Newsmakers Of 2024: Bumrah's Magic, Bhavish's Billion Dollar Joke, Fadnavis' Return And More

The year 2024 will be remembered as the one that took us back to pre-pandemic era as well as showed us post-pandemic boom. The year of intense electioneering, stock market boom kept Indians busy. On one hand there were shocking civic cases and toxic comments while on the other there were stories of euphoria from the world of sports.

Here are our picks for the newsmakers of 2024. 

Winning the IMDB’s most popular Indian star of 2024 is only an icing on the top of a spectacular year for this Uttarakhand-born actress. She starred in almost every second talked-about movie this year from Bad Newzz to Bhool Bhulaiyya 3 to Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video. She also starred with every top star from Vicky Kaushal to Karthik Aryan to Rajkumar Rao. Almost all her song sequences have gone viral on Instagram this year. 

Netizens lovingly nicknamed her national crush and Bhabhi 2 after the role in Animal. The rise of the actress who was known for her breakout roles earlier in Bulbul and Qala, is a statement in itself. She proved that it’s not only ‘nepotism’ that brings new faces onto the screen. Moreover, she is one of the few actors who impresses viral video makers as well as critics.

One of the kingmakers of election 2024, Chandrababu Naidu, was crowned twice over this year. His coalition swept general and assembly elections – dethroning his predecessor Jagan Reddy by a vast majority – to become the CM again.

Naidu has his work cut out. He is tasked to rebuild the newly-minted state from scratch after Reddy undid a lot of his decisions. He himself faced jail and incarceration during the Reddy era. Like Nitish Kumar, he too took a U-turn back to NDA in a now-common three-way coalition with BJP and actor Pavan Kalyan’s Janasena. 

Naidu’s win which has changed the dynamics of Telugu states overnight, came with many expected and unexpected turns. Amaravati became the state’s capital again, and boosted state revenues with a new liquor policy which looks to establish liquor malls amongst other things. He also raked up a controversy by bringing a lab report alleging that animal fat was used to make Tirupati laddoos. 

Ola’s Bhavish Aggarwal kicked off 2024 with good news – his ‘other’ startup Krutrim AI turned a unicorn. His good fortune didn’t stop there. His EV startup Ola Electric raised a whopping Rs 6,145 crore, landing him a personal windfall of over Rs 270 crore. He was moving fast from cabs to electric scooters to artificial intelligence, quickly and decisively. 

 All was well for the first three quarters of the year – until India’s sharpest tongue Kunal Kamra cracked a joke on after-sales service of his scooters. 

It was Aggarwal’s response, rather than Kamra’s tweet, that attracted enough attention to crash the recent debutant’s shares. The war of words had been ongoing ever since, making Aggarwal join the list of startup boys who have been branded as brash by some and risk-taking by others.

Not over water, not over funds — this time, Andhra and Tamil Nadu CMs fought over ‘where’ does Gukesh Dommaraju belong to. Gukesh Dommaraju, the Telugu-speaking boy born and brought up in Tamil Nadu became the youngest world chess champion – at all of 18 years. Garry Kasprov held the title when he was 22.

The nerve-wracking winning game against China’s Ding Liren, was touted to end in a draw. After playing for four hours, the game turned on the 55th move. Gukesh beat his opponent, with one more pawn than his opponent Liren. He also graciously applauded his opponent after the latter conceded his title in a press conference – giving us a glimpse of the grandmaster’s grace.  

Gukesh’s win added a glimmer to the spectacular showing of the Indian team at the 45th International Chess Federation (FIDE) Chess Olympiad in Budapest this year. Both the male and female squad won the gold, which also included Gukesh, and Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa amongst others.

The patriarch of Bihar and JD(U) supremo has always been in the news – for his many alliances and flip-flops over the years. The leader who helped form the INDIA bloc earlier raised eyebrows as he joined hands with ruling NDA. But he made the right bet at the right time, as JD(U) swept the polls – helping NDA hit the much needed majority. 

The CM now embarks on another journey with a ‘yatra’ to woo voters for the upcoming assembly elections next year. He kickstarted a Mahila Samwad Yatra to understand the problems of women and make necessary policies to aid them. 

In spite of a sweep in recent bypolls, the assembly elections might be a tough battle due to opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal’s high decibel criticisms as well as the fledgling political outfit floated by ace poll strategist Prashant Kishor. 

