KHAN-DAAN

A rare time of the year when all the three Khans — Salman, Shah Rukh and Aamir — have releases. Expect: Khan-demonium at the box office!

KICK Release date: July 25, the biggie from Salman this Id

Star cast: Salman Khan, Randeep Hooda, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Jacqueline Fernandez

Plot: A young man looking for a ‘kick’ in life becomes The Devil, a masked vigilante who both cops and criminals are after. The Devil’s introduction: “Mere baare mein itna mat sochna. Dil mein aata hoon... samajh mein nahin.”

Trivia: The Kick promo, that hit YouTube this week, notched up one million views within four hours! Hear it from Amitabh Bachchan in a tweet: ‘Did you see the trailer of ‘KICK’..baaadooom!! Compares with anything that the other ‘wood’ brings out from their high end films!’

The directorial debut of producer Sajid Nadiadwala, Kick has been extensively shot in the Polish capital Warsaw and has Nawaz in a negative role with Randeep playing a cop and Jacqueline starring as Salman’s love interest.

What you need to know: Kick is a remake of the 2009 Telugu film of the same name. Most of the stunts in the film, including a drop from a building’s 40th floor, were done by Salman himself, sporting a sexy French beard. Block that date!

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Release date: The Diwali weekend in October

Star cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, Abhishek Bachchan, Boman Irani, Sonu Sood and Vivaan Shah

Plot: Said to be a “musical heist” with the ensemble cast playing a team of thieves, Happy New Year brings together the Om Shanti Om team of SRK, Deepika and director Farah Khan. Bubbling under since 2005, Happy New Year was put on the backburner after Farah’s fallout with good pal Shah Rukh. But the failure of Tees Maar Khan and Akshay Kumar’s war of words with Farah and husband Shirish meant that Shah Rukh — despite going pow-wow with Shirish at a party — was back in the Farah camp.

Trivia: Shot in Mumbai and Dubai, Happy New Year was planned as the big Diwali release of 2014 right after Shah Rukh’s Chennai Express hit the box-office bullseye last August. Farah’s favourite music men Vishal and Shekhar promise a “cracker” (in their own words) of a soundtrack and are currently collaborating with a host of international names.

What you need to know:Though Sonu Sood is being projected as the villain of the film, be prepared for a “mad” twist, in Farah’s words, towards the end.

 

PEEKAY

Release date: December 19, the weekend just before Christmas

Star cast: Aamir Khan, Anushka Sharma, Sanjay Dutt and Sushant Singh Rajput

Plot: Just like any other Aamir project, not much is known about this Rajkumar Hirani film. While there has been conjecture that Aamir plays anything from a drunk to an alien, his outlandish costumes — he’s been spotted in a ghagra and sporting lipstick — have only added to the curiosity quotient. Hirani has gone on record to say that Peekay is a satire on “Hindu gods and godmen”.

Trivia: Aamir and Anushka reportedly lock lips for the “longest” kiss in the history of Bollywood. Sushant Singh Rajput — who has reportedly done the film for free — also plays Anushka’s love interest.

What you need to know: Peekay brings together the 3 Idiots team of Aamir and Raju Hirani. Add to that Hirani’s Munna Bhai, Sanjay Dutt. Result: Box-office gold. Can’t wait!

 

BIG BOX OFFICE

The films with the potential to rock the box office in the first weekend

Siingham returns

Release date: August 15

Star cast: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor, Amole Gupte and Anupam Kher

Plot: Rohit Shetty follows up his 2011 blockbuster Singham with yet another entertaining ride into the masala madness of the world of Bajirao Singham (played by Devgn).

Trivia: While a lot of names — Asin to Sonakshi Sinha to TV star Drashti Dhami — were doing the rounds, Kareena Kapoor, who worked with Devgn and Shetty in Golmaal Returns and Golmaal 3, was picked as the leading lady.

What you need to know: Shetty’s first release after the box-office juggernaut called Chennai Express.

 

Action Jackson

Release date: November 7

Star cast: Ajay Devgn, Sonakshi Sinha, Yaami Gautam, Sonu Sood and Kunaal Roy Kapur

Plot: Director Prabhudheva initially wanted to remake the Telugu blockbuster Dookudu, but a jittery Ajay Devgn, post the debacle called Himmatwala, insisted that he write a fresh script.

Trivia: Jacqueline Fernandez was Prabhu’s first choice, but she opted out because of date clashes with Kick and Sonakshi was signed instead.

What you need to know: Action Jackson could be a remake of the 1988 Holly film of the same name starring Sharon Stone.

 

Welcome back

Release date: December 19

Star cast: John Abraham, Anil Kapoor, Nana Patekar, Shruti Haasan, Naseeruddin Shah and Dimple Kapadia

Plot: The sequel to the 2007 comedy promises to be yet another mad ride of jokes, gags and crazy situations. Plot? We aren’t sure this film will have one!

