What does 2011 have in store for Bollywood?

Take a look at 10 of the most anticipated films to be released this year.

LAHORE:

A number of Bollywood films have been released that have done well in the market in 2011, yet the latter half of the year seems to have more than 50 per cent of the year’s most eagerly awaited films.

10) Mausam:

So what if the promos are downright boring? This film still earns itself a spot in the list by sheer virtue of the man at the helm of the affairs. Pankaj Kapur has finally decided to go behind the camera with this love story. And so what if he cast his son Shahid Kapoor opposite Sonam Kapoor? It really can’t be worse than the father-son collaborations like Koi Mil Gaya.

9) Mere Brother Ki Dulhan

Yash Raj Films may not be as big as it used to be, but Katrina Kaif is. And her sheer presence in any production is enough reason to go check it out. This one also stars Imran Khan and our own export Ali Zafar in a role that, going by the promos, holds some significance to the plot. Let’s just hope that the film has one.

8) Aarakshan

In spite of its jarring loopholes, Prakash Jha’s political saga Rajneeti had a genuine dramatic appeal. This one, starring Amitabh Bachchan, Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone, is a take on the issue of reservation of seats in the education system and might just surprise audiences, like Jha’s previous film. The promo shows Saif Ali Khan getting enough scenes to ensure that he gets to revel in the role.

7) The Dirty Picture

Backed by Ekta Kapoor, the film chronicles the life of a B-grade actor. While Kapoor shrewdly catered to the masses with jarring cliches when handling her small-screen projects, her big screen ventures have mostly been those that defied convention. And with a stellar cast of Vidya Balan and Naseeruddin Shah, this one is bound to raise eyebrows.

6) Ladies vs Ricky Bahl

The team of Band Baaja Baaraat is back with this rather fun-titled film that has Anushka Sharma and Ranveer Singh in the lead once again. Little else is known about the film that is slated for a December release, but let’s keep our fingers crossed in hope for another little film with a disarming appeal.

5) Agent Vinod

This one is first of the films which are expected to deliver the goods on some level, not only because it stars Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor, but also because of the very intelligent man calling the shots. Sriram Raghavan, the maker of Ek Hasina Thi and Johnny Gaddar, is making an action-thriller this time around. There seems to be little that can go wrong with a team like this.

4) Rockstar

Starring Ranbir Kapoor and Nargis Fakhri, who is half-Pakistani, this film is highly anticipated not least because it has AR Rahman as a musical producer. We have high hopes from this film; firstly, because it’s been a long while since Rahman got a musical to go gloriously wild with. And secondly, it’s from a film-maker like Imtiaz Ali, who gave us one of the most memorable love stories of the past many years with Jab We Met .

3) Bodyguard

Barring Dabangg, none of Salman Khan’s films from the past four years have been even remotely engaging. This film has him paired with Kareena Kapoor and is sure to become one of the biggest blockbusters, regardless of how bad the storyline is. But with Khan looking better than ever these days, we should never lose hope.

2) Ra.One

Hyped from the very day of its inception, this sci-fi flick is Bollywood’s claim to we-are-not-behind-Hollywood fame. Its first teaser featured little detail but fabulous action and effects, definitely promising a film that could define the year 2011 at the movies. Even if the film doesn’t, Akon’s “Chammak Challo” will.

1) Don 2

Why is this film the most anticipated of the year? Because it stars Shahrukh Khan and Priyanka Chopra. Because the first part was arguably the most fun Indian remake. Because the second part is original and Farhan Akhtar is always expected to deliver iconic stuff, simply because of his debut film Dil Chahta Hai. And because it has one of the best trailers of any film released this year.

But more than anything,  it is because this is the only film on this long list that will please both the masses and classes, the public and the critics, the entertainment-hungry and the intellectual lovers of cinema.







Published in The Express Tribune, August 4^th, 2011.