<p>It is no secret the 2020 was an eventful year for fans of Hindi cinema even though several big-ticket movies failed to hit the screens due to the Covid-19 lockdown. With 2021 almost upon us, here is a look at five moments for Bollywood from the months gone by.</p>.<p><strong>Sushant Singh Rajput’s death:</strong> Actor Sushant Singh Rajput, the star of popular films such as<em> Kai Po Che </em>and <em>MS Dhoni</em>, was found dead at his Mumbai residence on June 14. The tragedy triggered a series of well-documented events, which made headlines for a variety of reasons. It reignited the debate around nepotism in Bollywood as some netizens claimed that Bollywood biggies had tried to ‘sabotage’ SSR’s career as he was an outsider with no connections.</p>.<p> SSR’s last film<em> Dil Bechara</em> released on Disney+Hotstar nearly a month after his death, emerging as a ‘digital blockbuster’. The movie, an adaptation of the popular novel <em>The Fault in Our Stars</em>, revolved around the bond between two terminally ill friends.</p>.<p><strong>Several deaths</strong>: Bollywood legends Irrfan Khan and Rishi Kapoor passed away on April 29 and April 30 due to cancer, respectively. ‘Chintuji’, a part of the illustrious Kapoor family, enjoyed a strong fan following due to his outspoken nature and effective performances. Irrfan, on the other hand, had won the love of movie buffs with films such as <em>Haider</em>, <em>Maqbool </em>and <em>Inferno </em>. Noted poet Rahat Indori, lyricist Yogesh, music composer Wajid, ‘Masterji’ Saroj Khan, Jagdeep and veteran director Basu Chatterjee too passed away this year.</p>.<p><strong>Tanhaji vs Chhapaak:</strong> <em>Tanhaji</em>, starring Ajay Devgn and Saif Ali Khan, emerged as a blockbuster while dominating Deepika Padukone’s <em>Chhapaak </em>at the box office. The Meghna Gulzar-helmed movie landed in a controversy with DP silently showing solidarity with JNU students following violence on the campus. Tanhaji, on the other hand, gained attention due to its ‘polarising politics’. A few feathers were ruffled when Saif said there was ‘no concept of India before the British’ while commenting on the factual accuracy of the film.</p>.<p><strong>Films fail to hit the screens:</strong> The Covid-19 pandemic affected the release dates of quite a few Bollywood biggies, leaving fans disappointed. <em>Sooryavanshi</em>, <em>83 </em>and <em>Radhe </em>were just a few films that failed to hit keep their date with the audience due to the lockdown.</p>.<p><strong>Rise of OTT</strong>: Several films opted for a ‘direct to OTT’ release, skipping the theatrical route. Amitabh Bachchan’s<em> Gulabo Sitab</em>o, <em>Dil Bechara</em>, <em>Gunjan Saxena</em>, <em>Raat Akeli Hain </em>and the ‘Diwali Dhakama’ <em>Laxmii </em>were some of the most notable films to premiere digitally.</p>
<p>It is no secret the 2020 was an eventful year for fans of Hindi cinema even though several big-ticket movies failed to hit the screens due to the Covid-19 lockdown. With 2021 almost upon us, here is a look at five moments for Bollywood from the months gone by.</p>.<p><strong>Sushant Singh Rajput’s death:</strong> Actor Sushant Singh Rajput, the star of popular films such as<em> Kai Po Che </em>and <em>MS Dhoni</em>, was found dead at his Mumbai residence on June 14. The tragedy triggered a series of well-documented events, which made headlines for a variety of reasons. It reignited the debate around nepotism in Bollywood as some netizens claimed that Bollywood biggies had tried to ‘sabotage’ SSR’s career as he was an outsider with no connections.</p>.<p> SSR’s last film<em> Dil Bechara</em> released on Disney+Hotstar nearly a month after his death, emerging as a ‘digital blockbuster’. The movie, an adaptation of the popular novel <em>The Fault in Our Stars</em>, revolved around the bond between two terminally ill friends.</p>.<p><strong>Several deaths</strong>: Bollywood legends Irrfan Khan and Rishi Kapoor passed away on April 29 and April 30 due to cancer, respectively. ‘Chintuji’, a part of the illustrious Kapoor family, enjoyed a strong fan following due to his outspoken nature and effective performances. Irrfan, on the other hand, had won the love of movie buffs with films such as <em>Haider</em>, <em>Maqbool </em>and <em>Inferno </em>. Noted poet Rahat Indori, lyricist Yogesh, music composer Wajid, ‘Masterji’ Saroj Khan, Jagdeep and veteran director Basu Chatterjee too passed away this year.</p>.<p><strong>Tanhaji vs Chhapaak:</strong> <em>Tanhaji</em>, starring Ajay Devgn and Saif Ali Khan, emerged as a blockbuster while dominating Deepika Padukone’s <em>Chhapaak </em>at the box office. The Meghna Gulzar-helmed movie landed in a controversy with DP silently showing solidarity with JNU students following violence on the campus. Tanhaji, on the other hand, gained attention due to its ‘polarising politics’. A few feathers were ruffled when Saif said there was ‘no concept of India before the British’ while commenting on the factual accuracy of the film.</p>.<p><strong>Films fail to hit the screens:</strong> The Covid-19 pandemic affected the release dates of quite a few Bollywood biggies, leaving fans disappointed. <em>Sooryavanshi</em>, <em>83 </em>and <em>Radhe </em>were just a few films that failed to hit keep their date with the audience due to the lockdown.</p>.<p><strong>Rise of OTT</strong>: Several films opted for a ‘direct to OTT’ release, skipping the theatrical route. Amitabh Bachchan’s<em> Gulabo Sitab</em>o, <em>Dil Bechara</em>, <em>Gunjan Saxena</em>, <em>Raat Akeli Hain </em>and the ‘Diwali Dhakama’ <em>Laxmii </em>were some of the most notable films to premiere digitally.</p>