Missed out on Coldplay tickets? Do not be disappointed. Another global star has a set of concerts across Indian cities – our own son-of-the-soil Diljit Dosanj. After kicking off his Dil-illuminati tour down under, he sailed from Vancouver to Dusseldorf to London O2 Arena – dishing out his chart-topping G.O.A.T and Born to Shine. 

His warm gestures put the dil in Dil-illuminati. Not only did he stop his Germany concert to pay a tribute to Ratan Tata on his demise, he also candidly admitted to a Canadian news crew that his broken English and his shall-be and will-be’s should be excused. Sporting a kurta, lungi and a beautiful pagdi in all white, he rocked Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show – and also taught him how to “Oye”. 

Dosanjh also gave us a taste of his acting chops when paid a tribute to ‘Elvis of Punjab’ – an assassinated singer of the 80s, in the movie Amar Singh Chamkila. It was also the first time he was seen without his turban. In 2024, he did the unthinkable for many – captured the screen and stage with equal elan. 

Arguably the best fast bowler of his generation, Jasprit Bumrah carried the burden of Team India in 2024, capping it with a stellar performance in the Border Gavaskar Trophy against Australia. In the prestigious series, Bumrah has already taken 30 wickets at a miserly average of 12.83 runs per wicket. For the year, his strike rate is 14.92, striking every 30.1 balls. No bowler in the history of Test cricket has better average or strike rate in a calendar year.

The man with the unorthodox action bagged the most Test wickets, 71, in 2024, taking him to the top of ICC bowler ranking. To put this in context, the next best was England's Gus Atkinson, who had 52 scalps. There is a reason, his teammate, Mohammad Siraj made the famous quip, "I'm only believe on Jassi Bhai..."

A lot can go wrong when the chief minister of a state holds two or more portfolios – home and health ministries. And, it did go wrong for Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee when a young doctor was subjected to a horrific rape. As anger-inducing as the act was, the shocking allegations of coverup, the messed up handling of the situation – made people seethe more. 

All hell broke loose for the CM, as the doctors went on a long-standing protest demanding justice. It also exposed the flimsy security standards of hospitals as well as the flippant attitude of the law enforcement. 

So much so, she had to take to the streets as a part of the protest where holds the numero uno position. “Who is she protesting against,” most people questioned, as political analysts claimed she painted herself into a corner. Despite many requests by the CM, the doctors refused to end the stir, resulting in many more deaths in hospitals – all of which she was again blamed for. 

For a long time, most people assumed that the ‘Bhai of Bollywood’ Salman Khan needed bodyguards only to stop the many fans who’d accost him. That’s only until April this year, when two gunmen fired shots at his house in Bandra. The Bishnoi gang is known to be involved in the attempt, as a retaliation of the 1990s blackcase killing case that Khan was involved in. 

Even as Khan has been given Y+ security right after, he and the police have been inundated with escalating threats to life. Apart from random individuals issuing threats, a few fans breaking security have been taking advantage of the situation — rattling the system. The murder of Khan’s friend and confidant and NCP leader Baba Siddique didn’t help either. 

Khan’s fans have been expecting much more from him this year. After all, he had quit being the Big Boss after ten years, for movies. But the actor who played Bodyguard is now busy guarding his own life. 

For a lot of GenZs and young millennials, the underworld is what they see in retro movies of the 80s and 90s. A young law aspirant turned gangster has changed it all. At just 31, Lawrence Bishnoi alias Balkaran Brar, is known to have over 75 cases registered against him– from murders to armed encounters with police. 

Allegedly, he runs his 700-people strong crime syndicate from the comfort of his jail in Gujarat. Apart from murder of politician Baba Siddique, and threats to actor Salman Khan, he is also known to be involved in the murder of singer Sidhu Moosewala in 2022. His syndicate is also known to be connected with pro-Khalistani cause, and has a shooter network abroad too across Canada, Australia and more. 

What’s more unnerving is that his story is also eerily similar to that of India’s Most Wanted, Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar. Apart from both being sons of policemen, their terrorist associations aided their rise, as well as rise in crime in India. 

