RACE 2:

Finally, one of the most awaited sequels is releasing in the first month of the New Year itself. Race was a super hit in 2008 and its sequel releases on 25^th January 2013. Adding to the original cast of Anil Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone, John Abraham, Jacqueline Fernandez and Ameesha Patel are a part of Race 2. Only time will tell if we miss Katrina Kaif, Bipasha Basu, Sameera Reddy and Akshaye Khanna. The music of the film released on 6^th January 2013 and it is composed by Pritam. As expected they’ve become quite the chartbusters. Lets hope the film’s fate is also much like its prequels.

DOSTANA 2:

Dostana 2 is the sequel to Karan Johar’s Dostana and was earlier slated to release in 2012. Arjun Rampal is the addition to the cast along with Riteish Deshmukh, Dino Morea, Shreyas Talpade and Abhay Deol while Abhishek Bachchan and John Abraham will be playing their previous roles. Reportedly, the location has been shifted from Miami to London and Katrina Kaif is replacing Priyanka Chopra for Dostana 2. The movie is said to release by mid-2013.

ONCE UPON A TIME IN MUMBAI AGAIN:

This is the sequel to the 2010 hit Once Upon A Time in Mumbai. The cast for the sequel has been completely changed with Akshay Kumar playing the character of Shoaib, Imran Khan as Aslam, Sonakshi Sinha as Mumtaz, Anil Kapoor as Patrick and Sonali Bendre making a comeback as Rehana. This Milan Luthria directorial is set to release on 8^th August 2013, on Eid.

KRRISH 3:

Koi…Mil Gaya was succeeded by Krrish, which rocked at the box office and now comes its sequel Krrish 3, which is set to release in the 3D format during Diwali and will feature Vivek Oberoi as Kaal, the antagonist and also Kangana Ranaut along with the original cast.

DHOOM 3: BACK IN ACTION

Dhoom 3 is the third part of the Dhoom series that was much loved and accepted by the audience and didn’t fail to meet their expectations. Dhoom 3 will feature Aamir Khan and Katrina Kaif as an addition, along with Abhishek Bachchan and Uday Chopra in their original characters. The film is slated for a Christmas release in 2013.

SAHEB, BIWI AUR GANGSTER RETURNS:

Saheb, Biwi Aur Gangster was another surprise that received a strong positive response from the critics and following its success, the sequel was announced and is set to release on 8^th March 2013. Mahie Gill, Jimmy Shergill and Randeep Hooda will be a part of the sequel and the addition to the cast is Soha Ali Khan and Irrfan Khan.

RAGINI MMS 2:

Ekta Kapoor’s Ragini MMS, which was inspired by the real life story of a girl in Delhi, will now have a sequel to it which is also inspired by a true story. Ekta has roped in Sunny Leone for Ragini MMS 2 and the film will be directed by Bhushan Patel, who directed 1920. Shooting for the film began 15^th January 2013 following a prayer gathering at Siddhi Vinayak Temple. The film is slated for an early 2013 release.

SHOOTOUT AT WADALA:

We all loved the amazingly made Shootout at Lokhandwala and have been awaiting its sequel forever now. We finally have Shootout at Wadala releasing on 1^st May 2013, featuring John Abraham, Anil Kapoor, Kangna Ranaut, Tusshar Kapoor and Sonu Sood. Actress Priyanka Chopra will be appearing in a cameo appearance and an item number-mujra song. The movie will revolve around the first-ever registered encounter by Mumbai police, where gangster Manya Surve was shot dead, which took place at Vidyalankar Institute of Technology, Sangam Nagar, Wadala, Mumbai on 1 November 1982.

MURDER 3:

The third of the Murder series, Murder 3 is the remake of the thriller The Hidden Face. Emran Hashmi is not coming back for this one and the star cast is Randeep Hooda, Sara Loren and Aditi Rao Hydari. The film will hit the screens on 15^th February 2013.

YAMLA PAGLA DEEWANA 2:

After a rocking Yamla Pagla Deewana, the trio of Dharmendra, Bobby Deol and Sunny Deol is back with Yamla Pagla Deewana 2 and promise more fun and crazy moments than ever before! The additions to this star cast are Anupam Kher and Johnny Lever in supporting roles, Neha Sharma and also Kristina Akheeva debuting alongside the two Deols. This sequel will release on 7^th June 2013.

With that, our list comes to an end. A power packed, sequel packed 2013 is what lies ahead of us. Keep watching our space for updates on all of these films!

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Akshay Kumar – Kajal Aggarwal

The duo are to star in Neeraj Pandey’s Special Chabbis and is set in the 1980s. The film is based on a real-life heist that took place in 1987 and revolves around an unknown man who poses as CBI officer and formulates a heist to disappear with jewellery worth millions. Singham actress Kajal Agarwal is the sole female lead of the film. Neeraj Pandey is the renowned director of A Wednesday so its only natural that expectations from this Feburuary 8^th release is reasonably high. We’re definitely keeping our eyes peeled for this one!

Ranbir Kapoor – Anushka Sharma

RK is set to have yet another busy year with the ladies. He’s got one helluva of an interesting line up with the whos who of the industry. One we’re most excited for is Anurag Kashyap’s Bombay Velvet. The film is one of Kashyap’s most ambitious projects and has the very young and fresh pairing of Ranbir Kaoor and Anushka Sharma. We’ve seen the two mingle in the same group for a while now but we’re super eager to how they look onscreen together. Two good looking fine actors, no doubt this is one jodi that will surely strike gold!

Priyanka Chopra – Ram Charan Teja

A rising star of the South, Ram (son of megastar Chiranjeevi) has made himself a name for himself winning 2 Filmfare awards in 2007 and 2009. In 2013 he makes his Hindi debut with the remake of 1973 film of the same name Zanjeer, alongside versatile actress/singer Priyanka Chopra. The film is directed and produced by Apoorva Lakhia (of Shootout at Lokhandwala fame) and is due to release on April 12^th. Let’s hope the remake doesn’t bring shame to the original and that this jodi is one we get to see onscreen again.

Sonakshi Sinha –  Ranveer Singh

Excitement to see Sonakshi Sinha and Ranveer Singh together onscreen has been present since the day the two were announced for Lootera (we even covered them last year!). Ofcourse rumours of their off screen linkup only fuelled that excitement. Lootera is s joint production by Anurag Kashyap (AKF) and Ekta Kapoor (Balaji). It marks the return of Udaan director, Vikramaditya Motwane. The film is set in the 1950s releases on July 5^th 2013, and is set against a Bengali backdrop. Word is that the movie features music by Amit Trivedi. We’re eager to finally see Sonakshi star opposite the someone from the young crowd for a change. Lets wait and see how this film and this jodi turn out!

