The big fat Ambani wedding, Bollywood divorces and India in concert: 2024 was a year full of drama, action, and controversies

Celebrity of the year

 

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The one person who managed to be in the spotlight from the beginning of the year to the end was Diljit Dosanjh. Right from appearing on Jimmy Fallon’s The Tonight Show, to performing at sold out concerts across the world as part of his Dil-Luminati Tour, the Punjabi star was all over the news for making and breaking records.

Also Read | Diljit Dosanjh’s untold story: Son of a Punjab Roadways driver who cut his first album at 16; brought Punjab to Coachella and the world

The big fat Indian wedding

The spotlight was briefly shared by the Ambani family for hosting the biggest as well as longest wedding. Mukesh Ambani’s youngest son Anant Ambani tied the knot with his ‘best friend’ Radhika Merchant. Their pre-wedding festivities kick started in March with a grand three-day event in Jamnagar. The event marked Rihanna’s India debut.

This was followed by another pre-wedding celebration in May with the Ambanis hosting a four-day cruise party for 800 guests in Europe. After a series of pre-wedding events, Anant and Radhika finally tied the knot in July in Mumbai, where the world witnessed the big-fat Indian wedding. The occasion also marked the India debut of Kim and Khloe Kardashian.

The unexpected break-ups

“We had hoped to reach the grand thirty, but all things, it seems, carry an unseen end. Even the throne of God might tremble at the weight of broken hearts. Yet, in this shattering, we seek meaning, though the pieces may not find their place again. To our friends, thank you for…

— A.R.Rahman (@arrahman) November 19, 2024

This was also the time when Natasa Stankovic dropped hints about her troubled marriage, eventually announcing separation from cricketer Hardik Pandya. The couple, in a joint statement, wrote: “We tried our best together and gave it our all, and we believe this is in the best interest for the both of us.” They shared they will co-parent their son Agastya. The word “divorce” was again in the spotlight when AR Rahman revealed his divorce from wife Saira Banu after 29 years of marriage. The Oscar-winning composer wrote: “We had hoped to reach the grand thirty, but all things, it seems, carry an unseen end.”

Also Read | Hindi cinema’s best to worst in 2024: Of Pushpa 2 and Stree 2, Chamkila and Laapataa Ladies

The Bollywood drama

The year also sparked a debate around whopping star fees and entourage cost after Farah Khan, in a conversation with Twin Encounter on YouTube, shared: “People don’t work without a vanity van. One person needs four vans. One is for the gym, one is for the staff, one is for them, and one is for the food truck, which is separate. An actress comes with nine people, an actor comes with eight people. That is a waste of resources.” With limited hits and several flops, this became a topic of concern with artistes sharing their points of view.

Amid the debate, several crew members spoke up against their producers, especially Vashu Bhagnani, for not paying their dues post the release of Bade Miyan Chote Miyan. These accusations and complaints even made actors Tiger Shroff and Akshay Kumar offer financial help to the team. Now, Bhagnani has accused the film’s director Ali Abbas Zafar of misusing funds allotted for the movie. Reportedly, the production budget, originally set at Rs 125 crore (excluding actor fees), was allegedly increased by Rs 154 crore without justification.

Also Read | Pooja Entertainment actors, crew reveal trauma of unpaid dues, hope Akshay Kumar-Tiger Shroff will step up: ‘Had to sell house, plead for money from hospital’

Heads also turned when a sudden news flash of a CISF officer slapping Queen star Kangana Ranaut at the airport appeared everywhere. The Mandi MP was heading to Delhi after her General Elections win when a female CISF officer slapped the actress at the security-check area inside Chandigarh airport. The video of the incident went viral.

Another video attracted backlash, when Kantara star Rishab Shetty accused Bollywood of showing India in a bad light. In an interview with MetroSaga, the actor said: “Indian films, particularly Bollywood, often portray India negatively. These so-called art films get showcased at international events and receive special attention.” Later, he said his statement was misunderstood.

Another star who made headlines this year was Vikrant Massey, who suddenly dropped a post announcing his retirement from the film industry. His post read: “Coming 2025, we would meet each other one last time. I realise its time to recalibrate and go back home.” He then told News1, “I’m not retiring… Just burned out. Need a long break. Miss home and health is also acting up… People misread it.”