Trivia: Director Anees Bazmee attempted a coup of sorts trying to sign on Amitabh Bachchan and Rekha opposite each other, but was later compelled to opt for Naseeruddin Shah and Dimple Kapadia. Even Shruti Haasan was the third choice for the leading lady’s role — after Sonakshi Sinha and Asin bowed out.

What you need to know: Shiney Ahuja makes a comeback with this film.

 

First day, first show

Get your 9AM Friday tickets for these films that boast big budgets and even bigger names

Bang bang

Release date: October 2

Star cast: Hrithik Roshan, Katrina Kaif, Danny Denzongpa and Bipasha Basu

Plot: An official remake of the Tom Cruise-Cameron Diaz starrer Knight and Day, Bang Bang is the often fun, often perilous journey of a secret agent (Hrithik) and a young woman (Katrina) who tags along unwittingly. Hrithik and Kat gave us great chemistry in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. Will they pack in a lot more sizzle in Bang Bang?

Trivia: Shot extensively in Thailand, Greece, Shimla, Manali, Abu Dhabi and Delhi, it was on the Phuket sets of Bang Bang that Hrithik suffered a serious injury for which he had to undergo brain surgery. Rumours of a Hrithik-Kat romance — that Salman Khan hinted at on Koffee with Karan — also started during the shoot of the Siddharth Anand film.

What you need to know: Bang Bang has been adapted for Indian screens by Kahaani director Sujoy Ghosh and Abbas Tyrewala, the man behind Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na.

 

Haider

Release date: October 2

Star cast: Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Irrfan Khan, Tabu and Kay Kay Menon

Plot: Vishal Bhardwaj follows up his adaptation of Macbeth (Maqbool) and Othello (Omkara) by giving a desi twist to Shakespeare’s Hamlet with his Kaminey man Shahid playing the tragic prince of Denmark.

Trivia: Set and shot wholly in Kashmir, Bhardwaj has tweaked the political intrigue and moral undertones of the tragedy to appeal to the Bolly audience. Tabu plays Shahid’s stepmother and develops a romantic relationship with him. Shahid — known for his obsession with his hair — shaved his head for the film.

What you need to know: Shahid has co-produced Haider, along with Bhardwaj and UTV.

 

Bombay velvet

Release date: November 28

Star cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Anushka Sharma, Karan Johar and Raveena Tandon

Plot: A neo-noir drama, Bombay Velvet is set in the Bombay of the 1950s and is based on historian Gyan Prakash’s book Mumbai Fables, that tells the story of one man’s precarious rise against the backdrop of love and lust, greed and gore.

Trivia: Karan Johar makes his full-fledged acting debut as a gay don with Raveena Tandon playing a jazz singer. Siddhartha Basu and Remo Fernandes play important roles in the film.

What you need to know: Boasting a budget of Rs 95 crore, Bombay Velvet is director Anurag Kashyap’s biggest film yet.

 

Young guns

Ranveer Singh to Arjun Kapoor, Alia Bhatt to Shraddha Kapoor —GEN-Y Bolly storms cinemas before the year becomes ex!

Ek villain

Release date: June 27

Star cast: Sidharth Malhotra, Shraddha Kapoor and Riteish Deshmukh

Plot: Widely rumoured to be a remake of the Korean film I Saw The Devil, Ek Villain is the love story of young thug Guru (Sidharth) and the innocent Aisha (Shraddha). But there’s Rakesh (Riteish), a man with a secret, thrown into the mix.

Trivia: Shot in scenic Goa, Ek Villain’s soulful music — Galliyan to Banjaara, Zaroorat to Awari — is fast climbing the charts. Plus, the Sid-Shraddha chemistry is sizzling.

What you need to know: Ek Villain brings together the hit Aashiqui 2 team of director Mohit Suri, Shraddha Kapoor and music men Mithoon and Ankit Tiwari. Psst: You sure Sidharth is the villain?!

 

Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania

Release date: July 11

Star cast: Varun Dhawan, Alia Bhatt and Siddharth Shukla

Plot: Humpty (Varun) is a simpleton who falls in love with the locality’s resident hottie Kavya (Alia), but there’s a suitor (Siddharth) out there to mar the magic.

Trivia: Team Student of the Year — Varun, Alia and producer Karan Johar — gets together for this rom com being directed by debutant Shashank Khaitan. The trailer’s a hit and so is the film’s first track — Saturday Saturday.

What you need to know: Varun and Alia’s hot and passionate kiss is the film’s pull point.

 

Daawat-e-ishq

Release date: September 5

Star cast: Aditya Roy Kapoor, Parineeti Chopra and Karan Wahi

Plot: Ishaqzaade man Habib Faisal directs yet another quirky love story — this time between a chef called Taru (Aditya) and a salesgirl called Gullu (Parineeti) against the backdrop of bustling Lucknow.

