Bahubali was not from Bollywood but the biggest movie of 2015. lowdown of such & many more trends this year
Intolerance, Maggi & Bakchod
Intolerance’ was the buzzword which closed the year with a big bang, what with the two big Khans, Shah Rukh and Aamir deciding to utter the dirty word, one of them even talking about moving out of the nation, perhaps. Then there was the ugly and prolonged Film and Television Institution of India (FTII) protest against the appointment of BJP member Gajendra Chauhan as Chairman, lasting 139 days. The award-wapsi movement hit the core of Indian culture of togetherness with many writers and artists returning national awards.
Censorship took the twitterati by storm, outraging even the conservative off-liners with needless scissoring of content. The issue peaked when James Bond was not allowed to kiss on Indian screen and was compelled to turn into ‘Sanskari Bond’. But Censor Board chief Pahlaj Nihalani went to sleep on Hate Story 3, all its boldness splashing cinema halls.
Of course, when it’s Salman it’s controversies galore. First, he tweeted about the ‘wrongness’ of Yakub Memon’s hanging, so much so that father Salim Khan had to explain it away, and then came the hit-and-run case of 2002 which almost had him jailed. Another matter though that bhaijaan came out of the case unscathed and his movie Bajrangi Bhaijaan went on to make more money than any other movie of the year. More roasting was in store after the infamous and audacious All India Bakchod (AIB) comedy collective had Ranveer Singh, Arjun Kapoor and Karan Johar exchanging gaalis and innuendoes that raised national hackles. Court cases were filed for obscenity and vulgarity, but the trio carried on.
Sooraj Pancholi, the newest debutant of Bollywood, had become famous much before his first film released, in relation to the suicide of actress Jiah Khan. He had a nasty surprise in store for him when he was named in the CBI chargesheet on the case, stating that it was his abuse and conduct that drove Jiah into a condition of depression and subsequently her suicide.
Radhika Apte was Bollywood’s MMS sensation, all nude and happening, even as she did fully clothed serious movies like Maanjhi. While she denied she was the MMS girl, her nudes that surfaced online couldn’t really be denied. It was later explained away as a publicity stunt for her film Badlapur.
last but not least, Bollywood’s biggest name Amitabh Bachchan could not steer clear, along with Madhuri and Preity Zinta, for endorsing the much-tainted Maggi.
lines That Made The Year
Those Online Screens
Producers of fiction series shifted to an all-new platform for their shows, the web. Web series became a rage in 2015 with many of these shows garnering a loyal fan following. The pioneers of this were The Viral Fever (TVF) whose two shows Permanent Roommates and Pitchers (with an IMDB rating of 9.6), are among the biggest web hits. The popularity of these shows is such that dialogues are being quoted from them and even being put on T-shirts. For anyone who has watched TVF Pitchers, 'Tu beer hai' is a line that definitely stayed with the viewers.
The biggest development is that big production houses who usually invest a lot of money into making films also ventured into this genre of web series. One of these is Yash Raj Films which made two short web series, Man's World and Bang Baaja Baaraat.
The Trenders
Arre Yaar Yeh To Oxford Ho Gaya
Indian words that entered the Oxford Dictionary this year
Bhelpuri: Indian street food with a generous dose of onions, fenugreek and tomatoes sprinkled with a ounces of lemon.
Keema: Taking its origins from Greek, Keema is used for all kinds of meat, popularly though with lamb. It refers to meat sliced finely into several tiny pieces. It can be cooked by stewing or frying deeply.
Papad: Several variants across India; papadam in Kerala, appadam in Telugu andhappala in Kannada.
Churidar: A tight-fitting trouser both, men and women wear, predominantly worn in North India, the most commonly worn ladies attire. Men wear it with a loose shirt at the top. Women complete the ensemble with a kameez on top.
Dhaba: Eateries with bare minimum settings. It initially started as a highway food joint for drivers late at night. Dhabas usually serve only the local cuisine and has its roots in Punjab. Music is also integral. The word is now popular across the world and restaurants have adopted this name.
Arre yaar: This phrase doesn’t really need a definition for a person of Indian origin!]
Music Business
What were they thinkingIJ
The song Raja Babu from Gabbar Is Back, starring Akshay Kumar, deserves special mention for having the most outrageous lyrics of the year:Kundi mat khadkao raja/ Seedha andar aao raja/ Cool sa perfume laga ke/ Mood banao taaja taaja.
Touch My Body from Alone, starring Bipasha Basu and Karan Grover crooned seduction with Go on and touch me, feel me slowly.
Kunal Khemu's Bhaag Johnny's track Daddy mummy went thus: Daddy mummy hain nahi ghar pe/ Pichhle kamre mein ghus ke/ Kuch to karenge chhup ke mill zara.
The Crooners
Arijit Singh was the superstar singer this year. He featured in at least one song in pretty much every movie, major or not. Whether the movie tanked or was a huge earner, Arijit sang to glory.
Yo Yo Honey Singh gave way to hip rapper/singer, Badshah. He gave the biggest hit of the year, DJ Waley Babu, which stormed FM radio and parties. There is not a single person left in the country who must not have heard these the words Dj waaley babu mera gaana chala do!"