THE GRAB

There is light at the end of the tunnel for India, but it's that of an oncoming train. Navjot Singh Sidhu, during the India-South Africa Test series

We don't mean to say we told you so but what did we tell you? Around the time the Australian cricket team arrived in India, India Today guest columnist and ex-spinner Ashley Mallett previewed the series and gave the Indians a little window of opportunity: "The Australians do have a problem combating quality off-spin. I wonder how the likes of Harbhajan Singh have developed."

Very nicely, thank you. The off-spinner turned into the prodigal son of Indian cricket when the mighty Australians came looking to breach the Final Frontier last winter. On wickets that were far from dustbowls, against batting that had seen off bigger names, the boy called "Bhajji" took India's first-ever Test hat-trick, 32 wickets from three Tests and the Man of the Series award. His turnaround from a cricketer declared a has-been to one who was the toast of a billion people came after a traumatic year spent recovering from the sudden death of his father and a renewed resolve to work on his bowling. It ended with Sourav Ganguly pushing hard for his selection against the Aussies and the turning of more than just the wheel of fortune. Ever since, Harbhajan, 20, has had to cope with the double burden of the Indian spinner: the expectations that he will be a match-winner both at home and away. Now tangling with Englishmen, he is in the compassionate company of the most successful Indian spinner in history, Anil Kumble.

AMIR KHAN
Even With Odds

THE GRAB

People accept all kinds of cinema. It's like eating out. You choose the cuisine to suit the mood. Subhash Ghai, director, on Lagaan

It had everything working against it-a director who had delivered two flops; a cast that comprised nonentities, including a female protagonist who was a mere TV actress; a setting that was rural (Uttar Pradesh in the 1890s); characters who spoke Avadhi; and a length that stretched beyond the acceptable three-hour mark. Clearly, actor-turned-producer Aamir Khan was intent on harakiri. Yet, when Lagaan released, he cocked a snook at his detractors. A superbly crafted story of human triumph, it turned theatres into stadiums and shook up an industry stagnating with the decade-old feel-good family formula. Mind you, the applause for Lagaan was not restricted to the boundaries of India. The jury and audiences at film festivals across the globe lauded the venture, thereby proving that with a good story, geographical and lingual borders prove porous. The final gratification came when the film was nominated as India's official entry for the US Academy Awards in the best foreign film category.

Will Lagaan do what no other Indian film has done? Come March and we'll know the answer.

But for Khan, this year had another benchmark. Dil Chahta Hai. The offbeat movie about three friends and their romances not only set ablaze a new hairstyle, it pleased both the critics and the distributors.

While Lagaan will ensure Khan's place in the history of Indian cinema, the frolicky Dil Chahta Hai helped him touch new heights of emoting excellence. A superstar and a super actor.

SUNNY DEOL
Simmering Star

THE GRAB

Gadar reinforces the canard that every Muslim is a Pakistani. It mixes issues of identity and nationality ... but deserves to be screened. Shabana Azmi, actor

When scenes of Tara Singh single-handedly vanquishing rioters and Pakistani policemen fleeted across the screen, the crowds went completely berserk. Their vicarious pleasure in seeing rustic hero Sunny Deol-India's answer to Arnold Schwarzenegger-bash up goons made Gadar-Ek Prem Katha one of the most successful films ever in Indian history. The unabashedly jingoistic film was typical of Deol's son-of-the-soil histrionics. But while the kitschy, Partition-era romance rekindled the feeling of patriotism in audiences-notching up Rs 50 crore in its second week-it also attracted protests from Muslim groups. Incidents of violence and arson were reported from several cities. As usual, the controversy helped. Gadar, meaning rebellion, probably personified Deol, for despite two national awards, critics continued to rip apart his histrionic abilities. Gadar amply displayed that when it comes to action, he's the guy to beat. And emotion? Isn't anger an emotion too?

TARUN TEJPAL
Eye Spy

Newshunters aren't usually newsmakers. Tarun Tejpal, editor in chief of tehelka.com, has done enough to deserve that accolade though. In its sheer audacity, the undercover taping of the defence bribery system was unprecedented. It left India confronting a new journalism, even if not everybody was comfortable with the practice of hiring prostitutes to entice potential sources. Nevertheless Tehelka's unorthodox investigation led to Jaya Jaitly losing her job as Samata Party president, to George Fernandes leaving (temporarily) the Defence Ministry, to Bangaru Laxman, the grubby palmed BJP president, moving into political twilight. Later in the year, Tejpal alleged the Government was harassing him and his portal's financiers. We're still waiting for his next scoop.