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Digital Desk: This year was not the most exciting in terms of film releases. In actuality, 2021 was marked by disputes, arrests, and many legal wrangling in the Indian film business. Regrettably, these made more commotion than actual film releases. Here’s a short rundown of our entertainment newsmakers who drew the most attention nationally and internationally.
Aryan khan Arrest following Ananya Panday being investigated
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) detained Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan on October 3 in a drugs-on-cruise case. Even though Aryan was not caught in possession of any illicit narcotics, NCB stated that it had discovered evidence linking him and two other associates, namely Arbaaz Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha, in the drug trafficking. On October 28, Aryan was eventually granted bail. However, the bail process took longer than expected, and he was finally released on October 30, much to the relief of his parents and SRK’s followers. But, as is customary, when a celebrity becomes engaged in anything slightly controversial, things went ugly on social media while he was detained. Despite the mudslinging, SRK’s supporters, including close pals Salman Khan, Suniel Shetty, Hrithik Roshan, and Juhi Chawla, stuck by him during this tough time.
Meanwhile, the NCB questioned actor Ananya Panday about a whatsapp conversation between Ananya and Aryan. The NCB knocked on Panday’s home after it said it had discovered a pertinent discussion between Khan and her on WhatsApp.
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Raj Kundra’s case
Raj Kundra, the husband of actress Shilpa Shetty and a businessman, was arrested on July 19 after a five-month inquiry into the issue. The police apprehended Kundra after an FIR was filed against him in February. According to the authorities, Kundra was allegedly involved in developing and disseminating pornographic content via multiple OTT platforms. During the investigation, Shilpa denied knowing anything about the case. Kundra was finally granted bail on September 20; however, the case is still pending.
Munawar Faruqui
Munawar Faruqui, a stand-up comedian, was detained on January 1 for allegedly injuring Hindu religious emotions through his presentation. Eklavya Singh, the son of a BJP MLA, made the complaint against the comedian. Munawar was also accused of putting on a show by disobeying all Covid protocols, along with four others. Meanwhile, Munawar’s lawyer claims that the case against him is ambiguous and that it was only initiated owing to political pressure. After spending more than a month in jail, Faruqui was finally granted bail on February 5 and released on February 6. The Supreme Court granted interim release to the artiste, citing the FIR as ambiguous.
The Tandav controversy
Tandav, a web series starring Saif Ali Khan and directed by Ali Abbas Zafar, was one of the most anticipated web series of the year. Tandav drew everyone’s attention from the moment it premiered on January 15. But when the trolling started online, things quickly gathered steam, and BJP MLA Ram Kadam filed the first FIR against the filmmakers for injuring ‘religious sensibilities.’ Following this, an FIR was lodged in Lucknow for depicting Hindu deities in an unflattering manner. Abbas Zafar issued two statements in this regard, the first of which included an apology and the second of which affirmed that he had decided to ‘make modifications’ to avoid inadvertently upsetting anyone.
Meanwhile, multiple FIRs against the team have been filed in Haryana and parts of Uttar Pradesh, requesting for the show to be banned entirely.
Celebrity couple’s Separations
This year, some of the most adored celebrity couples opted to call it quits and pursue their separate paths while promising to remain friends. Among them is Amir Khan and Kiran Rao, who separated after 15 years of their marriage.
Announcing the split, the celebrity couple Aamir Khan and former wife Kiran Rao wrote, “In these 15 lovely years together, we have shared a lifetime of experiences, pleasure, and laughter, and our relationship has only grown in trust, respect, and love. We want to start a new chapter in our life as co-parents and family for each other, rather than as husband and wife. We started a planned separation a long time ago and are now ready to formalize our arrangement of living separately but sharing our lives as an extended family.”
However, both decided to continue collaborating on the professional side in the future.
Moreover, Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Naga Chaitanya announced to their fans that they were no longer together in October. In 2017, the former couple tied the wedding.
The success of Shershaah-Sooryavanshi’s success
Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani starrer ‘Shershaah’, despite being launched on the OTT platform Amazon Prime Video, received a lot of love and praise from fans and industry insiders.
The film, a biopic of Vikram Batra’s, is directed by Vishnuvardhan and produced by Karan Johar; was praised for its nuanced approach to patriotism as it told the narrative of the late distinguished army commander. Everyone hurried to praise and celebrate the film, from Kangana Ranaut to Kamal Haasan, even as Sidharth Malhotra was recognized as one of Bollywood’s best actors of the year. Meanwhile, Sooryavanshi, starring Akshay Kumar, became the first de facto hit at the film office in 2021.
Things that drew worldwide notice
Oprah Winfrey’s interview with Meghan Markle
Earlier this year, the newspapers and online were flooded with only one piece of news, i.e., Oprah Winfrey’s interview with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. There were ‘discoveries,’ tears were shed, and mouths were gaping. Harry has publicly claimed that he feels “stuck” in the royal home, while Meghan has admitted contemplating suicide. Following the widely seen interview, universal problems such as mental health and racism were debated.
On the other hand, in 2021, Britney Spears, the American pop diva, was finally set free in November when a Los Angeles judge terminated her 13-year conservatorship. For nearly 14 years, Spears’ life and finances were under the authority of the conservatorship. It was put in place when Britney was only 26 years old and had just given birth to her first child. The legal obligation was implemented after Britney’s extremely public mental health problems, and it was controlled by her father, James Spears. Fans delighted as Britney praised God on social media after the historic announcement. Her sons are now in their adolescent years, and she is joyfully engaged to be married.
Shows in a foreign language pique people’s interest around the world.
This year people couldn’t stop talking about the South Korean series Squid Game and the Spanish-language show Money Heist once released on Netflix. While the audience was perplexed by Squid Game’s unusual situation of playing childhood games with huge stakes, Money Heist’s last season was eagerly awaited by its devoted and ever-growing fan base. Now, the creators of Squid Game have announced that a second season is in the works. There’s even more to admire and enjoy!
Spider-Man, Shang-Chi, and The Legend of the Ten Rings The box office success of No Way Home and the outpouring of support on social media show that Marvel Studios hasn’t fully lost their mojo. However, Marvel weariness has set in, particularly with the conclusion of Marvel Phase 3. The company struggles to find its foothold with viewers as they release shows. However, the most recent Spider-Man film threw a wrench in the works. No Way Home had already surpassed the Rs 120 crore mark five days after its release in India at the time of writing. Now that’s a foreshadowing of what’s to come!
The divorce of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, as well as the name change
After seven years of marriage, Kim Kardashian filed for divorce from Kanye West in February. West, who recently changed his name to Ye, stated during a podcast on Drink Champs that the couple is still married and Kim is still his wife, even after the revelation broke in the public. During an interview in November, the rapper-singer claimed, “Aren’t no paperwork.” But it was undoubtedly Kim’s appearance in a bridal gown at West’s Donda gala that generated the most news. This came months after the couple’s breakup was confirmed in the news. Kim is currently dating SNL comedian Pete Davidson and has been photographed with him several times.
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