Shahid Kapoor –  Ileana D’Cruz

Ever since the stills of Shahid and Barfi star Ileana were released, for their upcoming film Phata Poster Nikhla Hero, buzz has constantly surrounded the film. The film is said to be a romantic comedy, directed by Rajkumar Santoshi (Andaz Apna Apna & Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani), and produced by Ramesh Taurani with music by Pritam. It’s slated to release August 22^nd 2013, and will hopefully provide many laughs and give us a new hit jodi!

Ranbir Kapoor – Pallavi Sharda

The poster for Besharam has already been released and has been noted for its brashness. Ranbir will be seen alongside Pallavi Sharda, who appeared in supporting roles in My Name Is Khan, Love Breakups Zindagi and more recently, Heroine. Besharam will be Pallavi’s first lead role and film is said to be a romantic comedy. The film is directed and written by Abhinav Kashyap (Dabangg), produced by Reliance Entertainment with music by Lalit Pandit (of Jatin-Lalit fame). Besharam is set for an October 2^ndrelease. Wonder how their jodi will fare – we’ll be keeping our eyes locked on this fresh pairing.

Katrina Kaif – Aamir Khan

And finally, we have the very unlikely jodi of Katrina Kaif and Aamir Khan as they are paired together for the latest installement in the Dhoom series: Dhoom 3. Aamir’s cute appeal is somewhat mismatched with Katrina’s sexiness (also we do wonder about the height issue too)  – we’re not expecting much from this jodi, but you never know – we could be in for a surprise! They didn’t look quite bad in that period drama themed photoshoot they did for a leading magazine (featured above) however how they look in a hardcore action cop drama will be a whole new story. The film features Katrina and Aamir as villains, with Abhishek Bachchan and Uday Chopra reprising their roles as policemen. Pritam is the music composer and the film is slated for a Christmas release! Who knows whether this jodi will be a hit or not, but we’ll be keeping a close eye on this one!

Farhan Akhtar – Sonam Kapoor

Bhaag Milka Bhaag has been in the news for various reasons but one cannot deny the new pairing of Farhan Akhtar and Sonam Kapoor definitely is intriguing. They definitely make one lovely pair, which we wouldn’t have guessed had it not been for the photoshoot featured above. However what we’re eager to see is how they look in their character avatars for the film. Guess Rakesh Omprakash Mehra is not ready to reveal all just yet so we’ll have to hang on tight to see how our reel life Milka and Nirmal Kaur look!

There’s many more jodis we look forward to in 2013 that we couldn’t possibly fit on this list. Sonam-Dhanush in Raanjhaana, Emraan Hashmi-Kareena Kapoor Khan in the untitled the Dharma/Balaji production, Ajay-Tamanna in Himmatwala, Akshay Kumar – Aditi Rao Hydari in Blue director’s next and Saif Ali Khan and Sonakshi Sinha in Tigmanshu Dhulia Bullet Raja are just to name a few of the jodis we can’t wait to see onscreen in the new year.

Seems like Bollywood has some pretty hot (or not, as the case may be) jodis lined up for 2013. For now we can speculate, guess and try to figure out which of them will deliver and which wont but fact of the matter is, only time will tell. We hope you enjoyed our jodis for 2013 and we look forward to seeing you back here again next with some new and exciting names. Till then, see you at the movies!

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5. SRK-Salman Patch Up

They patched up. No they didn’t. They almost did. Well they eventually didn’t. One of the most popular combos of the 90s, Salman and Shah Rukh kept everyone guessing off a possible reconciliation all through 2012. An amiable friendship gone sour around four years back, these two kept bumping and tactfully avoiding each other, on multiple occasions through the year, giving ample feed for gossip mags. Despite each openly maintaining that no one can broker peace between them, Salman jumping to SRK’s defence in a recent episode of a reality show. This has re-ignited hope among fans that there just might just be slight chance the actors would kiss and make up (no pun intended). The only one who seems capable of pacifying the two warring Khans is Karan Johar who shares a celebrated rapport with each. Even as fan clubs troll the other with much animosity, it’s no shocker that an SRK-Salman patch up has been on the wish-list of many. After all who wouldn’t want an encore of this fabulous camaraderie from the years gone-by? So over to you then KJO, kya hamaare Karan-Arjun screen pe saath nazar aayenge?

4. Bring back our 90s cliches

While we are on Karan-Arjun and the delectable decade of the 90s, can we request our filmmakers to bring back the high drama from the nineties and the years before? We got little glimpses of that era in ‘Once upon a time in Mumbaai’, but we miss the little bits of the films back then which added an enigmatic feels to the film making them an extremely fun affair. The vamps, the pets, the peculiar looking villain (with a fancy looking den if possible), the daakus and the smugglers, the doctor or the lawyer with the kala coat, rolling credits marking ‘THE END’ in huge font without the hum-drums of another ear-piercing item song, the MAA and offcourse Ramu kaka.

3. Boost the Indie Scene

2012 saw cinema taking the path less trodden and venturing into screening of offbeat independent low-budget films under the banner ‘PVR Directors Rare’. It is an extraordinary effort wherein corporate entities backed new age cinema thus bringing wonderful films to the urban audiences. While most releases under this banner received positive reviews, in terms of viewership the reality was far from expectations. Owing to viability and audience reception, this bunch got handful screenings, an insubstantial number in proportion to its commercial sibling. Limited urban multiplex shows, early morning or late night slots, and highly priced tickets resulted in even the small section of interested viewers staying away. Filmmakers working on a shoe-string budget couldn’t match the marketing costs of the mainstream flicks, which translated to low exposure and lower audience turnout. No satellite or International releases further curtailed the reach of these films. However 2013 looks set to see improvements in this endeavour. In the last few months of 2012, independent film-makers have come together for a campaign called ‘save Indie cinema’. Via this initiative, the team is reaching out to I&B ministry with their concerns and suggestions to help this leg of cinema. Additionally PVR programming head, Shiladitya Bora in an interview asserted they’re working on increased screens, better releases.  “We will be more quality conscious, we’ll cut down the number of releases,” he says. “So we can do better marketing, and space out films so they get a proper run” Now here’s praying that audiences equally show support in order for these efforts to sustain. Fingers crossed for our indie wish to come true.

2. Breaking the leading lady stereotypes

Women gave a new sense of direction to Hindi cinema in 2012. Be it real – Gauri Shinde (English Vinglish), Reema Kagti (Talaash), Juhi Chaturvedi (screenplay-Vicky Donor), Urmi Juvekar (writer-Shanghai) or fictional – little gems gave us Vidya Baggchi (Kahani), Shashi Godbole (English Vinglish), Jhilmil (Barfi), women led a welcome break from the hero worship this cinema is accustomed to. However amidst a probable trend set for the future reflecting in the emergence of women power, some of the other bigger names continued to feed on stereotyping women as the ‘damsel in distress’ who could do no good on her own. Veronica (Cocktail), Zoya (Ishqzaade), Mahi Arora (Heroine) were examples of strong leading characters that were introduced with much aplomb and spunk but were prey to the sexism and altered to end up as a besotted mere accessory. We made our displeasure very evident in an editorial where we wrote about our leading ladies being stereotyped into characters with no depth. Here’s hoping the New Year witnesses a change in this approach.

