10 Incidents Of 2021 That Bollywood Would Like To Forget

1. Aryan Khan case

Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan was caught alongside seven others during a drug raid on a cruise ship on 2 October. Drugs like hashish, cocaine and MD were discovered. He was arrested the next day, and was booked under sections 8C, 20B, 27 and 35 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. After spending over 20 days in Mumbai’s Arthur Road jail situated in Bandra, he was finally granted bail on October 28, 2021.

2. Aamir Khan's divorce with Kiran Rao

Actor Aamir Khan and filmmaker Kiran Rao, who had been together for 15 years, announced their divorce in a joint statement. They had first met on the sets of the film Lagaan. Khan was the lead actor and producer of the film while Kiran Rao was the assistant director for the film. The two, however, said that they would c0-parent their son together and work together on projects they are passionate about.

3. Raj Kundra controversy

Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty's husband Raj Kundra was reportedly arrested on July 19 for being involved in creating pornographic films and publishing them through a mobile application. On 21 September, Chief Metropolitan Magistrate SB Bhajipale granted him bail on a surety of Rs 50,000 with certain conditions.

4. Alia Bhatt in Manyavar ad

Manyavar, a bridal wear brand had released its new 41-second advertisement titled Kanyadaan, featuring Alia Bhatt. The tagline was “Tradition wahi, soch nayi”. The main idea behind the ad was #KanyaMaan. The ad is shown to ask for a daan of the groom as an addition to the Hindu wedding rituals. Parents then offer their children to each other and to the opposite family –  an equal exchange takes place as a house gains a daughter, another gains a son leading to a balance in commitment in a marriage, seems to be the message. The ad didn't go down well with a section of people and #BoycottManyavar started trending. According to netizens, the ad degraded their religion. Read more about it here. 

5. Jacqueline Fernandez Appearance Before ED

Actor Jacqueline Fernandez had to appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money laundering case. The case had links with Sukesh Chandrasekhar. The ED is investigating him in a Rs 200 crore extortion case. She was earlier also stopped at the Mumbai airport from leaving the country. A look-out circular was issued against her and she was briefly detained at the immigration. Read more about it here. 

6. Kareena Kapoor tested positive for COVID-19

Actors Kareena Kapoor Khan and Amrita Arora tested positive for COVID after attending a dinner party at Karan Johar’s home on December 8. The duo had taken to Instagram to confirm the news. Both the actors are double vaccinated and are in home-isolation.  Following this, Mumbai’s civic body BMC launched RT-PCR tests at their buildings. As per reports, Kareena Kapoor’s building was sealed after her COVID Positive result. Karan Johar, however, tested negative.

7. Kangana Ranaut "real freedom" controversy

In an interview recently the actor said India got its ‘real freedom’ in 2014 and that the freedom from Britishers in 1947 was given as ‘bheek‘ (alms). Over this comment, an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Preeti Menon filed a First-Person Report (FIR) against Ranaut over the seditious remark. Soon, Varun Gandhi and Congress Party also took to social media to call the actor out while political parties like Shiv Sena demanded that the Padma Shri awards and the four national awards won by the actor be taken away. Read more other controversies of her. 

8. Kangana Ranaut's Oxygen statement

When the entire nation was going through turmoil with regards to lack of oxygen, hospital beds, COVID-19 deaths during the second wave, the actor initiated another controversy on Twitter asking people to focus on the environment and plant more trees. “Everybody is building more and more oxygen plants, getting tons and tons of oxygen cylinder, how are we compensating for all the oxygen that we are forcefully drawing from the environment? It seems we learnt nothing from our mistakes and catastrophes they cause #PlantTrees,” she tweeted.

9. Sonu Sood I-T Raid

Sonu Sood hit the headlines in September this year when the Income Tax department surveyed at least six properties in Mumbai and Lucknow linked to actor Sonu Sood in connection with an alleged tax invasion. However, the Simmba actor denied all the allegations and even issued an official statement regarding the same. "I didn't waste any money", he said.

Besides Sonu Sood, Bollywood celebrities like Taapsee Pannu, producer Madhu Mantena and director Anurag Kashyap also faced income tax raids.

10. Tandav controversy

Saif Ali Khan starrer Amazon Prime’s web series Tandav was accused of hurting the religious sentiments of a particular section and was criticised heavily by several cultural and social groups. A number of complaints were filed against it. The makers had to eventually issue an apology.

Suggested Reading : Bollywood Weddings 2021: Couples Who Got Married This Year