Movies are made in the heavens of ingenuity and enjoyed in the halls of great excitement. From the germination of the idea and the first directorial shout of ‘lights, camera, action’, to the fascinating first-day-first-shows, the distance is filled with great suspense a la tingling thrillers. There are films that sink without trace and there are the ones that make the bewitching box office overflow with cash.With the film industry as big as ours—Bollywood is the largest in the world with over 1,000 films hitting the big screens every year—each Friday throws up many surprises. Year after year, our storytellers and entertainers push the envelope of creativity, whetting the viewer’s Friday curiosity about content. This year’s smorgasbord has everything one can wish for—from biopics, remakes, thrillers and romcoms to big-budget offerings.
2018 is not only about big names such as Aamir Khan, Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan, but leading ladies such as Deepika Padukone, Priyanka Chopra and Anushka Sharma could also be seen scorching the silver screen. Young actors will be a treat to watch, while seasoned performers such as Rani Mukerji are expected to make strong comebacks. Debut of star-kids would be a thing to watch out for, while on the menu are first-time pairing of Akshay Kumar-Radhika Apte, Alia Bhatt-Vicky Kaushal, Varun-Anushka, Ananya Pandey-Tiger Shroff.
Down south, the thriving film industry is set for the mega release of superstar Rajinikanth’s `450-crore budget film 2.0, and Baahubali fame Prabhas’ Saaho. In Mollywood, Mammootty’s Big B sequel Bilaal, and Mohan Lal’s Odiyan are the ones that promise great entertainment.
This year’s Hollywood calendar is dominated by sequels of blockbusters lined up for release. In films such as Avengers: Infinity War and X-Men: Dark Phoenix, superheroes will be seen saving the world from devilish powers, while Fifty Shades Freed and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again would showcase the oomph factor as well as emotions. Bruce Willis' Death Wish and Tom Cruise's M: I6 Mission Impossible are not-to-be-missed ones. Mark your calendar to watch all-women movies such as Ocean’s 8 and Mary Poppins Returns.So, get ready to fill your popcorn bags, pack your fries and cola cans. Happy watching in 2018!
Padmaavat
The controversial epic period drama that narrates the story of Padmavati, a legendary Rajput queen who committed jauhar to protect herself from ruthless Muslim king Allaudin Khilji, has finally got a release date in India.
Cast: Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh,
Shahid Kapoor
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Release: Jan 25
USP: Controversy and the strong star cast
Thugs of Hindostan
Based on Philip Meadows Taylor’s 1839 novel Confessions of a Thug. It’s about a gang who posed a serious challenge to the British Empire in the early 19th century.
Cast: Amitabh
Bachchan, Aamir
Khan, Katrina Kaif, Fatima Sana Shaikh
Director: Vijay Krishna Acharya
Release: Nov 7
USP: Aamir and Amitabh’s first collaboration
Raazi
An adaptation of Harinder Sikka’s novel Calling Sehmat, the story is on a Kashmiri spy married to a Pakistani man during the 1971 Indo-Pak War.
Cast: Alia Bhatt, Vicky Kaushal
Director: Meghna Gulzar
Release: May 11
USP: Alia’s first period film
Bollywood
Simmba
The movie revolves around a corrupt
cop whose attitude doesn’t go down too well with his honest colleague.
Cast: Ranveer Singh, Tamannaah
Director:
Rohit Shetty
Release: Dec 28
USP: Power-packed action
Sui Dhaga
Apart from celebrating Mahatma Gandhi for his Khadi movement,
the movie brings on screen the message of Make in India.
Cast: Varun Dhawan, Anushka Sharma
Director:
Sharat Katariya
Release: Sept 28
USP: Make in India theme
Student of the Year 2
A sequel to superhit Student of the Year that had launched Alia Bhatt,Varun Dhawan and Siddharth Malhotra in 2012, this is also a romantic comedy.