1. I’m slapstick – about time Bollywood did away with it

Slapstick comedy. It’s the most abused term in Hindi cinema and the momentum with which its growing one-100-cr-film at a time is pretty daunting. Encouraged by audiences flocking to the cinemas to see these star-powered leave-your-brain-at-home masala films, the count to the likes of Bol Bachchan, Khiladi 786, Son of Sardar has been increasing multi-fold year after year. Collectively termed slapstick comedy (which I like to refer to more as slap on the face of the audience) these films thrive on tested formulaic scripts and an A-lister to lure this star-crazy audience into believing that it’s been made especially for its potboiler fans while the makers guffaw their way to the bank. Being bitten in your crotch by a python, making contorted faces, floppy wrists to enacting gay, filmmakers seem content disregarding common sense & taking the shortcut out. Here’s wishing they wake up to the difference between comic & crass and refrain from crossing the lines of civility.

Special mention: Another thing that stood out this year was having the actors sing for themselves (Ayushmann, Ali Zafar, Aditi Rao). Now that is a pretty cool idea which I wish we could experience more of. But then again as an afterthought, if it really means I’ve to listen to Abhishek or Farhan or Hrithik.. ummm maybe not! !

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Now for the countdown. Bear in mind that this countdown is based on pure fact and figures. This is a countdown based on what you the viewer have voted for with your feet, as you the viewer have taken the time out from your lives to see these films in your droves. You may agree with some of them you may not agree with some of them – but come what may, these are your top ten grossers for 2012.

10. Son of Sardaar

Starring – Ajay Devgan, Sonakshi Sinha, Sanjay Dutt, Juhi Chawla, Mukul Dev, Vindu Dara Singh

Director – Ashwini Dhir

Producer – Ajay Devgan, N.R Pachisia, Pravin Talreja

Music – Himesh Reshammiya

Release Date – November 13, 2012

This 2012 action comedy offering from Ashwni Dhir released to competition with the Yash Raj film Jab Tak Hai Jaan, and managed to hold its own by doing excellent business at the box office worldwide.

Based on a story of two families whose leaders killed themselves many years ago, this Ajay Devgan starrer is a loose remake of Telugu film Maryada Ramanna directed by S. S. Rajamouli that faced its fair share of controversy before release. Ajay Devgan sent an intimation notice to Yash Raj Films two weeks before Diwali, accusing Yash Raj Films of monopolistic business practices, stating that they used “their dominant position in the Bollywood film market” to secure many high quality single-screens for their release Jab Tak Hai Jaan. The Competition Commission dismissed the case against Yash Raj Films on 6 November 2012, which led to Ajay Devgn appealing to Competition Appellate Tribunal after rejection of petition against Yash Raj Films. The Competition Appellate tribunal bench headed by chairman Justice V. S. Sirpurkar refused Ajay’s stay against Jab Tak Hai Jaan but stated that the case against Yash Raj Films will be reviewed again.

Despite the issues Son of Sardaar managed to receive mixed reviews. Taran Adarsh gave the film four out of five stars saying ‘If you liked Wanted, Dabangg and Rowdy Rathore, chances are you will relish Son of Sardaar as well. The North Indian audiences in particular and those residing abroad will be simply delighted by this chatpata, masaledaar fare.’

Bollyspice reviewer, Anjum Shabbir, compared this Diwali offering to sweet or salty lassi, saying you will either love it or hate it and gave the film two and a half stars out of five stars.

Now down to the nitty gritty. Son Of Sardaar opened to a 70% average at multiplexes and single screens, in North India. The opening day earnings grossed 8.50 crore. The second day earnings shhowed growth with collections of around 14 crore

Son Of Sardar’s first-week total hit 62 crore and a total of 80 crore after its second weekend. Collections however dropped for Son of Sardar in week two where totals reached around 15.16 crore.

With a total of  88.50 crore in four weeks, Son of Sardaar is 2012’s 10^th Top Grossing Film.

9. Talaash

Starring – Aamir Khan, Rani Mukerji, Kareena Kapoor

Director – Reema Kagti

Producer – Ritesh Sidhwani, Aamir Khan, Farhan Akthar

Music – Ram Sampath

Release Date – November 30, 2012

Following her 2007 directorial debut with the widely acclaimed Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd., Kagti was approached to helm many projects by several production houses. However, unable to find any films that interested her, Kagti began working again on a script with her friend Zoya Akhtar that they wrote in early 2010.

Written with him in mind, Aamir Khan was approached in November 2010 with a final story and Kagti found her male lead and film producer.

Talaash received positive to mixed reviews from critics. Anupama Chopra of Hindustan Times gave it 3 out of 5, stating “For once, I also feel the need to explain my rating: I wanted to give four stars to the first half and two stars to the second half, so it averages out to three. See Talaash and do post comments. I’m curious to see how many were as furious as me.

Anjum Shabbir reviewed for BollySpice and recommended readers to get themselves down to their nearest cinema – they would not be disappointed. . Anjum also wondered where Talaash would rank amoung the big releases of 2012 – so here it is.

With opening collections of an average of 65-70% in the multiplexes and 40% in the single screens, Talaash collected 12.50 crore in its opening day and 64.31 crore in its first week. Pundits have put Talaash’s four weeks figures at a total of 90.25 crore making it your Ninth Top Grossing Film Of The Year.

8. Bol Bachchan

Starring – Ajay Devgan, Abhishek Bachchan, Asin, Prachi Desai, Krushna Abhishek

Director – Rohit Shetty

Producer – Ajay Devgan, Dhillin Metha

Music – HImesh Reshammiya, Ajay-Atul

Release Date – July 6, 2012

Made on a massive budget of 70 crore, this year’s Rohit Shetty offering was an official remake of the popular 1979 film Gol Maal. With its trailer released on 24 May 2012 and the release of the film on 6 July 2012 in approximately 2575 screens worldwide with 2700 prints, almost half a year behind its original release date of Diwali 2011.

Critically the film received mixed reviews. Devesh Sharma gave this summer offering four out of five stars stating that the film was a ‘good leave- your-brains-behind product’ which the masses would be happy with, the same however could not be said for the soul of the late Hrishikesh Mukerjee.

Shalu Dhyani reviewed the film for BollySpice and gave this Shetty offering two and a half stars out of five stars, saying that the film didn’t have the laugh a minute quality of Shetty’s earlier comedies.

