Intro: From the arrest of celebrity kid Aryan Khan to surprise weddings and non-stop social media battles, here are some of the most memorable Bollywood moments in 2021
1. Aryan Khan detained in drug case
Despite a number of conspiracies shrouding the exact context of his arrest, Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan was marched to Arthur Road jail in Mumbai for alleged use of illegal substances by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB). After spending 22 days in prison, he was granted bail with no proof forthcoming of his alleged drug possession. It reminded us of the Rhea Chakraborty-Sushant Singh Rajput saga all over again. Actor Ananya Panday’s Mumbai home was also raided by the NCB.
2. Twitter bans Kangana Ranaut
Kangana cooked up several storms on social media with her instigatory comments in 2021. From statements about the West Bengal assembly elections to inflammatory critique of the farmers’ protests, the actress stopped at nothing to have her opinions heard. All of it led to her ban from Twitter. Earlier, Diljit Dosanjh and Ranaut got into a war of words on Twitter after the release of the singer’s new single, Riri (Rihanna).
3. Hollywood celebrates Diwali via Priyanka
This year saw the rise of Indian soft power through Hollywood’s embrace of Diwali and its associated parties. Priyanka Chopra Jonas hosted one which saw the likes of Chrissy Teigen and John Legend attend. YouTuber Lilly Singh threw one too with Mindy Kaling, Lisa Koshy and others celebrating the festival of lights as well.
4. Vicky-Kat wedding made a splash
The celebrity couple tied the knot at a private ceremony in the Six Senses Fort Barwara Hotel, Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan, with friends and family in attendance. The initial photographs showed Vicky following Katrina and then the two waving at the paparazzi gathered at a distance from the venue. The pre-wedding festivities started officially on December 7.
Other new Bollywood couples in 2021 were Varun Dhawan and Natasha Dalal; Dia Mirza and Vaibhav Rekhi; Yami Gautam and Aditya Dhar; Rhea Kapoor and Karan Boolani; Rajkummar Rao and Patralekhaa.
5. Harnaaz Sandhu wins Miss Universe
India’s Harnaaz Sandhu became the new Miss Universe, 21 years after Lara Dutta won the title in 2000. She represented India at the 70th Miss Universe 2021, held in Eilat, Israel.
The 21-year-old from Punjab claimed the crown edging out Paraguay’s Nadia Ferreira and South Africa’s Lalela Mswane. Sandhu was presented the crown by Andrea Meza, former Miss Universe 2020 from Mexico.
Before the Chandigarh-based model, only two Indians have won the title of Miss Universe – actors Sushmita Sen in 1994 and Lara Dutta in 2000. Sandhu has also worked in Punjabi films like “Yaara Diyan Poo Baran” and “Bai Ji Kuttange”.
6. Kareena, Saif trolled over son’s name
A certain section of the internet took offense to the couple naming their first son Taimur, which they erroneously linked to the Turkic invader. A similar controversy unfolded after it was revealed that the couple had named their second son Jehangir. Saif Ali Khan, along with his wife Kareena Kapoor Khan, were trolled for naming their second son Jehangir Ali Khan.
7. I-T raids on Taapsee Pannu, Anurag Kashyap
In March 2021, the Income Tax Department’s investigation unit conducted searches at premises linked to Bollywood actor Taapsee Pannu and film director Anurag Kashyap in Mumbai. The searches were a part of a tax evasion probe and conducted at about 30 locations in Mumbai and Pune.