Cast: Tiger Shroff, Ananya Pandey (not finalised)
Director:
Punit Malhotra
Release: Nov 30
USP: Charming young actors in the sequel to a superhit romcom
Zero
The Badshah of Bollywood will be seen playing the role of a dwarf.
Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Katrina Kaif, Anushka Sharma
Director:
Anand L Rai
Release: Dec 21
USP: Visual effects
Kedarnath
The inter-faith love story of a rich girl tourist and a tourist guide is set against the backdrop of the devastating
Uttarakhand floods.
Cast: Sushant Singh Rajput, Sara Ali Khan
Director:
Abhishek Kapoor
Release: Dec 21 (tentative)
USP: To recreate the Uttarakhand town, a set for `7 crore was built in Mumbai
Veere Di Wedding
Bollywood’s most-awaited first female buddy film in which a group of friends attend a wedding and
find love.
Cast: Kareena Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor, Swara Bhaskar, Shikha Talsania
Director: Shashanka Ghosh
Release: June 1
USP: Star cast in the chick-flick. Kareena’s comeback project post pregnancy.
Hichki
A woman with a speech difficulty turns the disadvantages into opportunities, and wins the game of life.
Cast: Rani Mukerji, Asif Basra
Director: Siddharth
P Malhotra
Release: Feb 23
USP: Rani’s
comeback movie
Biopics
Padman
Based on the life story of social activist Arunachalam
Muruganantham who created a low-cost sanitary napkin to spread awareness about menstrual hygiene, it’s the story of a man who
perseveres against all odds.
Cast: Akshay Kumar, Sonam Kapoor, Radhika Apte
Director: R Balki
Release: Jan 25
USP: An effort to remove stigma around periods
Manikarnika-The Queen of Jhansi
An epic biographical about Rani Laxmibai’s life and her war against the British East India Company during the Indian Rebellion of 1857.
Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Ankita Lokhande, Sonu Sood
Director: Krish
Release: Not finalised
USP: Kangana Ranaut. After successful war drama Gautamiputra Satakarni, this can be another gem from Telugu director Krish.
Soorma
Based on hockey legend Sandeep Singh; how the almost-paralysed player recovers to establish
himself in the team again.
Cast: Diljit Dosanjh,
Tapsee Pannu
Director: Shaad Ali
Release: July 6 (tentative)
USP: Punjabi singer-actor Dosanjh to play his first Bollywood role as lead
Sanju
From his successful film career to jail sentence to personal life, Sanju depicts how Bollywood’s Munna Bhai rose and fell, and stood up again.
Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Paresh Rawal, Manisha Koirala, Dia Mirza
Director: Raj Kumar Hirani
Release: June 29
USP: Ranbir’s Sanjay
Dutt avatar
Gold
Set in 1948 India, it is on the life of former Indian hockey player Balbir Singh Dosanjh. He was on the team that won the first Olympic medal for India as an independent nation.
Cast: Akshay Kumar
and Mouni Roy
Director: Reema Kagti
Release: Aug 15 (tentative)
USP: Akshay’s second biopic of the year
Hollywood
Avengers: Infinity War
The third franchise in the Avengers series by Marvel Comics is the most awaited superhero films of 2018 with the Avengers and the Guardians of Galaxy joining hands to decimate Thanos.
Cast: Robert Downey Jr, Mark Ruffalo, Tom Hiddleston, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner, Chris Pratt, Benedict Cumberbatch
Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Release: April 27
USP: A galaxy of Hollywood superstars and action-packed scenes
X-Men: Dark Phoenix
The 12th instalment of another Marvel Comics series in which X-Men confronts powers of Phoenix, the one with incredible dark strengths.
Cast: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, Tye Sheridan
Director: Simon Kinberg
Release: Nov 2
USP: Loads of sci-fi action
Death Wish
A remake of 1974 film of the same name. Bruce Willis will be seen kicking some asses after robbers kill his wife and brutally hurt his daughter.