Now the figures. Bol Bachchan’s opening collections for single screens hovered around 70% while it’s opening collections at the multiplexes were slightly lower at around the 60% mark. It’s opening day collections were 11.25 crore with a jump on Sunday to reach a total of 38 crore. Bol Bachchan’s first week collections stood at 60 crore, but saw a 70% drop in business in it’s second Friday at the multiplexes due to the release of Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone starrer Cocktail. Bol Bachchan managed to hold its own in the single screens which helped it land at this years number eight with a total gross of approximatly 100 crore.

7. Jab Tak Hai Jaan

Starring – Shah Rukh Khan, Katrina Kaif, Anushka Sharma

Director – Yash Chopra

Producer – Aditya Chopra

Music – A R Rehman

Release Date – November 12, 2012

Jab Tak Hai Jaan, Chopra’s fourth film to feature Shahrukh Khan in the lead role was his return to the silver screen following the eight year gap after the release of 2004 release Veer-Zaara. It was also to be his last film before his death of 21^st October 2012.

Chopra’s final Bollywood offering opened to positive to mixed reviews. The romantic drama was given four out of five stars by Taran Adarsh who mentioned in his review that the film was ‘attention grabbing from inception till conclusion’. Sukanya Verma on the other hand gave the film two and a half out of five for Chopra’s swan song, criticizing the screenplay and snappiness. Pooja Rao reviewed the film for BollySpice and suggested a three out of five rating, stating that it was sloppy and clichéd, but lead actor Shah Rukh Khan made it work.

Released on the same day as Son of Sardaar, Jab Tak Hai Jaan managed to out perform Son of Sardaar by a massive 20 crore despite the controversy and the competition.

Jab Tak Hai Jaan opened to 95% occupancy across the multiplexes and single screens across India and collected 12.50 crore on its opening day. A 50% growth on its second day saw the film collections rise by 19.54 crore. The end of the first week saw collections total 78 crore, second week collections fell considerably where totals reached were 15.9 crore. The film crossed its 100 crore mark 20days after its release on 2^nd December. A fitting tribute to one of the best directors of Indian Cinema, Yash Chopra’s final film is 2012’s seventh highest grossing film.

6. Barfi!

Starring – Ranbir Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, IIeana D’cruz, Saurabh Shukla

Director – Anurag Basu

Producer – Ronnie Screwvala, Siddharth Roy Kapoor

Music – Pritam

Release Date – September 14, 2012

Barfi! Anurag Basu’s 2012 Indian romantic comedy film tells the story of “Barfi”, a mute and deaf boy in Darjeeling, West Bengal and his relationship with two girls. Official filming for Barfi! Began on 11^th March 2011 and completion by April 2012. The release of the film was postponed from its original date of July 13^th 2012 to August 31^st 2012 and then again to September 14^th at the request of the producers.

India’s official entry for the Best Foreign Language Film nomination for the 85th Academy Awards in February, Barfi! Was made on a budget of 30 crore and released across 1300 screens in India. As with every Basu film there is always some element of controversy. Producer Siddharth Roy received notice from British radio maker Murphy Radio saying that their trademark Murphy baby had been used without permission. Roy responded to the notice by saying that there was nothing wrong with the intention with which the trademark had been used and that the brand had been shown in a very positive light.

Barfi! Opened to largely positive reviews, Madhureeta Mukerjee reviewed the film for The Times of India rated the film with four out of five stars, expressing ‘Ranbir, in the most challenging performance of his career leaves us ‘dumbstruck.’ Pooja Rao reviewed for BollySpice and highlighted one of the messages of the film, which Barfi teaches us to value people by what they bring into our lives in an age when we are always judging people by what they cannot bring into our lives. Mentioning that the film leaves you with a warmth in the heart. Rao awarded the film three out of five stars.

Barfi! Had a strong opening at the multiplexes but experienced a weaker opening in the single screens largely due to the limited release. Grossing 8.56 crore on its first day, with 34 crore being its total takings on its first weekend. The first total week collections were 56.46 crore, second week total collections were 24.18 crores, third week collections stood at 15.75 crore and forth week collections were 6.15 crore. Final figures for this years number six are  106 crore. Not bad Mr Basu. Not bad at all.

5. Housefull 2

Starring – Akshay Kumar, Asin, John Abraham, Jacqueline Fernandez, Rishi Kapoor, Randhir Kapoor

Director – Sajid Khan

Producer – Sajid Nadiadwala

Music – Sajid – Wajid

Release Date – April 5th, 2012

The sequel to the 2010 Sajid Khan release Housefull, Housefull 2 was unleashed on us in early 2012. Said to be inspired by 2003 Tamil film Banda Paramasivam and 1998 Malayalam film Mattupetti Machan, filming for the first schedule started on June 9^th 2011 in London and Peterborough, the second schedule on 1^st October 2011 in Filmistan Studios, Mumbai and the final schedule in December in Thailand.

Though initial announcements indicated that the film would hit the silver screen on June 1^st, an announcement on September 30^th 2011 confirmed the release date as April 5^th 2012.

A 2700 screen release landed Housefull 2 in forth place behind Ra.One, Bodyguard, and Don 2.

Critically Housefull 2 received far more positive reviews than its predecessor, though the opinion was still largely mixed. Taran Adarsh gave the film three and a half stars saying ‘if your idea of watching a comedy is to have a good time at the movies, then Housefull 2 is especially designed for you.’

Rajeev Masand on gave the film one out of five stars and declared that Housefull 2 was for four year olds who didn’t know any better. Prateeksha Khot reviewed the film for BollySpice and awarded the film two stars out of five stating the reason behind it was the enjoyment levels experienced on two factors – where you see it and with whom.

Now the important part. Housefull 2 opened well and collected 13.25 crore on its first day, 12.75 crore on its second and 16 crore on its third day. Its 1^st week alone saw its collection total 63 crore, however first weekend collections dropped by 4 crore  due to IPL matches, however figures for the its second week totaled 30 crore and by its third week the films collections had crossed 100 crore.

Final figures for this Khan Easter offering are well over 113 crore. The figure alone explains why Khan has confirmed the ideas of a Housefull 3 in a couple of years.

4. Agneepath

Starring – Hrithik Roshan, Rishi Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Priyanka Chopra, Om Puri, Zarina Wahab

Director – Karan Malhotra

Producer – Karan Johar, Hiroo Johar

Music – Ajay – Atul

Release Date – January 26^th 2012

The retelling of the 1990 Amitabh Bachchan Agnipath starring Hrithik Roshan as Vijay Deenanath Chauhan was released in the early part of the year. Having harboured the intentions of remaking the film since the commercial failure of the first Agneepath, the discussions of the remake arose on the sets of My Name is Khan, where Karan Malhotra was assisting Johar. Johar maintained that the new film would belong to a different environment on comparison to the original. The film would be adapted to fit in with today’s generation and time. Noticeable changes were made to the storyline of the original film. Characters were omitted and new characters were introduced.