Trivia: Produced by Yash Raj Films, Daawat-e-Ishq has been shot in Lucknow and Hyderabad. Anupam Kher says it’s “one of the best films” he’s ever been part of. Reason enough for you to book a ticket.

What you need to know: Television heart-throb Karan Wahi makes his Bolly debut with this film.

 

Finding Fanny

Release date: September 12

Star cast: Arjun Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, Naseeruddin Shah, Dimple Kapadia,

Pankaj Kapur and Ranveer Singh

Plot: A gang of five sets out on a road trip to Goa to seek out an old postman’s childhood love.

Trivia: Cocktail maker Homi Adajania started writing the script in 2009, but abandoned it halfway. He revived the project after signing on Deepika during the shoot of Cocktail. Ranveer makes a special appearance, playing DP’s husband.

What you need to know: The film was initially called “Finding Fanny Fernandes”. Who plays Fanny? Little known actress Anjali Patil!

Kill dil

Release date: November 14

Star cast: Ranveer Singh, Parineeti Chopra, Ali Zafar, Govinda and Rani Mukerji

Plot: Not much is known about the story of this Yash Raj production, but the images filtering out from the sets — the three young leads dancing in Victorian-style costumes and shooting with 600 pink cakes! — give the look and feel of a wacky watch.

Trivia: Bunty aur Babli man Shaad Ali goes behind the camera to direct Kill Dill, seven years after the disastrous Jhoom Barabar Jhoom.

What you need to know: Govinda plays a negative role.

 

Tevar

Release date: December 5

Star cast: Arjun Kapoor, Sonakshi Sinha and Manoj Bajpayee Plot: A remake of the 2003 Telugu film Okkadu, Tevar is said to be a masala entertainer with themes of revenge and romance.

Trivia: Arjun’s uncle Sanjay Kapoor is the producer of Tevar that is currently being shot in Mumbai, Mathura and Agra.

What you need to know: Anil Kapoor — in support of brother Sanjay and nephew Arjun — is slated to make a special appearance in Tevar.

 

girl power

In the year of Queen, watch out for these women-centric films

Bobby Jasoos

Release date: July 4

Star cast: Vidya Balan, Ali Fazal, Supriya Pathak and Zarina Wahab

Plot: A young woman in Hyderabad pulls out all the stops to fulfil her childhood passion — that of becoming a private eye called Bobby Jasoos.

Trivia: “I found the idea of a lady detective irresistible, as I did the title Bobby Jasoos,” said Vidya Balan who reportedly took less than a week to give her nod to the film. The film’s first look — that of Vidya dressed as a beggar on the streets of Hyderabad — created a huge amount of buzz.

What you need to know: Vidya tried 122 disguises before she locked the 10 or 12 she essays in Bobby Jasoos.

 

Hate story 2

Release date: July 18

Star cast: Surveen Chawla, Jay Bhanushali and Sushant Singh (no, not Rajput!)

Plot: TV actress Surveen Chawla takes over from Paoli Dam to play a seductress with a secret in this follow-up to the 2012 erotic film that made jaws drop with its sex walk and talk.

Trivia: Vivek Agnihotri, who directed Hate Story, has made way for Vishal Pandya. The censor board has objected to certain scenes — particularly Surveen’s bare back in the promos — and asked the makers to edit them out of the film.

What you need to know: Sunny Leone appears in a sexy item number called Pink lips.

 

Mardaani

Release date: August 22

Star cast: Rani Mukerji and Jisshu Sengupta

Plot: Rani plays a fearless cop working to root out girl trafficking in this gutsy Yash Raj film directed by Parineeta maker Pradeep Sarkar.

Trivia: Said to be the “boldest film ever” from the Yash Raj stable, Mardaani has been shot in Delhi and Mumbai and will be Rani’s first release after her marriage to Yash Raj honcho Aditya Chopra.

What you need to know: Jisshu as Rani’s man apart, the Tollywood flag will be kept flying high by editor Arghyakamal Mitra.

 

Khubsoorat

Release date: September 19

Star cast: Sonam Kapoor, Fawad Afzal Khan, Aditi Rao Hydari, Prosenjit and Kirron Kher

Plot: A remake of Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s 1980 film of the same name, Khoobsurat is directed by Shashanka Ghosh and produced by Sonam’s dad Anil Kapoor. Will Sonam be able to match up to Rekha’s effervescent charm? Let’s wait and watch.

Trivia: Prosenjit plays the patriarch in the film, the role that belonged to Ashok Kumar in the original.

What you need to know: Pakistani singer-model-actor Fawad Afzal Khan, who debuts in Bollywood as Sonam’s love interest, is serious eye candy. Google him!