2022 Round up: A to Z

Illustration/Uday Mohite

And so, dear reader, here we are, at the end of 2022, actually the first day of 2023, hungover or happy new yeared out, the debate continues. Is the world in transition, does a dystopian future await us, a Blade Runner 2049 coming to life? The optimists would yell a vociferous "No!", the realists would look at global warming, geo politics, the world economy, food shortages and say, "Yeah". My humble view is we're morally in tatters…

Here's an A to Z of the year.

Air India returns to Tata Sons. Alia plays Gangubai. Alia plays a Madam. Alia gets married, Alia becomes Mrs Alia becomes a mama. Alcaraz enters, Alcaraz wins a Slam. Amber Heard wants to be heard. Amber is heard and loses to Depp.

Argentina wins the World Cup, Assassination of Abe. Australian Open without Nole, Avatar 2 breaks box office records. Biden biding his time, Big B turns 80, BCCI sacks Dada, BCCI gets Binny, Bollywood boycotts, Brahmastra releases, Bharat Jodo Yatra makes headlines, Black Adam, British politics in a mess. Boris exits, Liz vs Rishi, Liz enters, Liz exits , Rishi enters, Rishi stays, Sunak Sunak Sunak, Sunak - we Indians chant, Badshah of Bollywood has problems, Bhakts burning posters, Censor Board steps in, Censor Board finds a solution, Censor Board wants to please everyone, "Shah Rukh changes saffron to uhm… any colour other than saffron," they advise, Censor Board is a Censure Board, frankly a Senseless Board, China virus, Cheetahs are imported, Chess has young Indian grandmasters, Cirkus flops.

COVID eases, COVID returns, Cricket India in a mess, Dravid under fire, Drishyam 2 takes off, FIFA Fo Fun, Football fever, Federer bids goodbye, Federer cries, Nadal cries, Novak cries, Novak no vax, G20 lifts us as T20 demoralises us, Hijab issues as Iran protests, Hijab issues in Karnataka, Kashmir Files, Monkeypox. Mahsa Amini dies, Murmu as Prezzie, Mbappe, the new GOAT?

Also Read: The art of no resolutions

Musk's a twit, Musk bids, Musk buys, Musk sacks, Musk backs off, Musk offers to quit, Musk and Trump, Trump and Musk, Macron wins, Nightingale of India passes, Nirbhaya completes 10 years, Nirbhaya funds diverted, NDTV sold, Pathaan, Pushpaq blooms, Pele passes the baton. Pele passes on, Putin power, Queen Elizabeth dies. Qatar World Cup, Ravish resigns, Rahul Gandhi walks the nation, Republic TV says the nation want to know, Rupee slips, Ranveer strips, Besharam Dips, Rocket Boys, Russia invades Ukraine, Rishabh injured, South cinema explodes, Hindi cinema implodes, Stranger Things popularity, Syrup deaths, Top Gun Maverick, Tom Cruise is a maverick, Will slaps Rock, Will he pay the price?

Wrestlers shine at CWG, Weightlifters shine at CWG, Warnie passes away, Wordle addiction (then Heardle, Squirdle, Quordle), women brutalised, women mistreated, women molested, when will things change?

Zelensky tells Russia to stuff it, Zelensky holds firm, Zelensky fights back, Zelensky the new resistance, Zelensky the rock star, Zelensky the Man of the Year…. zzz I'm off to bed.

Rahul daCunha is an adman, theatre director/playwright, photographer and traveller. Reach him at rahul.dacunha@mid-day.com