Initially scheduled to release on 13^th January 2012, the release was postponed by a week to 26^th January to coincide with the Republic Day Celebrations in India. The film was released on 2650 screens worldwide and received positive reviews. Taran Adarsh awarded the film four and a half out of five stating that the film was a fitting tribute to the masterwork. Prateeksha Khot reviewed for BollySpice gave the film three and half out of five saying ‘go watch this film for nostalgia and some really great performances to come out of the actors.’

Made on a budget of 60 crore, Agneepath broke the highest opening day collections record in India. On its opening day Agneepath grossed 21.76 crore surpassing the record held by Bodyguard. The first week total reached 85.88 crore. The second week collection 23.12 crore, the third week collections took totals to 116.59 crores and final collections stand at 121 crore.

Ladies and gents our forth top grossing film. Agneepath.

3. Rowdy Rathore

Starring – Akshay Kumar, Sonakshi Sinha

Director – Prabhu Deva

Producer – Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Ronnie Screwvala

Music – Sajid-Wajid

Release Date – June 1^st 2012

Rowdy Rathore revolves around a thief, Shiva, who falls in love with a young woman named Paro.  Taking on the responsibility to care of deceased lookalike ACP Vikram Rathore’s daughter, Shiva also seeks revenge from the main antagonist Baapji. Shot primarily in Mumbai at SLB Production House and made on a budget of 40 crore, Rowdy Rathore released on 1 June 2012 on 2700 screens worldwide.

Rowdy Rathore received a mixed response from critics, DNA India gave 3 stars out of 5 and said, “Rowdy is Akshay’s return to action. And how! The actor takes charge of the film from the first scene and holds it tight all through. To put it simply, the film is to Akshay what Wanted was for Salman!”

Rajeev Masand of CNN-IBN gave movie 1 star out of 5 and said “Rowdy Rathore is the kind of movie that’s made by people with a cash register in place of their brain. Because no legitimate reason, other than financial gain, can justify why this movie was made.”

Prateeksha Khot reviewed for BollySpice and mentioned that Prabhu Deva fans would be disappointed with the half baked dish that Rowdy Rathore turns out to be, and recommended only to watch it if you were in the mood for some mindless, time pass entertainment at the weekend.

Reviews aside Rowdy Rathore opened to strong box office collections the film took a bumper opening at single screens with occupancy of around 95%-100%. It collected 15.06 crore in the opening day. Rowdy Rathore had a good opening weekend with collection of 47.50 crore

Rowdy Rathore collected 77 crore in its first week, 33.50 crore in its second week, 15 crore in its third week despite having new release, Ferrari Ki Sawaari. With a total gross of 133 crore I give you Prabhu Deva’s Rowdy Rathore.

2. Dabangg 2

Starring – Salman Khan, Sonakshi Sinha, Prakash Raj, Arbaaz Khan, Vinod Khanna

Director – Arbaaz Khan

Producer – Arbaaz Khan, Malaika Arora Khan

Music –  Sajid – Wajid

Release Date – December 21st 2012

The sequel to the 2010 blockbuster hit was release in time for Christmas 2012.  Produced and directed by Arbaaz Khan the story saw Khan and Sinha reprise their roles from the 2010 release and continues in the Indian city of Kanpur with Prakash Raj playing the antagonist.

The development of Dabangg 2 commenced soon after the release of Dabangg, with filming commencing on March 9^th in Mumbai, and released on 4150 screens worldwide, the highest screen number for any film, of which 3500 of these screens were in India.

Made on a budget of 60 crore, Dabangg 2 opened to mixed to negative reviews. Taran Adarsh gave the film four out of five stars and said “Dabangg 2 has Salman Khan, Salman Khan and Salman Khan plus entertainment, entertainment and entertainment in large doses.”

Sanjukta Sharma from the Live Mint slated Dabangg 2 saying ‘It had nothing to keep me engaged’ and was largely disappointed.

Despite the mixed bag of reviews, Dabangg 2 had a strong opening across the multiplexes and the single screens grossing 19 crore on a non- holiday Friday, beating the previous record held by Don 2. Its first week totals stood at 99 crore with its two week total crossing 136 crore.

Reports are already abound for a Dabangg 3 to be made which would explore the beginnings of Chulbul Pandey, but Dabangg 2’s Chulbul Pandey is sitting pretty at number 2 in this years chart.

1. Ek Tha Tiger

Starring – Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Ranvir Shorey, Girish Karnad

Director – Kabir Khan

Producer – Aditya Chopra

Music – Sohail Sen, Sajid Wajid

Release Date – August 15 2012

Kabir Khan’s 2012 Indian action film began pre-production in the latter part of 2010, with principle photography beginning in September 2011 and completeing in June 2012, however, due to delays the film finally hit the silver screen on Independence weekend in 3300 screens across India, which, at the time was the largest domestic release for a Bollywood film.

60% of Ek Tha Tiger’s first weekend sales were received through advance bookings. Reports of certain multiplexes increasing the ticket prices were also an issue at the time.

Ek Tha Tiger opened to mostly positive reviews, Salman Khan in accordance to Taran Adarsh was the trump card in the film, saying that the film had ‘style and substance’, had ‘stunning international locales’ and had been stylishly executed and gave the film four and a half out of five stars. Rajeev Masand on the other hand suggested the film was far from unwatchable if you went into the cinema hall with low expectations while giving the film two and a half out of five. Shalu Dhyani for BollySpice was not quite impressed and stated ‘the lack of a good script brought a potentially good film down. This Tiger doesn’t quite manage to roar’ and gave the film two out of five stars.

Now the figures. It crossed the 100 crore mark, within 6 days, breaking Bodyguard‘s previous record of 7 days, and why wouldn’t it, Ek Tha Tiger reportedly opened with 100% occupancy at both multiplexes and single screens thus collecting a reported 31.93 crore on its first day. The extended five day weekend saw collections total 94.12 crore  with its first week collections standing in at 143.25 crore 29.50 crore in its second week running to make a total of 173 crore. By its fifth week totals had reached 186 crore. The film eventually made a total of 307 Crore worldwide making it the second highest-grossing Bollywood film of all time in India after 3 Idiots

It has been a bumper year for Salman Khan, and I have to admit that I am getting used to featuring his films in the top 10 countdown, but even this is a first for me where the first two slots are taken by the same person. But that is how this year has shaped up. Ladies and gents I give you this years number 1 film Ek Tha Tiger.

