YEARS
Ambani’s wedding extravaganza first grabbed global attention when pop star Rihanna made her appearance.
From funny viral videos to celebrating Indian sporting glory to moments that made us shake our heads in wonder, the year 2024 had all this and more to offer on Indian social media.
Here are some of the most memorable moments that we have selected for you.
Ambani’s months-long marriage
Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani and his family captivated the world for several months with lavish celebrations for his son Anant’s wedding.
The extravaganza first gained attention in March, when some of the world’s most influential people began arriving in India to attend a pre-wedding event. The star of this show was pop star Rihanna, whose performance at the event was her first in India.
Over the following months, the Backstreet Boys, Katy Perry, Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli and Justin Bieber performed at various pre-wedding events.
Guests included Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan, Bill Gates, Kim Kardashian, actor John Cena, former British prime ministers Tony Blair and Boris Johnson, Samsung chairman Jay Y Lee and Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan , among hundreds of others.
Bill Gates’ chai with Dolly Chaiwala
Their video has over 176 million views on Instagram
Dolly Chaiwala, a tea seller from the state of Maharashtra, went viral online after serving a cup of tea to Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates.
The tea seller was already known for his flamboyant social media presence and unique style of serving tea.
Gates’ video of the moment has over 176 million views on his official Instagram page.
“In India, you can find innovation everywhere you turn, even in the preparation of a simple cup of tea,” he writes.
Dolly Chaiwala later told news agency ANI that he did not know that he had served tea to the tech billionaire.
“I wasn’t aware of it at all. I thought he was a guy from a foreign country and I had to serve him tea,” he said.
When Tendulkar spotted a new bowling star online
Tendulkar/X
Rajasthani girl went viral after Sachin Tendulkar shared her video
Sushila Meena, a 10-year-old girl from the small tribal hamlet of Ramer Talab in the northern state of Rajasthan, went viral on social media this month after cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar shared a video of his bowling on X, formerly Twitter.
The girl’s video, originally shared on Instagram by her school teacher, showed her bowling in slow motion on a makeshift cricket pitch in her village.
Tendulkar shared the video, commenting that his bowling action was “smooth, effortless and enjoyable to watch!” He also said that Meena had “shades of” former Indian bowler Zahir Khan.
Khan immediately agreed. Several former cricketers have come forward to help him realize his dream of playing for India.
The teenage Indian chess champion
How Hwee Young/EPA
Gukesh Dommaraju becomes the youngest world chess champion in history
India this month celebrated Gukesh Dommaraju’s victory over China’s Ding Liren to become the youngest world chess champion in history.
Dommaraju, 18, is four years younger than the previous record holder, Russian grandmaster Garry Kasparov, who was 22 when he won the title in 1985.
The Indians were following the 14-match World Championship competition with an intensity usually reserved for major cricket tournaments.
Fans started celebrating after a mistake by Liren paved the way for Dommaraju’s victory.
The teenager burst into tears at the news of his victory and the room erupted in cheers.
The video of her tearful reaction quickly went viral on social media.
The Caramel Popcorn Debate
Is caramel popcorn like any other popcorn? No, argued the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council of India, which determines the rates at which various products are taxed.
Earlier this month, the council announced that unbranded popcorn mixed with salt and spices would be taxed at 5%, but that caramel popcorn, which it classified as confectionery sweetened, would be subject to an 18% tax.
India’s Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman explained that the presence of added sugar made caramel popcorn a “mithai” or confectionery, thereby attracting a tax in a different category than regular popcorn.
The decision angered Indians, triggering a series of memes and criticism online.
“Our country’s tax system has truly evolved, popcorn is now the standard of luxury,” one user wrote on X.
The influencer and Instagram celebrity known as Orry said caramel popcorn was detrimental to “financial health”.
Jairam Ramesh, spokesperson for the main opposition Congress party, said that “the absurdity of three different tax brackets for popcorn under GST…only highlights a deeper problem: the increasing complexity of a system that was supposed to be good and simple.” Tax”.
