Born in 2005

India was roaring. The economy was growing at nearly 9 percent, IT companies were listing on stock exchanges, and a new middle class was buying cars, phones, and flats with the confidence of people who finally believed their country's promise. Bunty Aur Babli was a film about con artists that felt somehow celebratory — India was on the hustle, and everyone knew it.

The first shopping malls were opening in Tier-2 cities. A generation that had grown up on scarcity was spending freely.