Entertainment - Bollywood 2009

My Name is Khan
Director: Karan Johar
Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol A still from My Name is Khan


There are many stories regarding the content of this film making the rounds but ask Karan Johar about it and he just gives his most enigmatic smile. Sifting the wheat from the load of chaff, it emerges this claims inspiration from the Tom Cruise-Dustin Hoffman starrer Rainman with Shah Rukh Khan playing the autistic brother to Aamir Bashir. The film covers several years in the lead character's lives as Shah Rukh Khan’s and Kajol’s son ages from 7 to 12. This film is as awaited for its lead pairing and its theme of terrorism as it is for being Karan Johar’s most mature film to date.

Ø Ajab Prem Ki Ghajab Kahani
Director: Rajkumar Santoshi
Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Katrina Kaif

The shooting locations of this movie are Italy, Mumbai, and Goa. As the name suggest, Ajab Prem Ki Ghajab Kahani is a love story. Director Rajkumar Santoshi says, “Ranbir plays a guy who is wasting his time in his life. He is aimlessly fooling around. Along the way, he meets Katrina and falls in love with her. The entry of Katrina in Ranbir’s life changes Ranbir completely. It’s quite an adventure film.”

Ø Hissss
Director: Jennifer Chambers Lynch
Cast: Irrfan Khan, Mallika Sherawat, Jeff Doucette

Hollywood combines with Bollywood to release Hissss, bringing to life the fabled sexy-serial-killing Naagin who is played by Mallika Sherawat. A ruthless American travels to the jungles of India and captures the Naagin’s mate which sets off a vengeful journey. Filled with special effects, it remains to be seen if the movie will be good or as uncomfortable as Mallika’s snake costume for the film. Apparently, she took so much time to get into the costume that they decided to not give her any dialogue in the film.

Ø London Dreams
Director: Vipul Shah
Cast: Salman Khan, Ajay
Devgan, Asin

Vipul Shah’s love for UK continues with next year’s big release, London Dreams. The movie
follows two aspiring pop stars played by Salman Khan and Ajay Devgan, both of whom fall in love with the South Indian beauty Asin. The movie looks to cash in on the Hum Dil Chuke Sanam male pair and the success of Asin in Ghajini. No more running around the Big Ben, please.

Ø Kaminay
Director: Vishal Bharadwaj
Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Amol Gupte, Priyanka Chopra

Vishal Bharadwaj’s Kaminay sees the critically acclaimed director try his hand at comedy. One of the most eagerly awaited films of 2009, the film will see Shahid Kapoor in a double role for the first time paired opposite Priyanka Chopra. Bharadwaj has reportedly roped in actors from theatre for the movie. Shahid himself has gone for a different look just like Saif did for Omkara and the look is being kept under wraps.

Ø Kites
Director: Anurag Basu
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Kangna Ranaut, Barbara Mori

Kites is an intense romance with the kites in the title representing the meeting of two lovers who are then set adrift by circumstances much like kites are wont to do when being flown by experts. It seems a bit of a stretch but then there’s no accounting for producer’s fancies especially when the name has to necessarily start with a K

Imtiaz Ali's next (Untitled)
Director: Imtiaz Ali
Cast: Saif Ali Khan,
Deepika Padukone A still from My Name is Khan


While his earlier two films, Jab We Met and Socha Na Tha revolved around the interaction between two youngsters, which eventually culminated in love, none of them were true blue romantic tales. However, writer-director Imtiaz Ali’s next film starring Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone, is an intense romantic tale. Imtiaz had said, “This is going to be my first love story. Jab We Met and Socha Na Tha, both weren’t love stories in the true sense of the term. In both the films, there was no romantic kick-start. Jab We Met had only one of the protagonists (Shahid Kapur) realising his love for the girl (Kareena Kapoor) who falls in love with him only towards the film’s end.” The film is a love story spread over two decades and will also mark the debut of British actor Florence.

Ø 3 Idiots
Director: Raju Hirani
Cast: Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Sharman Joshi, Madhavan, Boman Irani

Chetan Bhagat hopes to see some justice done to his best book yet, Five Point Someone by bringing two big stars, Aamir Khan and Kareena Kapoor together for the first time for an adaptation of the book. The dismal failure of Hello! (also a Chetan Bhagat adaptation), will weigh heavily on the author’s mind as the 3 Idiots is in production. Raju Hirani has played a huge part in bringing the stars together, and it poses quite a challenge to portray the 30+ actors as under 22 students.

Ø Delhi Belly
Director: Abhinav Deo
Cast: Imran Khan, Kunal Roy Kapoor, Vir Das, Shehnaz, Treasurywala

Imran Khan played the cute boy-next-door, followed by a menacing (tee hee) kidnapper. His newest avatar sees him as a comedian in Aamir Khan’s next production, Delhi Belly. The language used in the film is reportedly ‘strong’ and looks to appeal to a niche market in the country and international audiences with this comedy in English. The film is directed by Abhinav Deo, son of yesteryear’s star, Ramesh Deo.

Ø Billu Barber
Director: Priyadarshan
Cast: Irrfan Khan, Lara Dutta, Shah Rukh Khan

After Aamir Khan last year, SRK adapts a movie from down South. Billu Barber is loosely based on the friendship between Krishna and Sudhama, and on the Malyalam Rajnikanth hit, Kuselan. SRK plays himself in the movie and Irrfan Khan plays a small town barber. The movie explores the friendship between rich and poor, and the dire consequences it has on Billu’s life. The first time combination of the biggest star Bollywood has to offer and the most promising actor is surely a formula for success.

Ø Luck by Chance
Director: Zoya Akhtar
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Farhan Akhtar, Rishi Kapoor, Konkona Sen Sharma, Isha Sharwani, Dimple Kapadia, Juhi Chawla, Sanjay Kapoor,
Aly Khan

Zoya Akhtar’s star-studded release Luck By Chance is yet another look into the life of Bollywood stardom after OSO and Khoya Khoya Chand. Konkana Sen Sharma plays the aspiring starlet, who will share the screen with Hrithik Roshan, Farhan Akhtar, Rishi Kapoor, Dimple Kapadia, Juhi Chawla among others. The film explores the role fate plays in Bollywood.

Ø Chandni Chowk to China
Director: Nikhil Advani
Cast: Akshay Kumar,
Deepika Padukone, Mithun Chakraborty,
Ranvir Shorey

Chandni Chowk To China, the first ever Bollywood Kung Fu comedy begins with the protagonist Akshay Kumar, who is the lowest on the totem pole, cutting vegetables at a roadside food stall in Chandni Chowk in Delhi. He longs to escape his dreary existence and looks for shortcuts with astrologers, tarot readers and fake fakirs – believing anything except himself, despite his father figure Mithun Chakraborty’s best efforts. His redeeming moment arrives when two strangers from China claim him as a reincarnation of a war hero in the past and take him to China. He blissfully sets forth with Ranvir Sheorey who instigates dreams of a delicious future and forgets to reveal the perils, which await him. Along the way, he meets Deepika Padukone and sets off on even more adventures.

Ø Kambakth Ishq
Director: Sabir Khan
Cast: Akshay Kumar,
Kareena Kapoor, Sylvester Stallone

Probably one of the biggest films till date, the film will see major Hollywood stars making cameo appearances in the film along with Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor. The film has Sylvester Stallone, Denise Richards, Brandon Routh and many others from Hollywood. Akshay will be seen doing daredevil stunts yet again as he plays a stunt man in Hollywood. The film also has Aftab Shivdasani and Amrita Arora and is directed by debutante Sabir Khan.