Also Read | Star fees over Rs 100 cr, demands for multiple vanity vans, entourage cost of Rs 20 lakh per day: As Bollywood biggies bomb, focus on actors’ overhead costs

When reel turned real

Drama extended to television as well. The popular show Anupamaa stayed in the limelight for all the wrong reasons. Several original cast members, Paras Kalnawat, Nidhi Shah, Sudhanshu Pandey, Gaurav Khanna, and Aashish Mehrotra, exited the show, hinting at backstage conflicts. Meanwhile, the show’s main lead, Rupali Ganguly faced allegations from her stepdaughter, who accused her of disrupting her parents’ marriage. The feud escalated into a legal battle with both parties filing defamation suits against each other.

In another incident, Yeh Hai Mohabbatein actress, Krishna Mukherjee, accused the production team of Shubh Shagun of harassment. She also shared that the producers locked her up in the makeup room, and denied payments. The drama eventually took a legal turn.

Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Du actress Daljeet Kaur too made headlines when her ‘happily ever after’ with husband Nikhil Patel ended disastrously within a few months of their marriage. She accused her husband of having an affair with another woman. Meanwhile, Nikhil, in his defence, shared the actress married him despite his unresolved divorce with first wife.

The South shockers

2024 was surely the year of shocks and surprises. The internet went gaga when Nayanthara suddenly released a three-page statement against actor Dhanush, accusing him of holding personal grudges and not issuing a No Objection Certificate to use songs from their 2014 project Naanum Rowdy Dhaan for her recently released Netflix documentary, Nayanthara: Beyond the Fairytale. Dhanush filed a case against the couple, demanding Rs 10 crore for unauthorized use of footage.

 

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This was also the year when the Malayalam film industry witnessed the return of MeToo movement after the revelations of the Hema Committee. The nearly 300 page report listed the problems faced by women in the Malayalam film industry. It suggested the industry is dominated by “a mafia of powerful men” and that “sexual harassment of women is rampant.”

Several survivors came out in the open, accusing big names for wronging them. About 26 FIRs were filed, forcing AMMA members including Mohanlal to resign from their positions. Many big names were arrested, while some fled the city.

Also Read | AMMA: The history of the serial ‘ban’ner now paying price for in/actions, lack of support for survivor in 2017 assault case

The happily ever afters

 

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This year also witnessed two unexpected marriages: Sobhita Dhulipala-Naga Chaitanya, and Keerthy Suresh-Antony Tatthil. Sobhita and Naga Chaitanya ended secrecy around their relationship and announced their engagement earlier this year, followed by a traditional Telugu wedding in December. Similarly, Keerthy Suresh, who always kept her personal life private, suddenly announced her 15-year relationship with her childhood friend Antony Tatthil in November. On December 12, Keerthy tied the knot with Antony in Goa.

This was also the year when actors Tamannaah Bhatia and Vijay Verma made their relationship public just before the release of their film Lust Stories.

Not to forget, the sudden wedding of actors Sonakshi Sinha and Zaheer Iqbal, who were secretly dating for seven years. The actress’ wedding was in the news for both good and bad reasons. While Sonakshi’s wedding videos became a fan favourite, the absence of her brothers, Luv and Kussh, sparked concerns that all is not well in the Sinha family.

The girls who can

Despite several big budget films hitting the screen this year, it were smaller films that stole the thunder. Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light bagged two nominations at Golden Globes for Best Director and Best Motion Picture in a Non-English Language. Previously, it bagged Grand Prix at Cannes Film Festival, among several other awards. Similarly, Kiran Rao’s directorial comeback, Laapataa Ladies also received wide acclaim and was selected as India’s official entry in Oscars this year. Another movie that gained appreciation in and around the country was Richa Chadha’s Girls Will Be Girls.

Also Read | The best, underrated Indian movies of 2024, from three Malayalam masterpieces to Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light and Alia Bhatt’s Jigra

New parents in the town

Actors Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh welcomed their daughter, Dua, this year. Earlier, in February, actress Anushka Sharma welcomed her second child, Akaay Kohli with cricketer husband Virat Kohli. Actors Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal too welcomed their first child, while grabbing many eyeballs for their bold pregnancy photo shoot.

Last but not the least, this year also marked 100 years of Indian cinema’s legends Akkineni Nageswara Rao and Raj Kapoor. While the former was honoured at IFFI in the presence of his family members including Nagarjuna, Amala, Naga Chaitanya and Sobhita Dhulipala, the latter was celebrated with his iconic films re-releasing in theatres and the entire Kapoor family meeting the Prime Minister in Delhi.