The rockstar chief justice of the Supreme Court retired this year, not before leading it through some iconic judgments. In 2024, SC called for the carving out a ‘creamy layer’ to be excluded from the Scheduled Caste quota for jobs and education. The Harvard-educated jurist was also a part of a bench which unanimously struck down the electoral bonds scheme which allows political donors to remain shrouded in anonymity. 

Chandrachud also emphasized on ‘Bail is the rule, jail is the exception’, in India where trials take years to start if not conclude. 

But this year, he had to face the wrath of the trolls, after his comments on the Babri Masjid case judgement delivered in 2019. He said that he asked God for a solution, leaving many netizens confused, shocked and even angry. 

Chandrachud had his moments too. In a rare show of heart, he provided relief to a dalit IIT aspirant’s admission as he missed the fee deadline by a whisker. After all, 2024 is also the year the Lady Justice statue was updated without blindfolds, and a book instead of a sword. 

This lady from Delhi has done the unthinkable. She beat Bollywood-adjacent Riddhima Kapoor (endorsed by her star brother Ranbir Kapoor); and the impeccably-dressed former Dior executive Kalyani Chawla – to become the most fabulous ‘new’ Delhi wife of the ‘reality show’. 

It’s not that she is without quirks. Her singing lessons, drunken giggles and insistence that her team follow her during holidays to arrange her meals – left many in awe. Her elaborate sartorial sense and the oddly-shaped purses too caught netizen fancy. But the rich, art-loving wife of an auto baron, refuses to apologise for her lifestyle and choices.  

Yet, it’s her nonchalance and graceful bearing of smirks, guffaws and constant criticism of her fellow wives that earned her respect and admiration. If Passi and her show manages to kill the ever-lasting Saas Bahu serial era, then a lot of men and GenZs would venerate her too. 

What happens when a young and brilliant 26-year-old suddenly passes away. Isn’t constant overworking and stress that killed her, a crime in itself? What started as a dream job for CA Anna Perayil ended in tragedy as she was working inhumane hours experiencing anxiety, sleeplessness, and stress soon after joining. Her heart finally gave away. 

Lakhs of Indians questioned themselves, social media trolled organizations and a lot more happened after Anna’s mother Anita Augustine wrote a heart wrenching letter to her daughter’s bosses. Her subdued anguish, the bare facts as she spoke of how none of her colleagues even attended her funeral – hit the right nerves.  

Not only did she receive an avalanche of support, almost everyone shared their experiences with toxic bosses. And, almost everyone who has ever held a job, had at least one. 

Anita hoped her child’s experiences would lead to real change so that no other family has to endure the grief and trauma we are going through. Yet, startup and veteran leaders continue to harp on the virtues of 70-hour workdays. 

India’s two biggest superstars made no waves in the Tamil political arena. While Rajnikanth backed away before entering, Kamal Hassan’s Makkal Needi Maiyam made no mark. The state seems to need a break from the two party rule – Amma-less Anna DMK and the ruling DMK. The youngest of Tamil superstars, Vijay (who nowhere looks his 50 years) decided to enter the arena. 

Aiming to contest for the 2026 assembly elections, he announced his party symbol and colours. If his rally in Vikravandi is anything to go by, support won’t be hard to come. Around 3 lakh supporters braved the heat to listen to him speak. He exuded as much charm as he did on screen, confidently and categorically spoke on controversial issues like opposing medical entrance NEET and Waqf Bill. 

Vijay clearly spoke of his socialist ideology insisting that they shouldn’t shrink themselves to either Dravidian or Tamil Nationalism. “They are two eyes of this soil,” he said, paving the way to a sea of change. 

Only her first name connects her to India, but Sunita Williams, the US-born former Navy officer and astronaut has inspired many back here. This summer, Williams and her colleague Barry Butch Wimore went to the international space station for an eight-day trip. But a leak in the Starliner had made them extend the stay. 

Recently, they completed six months, and informed the world that they had their freeze-dried mashed potatoes and more for Thanksgiving. They’re expected to be back early next year. Williams’ visible weight loss, as seen in the videos, has sparked concern for her wellbeing. 

As she stays on in space, WIlliams has been experiencing 16 sunrises and 16 sunsets a day as the station rotates the earth every 90 minutes. She and her colleague have been collecting data from the centre – making the most of their stay. 

The astronaut of Slovenian and Indian roots, had once famously carried samosa and sausage with her – during one of her many trips. She holds the record for the most spacewalks in the world and the world is praying for her to land back to gravity, safely. 

