Sooryavanshi
Directed by: Rohit Shetty
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Katrina Kaif, Ajay Devgn, Ranveer Singh
Releasing on: November 4
Finally looking to get off the blocks and blaze on to the big screen, it’s been a wait of a few months short of two years for Sooryavanshi. The Rohit Shetty actioner — starring Akshay Kumar in the eponymous role — was scheduled to release in March 2020, but the pandemic came calling. Releasing on Diwali, Sooryavanshi carries the heavy burden of expectations to bring back audiences in droves. A four-minute-plus winner of a trailer released in March 2020 — which brings in Ajay Devgn’s Singham and Ranveer Singh’s Simmba to kick off Shetty’s first attempt at a Marvel-styled cop universe — has kept us interested enough to expect fireworks.
BUNTY AUR BABLI 2
Directed by: Varun V. Sharma
Starring: Saif Ali Khan, Rani Mukerji, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Sharvari
Releasing on: November 19
A spiritual sequel to Bunty Aur Babli, which came 16 years ago, the new film has Saif Ali Khan stepping in, with only Rani Mukerji being retained from the original. Newcomers Siddhant Chaturvedi and Sharvari promise to bring in some fresh chemistry, and we are all ready to go down the Hum Tum nostalgia lane with Rani and Saif. Not much is known about BB2, but we are hoping music men Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy recreate their Kajra re magic here too.
SATYAMEVA JAYATE 2
Directed by: Milap Zaveri
Starring: John Abraham, Divya Khosla Kumar
Releasing on: November 26
An entry into the Rs 100-crore club meant that the first film, released in 2018, would give rise to the sequel of what was an unnecessarily violent vigilante film. John Abraham’s abs have a fan club of their own, and SMJ2 will clearly take forward the ‘mass’ formula of deadly action and desh bhakti.
CHANDIGARH KARE AASHIQUI
Directed by: Abhishek Kapoor
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Vaani Kapoor
Releasing on: December 10
Filmed during the first half of the pandemic, this romantic drama has Ayushmann and Vaani pairing up for the first time. Abhishek Kapoor, whose last film was Kedarnath, returns to direct another romance, which was shot in Ayushmann’s hometown.
83
Directed by: Kabir Khan
Starring: Ranveer Singh, Tahir Raj Bhasin, Saqib Saleem, Jiiva, Ammy Virk, Harrdy Sandhu, Pankaj Tripathi, Boman Irani
Releasing on: December 24
The Kabir Khan directorial built around India’s 1983 World Cup win has been waiting in the wings for quite some time. Ranveer Singh’s metamorphoses into Kapil Dev, both in body and body language, seems more than convincing, if the stills so far are anything to go by. Kabir excels in telling human stories and 83 promises to be much more than just an account of a sporting triumph. The Christmas release also has a bunch of talented actors making up its strong ensemble. Plus, Deepika Padukone pitches in as Romi Dev, opposite husband Ranveer. What’s not to love?!
JERSEY
Directed by: Gowtam Tinnanuri
Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Mrunal Thakur, Pankaj Kapur
Releasing on: December 31
Gowtam Tinnanuri directs the Hindi remake of his much-lauded 2019 Telugu film, also called Jersey. Shahid Kapoor pads up to play a former cricketer, now in his mid-30s, who picks up the bat again, persevering against all odds. Nani’s performance in the original was singled out for praise. Will Shahid — who has real-life dad Pankaj Kapur for company — be as good? Let’s wait and watch.
GANGUBAI KATHIAWADI
Directed by: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Ajay Devgn, Seema Pahwa, Indira Tiwari
Releasing on: January 6
The teaser made us go wow, and how! Alia Bhatt walks the talk in this Sanjay Leela Bhansali biggie in which she plays the titular character. Loosely based on the book Mafia Queens of Mumbai written by S. Hussain Zaidi and telling the life story of Gangubai who rose from the bylanes of the red-light district of Kamathipura to mark her territory as a politician, Gangubai Kathiawadi promises a power-packed watch, with a pitch-perfect Alia leading from the front.
