Bollywood fans have a lot to look forward to in the new year which offers a range of movies, including big-budget spectacle cinema that led the way in 2023.
Here are some of the most anticipated Bollywood releases of the year:
1. Merry Christmas: Katrina Kaif and Vijay Sethupathi star in this mystery thriller which marks the return of master storyteller Sriram Raghavan after the national award-winning Andhadhun in 2018. The film's trailer has already generated a lot of buzz amongst thriller lovers for its intriguing plot set around Christmas. The film releases on January 12.
2. Fighter: Director Siddharth Anand is looking to replicate the mega success of Pathaan with his new film that draws on similar themes of patriotism and heroism through Fighter, starring Hrithik Roshan, the star of his previous hits Bang Bang and War. The film also features Deepika Padukone and Anil Kapoor in lead roles and is scheduled to hit screens on January 25, the day Pathaan completes one year.
3. Yodha: Starring Sidharth Malhotra in the title role, the action thriller is directed by Sagar Ambre and Pushkar Ojha. A Dharma Productions film, the film is finally set to release on March 15 after multiple delays. The plotline is still under wraps.
4. The Crew: It's a dream team of top actors like Tabu, Kareena Kapoor Khan, and Kriti Sanon who are joining forces for the first time for a female-led project that's billed as a comedy of errors set in the struggling airline industry. The film is directed by Rajesh Krishnan and produced by Rhea Kapoor and Ektaa Kapoor. It will arrive in theatres on March 22.
5. Bade Miyan Chhote Miyan: This remake of Govinda and Amitabh Bachchan-starrer 1998 film has been revamped with fresh takes and a cast of action stars Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff. It is directed by Ali Abbas Zafar. The film will be released on April 11.
6. Chandu Champion: Kabir Khan's return to the big screen after sports drama 83 will see Kartik Aryan in a brand-new avatar as a soldier-turned-athlete. The film is reportedly based on the life of Murlikant Petkar, a freestyle swimmer and India's first Paralympic gold medalist. The film is slated for a theatrical release on June 14.
7. Singham Again: Bollywood is taking steps in creating universes and Rohit Shetty is amongst the first with his cop stories. His new film will mark the return of Ajay Devgn's macho cop Bajirao Singham who will now be backed by fellow police officers, played by Akshay Kumar and Ranveer Singh. Singham Again has new additions to Shetty's cop universe in Deepika Padukone and Shroff. The film releases on August 15.
8. Stree 2: The much-awaited sequel to the 2018 horror-comedy hit "Stree", the film will bring back the original cast of Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, Abhishek Banerjee, and Aparshakti Khurana. Amar Kaushik returns to the director's chair for the film which will be released on August 30.
9. Jigra: The film will see Alia Bhatt collaborate with Vasan Bala, a filmmaker known for his pulpy, pop culture-infused stories, for the first time. Backed by Karan Johar's Dharma Productions and Bhatt's Eternal Sunshine Productions, the movie is slated to release on September 27.
10. Welcome to the Jungle: Akshay Kumar once again stars in the film, the third in the comedy franchise Welcome, the 2007 cult comedy that had a not-so-successful follow-up in 2015's Welcome Back. The multi-starrer, directed by Ahmed Khan, is scheduled to be released on December 20.
