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Fights, relationships, hits and flops - a look at things that shaped the dynamics of the industry in 2008
1-Bachchan's illness scare
Amitabh Bachchan had to be rushed to hospital on his birthday. While fans worried about their favourite actor's health, producers worried about their money – because Rs500 million (over Dhs39.2 million) was riding on Big B at that moment. But he was back on the sets of Leena Yadav's Teen Patti within a month. This reinforced the fact that Bachchan will continue to be one of the most important figures in T'Town.
2-Big budgets, big flops
A star cast and big budget can't ensure a hit – Tashan, Love Story 2050 and Drona proved that. On the other hand, smaller budget films like Rock On!! Jannat and Jaane Tu… were runaway hits. A Wednesday, Mumbai Meri Jaan and Amir got fairly good returns too.
3-Stunts gone awry
While shooting for action film Blue in the Bahamas, Akshay Kumar was about to be eaten alive by 35 sharks! Luckily, he was brought to safety by shark trainers. In unrelated incidents, Aamir pulled a hamstring doing a stunt in Ghajini and Imran Khan tried a 16-storey jump. B'wood heroes are really trying to be macho, right?!
4-Court verdict on copying
Karan Johar paid Rs20million to PNC Films for taking one of their songs in Dostana without permission. Rakesh Roshan was sued by musician Ram Sampath for stealing his tune for Krazzy 4. He also had to pay Rs20 million (Dhs1.56 million). Guys, no more cheating. PLEASE!
5-Stars shine on tv
After Amitabh Bachchan kick-started the trend of stars making big bucks on TV, Shah Rukh followed suit. This year it was Salman and Akshay who made their TV debuts with Dus Ka Dum and Fear Factor, respectively. All of them got whopping fees and raked in the TRP. Other stars like Urmila Matondkar, Raveena Tandon and Shilpa Shetty took to TV too, proving the boost a big screen star can give to the small screen.
6-Animation is in
Big stars like Saif Ali Khan and Akshay Kumar gave their voices for animation films Roadside Romeo and Jumbo. A trend that's common in Hollywood took some time to catch up in Bollywood – but it's here.
7-Movies for grown-ups
While Dostana has set tongues wagging due to John Abraham's body show and its unique script, the intimate scenes in Fashion and Race landed the movies 'A' certificates. But the films were runaway box office hits, showing that B'wood is ready to cater for a more mature audience.
8-The big fight
The Shah Rukh Khan-Salman Khan fight at Katrina Kaif's birthday party, thrown by Salman, tops the list of scandalous moments in T'Town this year. The fight snowballed into such an issue that B'wood was soon divided into camps, and people were left with no choice but to take sides. Shah Rukh and Salman had fought before – when Salman created a ruckus on the sets of Shah Rukh's home production Chalte Chalte – but they had made up. This time, however, it looks like there's no going back.
9-Divorce drama
As Arbaaz and Malaika's rock solid marriage is seen as an ideal example in B'wood, the news that they were going for a divorce sent shock waves through the industry. But people surely got a bigger surprise when they found out this was a buzz created by the couple themselves, because of an endorsement deal. Gosh! How far the stars will go to earn money.
10-Sanjay Dutt's flash marriage
It's true Manyata stood by Sanjay Dutt during his days in jail, but no one imagined he would get married to her in such haste. His sisters and daughter Trishala were not even invited to his wedding. Post marriage, Sanjay became a changed man. He ended his friendship with best friend Sanjay Gupta and hiked his own fees. This proved again the influence wives seem to have on B'wood stars.
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