2017 saw a royal engagement, a wedding that broke the internet and political uproar surrounding a film’s release, among others. As we brace ourselves for 2018, we look back at some of the moments that made 2017 the unforgettable year that it is –
-
The weather made no sense
This past year has seen cyclones and storms all over the world. From hurricane Maria to Cyclone Ockhi, this has been a tumultuous one, weather-wise. More aggressive rain on the western states of Maharashtra and Gujarat, as well as serious flooding in Tamil Nadu has caused a lot of damage, the aftermath of which can still be seen in certain homes and neighborhoods. Here in Mumbai, there has been an ongoing battle with keeping our beaches and streets clean. It seems as the ‘ Clean India’ drive fades away, climate change becomes even more pressing.
-
Rahul Gandhi’s crowning moment
Recently elected to the most crucial position in the Indian National Congress, Rahul Gandhi is following the footsteps of many great men and women before him. Whether it is his caliber or parentage that led him here is a topic to debate over, but where his leadership will take his party is even more worrisome. Rahul Gandhi being elected as the president of the Indian National Congress is undoubtedly, for better or for worse, one of the most historic events to take place in Indian politics this year.
-
GST Implementation
On April first of this year, the government put into effect the taxation system that has since undergone a few changes and has also invited a lot of backlash. Individuals and businesses alike are feeling the effects of the new tax brackets and the unfair allotment of goods and services in each category. It will be interesting to see how this system evolves over the coming years should there be a change of government in the future.
-
Padmavati
Slated to release in 2017, this movie has now been temporarily shelved until the political turmoil surrounding it gets resolved. Even though the film is not part of the 2017 release calendar, the controversy surrounding it certainly is. The influence of politics and religious sentiments on art and film is not something new to our culture, but each year the escalation of these controversies only seems to amplify, and 2017 was witness to one of the biggest film controversies so far.
-
Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli get married- Sabyasachi is a genius
There are two impressive things to note here- one that two famous people were able to have a low key wedding and have it be completely under the media radar, not since Beyonce’s Lemonade have we seen a digital drop of this kind. The other impressive thing worth noting is that the entire trousseau was designed by Sabyasachi who released photos of the same on his Instagram page in the middle of the night (which all social media professionals will tell you is not the optimum time of day to receive double taps) and still managed to mildly break the Internet.
-
There might be a Nuclear war
It is always worrisome when two powerful leaders with access to armies are at loggerheads with one another, but when they take to Twitter to declare potential nuclear threats, it calls for a whole different level of panic. Aside from Trump referring to Kim Jong Un as ‘Little Rocket Man’, the multiple public retorts fired by each side have made the rest of the world hope that when firecrackers are lit on New Years Eve, they don’t destroy life as we know it.
-
Rohingya Survivors
Not many people knew of the Rohingya tribe before this year, and the minority tribe lived in humble areas of Myanmar for a long time before unspeakable violence drove them out of their homes. The now stateless tribe is taking refuge wherever they may find it, with little to no hope for a safe future. The United Nations and many world leaders have condemned this ethnic cleansing and yet there is no clear answer to whether the Rohingya people will receive citizenship or the right to residence anywhere, if at all.
-
Sexual Harassment- and the survivors
The honor of the prestigious Time Magazine’s Person Of The Year title was bestowed on ‘the silence breakers’ this year. The survivors of sexual harassment are finally finding the courage to speak about assault and the conversation around sexual misconduct has been gaining steady momentum these past few months; women and men alike are using platforms like the #metoo movement to speak about the harassment they have faced, and justice is on the horizon. Powerful and successful men like Louis C.K, Kevin Spacey, Harvey Weinstein and many others have had to face very real consequences for their actions, and all survivors of inappropriate sexual behavior can take some solace in the fact that we are departing 2017 with the hope that sexual misconduct can be reduced in the future.
-
Murder Cases that scandalized entire nations
In 2017, O.J Simpson was released from prison, as were the Talwars. In both these cases, the brutal murders of innocent people wrecked each nation and the mystery surrounding each case fueled the media to sensationalize, question and most importantly investigate what did happen. While there still are pieces to each puzzle missing, time has been done and the people accused have suffered for their actions- or lack thereof.
The plot for each murder has turned into content gold for filmmakers and television producers, and while the water is still muddy over the truth, there is no denying that people will remember 2017 for these two tragic murders, the unanswered questions, and the families involved.
-
The Royal Engagement
Everyone with a Smartphone and a cable connection was informed of the roast chicken dinner over which Prince Harry asked American Actress Meghan Markle to be his wife. After much discussion on the future bride’s nationality, status and background, the royal family gave its very public approval to Meghan who is the first person of color to be a part of the English Royal family in such a notable capacity. It truly is the future we are living in to see a foreign woman of color become a part of the most prestigious family in the world. it is safe to assume that over the course of these next few months we will all be informed of every detail of the royal wedding whether we are interested or not, as every outlet follows up to investigate burning questions such as who will design the wedding dress and will there be roast chicken at the reception!