RADHE SHYAM
Directed by: Radha Krishna Kumar
Starring: Prabhas, Pooja Hegde
Releasing on: January 14
Bahubali man Prabhas’s 20th film — which operated with the working title of ‘Prabhas 20’ initially — is a romantic drama set in the Europe of the 1970s and co-stars Pooja Hegde. Saaho, Prabhas’s last pan-India release, was a colossal disappointment, to put it politely. Let’s hope Radhe Shyam, which has been simultaneously shot in Hindi and Telugu, makes amends.
PRITHVIRAJ
Directed by: Chandraprakash Dwivedi
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Manushi Chhillar
Releasing on: January 21
This historical action drama stars Akshay Kumar as Prithviraj Chauhan, with former beauty queen Manushi Chhillar, in what is her acting debut, playing his queen Sanyogita. The film boasts of a strong ensemble featuring Sanjay Dutt, Sonu Sood and Sakshi Tanwar.
ATTACK
Directed by: Lakshya Raj Anand
Starring: John Abraham, Jacqueline Fernandez, Rakul Preet Singh
Releasing on: January 26
Exactly two months after Satyameva Jayate 2, John Abraham returns as leading man and co-producer with this hostage drama based on true events that will look to draw in crowds during the Republic Day weekend. Jacqueline Fernandez and Rakul Preet Singh are his co-stars.
LAAL SINGH CHADDHA
Directed by: Advait Chandan
Starring: Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Naga Chaitanya
Releasing on: February 14
Aamir Khan slips into Tom Hanks’s running shoes in this official Bollywood adaptation of Forrest Gump, a part that won Hanks an Oscar. Aamir, as expected, plunged headlong into the part, body and mind, with his Secret Superstar director Advait Chandan helming the project. Even with the pandemic bringing the world to a pause, Laal Singh Chaddha has reportedly been shot at 100 locations, Calcutta to Kargil. Kareena Kapoor Khan plays the female lead, with south star Naga Chaitanya making his Bolly debut in this Valentine’s Day release.
JAYESHBHAI JORDAAR
Directed by: Divyang Thakkar
Starring: Ranveer Singh, Shalini Pandey
Releasing on: February 25
Ranveer shifts gears after 83 to play an unassuming Gujarati man who fights for gender equality in this social comedy produced by Yash Raj Films. Shalini Pandey — who played the female lead opposite Vijay Deverakonda in the Telugu blockbuster Arjun Reddy — makes her Bollywood debut.
BACHCHAN PANDEY
Directed by: Farhad Samji
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Kriti Sanon, Jacqueline Fernandez
Releasing on: March 4
Pandemic or no pandemic, trust Akshay Kumar to rain down releases every two months. The 54-year-old star plays the title character in this action-comedy, with his first glimpse — bare-chested, with a scar running across his nose and a damaged eye — already piquing immense interest.
SHAMSHERA
Directed by: Karan Malhotra
Starring: Ranbir Kapoor, Vaani Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt
Releasing on: March 18
‘A legend will rise’, states the teaser poster of Shamshera, released on Ranbir Kapoor’s birthday last week. Coming almost four years after his last release Sanju, Shamshera has Ranbir slipping into the part of a dacoit in this period drama which has Vaani Kapoor in the role of a ‘travelling performer’ and Sanjay Dutt as the antagonist. An RK film after such a long time... we will definitely queue up!
BHOOL BHULAIYA 2
Directed by: Anees Bazmee
Starring: Kartik Aaryan, Tabu, Kiara Advani
Releasing on: March 25
Kartik Aaryan takes over from Akshay Kumar and Anees Bazmee wrests the directorial baton from Priyadarshan for the second film in the Bhool Bhulaiyaa universe, slated to release 15 years after the first. Kartik’s first look is reminiscent of Akshay’s in the original’s superhit title track, so we aren’t really sure what novelty Bazmee will bring to the franchise. And yes, it stars Tabu!
Rocketry: The Nambi Effect
Directed by: R. Madhavan
Starring: R. Madhavan, Simran
Releasing on: April 1
The life and times of Nambi Narayanan, a real-life ISRO scientist who was accused of espionage, is brought to life in Rocketry. R. Madhavan plays Narayanan, with the actor also writing, producing and making his directorial debut with this biopic. Look to feel, Maddy has pulled out all the stops to lend authenticity to his passion project, which will reportedly feature cameos from Shah Rukh Khan and Suriya.
