Let the drum rolls begin. Here’s our list of newsmakers that rocked the world of Bollywood in 2017 and created a lasting impact.
Like any good Bollywood musical, there was plenty of action, drama, battles and colour to navigate. Here’s a look at the stars that shone not just for their films, but for their personalities too ...
Hrithik Roshan and Kangana Ranaut:
The battle between these two alleged exes reached an all-time high with both accusing each other of deceit. Their spat, that included incriminating interviews, reminded us that nothing good comes out of mixing business with pleasure.
Manushi Chillar:
The 20-year-old medical student from Haryana made her country proud by bringing back the Miss World crown after 16 years. Her clinching answer? Mothers deserved the highest salary and respect.
Virushka:
Their December wedding in Tuscany was a closely-guarded secret, but that didn’t stop this power couple from capturing India’s imagination. Their star-studded receptions had a fairytale flourish, too.
Padmavati:
This historical drama starring Deepika Padukone as a Rajput queen, evoked protests with caste and right-wing groups calling for its ban. Death threats, bounty on Padukone’s head and roughing up director Sanjay Leela Bhansali followed.
Dileep:
This Malayalam superstar was taken into police custody for his alleged involvement in orchestrating a sexual assault of his colleague in a moving vehicle. He’s now out on bail.
Taimur Ali Khan:
He’s cute and he knows it. The youngest newsmaker, son of Kareena Kapoor Khan and Saif Ali Khan, is a byword for adorable and seems to be a natural in front of the cameras.
Mahira Khan and Ranbir Kapoor:
A photo of them smoking together took the cyber world by storm and triggered a massing outpouring of hate against Khan. The trolls prompted Kapoor to come to his colleague’s defence and put out a statement asking them to stop spreading hate.
Priyanka Chopra:
She continues to enchant the West and India with her remarkable personality and talent. After her Hollywood movie debut with Baywatch, Chopra is all about being fierce, fearless and flawed.
Saif Ali Khan:
His joke on nepotism at an awards function didn’t land and this Bollywood royalty made it worse by writing an open letter explaining his understanding of nepotism and privilege. That crash course from Khan proved to be implosive.
Nawazuddin Siddiqui:
The actor published his biography, An Ordinary Life: A Memoir, which had explosive excerpts about his past relationships. But he couldn’t handle the backlash and withdrew the book promptly.
Zaira Wasim:
The Dangal actress documented her alleged molestation on a flight from Delhi to Mumbai where a middle-aged man behind her repeated moved his foot up and down her neck while she was asleep. The man was arrested and let out on bail.
Rajkummar Rao:
The actor was on fire this year with impressive performances in films including Newton and Bareilley Ki Barfi.
