Bidding 2011 Adieu!

2011-A year of sorts. Of highs and lows.
We mourned the deaths of the likes of Jagjit Singh, Steve Jobs, Dev Anand and Shammi Kapoor. We rejoiced over the grand entry of international artists Lady Gaga, Metallica and Pitbull on the Indian scene.
We saw Vidya as Silk, gyrating to Ooh La La, and Ranbir as Jordan, demanding his 'haq'.
We marvelled over the concept of a Flash Mob, and the sheer ingenuity of Siri.
We celebrated a glorious century of Delhi and all the same waited for Tendulkar to get his own.
We revelled over a victorious Cricket World Cup and cringed over the insane amount of money spent on a gigantic Mayawati park.
We witnessed F1 in India, we saw what happens when the Blackberry system breaks down, and for the first time ever, we actually even tuned into Lok Sabha channel to hear the Lok Pal debate.
2011-A year of sorts. Of highs and lows like any other. And now as the year draws to a close, here's a look at the top newsmakers of the 2011-the five people who basked in the limelight this year.


5. Poonam Pandey
Our very own in house motivator, Poonam Pandey is a self proclaimed fashion model, and possibly the most popular cricket 'fan' in India. So popular, that once India won the world cup this year, less people were interested in knowing about how the match went than were keen to know what Poonam Pandey's reaction was. It is also widely believed that the World Cup victory eluded us all these 28 years merely owing to a lack of appropriate motivation. Pandey's promise to strip naked if India managed to pull off the feat acted as a catalyst like no other, and lo and behold, our boys were on a rampage!
Even though this promise wasn't eventually kept (much to the country's  disappointment), another promise to bare it all if the Lok Pal Bill is passed has been made. Last I heard, MPs were seen trying to expedite their work as much as possible.
And so, Poonam Pandey thereby makes it to spot 5-and all the men can close their gaping mouths now.

4. Baba Ramdev
Those perfectly toned abs, those beautiful, deep, unblinking eyes, that hairy being-how could Ramdev not have made it to this list? Especially after his stint at the Ramlila Maidan earlier this year. Inspired by Anna Hazare, dear old Ramu set out on an anshan of his own. Unfortunately, it wasn't long before Ramdev's fast fast-forwarded into a mess, and he became the fastest man to leap off the stage of his own rally and bound away.
It didn't help that he was caught later, dressed in a salwar kameez to match his long tresses.
Tch.
And hence, on number four, we have, the Runaway Baba Winky.

3. D.K. Bose
Ok fine. I do agree that this aint a real person. But its a name that caused quite a rage all right. The secret behind the golden name, well, I needn't say (but it sure as hell caused a lot of trouble for those who'd been named this way).
In no time, this song became a youth anthem, and everyone was humming it, singing it, quoting it. Even the rugged bruised look of the three leads became oh so popular. As did the uncanny lyrics, that the youngsters, somehow, embraced as their own life's tale. The craziness, the rusty feel, the wire tangled electric guitars and the plaster painted actors all did just enough to make the song more than just stand out.
And so while the country danced the night away to the dhik-chik beats of D.K. Bose, he ran all the way down here to number three.

2. Kolaveri Di
When this song became a rage, nobody even knew what Kolaveri meant. I doubt if even the makers knew their flop song was going to be such a hit. Breaking all records of senseless lyrics, deja vu tune and a non-good looking star, Kolaveri Di shot right to the top leaving others like Chikni Chameli and Ooh La La to sulk down below.
What did it-who knows? May be it was the spontaneity. Or maybe simply because the singer Dhanush is Rajnikanth [respect (y)] ka Damaad. No one will know.
But then before Rajnikanth could split his bullets, the song was already all over the place-on radio (a Tamil song on a Delhi Radio! Ah!), on MTV, being extensively shared on Facebook, on joke sites-everywhere! Within days, the internet was flooded with dozens of versions of the song. Changed words, changed tunes, changed scenarios, changed singers-but nothing, nothing clicked more than the easy, sleepy, half-talli original did.
And so this arrow by Dhanish hits number two bang on.

1. Anna Hazare
The man who needs no introduction. He's been up in news all year long, a previously unknown entity that suddenly rose to lead a movement of great proportions. The country watched in awe as the 70-something man fasted incessantly at the Ramlila Maidan and the 20-somethings of the country chewed merrily on their popcorn.
Although my views on Hazare are not exactly cordial, his role in the shaping of 2011 is absolutely undeniable. Turning from a Gandhian to a rather rude loose cannon (when asked about his views about Sharad Pawar being slapped, he was quick to answer, 'Only once?'), and landing up in poor controversies, Anna still, somehow, managed to hold on to dear image. Today, the support base may have come down drastically-be it due to his (and his team's) uncooperative behaviour, unyeilding demands, uncalled for remarks or undue haste over decision making-it is by no means over, even now.
Anna Hazare is, out and out, the uno man of the year.



And thats all for this year. To everyone who's been reading this, thank you! And a veryy Happy New Year to you all!
<3