| India's maiden moments |  |
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It was a year of many firsts for India. Amid death and destruction, job cuts and recession, there were some stellar moments and outstanding achievements.
Manmohan Singh risked the collapse of his government to clinch the crucial civil nuclear deal with the US, the country successfully sent its first unmanned spacecraft to the moon - a first among many.
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| 26/11 Mumbai |
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When citizens have stopped flinching at another bomb blast, you know terror has won. India is no stranger to bombings and violence, but the attacks on Mumbai on 26/11 showed the country was not ready to give in. Not by a long shot. The attacks shook the country to the core but they also galvanised a people to say: Enough.
That Day….
But the Mumbai carnage came at the end of a bloody year that also witnessed a host of serial bombings in New Delhi , Assam, Jaipur , Ahmedabad and Bangalore.
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| Tragedy and trauma | |
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There is man-made terror. And then there is the terror unleashed by nature. Earthquakes in China and Pakistan, one in Himachal Pradesh or the devastating flood in Bihar, 2008 was a tragic year.
Many died. Many are now homeless, a cruel winter compounding their misery.
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| Talking pics Kosi's wrath |
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| India: The siege within | |
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Regional and religious divides in India deepened this year with communal clashes and violence in various states.
North Indians were chased away from Maharashtra and the Gujjar community turned violent in Rajasthan. Elsewhere, Orissa’s Kandhmal burned in communal hatred while the Amarnath row led to the fall of the state government.
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| Crime graph | |
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The year 2008 saw the nation's crime graph ascending, showing the vulnerability of the common man.
The Aarushi murder case rocked the nation while the arrest of India's biggest kidney transplant racket left many shocked.
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| Political rough and tumble | |
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It was a roller-coaster ride for Indian politics in 2008. Despite withdrawal of support by the Left, the Manmohan Singh-government fought and finally won the ‘Trust’ and the vote.
On the electoral front, the results of the Assembly polls proved that our political leaders can no longer cash in on issues like caste, community, religion and terror alone.
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| World in 2008 | |
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The year 2008 will be remembered as the year of 'change' with US president-elect Barack Obama scripting history.
The winds of change were seen in Asia too, Nepal saw the exit of the age-old monarchy from the political scene while democracy returned to Pakistan with the end of the Musharraf regime. |
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| 2008: A year for the record books |  |
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| The year can easily be termed as the most turbulent year on record. Some key economic benchmarks not only hit all-time highs but also fell at the same pace to their record lows. The global crisis that started with the US subprime defaults soon spread all over the world. Then began the unprecedented slide and wealth erosion in the equity markets.
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| Bad news just piled up | |
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| The bad news just kept growing as the year went by. News of recession, bankruptcies, and layoffs dominated most of the headlines. The current recession in the US could well turn out to be the longest since the Great Depression. Even companies that had an unblemished record of profit growth came under its grip. Companies that had a no-layoff policy saw their record tumble. And by the year-end, the financial world was jolted by the $50 billion Madoff scam.
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| Bailout season | |
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| The turmoil in the world economy has done what economists and experts could not do for years—pushing into the day-to-day life numerous financial jargons, many of which have even become household words now. Thanks to the quantum of problem and subsequent interest and impact for one and all, it is no surprise that 'Bailout' and 'Credit Crunch' have been crowned separately as the 'words of the year'.
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| A year of trials for Tatas | |
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| Ratan Tata began the year with a big bang, unveiling the Nano and demonstrating the prowess of Indian manufacturing. But the euphoria did not last long. His Nano project got delayed, JLR got caught in global crisis and then the terrorist attack on the Taj hotel in Mumbai. But his indomitable spirit was in full display when the Tatas reopened some parts of Taj hotel in less than a month after the militants stormed the building.
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| Watershed year for Indian sports |  |
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| As we have ended the year with success in several other sports besides cricket, expectations have grown manifold. India now looks forward to more sparkling performances in the coming year. Golden boy Abhinav Bindra, boxer Vijender Kumar, golfer Jeev Milkha Singh and young shuttler Saina Nehwal and perhaps many more stars in the making, may lift Indian sports to new heights in the years ahead. |
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| India's magnificent maidens |
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Year 2008 saw a stupendous display of expertise, confidence and will to conquer the odds in cricket as well as the much-ignored other sports. Badminton, boxing, shooting and football brought some special moments that will always remain fresh in our minds.
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| India wows the world |
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| Big, Bang, Boom! No, it's not the Twenty20 hangover but the perfect way to illustrate the charisma of cricket played in the year that was... 2008 had all the ingredients on and off the field for a spicy, sumptuous recipe for 'cricketainment' garnished with glamour and glee. |
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| That's not sport! |
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| From racism to doping and from human rights violation to match-fixing, the sports world saw sportsmanship taking a backseat many a time. Here's the lowdown on the major sports controversies of 2008 that took the sheen off the achievements and mellowed the joy that sports give us.