There is nothing in common between a vaccine maker and a movie maker – until this year. Movie producer Karan Johar made his boldest move ever, by monetizing his stake in his production house. He sold 50% in Dharma for a whopping Rs 1,000 crore to Serum Institute’s Adar Poonawala, who is known to be worth Rs 1.8 lakh crore. 

Coincidentally, the pandemic which broke the back of many production houses, was a dream year for Poonawala. His wealth surged exponentially as he provided Covid vaccine to most of India and others. 

The recent cash injection also seems to have altered Johar’s approach to movie making. The production house was earlier known for ostentatious sets and foreign locales; had produced magnum opuses like Bramhastra. Johar admitted that the real money is in mid-budget movies, and would look at funding movies in-house for more profits. 

Johar’s move has prompted many production houses to look at raising funds, in order to fit in with the changing reality of movies in the OTT era. 

When he had to resign as the CM within days after intense political Maha CM drama in 2019, Devendra Fadnavis made a famous prediction. Maha Vikas Aghadi, a combination of Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP is a three-wheeler which will soon derail. He made his prediction come true in 2022, when Sena as well as NCP was broken to make way for a new three-way coalition – Eknath Shinde’s Sena, Ajit Pawar’s NCP and unbroken BJP. This alliance never broke, and also won the people’s mandate in the 2024 election. 

Fadnavis who conceded CM post to ‘Dharmaveer’ Shinde after the coup, has now back in the hotseat. Even as he is only 54, he is an old hat and a seasoned player. He entered politics early in life. At the age when most people are busy writing their CVs for first jobs, he became a corporator of the city of Nagpur at 22. He became its youngest mayor at 27. 

Fadnavis however is more popular for his dedication to upgrading the infrastructure of the state as well as Mumbai. His bold decisions on the Aarey Metro, his aggressive push for river-linking and rainwater harvesting, superhighways and mining projects in naxal hit areas have earned him the title of infra man. In his third term, he is expected to drive faster change more decisively.

 The hottest commodity sold in Jeddah this year is not the Arabian oil — but Indian batsman Rishabh Pant. Pant became the most expensive IPL player ever sold – at a record Rs 27 crore. Lucknow Super Giants bagged the player, outbidding Delhi Capitals and Sunrisers Hyderabad. Delhi Capitals released their captain from the franchise this year, landing the bounty on Lucknow team.

Pant also made a successful comeback to the game this year, after a lengthy recovery phase, following a car accident in 2022. He brought his best back in Test matches this year, as he broke the record with his 36-ball fifty against New Zealand in Mumbai this year. Over the years, his many successful sixth and seventh wicket partnerships has given the Indian team the much needed middle order strength. 

An unapologetic sandalwood smuggler’s story from temple-town Tirupati has stirred the masses – from North India to North America. Long before his Pusha’s fire-not-flower act, Allu Arjun has been popular with non-Telugu audiences in Kerala. But with Pushpa 2, he went national with critics and crowds alike as he won the national award for the first film of the franchise. 

The movie, which generated a lot of buzz, allowed theatre owners to increase ticket prices – a rare occurrence in the streaming era. As expected, the movie released in December, continues to chug along, crossing $10 million in North America. Yet, it’s not all celebrations at the Arjun’s family. 

The actor was arrested from his home, after an incident at a Hyderabad theatre caused the death of a lady who was a part of the premiere. Though released immediately on bail, he joined the list of movie actors with FIRs against their name – a rarity for South actors.

After a successful moon landing last year, another notable event showcased India’s brilliance to the world. A team of Indian players shined at the 45th International Chess Federation (FIDE) Chess Olympiad in Budapest this year. 

Gukesh D, Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi, Vidit Gujrathi, Harikrishna Pentala, Srinath Narayanan, Harika Dronavalli, Vaishali Rameshbabu, Divya Deshmukh, Vantika Agrawal, and Tania Sachdev — created history as they bagged team gold medals in women and men’s competitions. The Indian team also ostensibly walked off with four individual gold medals. 

Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand also received praise for his role in nurturing a generation of players. Legendary chess player Garry Kasparov praised Team India too. “A very impressive double gold achievement by India. ‘Vishy’s children’ are all grown up, and chess is coming home,” he said.