As the year 2009 draws to a close, we take a look at those who stole the show. While some managed with their antics, wit and some sheer talent, there were also those who got trapped under the media scanner for outrageous misdeeds.
Varun Gandhi
Touted to be the saffron brigade’s rising star, the grandson of Indira Gandhi had all the party patrons banking on him as the GenNext leader on the run to the National Assembly Elections. What followed was a community-centric hate speech that saw him getting booked under the IPC as well as the National Security Act. And even as political analysts and news channels termed it as a huge dent to this political career, Gandhi won, albeit marginally, making for one of the elections’ most shocker news.Rahul Gandhi
The suave and smart General Secretary of Congress, he impressed many by holding rallies in the furthest of rural constituencies. Even as cameramen covered his pad yatras, the news pit was abuzz with talks of which portfolio the Gandhi scion would hold post his almost certain win. Wanting to adopt a slow and steady approach, he instead opted to stop at playing MP. Once again, the media and the common man just couldn’t get enough of this not-so-crude-power-hungry politician.Rakhi Sawant
The boldest drama queen Indian audiences have ever seen, Rakhi Sawant amused fans and critics alike as she announced her swayamvar. For once, the controversy queen was playing the quintessential Indian bride. While many had their doubts, their faith in the institution of marriage got the better of them. And as they waited to find out whether will she, won’t she, Rakhi outwitted them, creating a public debate not so much on her ethics, but that of reality television.Nandan Nilekani
Former CEO and co-chairman of Infosys, the IIT graduate surprised urban India as he gave up his gave up his BPO baby to head the government’s unique ID project. In a country suffering from acute cynicism when it comes to all matters related to the Parliament, his decision caught the fancy of the biggest names in the news business. And as Nilekani took charge of things, the challenges of a private to public switchover continued to hog the headlines.Shiney Ahuja
Having started the year on a promising note, what with a Hollywood assignment in the form of Silver Cord, the actor was all geared up for some intense paparazzi attention. But with an alleged rape case filed by none other than his maid, he ended up on the other side of the fence. From the 9 pm headlines hour to the prime time comedy shows, he became the subject of everyone’s ridicule.Michael Jackson
Almost a forgotten legend after his alleged involvement in a pedophile case few years back, Wacko Jacko had little ‘active’ fans. But the minute news of his cardiac arrest in mysterious circumstances were flashed from the news pit, the world woke up with sympathy for this long-troubled star. The hysteria that his complex medical history created saw his numbers topping sales charts across stores. Not to mention the non-stop specials ran by music channels across the globe.Sachin Tendulkar
With the master blaster celebrating his 20th anniversary in cricket this year, the media went berserk putting together a biography of the iconic batsman. Even as Tendulkar opted for a low-key celebration with Team India and family at a hotel in Ahmedabad, fans cheered and waited for him to set a new anniversary record in the test match against Sri Lanka.Madhu Koda
This former Jharkhand CM had managed to safely stay off the asset enquiry radar until the Enforcement Directorate’s nation-wide raids. Tracking down of assets worth a staggering Rs 4,000 crore across international networks revealed one of the biggest money laundering scams of recent years. As Koda denied ownership of the assets and investigations revealed a new link in the scam each day, prime time news became a sensational affair.Abbas Kazmi
The man who took on the much-debatable stand to defend Ajmal Kasab to initiate a fair trial, Kazmi has ended up being in the news for the wrong reasons himself. A year after the 26/11 attacks, the urgency to complete the trial saw him being terminated on the grounds of non-cooperation. Kazmi’s refusal to shortlist the number of eye witnesses he wanted to cross-check once again sparked off the public debate – how far is fair?
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