Regardless of the kind of year 2016 was, it kept us occupied with different people, major events and controversies. From Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to Leonardo Di Caprio to a mobile SIM card, we spent a long time, doing a lot of things.
But how much time did we really spend on the major happenings of 2016? Here’s a look. Some of them are scientific calculations, and some of them are, well, not-so-scientific.
Scroll down, your time starts now.
Well, his heart did go on, and on...
Music to (y)ears
So. Fast.
Housefull Year
Akshay Kumar was seen thrice on the big screen this year, all of them turning out to be big box-office hits. Starting with Airlift (January), Housefull (June) and then Rustom (August), Khiladi Kumar remained on the big screen for over a quarter of the year.
David, After the Big Exit
David Cameron gave a short, yet strong farewell speech, where he said ‘The British people have voted to leave the European Union, and their will must be respected.’ The speech lasted six and a half minutes.
Flew off the Shelf
Udta Punjab was one of the most controversial movies this year. With Pahlaj Nihalani going after the movie for its content: drug abuse, language, and the use of ‘Punjab’, the movie transcended from being a movie to a metaphor for free speech and creativity.
This heavily contested fight stretched for days. The ‘leaked Censor copy’ was available in the public domain, and the movie turned out to be a lukewarm hit.
The Patent for Patriotism
Living The Digital Divide
In 2015, according to a study, Indians spent 4 hours 43 minutes on the internet everyday. Assuming that figure remains similar in 2016, we have spent 283 days surfing the internet in 2016.
And in the same year, according to personal experience, we spent most of that time buffering online videos. Hoping for a faster, 4G 2017.
Sweet ‘16
48 hours is unscientific, and unverified. But going by how quickly internet fads come and go, let’s assume this for convenience’s sake. That said, this was one of the biggest wins this year, which was some years coming.
All in all, Leo ne Jeetleo.
Olympics
Olympics were on for 15 days, and we came back with medals on 2 of those days.
DeMonetised Dreams
All of us were happily cheering for the salaries we earned till October, when Modi ji’s ‘Masterstroke’ happened on November 8. ATMs have never been the same again.
Jio 4G Bharke?
Jio 4G SIM cards were announced in September this year, with free calls, free internet and free everything till the end of this year (which has now been extended to March 2017). People stood in line, waiting for hours to get a Jio connection. Then waited for hours to connect a phone call. Sigh!
Surprise US!
It’s a joke, everybody thought, and dismissed Donald Trump’s Presidential campaign. Until the results came out in November. Nobody saw it coming, but Trump is now President Elect Donald Trump. Thanks, 2016.
The Great Escape
In early March, Vijay Mallya packed his expensive bags, evaded the law, and made a quick escape from the country. How did he do that? Nobody knows. Will he be back? Nobody knows that either.
Haven, and what the hell?
Panama Papers were published in April this year, and listed accounts of private shell companies owned by people across the globe. This was allegedly done to serve as tax havens. The list included popular names such as Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, KP Singh etc.
What did they do, what are the implications, and how is it going to be dealt with legally? That we’re still trying to understand.
A lot more happened this year, and going by what we’ve seen this year so far, the surprises may not be over yet.
What did you spend 2016 doing? Share your #2016Timetable with us. And we’ll pray for a happy new year 2017!
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