Queen Elizabeth, along with the Duke of Edinburgh, arrives in India in October. The entire visit is marred by controversy, especially the demand for a personal apology for the Jallian-wala Bagh massacre. The Queen doesn’t oblige; the Duke makes matters worse, quoting Gen. Dyer’s son on the death toll.
Using the floodlit Taj as his backdrop, Greece-born American composer Yanni gives India a taste of his brand of Music as Spectacle. Magical, say some. Elevator music, carp the rest.
Microsoft’s Bill Gates, He of the Biggest Bucks on earth, comes and goes... without sinking any of it in India.
A procession of western pop artistes—Code Red, Boy Zone, Savage Garden, Peter Andre—visits India. Here, Bon Jovi, star-son of a hairdresser and a Playboy bunnie, wows Delhi’s yahoos.
Spice Girls karaoke ‘Wannabe’ but disappear gracelessly without accepting their V award.
