What happens in the media doesn’t always stay in the media. As a matter of fact, it does everything but that, and affects everyone and everything that could be, in as detached a manner, attached to it. However, the media is also well known for placing hidden meanings in between the lines, as each activity this year was followed by a ocean of controversies to keep the hype alive for as long as is possible. For reasons never spoken of.
Whether the fact that soon after Michael Jackson’s demise, his brother’s arrival in India became an event of national pride for some, while for others an act of hypocrisy: or whether liquour baron, Vijay Mallya, buying the belongings of The Father of Our Nation required the moral concern it evoked: or whether Shah Rukh Khan’s being held up at an airport was ‘breaking news’ because it was or did it have something to do with his upcoming film? No one really knows. Neither will anyone ever find out. Here’s a list of moments that people from around the country have hated to discuss at house parties, office meetings, dinner tables and classrooms, but nevertheless, have remembered them.
JANUARY
n Slumdog Millionaire released in India and was soon followed by a media frenzy of sorts over the slumdog star kids Rubina Ali and Azharuddin Qureshi’s lives, in a slum in Bandra. They now live in proper flats in Santacruz.
FEBRUARY
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{{/usCountry}}n Zakir Hussain won a Grammy, for his collaborative album called ‘The Global Drum Project.’
n Billu Barber was forced to remove the word ‘Barber’ from its title, as the community found it derogatory.
n AR Rahman won two Oscars for the Slumdog Millionaire sound track ‘Jai Ho!’ Slumdog Millionaire won eight Oscars in all.
MARCH
n Liquor baron Vijay Mallya bought back Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi’s belongings from an auctioneer’s for Rs 9.3 crore.
n Sanjay Dutt was barred from contesting elections as he had served two years of a six-year sentence for possessing illegal arms.
APRIL
n The multiplexes and producers strike over profit-sharing ratios carried on for more than two months. Shahrukh Khan and Aamir Khan came together in public for the first time in ages, to support the producers cause.
n Nine-month old TV channel Colors beat nine-year record holder Star Plus in viewership ratings in the General Entertainment Channel category.
n Actor, director, producer Feroz Khan passed away.
MAY
n Producer, director Prakash Mehra passed away.
JUNE
n Michael Jackson passed away — a huge shock to the world.
n Shiney Ahuja was arrested for allegedly raping his house maid.
n Rakhi Ka Swayamwar, Rakhi Sawant’s matrimonial affair on national television, aired on NDTV Imagine. She did not get married.
JULY
n Sylvester Stallone and Denise Richards act in Hindi movie ‘Kambakkht Ishq.’
n Saif Ali Khan apologises to Sikh culturists for his trimmed beard in his Punjabi avatar for ‘Love Aaj Kal.’
AUGUST
n Shah Rukh ‘Khan’ was detained and questioned at New Jersy’s Newark International airport.
n Rani Mukherji’s portrayal as a sardar in her movie Dil Bole Haddipa upset the Sikh community.
SEPTEMBER
n Harishchandrachi Factory made it as India’s official entry to the Oscars.
OCTOBER
n Karan Johar apologised to the MNS Chief Raj Thackeray for using the word ‘Bombay’ in his movie Wake Up Sid. A notice saying the same was placed outside all theatres in the city.
n International pop icon, Kylie Minogue performed an item number for Hindi movie ‘Blue.’
NOVEMBER
n Mahesh Bhatt’s son — Rahul Bhatt was questioned in the Headley case.
n Om Puri’s wife Nandita, revealed details about his past sexual encounters in her tell-all biography.
n Film writer, director and actor, Abrar Alvi passed away.
DECEMBER
n 67-year-old Amitabh Bachchan played the role of a 13-year-old in ‘Paa’.
n AR Rahman was nominated twice, Zakir Hussain and Amjad Ali Khan nominated for one Grammy each.