Movies to watch out for in 2008

Movies to watch out for in 2008

Rediff.com

He's back. As much as 2007 was a year for indie cinema -- a year small films like Bheja Fry made money and Johnny Gaddaar got unanimous rave reviews -- it was also (yet another) year for Shah Rukh Khan.

Hindi cinema's biggest star shone brighter than he has in ages, upstaging peers and well justifying that Badshah title: Everyone loved Chak De! India. And, after winning over critics, audiences and hockey equipment manufacturers with a sincere performance, the King took his shirt off for Om Shanti Om, a heady, cheeky celebration of Bollywood inanity -- and, predictably, the hit of the year. But what's this? For the first time since his 1991 debut, we are likely to see a year minus an SRK release. This is, by industry standards, a big deal. While contemporaries like Aamir Khan have often taken sabbaticals, SRK has always, always tossed us at least a release or two each year. This just isn't his style. It wasn't planned, by the way. Khan was all set to work on a spectacular film called Robot, with Shankar - the man who directed Rajnikanth in that phenomenon called Sivaji -- but plans fell through. Also scrapped is a film with Munna Bhai director Rajkumar Hirani, and the result is the prolific megastar finds himself with a pretty open diary for the next eight to nine months. Your cue, producers -- but be prepared to fend off Karan Johar.

With the big cat away, everyone else is ready for the party. Corporate financiers are enhancing industry coffers without question, and Bollywood is geared up for an exciting, over-budget 2008. Here's a look at films to wait for.

Jodhaa Akbar

Historicals haven't exactly set audiences agog in recent years, but all that might change with Ashutosh Gowariker's next film.

Hrithik Roshan plays Emperor Mohammudin Jalaluddin Akbar, and all theatres need is an extended scene with him warming up before he puts on those cumbersome layers of armour. This is a man who can amply carry a script-less film, and here he has both Ashu and Aishwarya Rai to help shoulder the burden. Now, if only the film weighs in at less than four hours...

Chandni Chowk to China

Despite Sony Pictures having come a cropper with their first desi production, Saawariya, there's no stopping Hollywood's entry into Hindiland. Warner Brothers is now gearing up for this massive production, an action-comedy featuring box-office failsafe Akshay Kumar. Kal Ho Naa Ho's Nikhil Advani directs, with Ramesh and Rohan Sippy co-producing.

The film, also starring Om Shanti Om's Deepika Padukone, is to be shot in China (as the title might hint) and there is much talk of high-octane stunts and set pieces. Kumar, who loves doing his own stunts, is apparently even set for an elaborate parkour sequence (freestyle running: Remember the guy who made Daniel Craig eat humble pie in the opening sequence from Casino Royale?)

Aamir Khan's Ghajini remake

Intriguing, this. Tamil director A R Murugadoss took Christopher Nolan's Memento, spun it around a few times, added a romantic arc (and songs to match) and his Ghajini was a huge hit.

Aamir Khan, utterly impressed by the adaptation, hired Murugadoss and the original's heroine, Asin, to come and make it again, in Hindi. The film, with elements of schizophrenia, offers plenty of characteristically liked opportunities for Aamir to play dress-up and off-his-rocker. A sobering thought, however: The actor, on his blog, said he didn't understand Memento. Oops.

Tashan

The typically stylised trailer doesn't give much away, but this Yash Raj Films product follows a complete back-to-the-basics approach. Akshay Kumar plays a character straight out of his Priyadarshan films; Anil Kapoor goes over-the-top a la his Subhash Ghai collaborations; Kareena Kapoor generously ladles out the oomph; and Saif Ali Khan grows a St Bernard moustache and acts cocky.

With masala elements meticulously in place, debutant director Vijay Krishna Acharya (writer of films like Dhoom 2) plans to go real earthy.

Dilli 6

A Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra project was always going to create massive buzz, especially after Rang De Basanti. A vaguely-autobiographical look at Delhi's seediest locales (post code: 110006, hence the titular nickname for the area), the plot has been kept hush-hush, but Omkara's Deepak Dobriyal is reported to be playing the Monkey-Man, a real-life Delhi menace.

Saawariya's Sonam Kapoor is leading lady alongside Abhishek Bachchan, and shooting has just started in, um, Jaipur?

