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2016 is almost over. Dangaal is Bollywood's final hope to salvage bit of its honor. Without much ado, here are my 2017 ranking predictions for actors.
Like always they are filled with controversial material. Take them with dollop of salts and humor. For a change I have decided to mix males and females and rank them in same list.
1> Salman
Bhai will retain his power and his ranking in 2017. Salman's greatest threat is his own stardom. People who matter will be watching the trend of both movies to see if Salman can exceed the expectation. He has 2 big movies - both in solo releases. The only challenge, Salman faces is which of the movie will break the bank in 2017. If it is Tubelight then Salman will be a bigger force to reckon.
2> Shahrukh
Shahrukh has two chances to regain his power. Raes is massy but in clash. People who grew up on AB will lap it up immediately. After trying for several years, Shahrukh has finally learnt to channelize AB in good way (with few unique touches of his own of course). The Ring promises to be light romantic movie and will remind Shahrukh's female fans why they love him so much. Expectation are -bereft of RK, Imitiaz will curb his inner Socrates and will focus on lightness and love. JWM is good example of what he is capable of when he is distracted from his inner Tamasha.
3> Akshay
Akshay lost his chance to be a major threat when he moved what promised to be a big movie to 2018. Robot 2 will give him Diwali win but again the movie is regional. The other releases are small and not enough of a threat. Cumulatively Akshay will do well in 2017. And his growing power means one day he will be genuine threat to Salman. For now Akshay can enjoy flexing his acting muscle. The results (if 2016 is any indication) are super good for Box office.
4> Kangana
Chances are Kangana may finally have a big year. This might genuinely be year of girl power as some if not most have some good choices in their kitty. What sets Kangana apart is in both movies, her co-stars have lesser ranking than her. If Rangoon hits big, Kangana will have shot to reach at the top of female ranking. And if Simraan is another Queen, then sky is limit. Cumulatively if both are successful, she will receive backing for some ambitious projects that will make her superstar.
5> Deepika
Deepika is in an enviable position for females in the industry. The movie puts her directly in ranks of legends like Hema Malini (Razia Sultan) and Meena Kumari (Pakeezah). Here is the bitter truth, these kind of movies rarely work on box office. Pakeezah was more benefitted by star's death than the actual movie. If done right and if it works Padmavati will elevate Deepika to huge stardom. If not, all is not lost. She will still receive offers. Unfortunately for Deepika the thing that mars Padmavati is this is her third movie with same team.
6> Varun
Varun has big chances to grow strong with his 2017 releases. There is not much I can say that has not been said before. BKD reunites Varun with Alia (who had successful 2016) and his HSKD director Shashank Khaitan. And if the movie is half the fun HSKD was it will work. Judwa 2 is facing the one issue that hurts movies. Over expectation. Solid release date, expectation of good songs, Dhavid Davaan and 90's hangover along with Salman's cameo is putting this movie all over the trade map. Varun is facing a strong pressure to excel in this movie. If Varun is able to overcome this pressure he will rank ahead of all his nearest competitors.
7> Shahid Kapoor
Shahid Kapoor needs a hit to get out of the restriction that trade has placed on his stardom. It is no coincidence that he is in not one but two parallel lead movies. Rangoon's hit will benefit him more than Padmavati. The latter is beneficial in the sense that he was brought in to enhance the star power. If it flops, he will be least affected. If it becomes a hit, he will be one of largest beneficiary of the good will that trade will bestow upon Padmavati players.
8> Anushka Sharma
Anushka has same issues that mar SSR. It is very easy to overlook her. 2016 has finally put her at the top. For a girl who debuted in YRF and with a super star - it might seem like inevitable. It just took her long time to reach this place. She is poised to do real well with both her movies. There are strong expectations from Phulwati. It is sold as light movie and her co-star is all hearts. And she is paired with her first co-star and King of romance in what could be termed as most anticipated romantic movie of 2017. At the end of year, she could very well be up this list.
9> Ajay Devgan
Ajay is fuming and waiting to strike back for loss he endured with Shivaay - ADHM clash. Unlike Shahrukh who lost his heart visibly, Ajay works better when he is down. He has always liked to smash the opposition. I am not expecting anything has changed in his stance. There is lot of secrecy involved with Badshahoo. So can't really predict about this movie. But Ajay has some very hardworking co-stars like Emraan with him in this movie. So everything might work out well in the end.
10> Ranbir
I don't have crystal ball with me. But my prediction is Ranbir will have magnificent year with Jagga Jasoos and Dutt. This is not RK fan in me speaking but the historian. The trend says what goes down needs to come up. Beside RK is doing everything in his power to help regain lost ground. He seems to be positively focused on his movies. There are no romantic distractions. This should help his movies immensely. Both Hirani and Basu are strong directors. Jaaga Jasoos's weakness is delayed production. Very few movies have escaped from curse of delayed production. But those who have were a strong hit. JJ has strong chance to be latter.
Waiting on the sideline and could move ahead at moment's notice-
Arjun Kapoor
By all accounts Arjun should be in top 10 and I am tempted to put him there. His Mubarkaein sounds interesting. And his Half girlfriend has high rank from trade. But the truth is 2 state was an anamoly. It was interesting story done right. Half girlfriend seems like a half baked story. And with Shraddha who seems to have lost some of her mojo success looks difficult. Kriti Sanon would have made the movie more interesting.
