Rewind 038; Play

To cut a long story, Bollywood was the breaking news this year. Every channel, every paper, every blog had only one story to tell - what8217;s happening in B Town.

To cut a long story, Bollywood was the breaking news this year. Every channel, every paper, every blog had only one story to tell 8211; what8217;s happening in B Town. Be it ringtones, gaming, fitness, fashion, merchandise8230; why, even tourism 8211; Bollywood and its glamourous residents have successfully managed to cover every square feet of the world of entertainment. Page Three is officially Page One now! And by now, you8217;ve probably got more dope than this little piece of writing will churn out. Still, we are in a flashback mode, and you8217;re welcome in this session of rewind and play.

THE COMMON FACTOR: Contrary to what others say, this year belonged to the common man8217;s cinema. No, it was not exactly roti, kapda aur makaan, but real issues like mounting loans, unpaid bills, extra marital affairs, college romances, dyslexic kids, bully builders, terrorist encounters, environment etc. Films like A Wednesday, Aamir, Oye Lucky, Lucky Oye, Jaane Tu, Tahaan, Dasvidanya, Khuda Kay Liye, Ramchand Pakistani, Mumbai Meri Jaan et al proved that the essence of the Indian cinema is alive.

COUPLING: If there8217;s anything our celebs have flaunted this year, apart from their six, eight, twelve packs are yummy arm candies. There are no closet romances, instead, there are glossy coochie cooing covers, hand-in-hand shots and starry public appearances. It8217;s a great way to set the cash rolling in too! Let8217;s see: the ruling couples: Saifeena 8211; Saif and Kareena, Ranbir and Deepkia, Imran Khan and Avantika Malik, John and Bips, Sanjay Dutt and Manyata, Salman and Katrina, Ranvir Shorey and Konkana Sen. Even Aamir showed off Kiran!

THE NEW HERO: In this world of multistarrers, there are no heroes. So who gets the award for in this category 8211; the script, of course. The year 2008 proved that it has really nothing to do with budget or banner. The best one to explain this would be Yashraj. They had quite a string of flops this year, and it was the simple story of Surinder Sahni in Rab Ne that catapulted them back in action. Big productions like Love Story 2050, Mission Istanbul, Tashan, Kidnap, Drona, Heroes8230;all fell flat because there was no fizz, whereas Dostana, Dasvidanya, Ek Vivaah, Welcome to Sajjanpur, Rock On, Black and White rocked.

LOONEY TOONS: It8217;s no longer a kiddie affair. Animation has walked out of 2D line drawings and landed in the world of graphic art, 3D effects and full feature lengths. What8217;s new 8211; celebrity voice overs, Saifeena in Roadside, and Akshay Kumar in Jumbo. With UTV planning five animation features for 2009 and Rajnikant8217;s own Sword of Sultan, tinsel town8217;s going be toon town!

THE TURBANATORS: When it comes to Bollywood, one formula that sells like tandoori chicken is the Punjabi phormula. So, apart from the usual round of babbling bebes and the colourful Punjabi vyah, we have the return of the turbanators. Donning a pagri this year were none other than Salman, Sohail, Akshay Kumar he8217;s the best of the lot and Saif. Even Paresh Rawal, who is severely allergic to false beards, made an excellent Chandni Chowk Sardar in Oye Lucky.

LADIES FIRST: Not that anyone8217;s interested to know, but there has been a role reversal. Where male directors are leaving their seat behind the camera and rolling in front 8211; Kunal Kohli, Farhaan Akhtar, women are filling the position and taking charge of direction. In fact, India topped the list of women directors at Mumbai International Film Festival 2008. This year saw Shona Urvashi with Saas, Bahu 038; Sensex, Nandita Sen8217;s Ramchand Pakistani, and in the pipeline, Zoya Akhtar8217;s Luck By Chance, Renuka Shahane8217;s Marathi film Rita, then Deepti Naval8217;s working on one8230;the list is only increasing! Way to go ladies!

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BLOGGER8217;S PARK: This is what we call a virtual vigil. All you need is a hawk eye, a laptop and wifi. The blogger8217;s park was one busy zone this year with the Big B8217;s daily diary, Aamir8217;s verbal bashing, Karan Johar8217;s diplomatic stance, Gul Panag8217;s oratory skills and Shekhar Kapur8217;s keen observations.

DEBUT DISASTERS: Heartbreaking, but then, hype doesn8217;t always work. Everyone is not as lucky or smart as Neil Nitin Mukesh, Ranbir Kapoor or Deepika Padukone. If we sit and count the major debut disasters of the year 2008 then Mimoh Chakraborty tops the list. Post Jimmy, the lad8217;s gone into hiding, some say he is in depression. However, the other three, Harman Baweja, Sikandar Kher and Sonam Kapoor have managed to stay in the limelight and dazzle. Harman for being Hrithik 8211; it8217;s uncanny, Sikandar for some good reviews by the right guys, just that he needs to get rid of his tresses and stubble, and Sonam, for firing up the ramp. Mummys and Daddys always come to rescue, you see!