchli, moong dal ke shami kebab, atte ka keema: The faux ‘meat’ dishes of Kayasth cuisine
-
9
Sambhal: Three men detained for trying to perform Hindu rituals at Shahi Jama Masjid
-
10
In the injustice of Bhutan’s ‘mindfulness city’, a plea to King Jigme Khesar