Director: Eli Roth
Cast: Bruce Willis, Vincent D’Onofrio, Elisabeth Shue,
Dean Norris
Release: March 2
USP: Vigilante action film
Fantastic Beasts:
The Crimes of Grindelwald
The fantasy drama based on JK Rowling’s Wizarding World will take you to the world of magical powers fighting for truth and love on this divided earth.
Director: David Yates
Cast: Johny Depp, Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol
USP: Lots of action,
drama and magic
Release: Nov 16
Mamma Mia! Here
We Go Again
Revolves around Amanda Seyfried as Sophie Sheridan, who is pregnant but unsure about upcoming realities of life. Her friends tell Sofie the story of how her mother Donna, who despite being underage and pregnant, won against all odds.
Cast: Christine Baranski, Pierce Bronson, Dominic Cooper, Colin Firth, Andy Garcia
Director: Ol Parker
Release: July 20
USP: Romantic music comedy
Ocean’s 8
The all-female sequel of Ocean’s Eleven series will see the heist of the century at New York City’s star-studded annual
Met Gala by five cons.
Cast: Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Mindy Kaling, Sarah Paulson, Awkwafina, Rihanna, Helena Bonham Carter
Director: Gary Ross
Release: June 8
USP: Hollywood hotties in action
Mary Poppins Returns
Mary Poppins, an American musical fantasy film, will come on the big screen after 54 years. Set in 1930s London, the family drama revolves around Mary Poppins’ return to the Banks family.
Director: Rob Marshall
Cast: Emily Blunt, Lin-Manual Miranda, Ben Whishaw, Emily Mortimer and Meryl Streep
Release: Dec 25
USP: Dick Van Dyke returning to sequel
South Telugu
Rangasthalam
The period revenge drama is set in the backdrop of a fictious village named Rangasthalam. Charan plays a deglamorous role of a hearing-impaired youngster.
Cast: Ram
Charan, Samantha
Director: Sukumar
Release: March 30
USP: Sukumar is known for making films with strong content, and his collaboration with Charan is expected
to work wonders.
Naa Peru Surya - Naa Illu India
An intense Allu Arjun dreams of hoisting the Indian flag at the India-Pakistan border.
Cast: Allu Arjun,
Anu Emmanuel
Director:
Vakkantham Vamsi
Release: April 27
USP: Patriotic fervour
Bharat Ane Nenu
The political thriller will show Mahesh Babu playing a Chief Minister. Another film inspired by Largo Winch.
Cast: Mahesh Babu, Kiara Advani
Director:
Koratala Siva
Release:
April 27/early June
USP: The actor-director duo’s second collaboration. Their previous, Srimanthudu, resulted in a blockbuster.
Saaho
A stylish actioner of international standards. Protagonist Prabhas is a cop.
Cast: Prabhas,
Shraddha Kapoor
Director: Sujeet
Release: Summer/Diwali
USP: Prabhas’s next after the Baahubali franchise.
Tamil
Vada Chennai
The thriller will cover a timeline of 40 years—an entire life of a gangster.
Cast: Dhanush, Aishwarya Rajesh, Andrea
Director: Vetrimaaran
Release: Not announced
USP: To be released in three parts
Kaala
Rajini will once again be seen in an avatar that suits his actual age. The gangster story was wrapped up in a record time.
Cast: Rajinikanth, Huma Qureshi, Nana Patekar
Director: Pa Ranjith
Release: Dec (Tentative)
USP: The film is said to be high on political references
Indian 2
The long-awaited sequel is expected to be hard-hitting and will not hold back in taking a go at the political scenario.
Cast: Kamal Haasan
Director: Shankar
Release: Not Announced
USP: The director and actor are collaborating after 22 years. Expected to be Kamal’s last film before his foray into politics.
2.0
The most expensive Indian film ever, 2.0 is expected to overtake the collections of Baahubali.
Cast: Rajinikanth, Akshay Kumar, Amy Jackson
Director: Shankar
RELEASE: April
USP: A star-studded cast and 3D (first Indian film that’s directly shot in 3D)
Kannada
Rajaratha
The romcom will be a Kannada-Telugu bilingual with Puneeth Rajkumar and Rana Daggubati playing titular characters.
