2023’s blend of revival and heartfelt goodbyes

As we look back at 2023, the year stands out as a period in which the world witnessed an extraordinary revival in the entertainment sector, which successfully overcame the lingering shadows of the Covid-19 pandemic. Additionally, the year was marked by profound changes in the world of celebrities and icons, with several revered figures taking their final bow, leaving behind legacies that will continue to inspire generations. As we encapsulate these pivotal moments and trends, the photos below depict the essence of 2023 – a year that beat the Covid blues with a flourish of entertainment, impactful viewpoints, and heartfelt farewells to some of the greatest stalwarts.

The Badshah Returns: At the start of the year, cinema was on the ropes after being wrecked by Covid-19 and the rise of OTT. With a superspy act in Pathaan, Shah Rukh Khan smashed box-office records, resuscitated Bollywood, and reclaimed his status as the most bankable star. He followed it up with Jawaan and Dunki

PHOTO: Red Chillies Entertainment

 

Swift Rise: Taylor Swift belted out the fan favourite Cruel Summer back in 2019. The summer of 2023 saw the American pop diva at the height of her “earth-shattering” powers. In July, fans at her concert in Seattle caused a 2.3 magnitude quake. Record audiences, the highest-grossing concert at over $1 billion — 2023 had it all for the singer 

All Work: N R Narayana Murthy was in the news for his views. The Infosys co-founder and former CEO set the cat among the pigeons by urging youths to work 70 hours a week, stirring a debate. While some entrepreneurs backed him, angry unions termed it illegal. The labour minister also told the Lok Sabha that the government wasn’t considering any such proposal to increase India’s productivity 

Parting Ways: In November, a high-profile separation between textile tycoon Gautam Singhania and his wife Nawaz Modi made headlines. The duo are on the board of the Raymond group, whose shares fell as she accused her husband of domestic abuse and sought three-fourths of his reported $1.4 billion net worth as alimony

State of the union: The Supreme Court upheld the abrogation of Article 370 — that accorded a special status to the state of Jammu and Kashmir — by the central government in 2019. In doing so, the Constitutional Bench led by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud tipped the scales in favour of the Centre with implications for Union-state relations and federalism

London dreams: Adar Poonawalla struck a deal to buy the second-most expensive home ever sold in London. The chief of vaccine maker Serum Institute of India will shell out an eye-watering £138 million (Rs 1,444 crore) for Aberconway House, a 1920s mansion near Hyde Park   

Pride & Prejudice: When Maya Gurung, a 35-year-old transwoman, and Surendra Pandey, 27, tied the knot, Nepal became the first South Asian nation to formally register gay marriage. Next door, a five-judge Supreme Court Bench ruled against legalising same-sex marriage in India, and gave a split verdict against civil unions for non-heterosexual couples 

Fake Views: In November, a viral video of actor Rashmika Mandanna’s face morphed onto an Instagram clip spooked celebrities and made everyone realise that the menace of deepfake had gone too far. Soon enough, Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged the abuse of artificial intelligence amid rising calls for the regulation of deepfakes

The Last Ride: After an era of yeoman service to Mumbaikars, the Kaali-Peeli Premier Padmini taxi and the double-decker bus — two abiding symbols of the financial capital — rode into the sunset in October. The old buses, which plied for eight decades, were replaced by air-conditioned e-buses

Legacy of luxury: Prithvi Raj Singh ‘Biki’ Oberoi, 94, the chairman emeritus of the Oberoi Group who set the gold standard for luxury hotels with an unerring eye for detail and put Indian hospitality on the world map, left behind a legacy that will continue to inspire

Green Champion: M S Swami­na­than, India’s foremost agriculture scientist and an architect of the Green Revolution, passed away at 98. From building institutions to transforming India into a self-sufficient food producer by infusing science into agriculture, his contribution remains unparalleled

Top spinner: Bishan Singh Bedi, 77, the former India captain who turned spin bowling into a fine art, lost his battle to prolonged illness in October. The cricketing world bid goodbye to a gentleman who inspired generations, and a rebel who took on the establishment with an outspokenness not seen among athletes

PHOTO: Reuters

Realpolitik: Henry Kissinger, a powerful diplomat who served under two US presidents and shaped American foreign policy in the post-war era, died aged 100. Until his end, the controversial Nobel Peace Prize winner was as much admired as 

he was reviled

PHOTO: Reuters

Literary genius: The world also lost one of the greatest novelists ever in Milan Kundera, the exiled Czech dissenter who critiqued totalitarianism and authored The Unbearable Lightness of Being, at the age of 94

Farewell, friend: Actor Matthew Perry, who as Chandler Bing often delivered the funniest lines among the iconic Friends sextet, died at 54, leaving fans in mourning for a star who also bared his struggles with alcohol and drugs

PHOTO: Reuters

RIse & FALL: A life full of unpreceden­ted highs and lows ended as Sahara Group chief Subrata Roy succumbed to illnesses at 75. In his heyday, Roy led an empire that stretched from finance and realty to airline and TV channels before his business ran afoul of regulators

PHOTO: Reuters

Blow to Business: Several bigwigs from industry breathed their last in 2023. Charles Munger, who made a fortune even prior to becoming investment guru Warren Buffett’s right-hand man, died aged 99. S P Hinduja, the family patriarch and chairman of the Hinduja Group, passed away in London at the age of 87. In India, veteran industrialist Keshub Mahindra died in Mumbai aged 99. Born to a co-founder of the Mahindra Group, he helmed the conglomerate for nearly half a century and was one of the pillars of automobiles in the country.

Among other Indians who passed on this year were retail magnate Mukesh Jagtiani, 71, chairman and owner of the Landmark Group; Pepperfry chief executive Ambareesh Murty, 51; and Lala Kedarnath Aggarwal, 86, founder of popular sweets and snacks brand Bikanervala