Like always they are filled with controversial material. Take them with dollop of salts and humor. For a change I have decided to mix males and females and rank them in same list.
1> Salman
Bhai will retain his power and his ranking in 2017. Salman's greatest threat is his own stardom. People who matter will be watching the trend of both movies to see if Salman can exceed the expectation. He has 2 big movies - both in solo releases. The only challenge, Salman faces is which of the movie will break the bank in 2017. If it is Tubelight then Salman will be a bigger force to reckon.
2> Shahrukh
Shahrukh has two chances to regain his power. Raes is massy but in clash. People who grew up on AB will lap it up immediately. After trying for several years, Shahrukh has finally learnt to channelize AB in good way (with few unique touches of his own of course). The Ring promises to be light romantic movie and will remind Shahrukh's female fans why they love him so much. Expectation are -bereft of RK, Imitiaz will curb his inner Socrates and will focus on lightness and love. JWM is good example of what he is capable of when he is distracted from his inner Tamasha.
3> Akshay
Akshay lost his chance to be a major threat when he moved what promised to be a big movie to 2018. Robot 2 will give him Diwali win but again the movie is regional. The other releases are small and not enough of a threat. Cumulatively Akshay will do well in 2017. And his growing power means one day he will be genuine threat to Salman. For now Akshay can enjoy flexing his acting muscle. The results (if 2016 is any indication) are super good for Box office.
4> Kangana
Chances are Kangana may finally have a big year. This might genuinely be year of girl power as some if not most have some good choices in their kitty. What sets Kangana apart is in both movies, her co-stars have lesser ranking than her. If Rangoon hits big, Kangana will have shot to reach at the top of female ranking. And if Simraan is another Queen, then sky is limit. Cumulatively if both are successful, she will receive backing for some ambitious projects that will make her superstar.
5> Deepika
Deepika is in an enviable position for females in the industry. The movie puts her directly in ranks of legends like Hema Malini (Razia Sultan) and Meena Kumari (Pakeezah). Here is the bitter truth, these kind of movies rarely work on box office. Pakeezah was more benefitted by star's death than the actual movie. If done right and if it works Padmavati will elevate Deepika to huge stardom. If not, all is not lost. She will still receive offers. Unfortunately for Deepika the thing that mars Padmavati is this is her third movie with same team.
6> Varun
Varun has big chances to grow strong with his 2017 releases. There is not much I can say that has not been said before. BKD reunites Varun with Alia (who had successful 2016) and his HSKD director Shashank Khaitan. And if the movie is half the fun HSKD was it will work. Judwa 2 is facing the one issue that hurts movies. Over expectation. Solid release date, expectation of good songs, Dhavid Davaan and 90's hangover along with Salman's cameo is putting this movie all over the trade map. Varun is facing a strong pressure to excel in this movie. If Varun is able to overcome this pressure he will rank ahead of all his nearest competitors.
7> Shahid Kapoor
Shahid Kapoor needs a hit to get out of the restriction that trade has placed on his stardom. It is no coincidence that he is in not one but two parallel lead movies. Rangoon's hit will benefit him more than Padmavati. The latter is beneficial in the sense that he was brought in to enhance the star power. If it flops, he will be least affected. If it becomes a hit, he will be one of largest beneficiary of the good will that trade will bestow upon Padmavati players.
8> Anushka Sharma
Anushka has same issues that mar SSR. It is very easy to overlook her. 2016 has finally put her at the top. For a girl who debuted in YRF and with a super star - it might seem like inevitable. It just took her long time to reach this place. She is poised to do real well with both her movies. There are strong expectations from Phulwati. It is sold as light movie and her co-star is all hearts. And she is paired with her first co-star and King of romance in what could be termed as most anticipated romantic movie of 2017. At the end of year, she could very well be up this list.
9> Ajay Devgan
Ajay is fuming and waiting to strike back for loss he endured with Shivaay - ADHM clash. Unlike Shahrukh who lost his heart visibly, Ajay works better when he is down. He has always liked to smash the opposition. I am not expecting anything has changed in his stance. There is lot of secrecy involved with Badshahoo. So can't really predict about this movie. But Ajay has some very hardworking co-stars like Emraan with him in this movie. So everything might work out well in the end.
10> Ranbir
I don't have crystal ball with me. But my prediction is Ranbir will have magnificent year with Jagga Jasoos and Dutt. This is not RK fan in me speaking but the historian. The trend says what goes down needs to come up. Beside RK is doing everything in his power to help regain lost ground. He seems to be positively focused on his movies. There are no romantic distractions. This should help his movies immensely. Both Hirani and Basu are strong directors. Jaaga Jasoos's weakness is delayed production. Very few movies have escaped from curse of delayed production. But those who have were a strong hit. JJ has strong chance to be latter.
