Ranbir Kapoor- Ayan Mukerji, Ranveer Singh- Sanjay Leela Bhansali: Makers and their Muses

Films: Wake Up Sid (2009), Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013), Brahmastra (next)

For their first collaboration, Ranbir and Ayan brought to life the coming-of-age story of a college boy. While RK impressed critics and audiences alike with his performance, Ayan won rave reviews for his directorial debut. The duo teamed up again for Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani. Now, the two will return with the ambitious Brahmastra, which is the Barfi! actor’s first superhero film. It will also see him share screen space with the legend of Hindi cinema Amitabh Bachchan and girlfriend Alia Bhatt. Off screen, the Kapoor scion and Ayan are great friends who often hang out together and even attend parties saath-saath. Their camaraderie sure translates into a magical combination on screen.

Films: Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania (2014), Badrinath Ki Dulhania (2017) and as-yet-untitled thriller

Though Varun’s father and brother, David Dhawan and Rohit Dhawan respectively, are both filmmakers, it’s with Shashank that he has struck box-office gold. Their first film, in which Varun was paired with Alia after Student Of The Year, was a success. This led to the Dulhania franchise. Varun, who had played the quintessential urban guy before this film, got a chance to step out of his comfort zone and essay the role of a man from the heartland. The duo repeated their act with Badrinath Ki Dulhania, another love story based in a tier-two city. They will step away from the franchise for their third outing — a spy thriller — which will feature Janhvi Kapoor.

Films: Pyaar Ka Punchnama (2011), Akaash Vani (2013), Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2 (2015) and Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety (2018)

Luv and Kartik’s alliance is one of the most profitable ones among the newer lot.  Out of their four movies,  three were successful. In 2011, Pyaar Ka Punchnama (PKP) released without much fanfare. However, by the end of the third week, it was declared a sleeper hit. In 2015, the duo got together for PKP 2. This year, they laughed all the way to the bank once again with Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety. While Luv is collaborating with Ajay Devgn and Ranbir Kapoor for his next, Kartik has wrapped up Luka Chuppi, directed by Laxman Utekar.

Films: Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela (2013), Bajirao Mastani (2016) and Padmaavat (2018)

With three film collaborations that have rocked the box office, both of them along with Deepika Padukone, are undeniably the most profitable trio in B-Town at the moment. Known to be a passionate and demanding filmmaker, SLB and Ranveer are now comfortable with each other’s creatives processes. In his interview with After Hrs, the maverick director said, “No other filmmaker understands Ranveer the way I do. He and I have a great chemistry and understanding. I know how to direct him and I’m aware of his strengths as well as limitations. I know what to do with him. He’s a very special actor. He has so much energy.” While the duo don’t have any films together in the pipeline right now, another epic association is eagerly awaited by the audience.

Film: Kai Po Che! (2013), Kedarnath (2018)

Abhishek gave Sushant his big Bollywood break with Kai Po Che! Though the film fared well at the box office and prompted people to sit up and take notice of Sushant’s acting chops, the two did not get back to working together. In fact, due to date issues, the actor walked out of Fitoor. Now, they have reunited for Kedarnath, which also marks Sara Ali Khan’s foray into Hindi cinema. The outcome of this movie will have a huge impact on their professional future.

Films: Shahid (2013), CityLights (2014), Aligarh (2016), Omerta (2018) and Swagat Hain (next)

After making four much-appreciated films, Rajkummar and Hansal are all set to work with each other once again in Swagat Hain. Like their earlier movies, this one, too, is likely to make a strong statement as it focusses on freedom of expression, hypocrisy and exploitation of women at the workplace and in personal spaces. Last year, the actor-director even made the web series Bose: Dead/Alive. While the box-office success of their movies has been limited, their association always results in films that provide great food for thought.

Films: Heropanti (2014), Baaghi (2016) and Munna Michael (2017)

Sabbir directed Tiger in his debut film, Heropanti, which went on to become a huge hit and gave the young actor a great boost in the Bollywood stock market. They returned with an even bigger hit two years later — Baaghi. It seemed Sabbir was able to tap all the aspects (read dance and action) that Tiger excelled at. However, their third venture together turned out to be a damp squib, thereby putting a question mark on their viability. Currently, however, the two aren’t working on a project together.