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| Men who hung their boots |
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| Millions rested their hopes on these match-winners who played for their nation with heart and soul. Their presence on the field gave the opposition sleepless nights. Here's an insight into their lives... what made them so special that not only fans around the globe but the game itself will miss them badly. They were, truly, national heroes. |
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| Trends that ruled Bollywood |  |
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An overview of all the ‘something-different-about-it’ screen experiments that posed a serious risk of re-defining our happy go lucky Bollywood! Be it the gay-is-in call of the tinsel town or the emergence of super-cool sardars - here's a look back at the new trends that set in 2008. |
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| Tinsel town's newsmakers | |
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| From Ash, Abhi celebrating their first wedding anniversary, Big B getting hospitalised to the return of Ram Gopal Varma , it was truly an eventful year. Bringing you an update on the major showbiz events and celebrity dos of the year – a closer look at all that matters straight from the red carpets , green rooms and celebrity ambulances! |
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| Hot bods of 2008 | |
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Every one in the film industry was ready to let their clothes off... be it John Abraham in Dostana or Mugdha Godse in Fashion, we saw it all. Here is an indulgent look at the actors who left us asking for more while they offered us less (of those useless wefts and warps!) . Presenting you the perfect-ten figures and sculpted physiques of tinsel town! |
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| Fresh faces of 2008 | |
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| They came, we saw and they conquered! 2008 saw a whole new array of fresh faces debuting in Bollywood. Aamir Khan's nephew Imran Khan redefined the word chocolate hero while his co-star Genelia D'Souza also got a fresh lease of life in Bollywood. Presenting you a low down on the hottest debutants of the year. |
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| Most stylish films | |
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2008 can surely be termed as the year of most stylish films. From Kareena's size-zero , Farhan's rock star performance, Priyanka's bikini act in Dostana to Aamir's spunky hairdos in Ghajini, Bollywood never looked this hip and cool!
While Bollywood treated us to such trendy delights, the Joker and Bond from Hollywood heightened the coolness quotient even further.
Here's a look at the mega budget national and international productions, which astonished us by their sheer existence in these times of global meltdown! |
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| Somebody stop them... | |
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| We've endured them for years, and now it is high time these individuals give us a break from their 'acting skills'.
On top of this list is singer-composer-actor Himmesh Reshammiya followed by his Karzzz co-actor Urmilla Matondkar to name a few. |
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| Fast forward 2009 | |
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If you thought 2008 was big, wait till 2009 hits you. Some of Bollywood's most awaited films are scheduled for 2009.
With Aamir playing an Idiot, Hrithik ready to seduce in Kites and Katrina strutting her stuff in Blue, all the big names in Bollywood are out to woo you in the coming year.
Take a look and make your movies itinerary now!
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| Music moments 2008 | |
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Music maestro AR Rahman got India on the global platform as his compositions from Slumdog Millionaire earned him Golden Globe nominations.
Some like him were pathbreaking, others were simply copy-catting(!). Here's a look at some of the musical highlights of 2008. |
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| Musical delights | |
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| An effort to make a song and dance about the compositions that compelled us to hum and nod and twirl and jump!
Check out the hits and misses in music. |
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| Fashion Mania '08 |  |
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Miss India Parvathy Omanakuttan made us proud even as she missed the Miss World crown by a whisker while it was left to Miss Venezuela Dayana Mendoza to rule the Universe.
Here’s a look at the events that rocked the fashion world this year. |
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| The style icons | |
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Our desi Tom Hanks, Aamir Khan, who is making waves for his Ghajini hairstyle turned out to be the leader amongst the best dressed celebrities.
Here's a look at others who were the hottest head turners of the year. |
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| Best of the worst | |
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Presenting to you some of the Bollywood celebrities who made it to the black list for their terrible sense of style.
The list includes Vidya Balan, Mallika Sherawat and Govinda to name a few. Let's see who is the worst of all... |
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Bollywood catwalks |
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Bollywood and fashion go hand in hand, here's a look the stars who scorched the ramp this year.
Besides our ramp regulars Sameera Reddy and Celina Jaitley, one got to see the new youth icon Sonam Kapoor making her debut on the ramp. |
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| Ramp scorchers |
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They are hot, they are happening and they set the ramp on fire.
A dekko at some of the stunners who upped the glamour quotient of every ramp they walked on with their killer looks, rocking attitude and style et al. |
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| They have designs for you | |
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While Ritu Kumar, the high priestess of Indian fashion, got herself a French honour, it was designer Rohit Bal who created waves back home by dressing up the likes of Big B and Abhishek for The Unforgettable Tour.
As the stylish designer gets set to showcase his creations at the Paris Fashion Week next year, here's a look at some of our deadly drapers who made it big this year. |
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| Technically Speaking |  |
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| 2008 saw one of the most hyped product launches with Apple unveiling its Iphone3G. Google hopped on to the 'brand'wagon with Gphone and Google Chrome.
While Facebook acquired a whole new meaning, Netbooks re-wrote the rules of portable computing. Here's presenting the trendsetters of the year. |
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| Six Setbacks of 2008 | |
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| They are launched with hype and fanfare. The tech blogs abuzz with activity following their 'much awaited' release. The first owner gets his fifteen minutes of fame. Then the reality sets in. The glitter is not always gold. |
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| The Next Big Thing | |
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| The brains behind the tech products that we can't do without would continue to faithfully toe the law set down by Gordon E Moore decades back. Everything from processing speed of the processors, storage capacity, to the megapixels of digital cameras would continue to increase. |
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