Cast: Nirup Bhandari, Avantika Shetty, Arya, Ravi Shankar
Director: Anup Bhandari
Release: Jan 25
USP: One of the most expected—it is coming from the makers of RangiTaranga.
Muniratna Kurukshetra
Darshan’s 50th film, this mythological drama is focusing on Duryodhana with Arjun Sarja
playing Karna.
Cast: Darshan, Ambarish, V Ravichandran, Arjun Sarja, Nikhil Kumar, Sneha, Meghana Raj, Saikumar Pudipeddi, Sonu Sood, Srinivasa Murthy, Danish Akhtar Saifi, Ravishankar, Hariprriya
Director: Naganna
Release: March 2018
USP: 3D feature, and technicians who worked in Baahubali
KGF
A period drama set in the 70s and early 80s.
Cast: Yash, Srinidhi Shetty, Achyuth Kumar, Nayana, Achyuth Kumar, Anant Nag, Vasishta N Simha, Ayyappa P Sharma
Director:
Prashanth Neel
Release: April/May
USP: Being made in multiple languages—Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Hindi
Malayalam
Odiyan
The fantasy thriller is based on the folklore myth of Odiyan, men possessing shapeshifting abilities.
Cast: Mohanlal,
Manju Warrier
Director: V A
Shrikumar Menon
Release: Onam
USP: Touted to be a milestone in Mohanlal’s career, Odiyan will have the actor in a younger and lean avatar.
Bilal
The sequel to Big B. The Mammootty-starrer saw a unique making style in Malayalam. With a cult following, Big B has Mammootty in his most stylish avatar, Bilal John Kurisingal.
Cast: Mammootty
Director: Amal Neerad
Release: Not announced
USP: The return of Bilal John
Kurisingal to the big screen.
Kammarasambavam
A period drama.
Cast: Siddarth (Tamil actor), Dileep, Murali Gopy
Director: Rateesh Ambat
Release: Vishu (April)
USP: Dileep is reportedly playing a negative character.
The first-look poster of the actor in a military uniform has gone viral. by Cinema Express team
Thrillers
Race 3
From the makers of the Race franchise, the third instalment in the series is reportedly a standalone film. Shooting for the film slated for Eid release has been stalled due to death threats to Salman Khan.
Cast: Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor, Bobby Deol, Jacqueline Fernandes, Daisy Shah, Pooja Hegde
Director: Remo D’Souza
Release: June 14
USP: Salman’s new look
Pari
Based on paranormal activity, the movie is not for the faint-hearted. This will be Anushka’s spookiest ever character, an abuse victim.
Cast: Anushka
Sharma, Rajat Kapoor, Parambrata Chatterjee
Director: Prosit Roy
Release: March 2
USP: Anushka’s third outing as producer.
Aiyaary
It’s the story of an intelligent major who resorts to Aiyaary—‘the ultimate trickery’ in an extreme crisis—and a colonel, who has just
36 hours to capture his protégé.
Cast: Siddharth
Malhotra, Rakul Preet Kaur, Manoj Bajpayee
Director: Neeraj Pandey
Release: Feb 9
USP: Amazing story line-up
October
Inspired by the Hollywood Oscar-nominated flick Her, in which a man falls in love with an interactive smart user interface voiced by a woman.
Cast: Varun Dhawan, Banita Sandhu
Director: Shoojit Sircar
Release: June 1
USP: Dhawan’s performance
Hate Story 4
Based on a true incident, the fourth instalment of the Hate Story franchise is a revenge story. The film will see Ihana as a corporate girl while Urvashi Rautela will play the role of a supermodel.
Cast: Urvashi Rautela, Karan Wahi, Vivan Bhathena and Ihana Dhillon
Director: Vishal Pandya
Release: March 9
USP: Erotica of the year