Bollywood films to look forward to in 2020

The drama never seems to end in Bollywood as it gears up for a year filled with stories that are rich in ideas and flavour. While we can never judge a film based on its premise, it’s a good indication of what might catch our collective fancy. As we enter the first leg of 2020, here’s a look at some of the movies that are likely to charm us with their content. The roster for 2020 is varied and there seems to be a story to suit every taste. Here are our top picks of the year ...

Chhapaak (January 9): Deepika Padukone plays acid attack survivor Malti in this spirited tale directed by Meghna Gulzar of ‘Raazi’ fame. Padukone’s role is inspired by the real-life story of acid attack survivor Laxmi Agarwal. ‘Chhapaak’ also stars Vikrant Massey as a journalist and possibly Malti’s life partner. It’s also the first film in which Padukone turns co-producer under the banner KA Entertainment. It will be interesting to see director Gulzar, known for her stirring authentic films, unite with Padukone — one of the finest actors in recent times.

Panga (January 23): Indian National Award-winning actress Kangana Ranaut will play a forgotten Kabaddi champion who’s on a mission to shatter stereotypes as she embraces a life of domesticity. Directed by Ashwini Tiwari of ‘Bareilly Ki Barfi’ fame, Ranaut underwent two months of training in the contact team sport. The movie also features Richa Chadda, along with Neena Gupta, who plays Ranaut’s mother.

Jawani Jaaneman (January 30): Actress Tabu and Saif Ali Khan will join hands for this romantic comedy about a man who realises that he’s a father to a teenager. The movie marks the acting debut of Pooja Bedi’s daughter Alaya Furniturwala and will see Khan in a space that he usually excels in.

Shikara (February 6): Director Vidhu Vinod Chopra is back in the director’s seat with a tale about the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits. He returns as director after a gap of 11 years to bring alive a story of the migration of Kashmiri Pandits and calls it his love letter to that region. “‘Shikara’ is the story of resilience in the face of insurmountable odds. It’s also the story of a love that remains unextinguished through 30 years of exile. A timeless love story in the worst of times,” said Chopra in a statement.

Shubh Mangal Zyaada Saavdhan (February 19) Bollywood will attempt to bring homosexuality out of the closet with ‘Shubh Mangal Zyaada Saavdhan’ starring Ayushmann Khurrana. Written and directed by Hitesh Kewalya, this comedy takes the less travelled route and explores an unconventional love story. It was filmed extensively in Beneras. We were first introduced to the syntax of ‘Shubh Mangal Saavdhan’, a tale that starred Khurrana as a man suffering from erectile dysfunction.

Bhoot Part one: The Haunted Ship (February 20): Indian National Award-winning actor Vicky Kaushal and Bhumi Pednekar headline this horror film about a couple who are found on an abandoned ship on a beach. Directed by Bhanu Pratap Singh, the film also features Ashutosh Rana and the first poster revealed Kaushal screeching as his face is being pulled down by a mysterious hand. Are you intrigued?

Chhalaang (March 12): Starring Rajkummar Rao and Nushrat Bharucha, this film was earlier title ‘Turram Khan’ and is set in a small town in Uttar Pradesh. It marks the re-union of director-actor duo Mehta and Rao, who worked together in films like ‘Shahid’, ‘Citylights’, ‘Aligarh’ and ‘Omerta’.

‘83 (April 10): We will see Deepika Padukone working with husband Ranveer Singh for the first time since their marriage in 2018. Having delivered many successful outings together in the past, the duo is gearing up for the on-screen retelling of India’s historic win of the 1983 Cricket World Cup. Singh plays veteran cricketer Kapil Dev, while Padukone plays Dev’s wife.

Gulabo Sitabo (April 16): Bollywood continues its love affair with small-town stories from India. Written by Juhi Chaturvedi and directed by Shoojit Sircar (‘Piku’ team), ‘Gulabo Sitabo’ is set in Lucknow and stars Amitabh Bachchan and Ayushmann Khurrana as two locals. They will bring to life their day-to-day struggles of living as a common man in Uttar Pradesh.

Roohi Afza (April 16): Gear up for a horror comedy directed by Hardik Mehta about a spirit of a man who abducts brides on their honeymoons. Starring Janhvi Kapoor, Rajkummar Rao, Pankaj Thripathi and Varun Sharma, this one promises to be a laugh riot and marks Mehta’s directorial debut.

Shamshera (July 30): Ranbir Kapoor plays the title role in this period action adventure. He reportedly plays a double role as a father and son in ‘Shamshera’, which means sword. Produced by Aditya Chopra’s Yash Raj Films, the story directed by Karan Malhotra is set in the 1800s about a dacoit tribe who spearheaded a rebellion against the British. It also stars Vaani Kapoor and Sanjay Dutt.

Brahmastra (Summer 2020): Director Ayan Mukerji hit a casting coup with his first superhero adventure that took him six years to conceive. Starring Alia Bhatt, Amitabh Bachchan and Ranbir Kapoor, ‘Brahmastra’ is the first part of a sci-fi trilogy from Mukerji. Bachchan has been sharing details about their arduous shoot from Bulgaria and posted on Twitter: “Minus degrees... err like -3... protective gear... and the work etiquette.” Kapoor describes this film as a “romantic fairy tale in a superhero format’.

Sardar Udham Singh (October 1): Directed by Shoojit Sircar, Vicky Kaushal will channel his energies towards playing the Indian revolutionary freedom fighter Sardar Udham Singh who assassinated Michael O’Dwyer, the British officer who was responsible for Jallianwala Bagh massacre. The first look of the film showed Kaushal as a mean assassin who means business. Kaushal called it a “big honour” to play the martyr, who was convicted and hung in 1940. “The way he [director Shoojit Sircar] is looking at the character [Udham Singh] and the world is extraordinary as well as beautiful. Plus, it’s also a big honour for me that finally, I am going to be directed by him. Honestly, that’s something that will take time to sink in,” said Kaushal in a statement.

Prithviraj (November 12) Akshay Kumar will alive the fierce tale of king Prithviraj Chauhan in this period epic, directed by Chandraprakash Dwivedi of hit TV show ‘Chanakya’ fame. Miss World 2017 Manushi Chhillar will make her acting debut as princess Sanyogita. “It is a huge responsibility to play princess Sanyogita. She was a powerful personality and stood up for what is right and took the most important decisions of her life herself. Her life is an extremely important chapter in Indian history, and I will try my best to play her as accurately as possible,” said Chhillar in an interview with an Indian English daily Times of India.

Laal Singh Chaddha (December 24) It’s Aamir Khan’s take on Hollywood blockbuster ‘Forrest Gump’. Reports claim that Khan had worked for eight years to buy the rights of ‘Forrest Gump’ from Hollywood studio Paramount Pictures. He plays a Sardar in this film and was required to lose 20kg to play the younger version of his character.

Bunty Aur Babli 2 (To be announced) After 15 years, Abhishek Bachchan and Rani Mukerji’s 2005 hit comedy ‘Bunty Aur Babli’ will get a sequel. While Mukerji will be a part of the second instalment, it is actor Saif Ali Khan who will play her pair. The original was a hoot about a couple who conned people for a living. Directed by Varun Sharma, the movie also stars ‘Gully Boy’ breakout star Siddhant Chaturvedi in the lead and Sharvari Wagh, who will make her Bollywood debut with this comedy.