Crossword for Tuesday 22 September 2026

Across

1. 1. Alternate line of income for the Baahubali franchise, say, in short
2. 6. Fitting
3. 9. Dancer atop a train; a couturier
4. 10. Famous Indian writer or, when de-anglicised, a former Miss World
5. 11. First station shared by India's first major railway lines, in erstwhile Bombay
6. 12. Keeper of the Law, familiarly
7. 13. (Hindi) Arguably the most commonly seen word in songs, roughly meaning "airs"
8. 15. (Sanskrit) Third of the creator-preserver-destroyer trinity
9. 18. Be obliged to pay or repay
10. 19. Bags used to transport wheat or rice from a godown, say
11. 23. Arrive, for a plane
12. 25. ___ Kadam, of Timepass and Chala Hawa Yeu Dya
13. 26. Randomisers that give you a 1-in-6 chance
14. 27. 'Drove' a bike or a horse
15. 28. Usually found in a pot, goes well with appam for example
16. 29. Device best matched with an Apple Pencil, perhaps

Down

1. 1. abbr. Non-profit working towards child betterment in orphanages and shelters
2. 2. A period of time with a distinct ethos, say
3. 3. A thin, long and cylindrical piece, usually of metal
4. 4. The Sarus is the only resident one in India
5. 5. Verb that may invoke POSH in a workplace, say
6. 6. Architectural feature seen in several temples and mosques in the country
7. 7. Word before excuse or judgment
8. 8. He is not my ____
9. 14. (Hindi) The "source" for a policeman or a spy; Khush ____
10. 15. Shapes something or someone (US spelling)
11. 16. Look forward to something in anticipation, say
12. 17. "____ proved": commonly used phrase in Maths or Physics answer sheets
13. 20. A karate move, also street food
14. 21. One of the Five Ks of Sikhism
15. 22. Lodged a case against
16. 24. Half the name of the "Darr ke aage jeet hai" drink