Born in 2002

Communal riots in Gujarat following the Godhra train burning left over a thousand people dead, most of them Muslim. It was the worst communal violence in decades, and the political fallout was immense. Devdas — lavish, beautiful, and tragic — was Bollywood's spectacular response to the year: escapism elevated to art.

India and Pakistan came dangerously close to war, with troops massed on both sides of the border. The nuclear shadow loomed again. And yet the economy kept growing.