BHEDIYA
Directed by: Amar Kaushik
Starring: Varun Dhawan, Kriti Sanon, Abhishek Banerjee
Releasing on: April 14
Set in the same horror-comedy universe as Stree and Roohi, Bhediya has Varun Dhawan reportedly playing a young man who turns into a werewolf on full moon nights. Helmed by Amar Kaushik — who winningly directed Stree — Bhediya was extensively shot in pristine Arunachal Pradesh during the pandemic.
HEROPANTI 2
Directed by: Ahmed Khan
Starring: Tiger Shroff, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Tara Sutaria
Releasing on: April 29
Tiger Shroff made his debut in Heropanti in 2014. Now the action star returns with the second film in the franchise. Kriti Sanon gives way to Tara Sutaria, with Ahmed Khan — who directed Tiger in the second and third Baaghi films — taking over as director. The team, including Nawazuddin Siddiqui, has just wrapped up a schedule of the film in London.
MAYDAY
Directed by: Ajay Devgn
Starring: Amitabh Bachchan, Ajay Devgn, Rakul Preet Singh, Carry Minati
Releasing on: April 29
Not much is known about Mayday except rumours that it is based on a real-life incident of a pilot whose presence of mind saved the lives of hundreds of passengers. Mayday marks Devgn’s return to direction after Shivaay, with rapper Carry Minati slated to play himself.
MAIDAAN
Directed by: Amit Sharma
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Priyamani, Gajraj Rao, Rudranil Ghosh
Releasing on: June 3
The heroics of unsung hero Syed Abdul Rahim — often regarded as the architect of modern Indian football — is the focus of this Amit Sharma directorial, which has Ajay Devgn playing Rahim. Extensively shot in Calcutta before the pandemic, Maidaan stars a slew of famous faces from Tollywood. We are waiting for this one.
EK VILLAIN RETURNS
Directed by: Mohit Suri
Starring: John Abraham, Arjun Kapoor, Disha Patani, Tara Sutaria
Releasing on: July 8
The title sounds almost like a threat. Touted as a ‘spiritual sequel’ to its 2014 predecessor, Ek Villain Returns boasts of a bunch of lookers in its cast, with Mohit Suri, who directed Ek Villain, returning. Aditya Roy Kapur was reportedly signed on for the role that Arjun Kapoor now plays.
RAKSHABANDHAN
Directed by: Aanand L. Rai
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Bhumi Pednekar
Releasing on: August 11
As the name spells it out, this film on sibling ties has Akshay Kumar playing brother to four young girls, with Bhumi Pednekar chipping in with a cameo of sorts. There are whispers that Atrangi Re — the other film with Rai directing Akshay, and which also stars Sara Ali Khan and Dhanush — is heading for a streaming release.
ADIPURUSH
Directed by: Om Raut
Starring: Prabhas, Saif Ali Khan, Kriti Sanon
Releasing on: August 11
Om Raut, who hit pay dirt with his blockbuster Tanhaji a few years ago, helms this big-budget 3D spectacle which boasts of big names like Prabhas, Saif and Kriti. Prabhas plays Ram with Kriti as Sita in the film that is being shot simultaneously in Hindi and Telugu.
RAM SETU
Directed by: Abhishek Sharma
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Jacqueline Fernandez, Nushrratt Bharuccha
Releasing on: October 24, 2022
Trust Akshay Kumar to push in one more film before next year draws to a close. The first Indian co-production by Amazon Prime Video has Akshay playing an archaeologist and is described as a story “that highlights our Indian heritage”. The biggie of Diwali 2022.
GANAPATH
Directed by: Vikas Bahl
Starring: Tiger Shroff, Kriti Sanon
Releasing on: December 23, 2022
Heropanti co-stars Tiger Shroff and Kriti Sanon reunite for this action thriller that’s being directed by Vikas Bahl, the man with films like Queen and Super 30 to his name. Ganapath is the first film in what will be a series.