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5. Karan and a campus full of students
He began his film career as an Assitant Director on Aditya Chopra’s Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, which starred Shah Rukh Khan. When Karan Johar made his directorial debut with Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, they weren’t any doubts that it would star SRK in the lead. And ever since, Karan has time and again asserted that he cannot stray away from him comfort zone and all his movies will automatically have SRK in the lead role. In an interview done around 2009 during the making of My Name Is Khan, Karan confessed that though the producer in him was happy launching new directors, he had no interest in treading the path of helming newcomers. Quote: “I don’t even want to sound cliched and say when the script comes; I’ll work with a newcomer. I don’t want to work with newcomers; I have no interest in it. I like to work with stars. With people who made their mistakes and have now evolved”. So the announcement of Student Of The Year with three debutants and no SRK came as quite a shock to most with gossip mongers hinting at a rift between one the strongest friendships in the industry. While blabs continue to have a field day speculating this dosti gone kaput, we are glad that rationale overpowered emotions and SRK wasn’t cast as a student yet again.

Nonetheless, Karan and his students passed the Friday test with SOTY becoming one of the biggest grossers of the year.

Here’s to looking to Bollywood in 2013 and we hope even more surprises in store!

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8. Bol Bachchan

This was an actual remake of Golmaal, rather than Devgan’s namesake series. It did not just make over 100 crore, but also gave Abhishek Bachchan a most needed hit, or super hit in this case. If there is one thing Ajay Devgan has mastered, it is the formula for box office success, be it comedy (Golmaal 3) or action (Singham). Himesh Reshammiya also started his successful second innings this year from the music of Bol Bachchan.

7. Jab Tak Hai Jaan

Yash Chopra’s last film. Shah Rukh Khan back as the king of romance. The original pairing with Katrina Kaif. A.R Rahman’s first collaboration with Yash Chopra. All of this spelt box office magic and we expected no less. Shah Rukh Khan had nothing to prove this time round, having had the pressure to hit 100 crore mark last year with Ra.One and Don 2, but with fierce competition from the other two Khans, he has made it his third 100 crore film in the all time list.

6. Barfi!

No one thought a film like Barfi! would strike gold at the box office. Who would have thought the story of a mute and deaf leading man and his autistic love, would hit over 100 crore? It just went onto prove that the power of content and performances is still key in drawing in the audiences. It also places Ranbir Kapoor as the youngest leading male actor in the coveted 100 crore club. With his increasingly good choices and performances we know we will be seeing his name feature many more times in the 100 crore list.

5. Housefull 2

Sajid Khan followed up his super successful Housefull, with the even more successful Housefull 2. It was also a much relieved welcome for Akshay Kumar, who being counted as one the top actors of the industry, had hit a rough patch. It was only a matter of time, but now he has made a place for himself in the 100 crore club. Akshay staked his claim with not one, but two 100 crore films this year. Now that’s we call a 100 crore comeback!

4. Agneepath

Despite it being a cult classic, Karan Johar felt compelled to remake Agneepath and re-address the fact that it was not a commercial hit in its time. Not only did he redress that through a stunning retelling of the revenge drama, featuring amazing performances from Hrithik Roshan, Sanjay Dutt and Rishi Kapoor, the film was also the first big hit of the year and set the bar high for the rest of the year. With Hrithik Roshan now also joining the 100 crore club, we expect an even bigger Krrish 3 from him next year.

3. Rowdy Rathore

Prabhu Deva was behind the camera for his second film after super successful Wanted, which reignited Salman’s current wave of success, so we all knew exactly what to expect from this one. The film gave Akshay his second 100 crore film of the year. Whilst Housefull 2 was a multi-starrer, here Akshay got to play a double role and be confident that he hit the 100 crore mark with a solo hero film. Rowdy Rathore was an ode to the masala films of yesteryear and was helped by its great action and music.

2. Dabangg 2

Was there any doubt that this would not be a smash hit? Ever since Dabangg 2 was announced, audiences have been eager to see the saga of Chulbul Pandey continue. This time round brother Arbaaz Khan took to the director’s chair and delivered a part 2, which was pretty much a template of the first part, but that did not stop audiences lapping it up again. If the end teaser is anything to go by, then expect a Dabangg 3 sometime soon. We certainly aren’t complaining!

1. Ek Tha Tiger

He came, he conquered, he reigned. Salman Khan rocked in Ek Tha Tiger. A much more polished and intelligent action hero film, thanks in large to director Kabir Khan. Ek Tha Tiger tops the 100 crore list and is the highest grossing film of the year by far. It was just shy of hitting the 200 crore mark, so the record is still held by 3 Idiots, but only just! Whichever way you look at it, Salman Khan is currently the highest revenue generating star of India, with the highest total box office takings since the 100 crore records first started.

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There were films we loved, we hated, that made us laugh and cry, scared us and had us on the edge of our seat. 2012 saw the highest number of hits in a year and also the highest release count. At least 8 films crossed the 100 crore mark. What a year it’s been!

So this year, besides our year-end wrap-ups, our writer, Charla Manohar, decided to put all of that in video and captured all those great moments in this Bollywood 2012 MashUp.

We loved it and we hope you do too!!!

A Look Back at the Movies in 2012 BollySpice style!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TnwsEJ7roA

REFLECTIONS 2012: The Year in Movies BollySpice style! is a post from: BollySpice

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Anurag Kashyap, Gangs Of Wasseypur (8.4)

Following a standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival, when the rest of us finally got to see Anurag’s two part, almost 6 hour epic, we could all clearly see the passion and filmmaking craft that he had put into Gangs of Wasseypur. The film is considered one of his most commercial works yet, where he managed to bring something different, raw and yet engaging to the underworld genre, giving it a much needed revival.

Anurag Basu, Barfi! (8.4)

Okay, so he was plagued with copyright accusations, which probably also hampered his Oscars selection. However, despite all that Basu still made a good film. A complete contrast to all of this previous films, Basu was able to draw out powerful award winning performances from his lead pair. Not to mention scoring over 100 crores at the box office!

Sujoy Ghosh, Kahaani (8.2)

Sujoy Ghosh started out well with the off beat Jhankar Beats, but then got a bit muddled along the way with Home Delivery and Aladdin. He has now redeemed himself with Kahaani, which he also wrote the script and screenplay for. Not only did Sujoy draw some powerful performances, he managed to get beneath the skin of Kolkata city and also give us a climactic twist we will remember for a long time to come!

Tigmanshu Dhulia, Paan Singh Tomar (8.2)

Paan Singh Tomar was actually made a few years ago, but again did not find any takers until this year. It came as no surprise though, when it turned out to be an extremely well made and acted film, coming from the director who gave us Sahib Biwi aur Gangster in 2011. Tigmanshu created wonders turing a real life story into an endearing watch and giving us one of this year’s most original and authentic films.

Gauri Shinde, English Vinglish (8.0)

2012 was the year of comebacks, and the one who trumped them all was Sridevi, in a powerful author backed role, within an extremely well made and directed debut film, which Gauri Shinde also wrote. She presented a whole bunch of realistic and down to earth characters, in a simple middle class setting and story that many of us to related to. She is definitely one of the future directors to watch out for!

