A nation mourns: Manmohan Singh, India’s 14th Prime Minister and the architect of the country’s game changing economic reforms, passed away on December 26 in New Delhi at 92. The technocrat-politician, who steered India through tough times, served as Prime Minister for two consecutive terms, from 2004 to 2014, a period during which the country saw rapid economic growth, transforming into a nearly $2 trillion economy.
The great Indian wedding: Bollywood played Team Groom, and celebrities from around the world became bridesmaids at the year’s most extravagant wedding. Anant Ambani, son of billionaire Mukesh Ambani, married Radhika Merchant on July 12 at Mumbai’s Jio World Convention Centre. Guests included Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former UK PMs Boris Johnson and Tony Blair, wrestler John Cena, and Canadian pop icon Justin Bieber (centre).
Audacious attack: Jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, notorious for threatening Bollywood actor Salman Khan, returned to the spotlight after his gang was linked to the October 12 murder of NCP leader and former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique. Bishnoi has been in prison in Gujarat’s Sabarmati Jail since 2014, but his gang continues to allegedly carry out crimes, including murder and extortion.
Guest in the house: In September, then Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud hosted Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his private residence for Ganesh Puja. The informal meeting sparked speculation, to which the CJI responded that deals aren’t made this way. Justice Chandrachud retired on November 10, and Justice Sanjiv Khanna (left) took over as the 51st CJI. His term ends on May 15, 2025.
Cinematic score: All We Imagine as Light, an Indo-French co-production directed by Payal Kapadia, made history by becoming the first Indian film to win the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival in May. The Malayalam film has also been nominated for the US-Canada Critics Choice Awards 2025, after receiving two Golden Globe nominations.
Under the lens: In August, the Hema Committee report uncovered widespread sexual abuse and workplace violations against women in the Malayalam film industry. The #MeToo revelations led to the dissolution of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists. Over 30 FIRs have been filed based on the findings.
Concert chaos: After excitement over British rock band Coldplay and Punjabi icon Diljit Dosanjh’s India tours, ticketing chaos ensued, leaving fans dismayed. Tickets sold out within minutes and were resold at inflated prices on secondary websites, sparking controversy and police investigations.
The Last Ride: Facing dwindling ridership, Kolkata bid farewell to its iconic trams after 151 years of service. Launched in 1873, the trams were once a symbol of the city’s heritage and a favourite backdrop for filmmakers. However, rising traffic congestion and declining use led to their discontinuation.
In the House: In a much-anticipated electoral debut, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra contested and won the Wayanad Lok Sabha bypoll after her brother, Rahul Gandhi, vacated the seat. She won by a margin of over 400,000 votes, becoming the first Gandhi family member to enter Parliament after Sonia Gandhi and Rahul.
AI takes centre stage: In a first, the Nobel Prize in Physics was dominated by artificial intelligence (AI). American physicist John Hopfield (right) and British-Canadian computer scientist Geoffrey Hinton were honoured for their pioneering work on machine learning and neural networks.
GOODBYES: Tabla Maestro: The music world mourned the loss of tabla legend Ustad Zakir Hussain,
who passed away on December 15 at 73 due to lung complications. Over his six-decade career, Hussain collaborated with top Indian and international artists, won four Grammy awards, and received India’s highest honours: Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Vibhushan.
Shyam Benegal, the filmmaker who spearheaded Hindi cinema’s parallel movement in the 1970s and 1980s with classics like Ankur, Mandi, and Manthan, passed away on December 23 at 90.
Literary Colossus: M T Vasudevan Nair, who died on December 25, was a giant of Malayalam literature in the same category as O V Vijayan. He got the Jnanpith Award in 1995. His principal works were Nallukettu and Kalam. He also worked for the film industry.
Farewell, comrade: Veteran leader and CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury passed away on September 12 at the age of 72 after a prolonged illness. A top Marxist leader, he sought to adapt the Left movement to India’s socio-cultural landscape.
Visionary leader: Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, former West Bengal chief minister from 2000 to 2011, passed away on August 8 at 80. A lifelong CPI(M) member, he advocated open business policies, though his industrial land acquisition efforts faced resistance, contributing to the Left’s 2011 election defeat in the state.
Towering scholar: An eminent economist and chairman of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, Bibek Debroy, passed away on November 1 at 69. His prolific contributions spanned economics, culture, and history. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 2015.
Fashion definer: Renowned fashion designer Rohit Bal, often hailed as India’s ‘Master of Fabric and Fantasy,’ passed away at 63 after a long illness. Bal was known for blending India’s rich heritage with contemporary fashion and was featured in Time magazine in 1996.
Music titan: There is little Quincy Jones, the American music legend, did not do in a career of more than 65 years. He was a trumpeter, composer, producer and winner of 27 Grammy Awards. Jones is known for reshaping pop music in his collaborations with Michael Jackson.
 "From Ambani wedding to Diljit's concerts: Here are top newsmakers of 2024")
