Fast Forward: Let the camera roll…

Sheetal

The past year helped the film industry recover from Covid-induced financial stress and move towards profits. As we enter the New Year, there’s anticipation and excitement in the air. And how can movies, our source of entertainment, be ignored? We bring you a list of films that are expected to work their magic at box office, thanks to the buzz they have created since their announcement. Here’s your chance to save the dates!

Franchise frenzy

Fighter: The year’s first big release is the Hrithik Roshan, Deepika Padukone and Anil Kapoor-starrer Fighter. It is directed by Siddharth Anand, who belted out blockbusters like War and Pathaan. Part of YRF spy universe, Fighter releases exactly a year after Pathaan, on January 25. Chances are that the audience will get to catch a glimpse of SRK (Pathaan) and Salman Khan (Tiger) in this film. Fighter follows the story of Air Force pilots and promises an entertaining story with action.

Love Sex Aur Dhokha 2: Next on the list is filmmaker Dibakar Banerjee’s highly awaited sequel to his 2010 sleeper hit Love Sex Aur Dhokha. The narrative will focus on the role of social media in current times and how things may take a sinister turn on different social media platforms. The film will release on February 16.

Metro… In Dino: Another film which has caught people interest is Metro… In Dino. Directed by Anurag Basu, the film is said to be the spiritual sequel of 2007 film Life in a… Metro. An ensemble star cast includes Aditya Roy Kapur, Sara Ali Khan, Anupam Kher, Neena Gupta, Pankaj Tripathi, Konkona Sen Sharma, Ali Fazal and Fatima Sana Shaikh. The Barfi director has announced the release date, which is March 29.

Bade Miyan Chote Miyan: This upcoming release is an attempt to bring back the nostalgia of 1998 film Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, which starred Amitabh Bachchan and Govinda in the titular roles. It has two action heroes Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff. Prithviraj Sukumaran will serve as the antagonist. The film is set to release in theatres on Eid.

Stree 2: The fan-favourite 2018 horror-comedy is set to return with its sequel and it promises more fun and jump scares in equal proportion. The franchise’s second instalment stars Shraddha Kapoor, Rajkummar Rao, Aparshakti Khurana, Abhishek Banerjee and Pankaj Tripathi. It is set to arrive in theatres on August 30.

Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3: Kartik Aaryan worked in the sequel of Bhool Bhilaiyaa and made it his franchise. In its third instalment, Kartik will be seen reprising his role of Rooh baba. The 2022 film actually brought much respite to Hindi cinema industry while it was struggling after the pandemic. Directed by Anees Bazmee, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 is set to release on November 1.

Welcome To The Jungle: The Welcome franchise of Firoz A Nadiadwallah has announced its third instalment, which is titled Welcome To The Jungle. It stars Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty, Sanjay Dutt, Raveena Tandon, Lara Dutta, Jacqueline Fernandez, Disha Patani, Arshad Warsi, Paresh Rawal, Johnny Lever, Rajpal Yadav, Tusshar Kapoor and Shreyas Talpade. It is directed by Ahmed Khan and it will hit theatres on December 20.

Remake ready

Soorarai Pottru remake: Superstar Akshay Kumar would like to maintain his winning spree at the box-office after OMG 2 and what better way to do that with the Hindi remake of one of the most loved Tamil films. Soorarai Pottru, which originally starred Tamil actor Suriya, is set to release in Hindi on February 16 in theatres. The original Tamil film was inspired by events from the life of G R Gopinath, the founder of Indian low-cost airline Simplifly Deccan, as described in his memoir Simply Fly: A Deccan Odyssey.

Biopic worthy

Main Atal Hoon: The upcoming biopic drama is based on late Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Helmed by director Ravi Jadhav, actor Pankaj Tripathi will be seen portraying the role of Vajpayee. The actor has created enough buzz after his first character look was released. The film is co-written by Rishi Virmani and Ravi Jadhav. It will release on January 19.

Fresh take

Merry Christmas: Katrina Kaif and Vijay Sethupathi-starrer Merry Christmas will finally see the light of the day after being postponed twice. Helmed by Sriram Raghavan, Merry Christmas is a genre-defying tale. It is shot in two languages, with different supporting actors. In Hindi, the supporting cast have names like Sanjay Kapoor, Vinay Pathak, Pratima Kannan and Tinnu Anand whereas in Tamil version, actors Radhika Sarathkumar, Shanmugaraja, Kevin Jay Babu, and Rajesh Williams will be seen. It will hit the theatres on January 12.

Kalki 2898 AD: The first big clash in theatre this year will between Merry Christams and Kalki 2898AD. The latter is a sci-fi action film has been helmed by Nag Ashwin. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan, Deepika Padukone, Prabhas, and Disha Patani in lead roles. It is expected to be a mythology-inspired sci-fi spectacular set in the future.

Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha: Ajay Devgn, who was last seen in Bholaa, is returning with another entertainer, titled Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha. The film, directed by Neeraj Pandey, also stars Tabu, Saiee M Manjrekar and Shantanu Maheshwari. The film will be Pandey’s first directorial in five years after his last Aiyaary. It is touted to be a musical journey spanning over a period of 20 years. The film will release on April 26. Also Ajay Devgn and Rohit Shetty’s hit franchise Singham is expected to hit the theatres this year.

Chandu Champion: The upcoming film, directed by Kabir Khan, is based on a true story of a sportsperson. Chandu Champion went on the floors with its mahurat shot in London. The film is scheduled to release on June 14.

Jigra: Alia Bhatt, who had a great run in 2023, will be seen in the Vasan Bala directorial. It is set to release on September 27.