Sarkar Raj

Come, come, you couldn't have forgotten Ram Gopal Varma, could you? Ramu had a career-guillotining 2007, with the debacle of his inexplicably titled Sholay remake, Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag. Yet, the master of the underworld genre is back at what he used to do best - a film with political machinations, corruption in not-so-low places, and sinister Mumbai-based intrigue. And intrigue of the casting kind, too: Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan all star, for the first time ever.

Julia

Commercial cinema's most critically acclaimed director is readying up his most ambitious project, at least in terms of scale. Vishal Bhardwaj has roped in screenwriter Matthew Robbins (The Sugarland Express, Steven Spielberg's first feature) and Run Lola Run actress Franka Potente, to unravel the potentially fascinating legend of Bollywood stuntwoman Fearless Nadia.

There is a possibility of this film's elaborate production stretching all the way from February 2008 to February 2009, but the thought of the striking Bourne Supremacy actress in our parts is too thrilling to not go on about.

One from Rajkumar Hirani

Nope, it isn't Munna and Circuit this time. Hirani delves into the Indian education system with his next film, based loosely on Chetan Bhagat's novel Five Point Someone.

Shah Rukh Khan was attached to -- and then removed from -- the project, and now casting is on in full swing even as Hirani, producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra and writer Abhijat Joshi (the trio behind the fantabulous script of Lage Raho Munna Bhai) get the finishing touches done on the screenplay. With that combination, even newbies could make it mega.

Himesh Reshammiya's Karzzzz

While critics may wickedly preempt the title of this remake as one that comes with a review built in (Karz-zzz), Reshammiya is gung-ho enough to take out full-page ads in dailies announcing the start of shooting.

Produced by Subhash Ghai, the man who made the original Karz, this one is directed by Satish Kaushik and said to star none other than Sushmita Sen opposite the crooner. Perhaps we all need to wear baseball caps.

Drona

Fed up seeing Abhishek Bachchan pony around town with that disastrous hairband? Well, this is the film to blame. Abhi's friend Goldie Behl is readying his Drona, a huge-budget superhero film. Yes, Abhishek. Yes, superhero. It might all seem dodgy for now, but end up terrifically spectacular - heck, Priyanka Chopra plays Abhi's bodyguard in the film. And she certainly has considerable superpowers of her own.

That untitled Sriram Raghavan project

It's funny how the film's name seems to have become an afterthought. Either way, we're queuing up for Raghavan's next, hooked after Ek Hasina Thi and Johnny Gaddaar. And this one, the intimidated director admits, is going to be a genre completely out of his depth: A love story.

It's an interesting cast, with John Abraham pitted opposite Aishwarya Rai for the first time, and we're insanely curious about the outcome. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy continue as composers, blessedly.

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And of course, there's lots more: Akshay continues his comic form with Anees Bazmee's next, Singh Is Kinng; Madhur Bhandarkar's Fashion is said to include many a global supermodel cameo; RGV is reportedly making a film on terrorism, codenamed Cobra; Harry Bawejas Love Story 2050 with son Harman debuting opposite Priyanka is a tale of time-travel; Sudhir Mishra has already wrapped up his next, Tera Kya Hoga Johnny with Neil Mukesh and thrillingly plans to bring back Chitrangda Singh right after that; Ketan Mehta is close to finishing work on his Raja Ravi Varma biopic, Colors Of Passion/ Rang Rasiya; Shyam Benegal will release his film with Bhojpuri star Ravi Kishen in the lead; Nagesh Kukunoor is all set to go with Bombay To Bangkok and a film with Akshay; and Saif and Kareena get set for Jugal Hansraj's Roadside Romeo, a fully animated film from the Yash Raj Films stables.

So yes, it's going to be a pretty hectic 12 months. You might want to prepare for the onslaught.

Oh my,I'm gonna miss Shahrukh terribly this year.😭He's only doing special appearances.It's gonna be weird to have a year without him.Oh well,I'm really lookin forward to the film directed by Sriram.He's an amazing director.His movies always keep me glued to the seat.Especially Ek Hasina Thi.And the pairing is quite unusual too.Aish and John!Lets see how that'll turn out...