Shoojit Sircar, Vicky Donor (7.9)

After watching Vicky Donor, the question on everyone’s mind was where has this guy been since his directorial debut Yahaan in 2005? It requires a good director to take hold of a controversial topic (sperm donation) and present it in an aesthetic and entertaining way. The same script in the hands of an incompetent director, could just have easily failed. Shoojit is another director we are watching out for.

Reema Kagti, Talaash (7.4)

We always expect something meticulous from Aamir Khan, from the selection of his scripts, to his characters and his directors. Reema Kagti may have paired up with Zoya Akhtar to write the script and screenplay, but she also directed a fine film, with a fine set of performances and that too as a spiritual thriller. Reema is a much needed addition to the growing league of young female filmmakers in Bollywood.

Dibakar Banerjee, Shanghai (7.4)

Dibakar beautifully retold the story of the 1969 film ‘Z’, which is the tale of an investigator looking into the death of a leftist leader, whilst the authorities takes steps to cover up their involvement. Shanghai is what you call quality filmmaking and although it may not have worked wonders at the box office, hats off to Dibakar for making it and for also showing us a completely new side to Emraan Hashmi!

Karan Malhotra, Agneepath (7.0)

Remaking an absolute cult classic for his debut film could have been career suicide. Rather than completely remake the original, Karan opted to make a tribute, by changing the characters in tune with today’s times, setting the film at a slightly different period and resetting some of the original characters and relationships. This made fans and critics content. Oh and not to mention one of 2012’s biggest hits!

Habib Faisal, Ishaqzaade (6.6)

Habib Faisal’s follow up to Do Dooni Chaar was with a film which was a complete contrast in story, setting and genre. From a content perspective Ishaqzaade was not novel, you could call it a modern day Qayamat se Qayamat Tak, however the kick-ass performance he managed to draw out from Parineeti Chopra, the rural setting, dialogues and political backdrop, made this a quirky and refreshing affair to watch.

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10. Ishaqzaade

Romance has always been Bollywood’s forte, and it is sad that we have hardly had any decent love stories in the past few years. This desi Romeo-Juliet gave us a pair to root for, for us to want them to win against all odds. Parineeti and Arjun’s performances and chemistry made up for the flaws in the script.

9. Gangs of Wasseypur (1 & 2)

With no big stars to boast of, GOW worked purely on its amazing performances, the dialogues and the screenplay. Anurag Kashyap’s 5 hour saga on the coal mafia was a gamble indeed which paid off quite well. In spite of the gory violence, this movie –and the sequel- were the most awaited ones of the year.

8. Paan Singh Tomar

Another movie with power packed performances from the entire cast, Thigmanshu Dhulia’s story about a real life athlete-turned-dacoit had great casting, wonderful cinematography and a screenplay which was entertaining in most parts. Irrfan Khan’s performances have always been commendable, and this one is no different. He blows life into a character who may be right or wrong depending on which perspective you choose to see him through.

7. Vicky Donor

It’s very rare for a Bollywood movie to handle a sensitive topic maturely and yet be non-preachy and entertaining at the same time. Shoojit’s Vicky Donor manages to do just that. Infertility and sperm donation have always been ‘taboo’ subjects for Indians, but the lovely screenplay and Ayushmann’s and Yami’s earnest performances made this a wonderful watch not just for youngsters but for family viewing as well.

6. Agneepath

Stepping into somebody else’s shoes is always difficult, more so if those are of the magnanimous Big B. Remaking a cult movie like Agneepath was never an easy task, considering that fans would be scrutinizing each and every scene, each and every dialogue. In spite of this, debutant director Karan Malhotra managed to give a new, improved and entertaining Agneepath. While Hrithik managed to do Vijay Dinanath Chauhan justice, it was the bad boys – Kancha and especially Rauf Lala – who stole the thunder.

5. OMG Oh My God

For a country obsessed with religion and religious beliefs, how do you portray the stark truths without hurting audience’s sentiments? Paresh Rawal’s Kanjilal Mehta puts forth the exact questions which many of us are scared to ask – do we really know the difference between belief and blind faith. The story of a middle class businessman who files a lawsuit against God, Umesh Shukla gives us a light and entertaining view of the business that is religion.

4. Talaash

If there were ever a movie to be a basic guide as to how thrillers should be made, I would recommend Talaash. Though quite a few people seemed let down by the fact that the end revelation was not that grandiose, the fact is that it is amazing how Reema Kagti and Zoya Akhtar managed to turn a simple – and not entirely unbelievable – story into a great suspense drama. Less on action and more on execution, Talaash is definitely one of the truly good suspense thrillers to come out of Bollywood.

3. Barfi!

In spite of all the backlash for its ‘inspired’ scenes, I know that there is not one single person out there who didn’t love Barfi and Jhilmil. The originality issue aside, Barfi’s sweet-sour story was touching and beautifully made with the leads – Ranbir, Priyanka and Illeana – each playing their part well. For an industry which has never been that good with special needs characters and well, inspirations, Barfi had both tastefully done.

2. English Vinglish

The best comeback movie in a long time, Sridevi’s choice of character of a simple middle class housewife may have been a surprise for many but it was a perfect choice. While many other actresses tried too hard – Dangerous Ishqq, Aaaja Nachle anybody? – English Vinglish did perfect justice to Sridevi’s talent and she to the script. The story of Shashi who is bad with English but good at heart, this movie touched the chords of many such housewives and mothers. And of course being a Bala movie, the script and the dialogues were such that you thoroughly enjoyed them.

1. Kahaani

I know this choice needs no justification. Vidya Balan’s Vidya Bagchi and Sujoy Ghosh’s depiction of Kolkata gave us a thriller which truly had us rooted to our seats. Whether it was Bob Biswas teasing Vidya with death in front of a train or the dramatic climax, Kahaani was filled with scenes which made you gasp. And yes, it is still entertaining when you do a re-watch.

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10. Katrina Kaif – Ek Tha Tiger/Jab Tak Hai Jaan

Katrina Kaif is consistently getting better over the years. While she can dance up a storm and support her Khans and a Kumar, this was the year for her to shine as an actress. In Ek Tha Tiger, she gets a supremely physical and tough role as a Pakistani spy who can kick ass as well as charming the usually cool Tiger. Her stunts were striking, and she gave Zoya a poignant wounded air about her as she risked her life and love. Yet it was Jab Tak Hai Jaan that gave her that edge. Made into the Yashraj heroine without a bit of religious complex (!) she is given one of the more inconsistently written heroines of a Yash Chopra film. Kaif is so graceful and impressive at times that you do get marveled at how far she’s come since her breakthrough in 2005. While Meera is a tad frustrating, Kaif does her utmost to salvage her character and in the face of a rather shrill Anushka Sharma. It’s quite easy to see why Chopra may have chosen her; she’s got a certain gravitas and class that befits a Yashraj heroine.

