Born in 1992

The Babri Masjid in Ayodhya was demolished by a Hindu nationalist mob, triggering the worst communal riots since Partition. Hundreds died. The wounds were deep and lasting.

The economy was slowly improving as liberalisation reforms began to take hold. Beta was the Bollywood hit, though cinema seemed a frivolous distraction against such turbulent events. India's plural identity was being tested more severely than at any time since independence.