Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan haven’t announced any films yet, but the other stars from the 40-plus bracket will have multiple outings this year.
Though 2018 saw Gen-Y actors making their mark at the box office, it looks like the senior lot will make their presence felt this year. Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan haven’t announced any films yet, but the other stars from the 40-plus bracket will have multiple outings this year.
1. Akshay Kumar
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Akshay had three releases last year — Pad Man, Gold and 2.0 — but the National Award winner seems to have upped his game further. Five of his films are expected to hit the marquee this year, with three already blocking festive dates. Kesari, which revolves around the Battle of Saragarhi, is a Holi release and will be followed by Mission Mangal. The latter will hit the screens on Independence Day. Housefull 4, a reincarnation comedy, is being readied as the big Diwali release. He also has Dharma Productions’ Good News on September 6 and will end the year on a high note with Rohit Shetty’s Sooryavanshi.
— Number of releases: 5
2. Ajay Devgn
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Ajay begins the year with the adventure comedy Total Dhamaal, which releases on February 22, where he shares screen space with Anil Kapoor and Madhuri Dixit-Nene. Then there’s Luv Ranjan’s production, De De Pyaar De (DDPD), which is a modern take on relationships and marriage. The release of DDPD has now been pushed to May 17. All eyes will be on the Raid actor’s mega-budget project Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior, which will draw the curtains for him this year. The historical that’s been made on a lavish budget is expected to hit the screens around November-end.
— Number of releases: 3
3. Salman Khan
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Salman Khan, who has said in an interview that the senior crop of actors should have at least two films every year, is practising what he preached. Like every year, the Race 3 hero has already earmarked Eid 2019 for Bharat. The film, which traces the journey of a man, with the evolution of India, spans across several decades post-Partition and will release in June. There are also reports that the superstar is likely to start filming the third instalment of Dabangg in April. The team wants to lock the Christmas week for the release of D3, much like they did for Dabangg 2.
— Number of releases: 2
4. Hrithik Roshan
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One look at Hrithik’s filmography makes it clear that he does fewer films when compared to his peers. His last release was Kaabil (January 2017). But his fans have double the reason to celebrate this year. The actor’s first movie this year will be Super 30, which is based on the life of mathematician Anand Kumar and was initially slated to open at the ticket windows on Republic Day. The makers — Sajid Nadiadwala and Reliance Entertainment — have announced July 26 as its release date. The Krrish actor will then be seen in Yash Raj Films’ project with Tiger Shroff. The Siddharth Anand film will bring an interesting face-off between the two on the big screen on October 2.
— Number of releases: 2
5. John Abraham
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John sprung back to action with both his 2018 releases — Parmanu: The Story Of Pokhran and Satyameva Jayate — raking in the moolah at the box office. Continuing his love for the patriotic space, the actor will be seen in two big action films this year. There’s RAW — Romeo Akbar Walter — that releases on April 12, followed by Nikkhil Advani’s Batla House that has been locked for the Independence Day weekend. He has also signed Anees Bazmee’s Pagalpanti, which rolls on the floors this February and is likely to open in cinemas early December.
— Number of releases: 3
6. Sanjay Dutt
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Sanjay has four films lined up in 2019. He starts the year with a bang in April with Karan Johar’s period drama Kalank on Good Friday (April 19). With an ensemble cast that features the younger bunch of actors including Varun Dhawan, Alia Bhatt, Aditya Roy Kapur and Sonakshi Sinha, the movie will see him reunite with his Khalnayak heroine Madhuri Dixit-Nene. He is expected to follow that up with Torbaaz. Also in the pipeline, is his home production Prassthanam, and Ashutosh Gowariker’s historical Panipat where he will battle it out with Arjun Kapoor.
— Number of releases: 4
7. Anil Kapoor
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Anil won praise for his nuanced performance in his first film of the year — Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga (ELKDTAL). He has one more project coming up this month. The Race 3 actor will raise laughs with Inder Kumar, Madhuri Dixit-Nene and Ajay Devgn in Total Dhamaal, which will be out in less than three weeks. He also begins shooting for Anees Bazmee’s Pagalpanti later this month, and is slated to release later this year.
— Number of releases: 3
8. Saif Ali Khan
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Saif’s performance in Baazaar and the web series Sacred Games got the audience’s attention. While he has started shooting for the second season of the digital show, when it comes to feature films, he has two outings scheduled this year. A release date for Navdeep Singh’s Hunter in which he plays a Naga sadhu is yet to be decided. His other project has him warring with Ajay. He will play Udaybhan Rathod in the latter’s Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior that hits screens this November.
— Number of releases: 2