9. Huma Qureshi – Gangs of Wasseypur 2/Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana

What a perfect debut to make! Huma stole our hearts and made us laugh as she intimidated the fearsome Faizal who didn’t ask for her permission to hold her hand. Qureshi manages to make such impact in the Wasseypur saga which is squeezed full of indelible characters. She’s completely earthy in a stunning way that draws the audience in as she controls her man and revels in his power as the crimelord of the area. It’s a fearless role for her and showcases her versatility when she transitioned to the reserved Harman. Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana made us root for Harman and Omi’s love story. Qureshi was so understated and exceptional in this film, as we see her slowly accept this guy in a realistic way that defies the filmi style pyar.

8. Richa Chaddha – Gangs of Wasseypur 1 & 2

In a Gangs of Wasseypur, there’s a scene where Chaddha’s Nagma just erupts on the floor when her husband dares to marry again, and lambastes his uncle for not stopping him. There’s such a fiery common sense ethic that goes Nagma who gives back as much as she takes from the men around her, which makes her presence so gratifying in a movie like this. She has some of the killer lines and has a perfect sense of timing. Chaddha ages into a steely and wily matriarch in the second part in a sense prompting her sons to avenge their father and continue that cycle of revenge. Chaddha is magnificent in this role, recalling why we loved her in Oye Lucky Lucky Oye those years ago.

7. Genelia D’Souza – Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya

It is a real shame that actresses aren’t noticed for their comic timing and wittiness, but instead for their effortless tears and readiness for melodrama. One of the best comediennes we have is Genelia, who starred opposite her hubby Riteish Deshmukh and stole the whole film from him. With the zany lunacy to Mini that recalls a loony Streisand in What’s Up Doc, D’Souza keeps this character endearing without veering into OTT zone. Complementing Deshmukh’s straight man, D’Souza is the perfect kook who kidnaps Viren and charms his dacoit family in the process. In hindsight, the film makes up for the lacklustre debut the two had when they first met and fell in love in Tujhe Meri Kasam all those years ago. It’s a great role for D’Souza who’s often squandered in loud comedies, where she can riot in this caper!

6. Deepika Padukone – Cocktail

In one of those gamechanger roles much like Katrina Kaif above, the world took notice of Padukone finally with this poignant role. While much speculation was made of the virgin/whore dichotomy in the narrative, there’s much more to Veronica than meets the eye. She plays the clichéd character with such versatility that we didn’t care that she didn’t get her man, but that she learnt to have a stable relationship with a best friend. Padukone made Veronica her own, where her independence and carefree attitude made her so endearing and multi-layered as well. Saif and Diana Penty were set aside for this wonderful performance by Padukone who showed so much growth and verve as an actress.

5. Parineeti Chopra – Ishaqzaade

Arguably the best gun-toting and slap happy Juliet we’ve ever had on cinema ever, Chopra is a livewire in Habib Faisal’s Ishaqzaade. Chopra impressed with her debut last year in Ladies vs. Ricky Bahl, but here she proves herself a worthy and brilliant performer. While the film puts its heroine through awful tests, Chopra is so evocative and never misses a chance to outperform her Romeo. Chopra makes Zoya, a beloved character because she’s not a doormat and teaches her man a lesson every step of the way to regressively reforming him. She’s a completely spontaneous and unpredictable actress, which made this film have such urgency to its message. Here’s to more from this talented gal!

4. Rani Mukherjee – Talaash/Aiyyaa

Her roles could not be more different this year, as the depressed housewife to the madcap daydreamer, and we are so overwhelmingly happy to have Rani Mukherjee back on screens again! Talaash was her best performance of the year, where she was heart of the film and conveyed so much with her silence. When she starts seeing the psychic, Mukherjee makes this such a cathartic release for her character’s pent up sadness. When she erupts at Suri later on, it’s so gratifying that we want to cheer her on as well! She’s so vulnerable and evokes that devastation so well in a role that shines. On the other end of the spectrum is another performance that we need to single out for its comic genius at the centre. It’s such a gleeful performance, which is Rani circa her effervescent 90s phase. Mukherjee also makes the attraction to the smouldering Prithviraj so visceral, we are right there with her as she sniffs the bejeezus out of him! It is so rare for Indian cinema to engage with female gaze, and Mukherjee’s Meenakshi is that loony daydreamer inside all of us.

3. Priyanka Chopra – Barfi!

Priyanka Chopra is a polarizing actress, who inevitably gets a great deal of flak for her showy mannerisms and overdone look in films. However, much like her amazing performance in Saat Khoon Maaf, she disappears into her role as the autistic Jhilmil. It’s a wonderful performance that is unaffected by a mawkishness that may come with actors playing disabled characters. Yet the film allows Chopra to flourish in her little gestures like holding Barfi’s finger or imagining her wedding to him. It’s a lovely performance by Chopra to prove some of her detractors wrong, and her camaraderie with Ranbir Kapoor makes this the sweetest love story ever.

2. Vidya Balan – Kahaani

Sujoy Ghosh pulls out all the stops to craft an indelible character with Vidya Bagchi, aided with the best actress of our times. As the heavily pregnant Bagchi, it’s a remarkably physical transformation as Balan waddles around the smouldering and chaotic Kolkata. With Balan, she lends a certain preciseness to Bagchi making for a very nuanced and detailed performance that constantly keeps you guessing. Her interactions with Parambatra Chatterjee and Nawazuddin Siddiqui are electric and she emerges as the most moving character we’ve come across in quite a while.

1. Sridevi – English Vinglish

Just plain gobsmacked was my first reaction to Sridevi’s towering performance in Gauri Shinde’s nuanced English Vinglish. It’s hard to believe she’s been away for 15 years, but what a way to re- emerge! From her mispronunciation of “jhazz” facing constant derision from her daughter and husband for her faulty English, Shashi is fighting for self-respect and empowerment when she steps into her English class. It’s remarkable how Shinde tailors this role so beautifully for one of the biggest stars, her shaky voice to convey that delicate fragility and those gorgeous eyes say so much in her quieter moments. She’s the underdog that invites us cheering her on, since Shinde keeps the melodrama at bay and crafts such a flawless character. It’s the narrative’s easygoing charm that supports Sridevi so ably, as we rejoice with her smaller triumphs as she learns that she is an “entrepreneur” and charms the swoony Laurent. Of course, she can’t get away from doing a dance, and it’s one of the most fun moments in Navrai Majhi when she makes us fall under her spell all over again. And we have no words for her final speech, since she made us weep in cinemas everywhere, now that is something that can’t be taught. Bravo!

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