Year Book 2023: Shah Rukh Khan and Sunny Deol rocked the big screen after long, so did a few others…here’s checking out who else created a buzz with a comeback

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Shah Rukh Khan returned to the silver screen after a hiatus of five years, Sunny Deol gave a blockbuster after a decade, Karan Johar directorial comeback was powered by veteran jodi, Dharmendra and Shabana Azmi, Bobby Deol made a mark with Animal... it sure has been a year of comebacks! Here’s a quick check.

SRK’s magic

After three cameo appearances in 2022 (Rocketry: The Nambi Effect, Laal Singh Chaddha and Brahmastra: Part One – Shiva), it lookedlike Shah Rukh Khan was preparing for something bigger. And fans were in for a treat with Pathaan’s release, inaugurating Yash Raj Film’s spy universe in collaboration with SRK. He had returned as a hero after five years, as his last film, Zero (2018), tanked at the box-office. Released in January, Pathaan made a record-breaking worldwide box-office collection of Rs 1,050 crore.

Another film of SRK, Jawan, was released in September and collected Rs 1,148 crore, topping this year’s box-office list. Now, the actor awaits Dunki’s release next Friday. It has been directed by Raj Kumar Hirani, whose last film was Sanju (2018).

Return of Tara Singh

Sunny Deol’s character Tara Singh worked like a lucky charm for him. The actor made a comeback with Gadar 2, a sequel to Gadar: Ek Prem Katha (2001). Fans of the actor turned up in huge numbers to witness the return of Tara Singh, as he once again lands in Pakistan, this time to save his son, Jeete (played by Utkarsh Sharma). Amisha Patel also re-launched her career with Gadar 2. She was last seen in Bhaiaji Superhit (2018), opposite Sunny Deol.

Golden age

Time and again, actors have proved that age is just a number when it came to acting! Dharmendra, who has become very selective about his projects after crossing 80 years of age in 2015. But Karan Johar, who wished to have no other veteran pairing but Dharmendra and Shabana Azmi for his directorial comeback, Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, convinced both the actors. The senior actors also locked lips in the movie and their chemistry is central to the plot, bringing the lead pair, Rocky and Rani, played by Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt, close together.

Another impressive comeback of the year was that of Dimple Kapadia. She played a senior agent and SRK aka Pathaan’s boss in the film. As a matter of fact, the role was written for actor Kumud Mishra, but director Siddharth Anand happened to watch Kapadia’s Hollywood debut film, Tenet (2020), by Christopher Nolan. Impressed by her performance, he changed the gender of the role and offered it to her. The actress also made an impact with the lead role in Homi Adajania’s web series Saas Bahu Aur Flamingo.

Hail Lord Bobby!

The term Lord Bobby was especially coined by netizens for actor Bobby Deol, due to memes circulating on social media from his yesteryear films. The actor shot back to fame after giving a stellar performance in web series, Aashram, where he portrayed a Godman, who uses religion and blind faith to amass followers. The actor remains a sensation on OTT, but Animal, currently playing in theatres, marked his re-entry into mainstream cinema. He was last seen in Housefull 4 (2019). Since then, he made his presence felt in digital platforms with projects like Aashram (three seasons), Class of 83 (film) and Love Hostel.

Thaliava’s tale

Actor Rajinikanth also grabbed eyeballs as he came up with a theatrical release almost after two years. The film, Jailer, was received well by the audience. Nelson Dilipkumar’s writing and direction was also praised. The August release held the record of the highest-grossing Tamil film of 2023 with Rs 610 crore business worldwide, but later the film Leo surpassed those numbers.

Zeenat rocks insta

Evergreen actress Zeenat Aman, known for films like Hare Rama Hare Krishna, Don and Qurbani, reappeared too, but not in films, yet grabbing all the attention! Making her Instagram debut, the 72-year old actress reclaimed her throne, defying age norms and gender stereotypes. She made heads turn with her fashion choices, her unapologetic love for strays and shared her life experiences with elan. From aunty to Amazon, as Zeenat called herself in one of her posts, she would now be seen in the film, Bun Tikki. Celebrity designer Manish Malhotra has turned producer for the film, which also stars Shabana Azmi and Abhay Deol. The shooting for the film began in November in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh. Zeenat also appeared in the advertisement of a famous phone brand recently.

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#Dharmendra #Karan Johar #Shah Rukh Khan #Sunny Deol