Strategies Needed

I am upset with last night’s series of incidents that took place in our Home.
VK is usually the docile, silent, caring little one has turned into a rebel just like that, with snap of finger. He used to listen to all that I said and when he did anything wrong, a cold stare from me or just a few words saying,” No.. don’t do it VK” will stop him from all his mischief plans.
However one fine day, He has turned the plates and decided he doesn’t care about anything anymore.
We have heaps of balls in different sizes. He loves them and throws them round the house or in the backyard and plays with them most of the time. Well you think... there is no harm in it! Yup, I thought the same too (also with wild dreams that maybe we would have a bowler in future….)
Suddenly, yesterday my little man decided he got bored with balls and hence decided to throw the TV remote. He did it once and I said in a calm but stern tone
“VK... No!! Don’t do it”. He just looked at me and walked towards the remote.
I just gave him a stare and he picked it up and threw it again with all his might and our remote was broken to 4 pieces. All this while I was staring at him and he was looking at me while his hands were in action.
That’s it!! I completely lost it and screamed at him.
I was almost tempted to spank him, but controlled myself and said just hitting will not serve the purpose.
I then looked at him and said “What are you doing? It is not your toy”.
He refused to even look at him and had a very lackadaisical face. I tried to draw his attention and said “Look at me... I am talking to you” It still didn’t work.
I said ok you are going to a corner now and dragged him near our walkway and made him stand there.
I said "Stand here till I come back” but he walked before even I could even take a step.
I dragged him back and he tried running back again.
Every time I tried putting him back to his spot, he started crying... actually it was only crocodile tears and he would scream for a minute and then stop and see if I would let him go.. After a few minutes I let go of him and said don’t talkto us and no one will talk to you. He knew something was wrong as all of us were grim for sometime.
After that I fed him dinner and things returned to normal. However when I went inside to get something, he picked up his rubber duckie and threw it. I just looked at him. Five minutes later, he pushed another remote from the sofa to the floor and then got down and tried standing on the remote.
I just stood a silent spectator to all this while my Mom added,
"Don’t say anything. The more you tell him not to do, the more he is doing it”.
It was kind a true but I dint want my little one to turn into a rebel.
Amma also added that, "he is small and doesn’t understand what you say... Eventually he will".
I don’t accept this bit because, he understands everything that we talk and hence not grasping just this doesn’t make sense to me.
He actually kept throwing stuff in random till he went to sleep.

Any ways now I don’t know what I should do to make him understand that he is doing something wrong. Hubby thinks we need to change the strategy and try reducing the “NO” word. He thinks we need to deal with him in a softer way.
I am now feeling guilty that my screaming at him caused the adverse effect.
Are there any strategies that worked for you????