BENGALURU:
January
Virushka junior arrives
The year began with the most adored power couple, Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma welcoming their child, Vamika, on January 12. The ace cricketer and actor, fondly called Virushka, got married in a private ceremony, in Tuscany, on December 11, 2017. Three years later, in August 2020, Sharma took to her Instagram handle to announce that the couple is expecting a baby in Jan ’21. And in September, the caption of her Instagram post read, “Nothing is more real and humbling than experiencing the creation of life in you. When this is not in your control then really what is?”
February
The Big Fat Bengaluru Wedding
After a quiet 2020, the second month of 2021 witnessed the first big fat Indian wedding on February 14. KPCC President DK Shivakumar’s older daughter, Aishwarya, tied the knot with Amartya Hegde in a private ceremony. Hegde is the son of late Cafe Coffee Day founder VG Siddhartha, and the grandson of former CM of the state, SM Krishna. With about 800 guests, only close ones attended the extravaganza. The couple got engaged in November 2020 in a private hotel in the city. Fast forward to the wedding day, dressed in a red saree, Aishwarya stole the show with her traditional look.
March
When Suez Canal was Bangalore’d
The 193-km-long, 200-metre-wide Suez Canal — an artificial sea-level waterway — in Egypt got blocked after the Ever Given container ship (operated by Taiwanese company Evergreen Marine) was wedged across the waterbody on Tuesday. The canal links the Mediterranean and Red seas through Egypt and provides the shortest sea link between Asia and Europe. The 400-metre-long vessel (weighing around 200,000 tonnes) stuck across the canal had stranded hundreds of ships on either side and led to a massive ‘traffic jam’. While it was feared that the incident would cause huge losses to the world economy, memes, jokes and even comparisons with Bengaluru’s traffic-choked roads flooded the virtual space. Netizens said that the Suez Canal is ‘Bangalore’d’. User Sahil Kapoor, wrote: “Suez Canal is the new Bangalore.” Another user Mohamed Zeeshan tweeted, “I can totally imagine this happening to a BMTC bus in Bangalore, IRL. Suez Canal has got nothing on our potholed roads!”
April & may
The IPL Fever
After several players tested positive as Covid cases surged, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) suspended the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League. BCCI president Sourav Ganguly announced that the remainder of the IPL cannot be held in India. It began when two KKR players, Varun Chakravarthy and Sandeep Warrier tested positive for Covid-19 following which the match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore was rescheduled. According to a report, the BCCI was contemplating shifting the remaining tournament to Mumbai. However, after the four-month long interruption, the league resumed on September 19 in UAE. The matches were held across Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and Dubai.
June
Half way into the year on June 15, Kannada actor Sanchari Vijay lost his life in a road accident. Born on July 17, 1983, Vijay Kumar Basavarajaiah, also known as Sanchari Vijay, began his career as a stage actor. He was awarded the National Film Award for Best Actor at the 62nd National Film Awards for his role as a transgender in Naanu Avanalla...Avalu. Also an awardee of the Karnataka State Film Award for Best Actor and the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor, Vijay’s debut movie was Rangappa Hogbitna in 2011. At 38, the actor passed away due to major brain injuries followed by a fatal road accident on June 12.w
July & August
Bengaluru to Tokyo
Fouaad Mirza brought laurels to the city as he represented India in the Tokyo Olympics 2020. Mirza is India’s third-ever entry in equestrian at the Olympics, after Indrajit Lamba’s appearance in 1996 and Imtiaz Anees in 2000. He was one of the 25 from the field of 63 who qualified for the finals. Mirza and his horse Seigneur Medicott ended 23rd overall in eventing. The equestrian finished second and third with his horses, Seigneur Medicott and Dajara 4, respectively, at the Baborowko Equestrian Festival in Poland. These were the stepping stones for the confirmation of his participation at the Tokyo Olympics. Aditi Ashok and Srihari Nataraj were the other two Bengalureans who made it to the Summer Olympics.
September
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced that Virat Kohli decided to step down as India’s T20 captain after the World Cup in November. The ace cricketer bowed from the captaincy of the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) after IPL 2021. This has left many RCB fans disappointed because they wished that RCB win an IPL title atleast once under Kohli’s captaincy.
October
In tears
Namma superstar. Namma hero. Namma Appu. The heart-wrenching news of Puneeth Rajkumar’s death shook the state. At 46, Puneeth breathed his last on October 29, following a cardiac arrest. Not just in the state, Kannadigas all over the world felt the pain of losing our beloved Appu.
November
Mr 360 retires
AB de Villiers, former South African cricketer, announced his retirement from all forms of cricket, thus ending his 10-year-long association with the Indian Premier League franchise, Royal Challengers Bangalore. Also known as ‘Mister 360’, ABD made immense contributions to team Bengaluru – from scoring 4491 runs in 156 matches, to being the second all-time leading run scorer. He also holds the second and third highest individual run totals in RCB history with 133 against Mumbai Indians in 2015, and 129 against Gujarat Lions in 2016.
Sounds great
On November 29, music composer and Grammy-winner Ricky Kej, along with American legendary drummer Stewart Copeland (The Police), were nominated for the 64th Annual Grammy Awards – to be held on January 31, 2022 – for their latest album Divine Tides.
December
Just like old times
All ears to the live commentary on radios, eyes glued to televisions. And celebrations for winning the finals against the West Indies. In his latest release, 83, Kabir Khan brings back moments of the Indian cricket team’s victory in the 1983 World Cup. The star from the state, Roger Binny, was India’s leading wicket taker in the tournament. Binny, who is the KSCA president, retired in 1987. Padma Shri Syed Kirmani won the best wicket-keeper award in the tournament. Also the VP of KSCA, Kirmani received the Col. CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016. Relive the victory as you watch team India bring the cup home in this film that has been creating a buzz.
Sudha Murty steps down
Padma Shri awardee Sudha Murty announced her retirement as the Infosys Foundation chief. The foundation, as she stated, has opened her eyes to the needs of the common man. Lead independent director and chair of the CSR committee in Infosys, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw hailed Murty’s contributions to the society through the foundation.