In many ways, 2011 was the year of small films that made big bucks; that impact was further heightened by the big-budgeted mega-starrers they were up against. 2012 could offer a similar mixed bag but there are some films all of us are awaiting with a little more than the usual interest. Here’s what’s in store this year.
'Agneepath '
Status: Releasing on January 26
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Priyanka Chopra, Rishi Kapoor and Sanjay Dutt
Budget: Rs 30-35 crore
A modern-day remake of the 1990 Amitabh Bachchan classic, all eyes are now on Agneepath; more so to see if it achieves commercial success, something that the original couldn’t.
'Ek Tha Tiger '
Status: Releasing on August 10
Cast: Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif
Budget: Rs 35-40 crore
Having turned down Yash Raj’s 'Chak De! India', Salman accepted 'Ek Tha Tiger' but not before making producer Aditya Chopra run from Bandra to Panvel. Maybe it’ll be worth the trouble.
'Shanghai'
Status: Releasing in February
Cast: Abhay Deol, Emraan Hashmi and Kalki Koechlin
Budget: Rs 10-15 crore
Director Dibakar Banerjee returns with what he calls his most “radical” work yet. A political thriller, it’s the second such adaptation of Greek writer Vassilis Vassilikos’s novel Z.
'Rowdy Rathore '
Status: Releasing on June 15
Cast: Akshay Kumar, Sonakshi Sinha
Budget: Rs 25 crore
Will this one help Akshay break his flop run? Remake of a Telugu blockbuster, it features Akshay in a double role. Hopefully, it won’t be double pain, like most recent AK starrers.
'Barfi'
Status: Releasing on July 13
Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra and Ileana D’Cruz
Budget: Rs 35 crore
If 'Rockstar' established Ranbir as this generation’s finest actor, Anurag Basu’s 'Barfi', in which he plays a deaf, shall consolidate that status further.
'Gangs of Wasseypur '
Status: Releasing in September
Cast: Manoj Bajpai, Piyush Mishra
Budget: Rs 8-10 crore
Anurag Kashyap is back to his preferred genre — crime. The maker of 'Black
Friday' and 'Gulaal' turns his attention to coal mafia in north India. Like 'Rakta Charitra', it will release in two parts.
'Talaash '
Status: Releasing on June 1
Cast: Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Rani Mukerji
Budget: Rs 40 crore
With Aamir playing a cop (a la Sarfarosh), there was an early interest in 'Talaash'. Given his reputation of Midas touch, the film won’t certainly have to search for its audience.
'Once Upon a Time in Mumbai 2 '
Status: Releasing on August 17
Cast: Akshay Kumar, Shahid Kapoor
Budget: Rs 20-25 crore
Akshay picks up from where Emraan Hashmi left in the original, putting on those dark glares to play Dawood Ibrahim’s screen version.
'Agent Vinod '
Status: Releasing on March 23
Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor
Budget: Rs 25-30 crore
Long stuck in the making, this is director Sriram Raghavan’s affectionate homage to the Vijay Anand style of pop thrillers. Not to forget, some Bond
influence, too.
'Student of the Year'
Status: Releasing in July
Cast: Siddharth Malhotra, Varun Dhawan, Alia Bhatt
Budget: Rs 15 crore
A rare Karan Johar romance without Shah Rukh Khan, this rather small film (by Dharma standards) marks the filmmaker’s entry into the high school musical genre.