Waiting on the sideline and could move ahead at moment's notice-
Arjun Kapoor
By all accounts Arjun should be in top 10 and I am tempted to put him there. His Mubarkaein sounds interesting. And his Half girlfriend has high rank from trade. But the truth is 2 state was an anamoly. It was interesting story done right. Half girlfriend seems like a half baked story. And with Shraddha who seems to have lost some of her mojo success looks difficult. Kriti Sanon would have made the movie more interesting.
Hritik
Hritik needs a redemption movie and Kaabil would have been his chance if not for the clash. Raes by all accounts looks stronger. And lets face it Khans do have wide array of fans. Baring a surprise pull of fate, Hritik will have to wait for 2018 to rescue his superstardom.
SSR
SSR is on trade's watch and it would be foolish to ignore him when he has given such a big hit. Raabta by all accounts may prove him to be a versatile star. It is action movie so he might be able to steal few fans from Tiger and Akshay. Or may be not. His is a very unpredictable case.
Tiger
I love Tiger who reminds me of Alia. He is young and if groomed well will be a strong success story. Nepotism be damned. He will need few pointers and better marketing to make him more visible. Right now he is just a delight to watch.
Ranveer
If Befikre had made 100 crore, Ranveer could have been ranked higher in 2017 list. Hit or flop, chances are his role in Padmavati will be appreciated. He has steadily growing fandom at his finger tip. He is sincere and has huge capacity to reach at the top. Befikre is not a road block but a bump in his quest. It is just unfortunate that it came at the time when he had gained momentum in industry. He will need to work on his image and plan his next few moves carefully. He is lot more of a real threat than he knows.
Katrina Kaif
Katrina's strongest point has been her endurance. In a way she reminds me of Salman whose debut was such a horror for anyone let alone for a star kid. And who overcame various obstacle to be at the top. Salman is more versatile than Kat. He has bigger stardom, has moved through various genre till he found his niche. Katty on other hand has focused on hard work and dedication to reach at the top. Both Salman and Kat have faced prejudices thanks to their more talented co-stars. So when I see Sallu snugly sitting at the top, I feel Katty might bounce back again. Jagga Jasoos will be her first test. She will gain more notoriety for her broken relation than her work in the movie. If she is able to overcome this, she will face her second test with another ex. TZH has all potentials to be super-hit. Katty will just need to fit the mold. She has the look and body. All she needs is to learn how to be bad and dangerous.
Long shot is Sonakshi with Noor and Itefaaq remake. One might turn out to be a surprise big hit. A long distance chance is Siddharth with Reloaded and Itefaaq . Stars like Kriti (with Rabta and Barielly ki Barfi) and Tapsee (with Judwaa 2 and Naam Shanbana) will benefit immensely from 2017. Others like Alia, Sonam and Shraddha will retain their position.
There is always a chance someone new will take everyone's breath away. Nothing is predictable in Bollywood...
Hritik needs a redemption movie and Kaabil would have been his chance if not for the clash. Raes by all accounts looks stronger. And lets face it Khans do have wide array of fans. Baring a surprise pull of fate, Hritik will have to wait for 2018 to rescue his superstardom.
SSR
SSR is on trade's watch and it would be foolish to ignore him when he has given such a big hit. Raabta by all accounts may prove him to be a versatile star. It is action movie so he might be able to steal few fans from Tiger and Akshay. Or may be not. His is a very unpredictable case.
Tiger
I love Tiger who reminds me of Alia. He is young and if groomed well will be a strong success story. Nepotism be damned. He will need few pointers and better marketing to make him more visible. Right now he is just a delight to watch.
Ranveer
If Befikre had made 100 crore, Ranveer could have been ranked higher in 2017 list. Hit or flop, chances are his role in Padmavati will be appreciated. He has steadily growing fandom at his finger tip. He is sincere and has huge capacity to reach at the top. Befikre is not a road block but a bump in his quest. It is just unfortunate that it came at the time when he had gained momentum in industry. He will need to work on his image and plan his next few moves carefully. He is lot more of a real threat than he knows.
Katrina Kaif
Katrina's strongest point has been her endurance. In a way she reminds me of Salman whose debut was such a horror for anyone let alone for a star kid. And who overcame various obstacle to be at the top. Salman is more versatile than Kat. He has bigger stardom, has moved through various genre till he found his niche. Katty on other hand has focused on hard work and dedication to reach at the top. Both Salman and Kat have faced prejudices thanks to their more talented co-stars. So when I see Sallu snugly sitting at the top, I feel Katty might bounce back again. Jagga Jasoos will be her first test. She will gain more notoriety for her broken relation than her work in the movie. If she is able to overcome this, she will face her second test with another ex. TZH has all potentials to be super-hit. Katty will just need to fit the mold. She has the look and body. All she needs is to learn how to be bad and dangerous.
Long shot is Sonakshi with Noor and Itefaaq remake. One might turn out to be a surprise big hit. A long distance chance is Siddharth with Reloaded and Itefaaq . Stars like Kriti (with Rabta and Barielly ki Barfi) and Tapsee (with Judwaa 2 and Naam Shanbana) will benefit immensely from 2017. Others like Alia, Sonam and Shraddha will retain their position.
There is always a chance someone new will take everyone's breath away. Nothing is predictable in Bollywood...
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