Bollywood looks forward to a mega year with big budget films

As a not-so-exciting year for the Hindi film industry comes to a close with Aamir Khan's superhit 3 Idiots, Bollywood is looking forward to a better year with some of the big budget releases in 2010.

Shah Rukh Khan, who had done a brief role in Billu this year, is coming with My name Is Khan in February.

The film, directed by Karan Johar, will see the actor playing an autistic Muslim in post 9/11 America. It will also mark the return of the magical Kajol-SRK pair after eight years.

Salman Khan is taking on a warrior's role in epic film Veer. The actor, who had conceived the idea some 20 years ago, has also turned a scriptwriter with the movie. The film is slated to hit theatres on January 22.

Shahid Kapoor, who balanced the year with a hit and a flop, is all set to display his dancing skills in Chance Pe Dance with Genelia D'Souza. The film, releasing on January 15, has Ken Ghosh returning to direction after six years. His last film was Shahid-Kareena starrer Fida.

Hrithik Roshan will have two releases next year after an almost empty 2009 if we don't count his cameo in Luck By Chance. Kites, his father Rakesh Roshan's next production, has already created enough buzz with rumours linking the actor to the leading lady Mexican actress Barbara Mori.

One of the big-budget movies of 2010, the film has been directed by Anurag Basu and is slated for a world wide release in April. Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Guzaarish has more than one reason to be among the much-awaited ones - it is the director's next after Sawaariya, which was a box-office dud. The film has Roshan and Aishwariya Rai coming together after their sizzling chemistry in Jodha-Akbar and Dhoom 2.

National award-winning director Mani Ratnam returns with Raavan, which has Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwariya starring together after Guru.

Actress Vidya Balan will be turning over a new leaf as she stars as a seductress in Bhardwaj's Ishqiya, scheduled to release on January 29. Although the movie is only being produced and not directed by Bhardwaj, the trailers definitely show a mark of the Omkara director.

The year 2009 was perhaps the most disappointing one for Bollywood's 'Khiladi' Akshay Kumar with his Chandani Chowk to China, Tasveer, Kambakkht Ishq and Blue doing failed to rake in the moolah at the box office.

The actor is now pinning his hopes on Action Replay which has Aishwariya playing the female lead and multi-starrer Housefull being directed by Sajid Khan.

Akshay is also filming another comedy with Priyadarshan Khatta Meetha after De Dana Dan. The film is slated for 2010. Patiala House, directed by Nikhil Advani and starring Rishi Kapoor and Dimple Kapadia alongwith Akshay, is slated for a November 2010 release.

Vivek Oberoi is also gearing up to begin his second innings in Bollywood with Prince-Its Showtime and Ram Gopal Verma's Rakta Charitra.