Bollywood’s year of big masala revival

These mega entertainers are all riding high on star factor, heavy-duty dialogues, high-octane action sequences and, naturally, played-to-gallery melodrama.

Mumbai: Bollywood has seen a surge in slice-of-life entertainers in recent years. However, this year, many top filmmakers seem bullish about reloading the vintage larger-than-life formula that was a rage in the eighties and the nineties.

Although vintage masala never went away, Bollywood lately had been veering towards realism when it came to characters, plot and other entertainment factors. The rise of OTT, where realistic content seems to find a better audience than the big screen and the need for filmmakers to woo the audience back to the theatres seem to be reasons why many in Bollywood is going no-holds-barred with cinematic idiom this year.

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Some of the big films that revisit vintage masala with new-age swag were scheduled to hit the screens last year but got postponed owing to the Covid-19 pandemic. These mega entertainers are all riding high on star factor, heavy-duty dialogues, high-octane action sequences and, naturally, played-to-gallery melodrama.

Here’s a look at the masala in store this year:

Radhe

Salman Khan returns on Eid in what is being touted as his most heavy-duty action avatar yet. The macho superstar is directed by Prabhudheva, who called the shot on wanted and Dabangg 3 in the past. Co-starring Disha Patani, the film will have groovy dance numbers, the prototype romance and necessary drama, too. The film is slated to hit the theatres in May.

Bell Bottom

Bell-Bottom boasts of Akshay Kumar, Bollywood’s most bankable superstar right now. The film sees Akshay in a spy avatar and has a big cast comprising Vaani Kapoor, Huma Qureshi and Lara Dutta. The Bollywoodised espionage thriller is expected to have jaw-dropping stunts. Set in the eighties, the film is scheduled to hit the screen in May.

Laal Singh Chadha

The film sees superstar Aamir Khan stepping into the shoes of Hollywood veteran Tom Hanks as it is a Hindi remake of 1994 film Forrest Gump. It features Kareena Kapoor Khan and is directed by Advait Chand.

Cirkus

Ranveer Singh and director Rohit Shetty unite again after Simmba, and this time the focus is all-out comedy. Cirkus is an adaptation of William Shakespeare’s play The Comedy Of Errors, with Ranveer essaying a double role. It also stars Pooja Hegde, Jacqueline Fernandez, Varun Sharma, Johny Lever, Sanjay Mishra, Siddhartha Jadhav, and Vrajesh Hirjee. The film is set to release in the winter of 2021.

Gangubai Kathiawadi

The teaser is overflowing with trademakr Sanjay Leela Bhansali colours as well as bombastic dialogues (Sample: “Gangu chaand thi aur chaand hi rahegi” and “izzat se jeeneka, kisi se darne ka nahi”) mouthed by Alia Bhatt, who is seen hurling explicit words and engaging in action, in her role of Gangubai, a brothel owner in Mumbai’s Kamathipura. Bhansali is known for his larger-than-life sets and opulent costumes, and the teaser promises just as much. The film is slated to release on July 30.

Prithviraj

The Akshay Kumar starrer again is an ambitious period drama, promising exravagant sets, lavish costumes, massive war scenes and highlight music. It would also be interesting to watch Akshay as Prithviraj Chauhan in the Dr Chandraprakash Dwivedi directorial, which marks the debut of Miss World 2017 Manushi Chhillar. The film slated to release on November 5.

Mumbai Saga

Directed by Sanjay Gupta, the film stars John Abraham, Emraan Hashmi, Suniel Shetty, Mahesh Manjrekar, Kajal Aggarwal, Rohit Roy, Gulshan Grover, and Prateik Babbar. The film is slated to release on March 19. It takes us back to the world cops, gangsters, deceit, betrayal, and violence, against the backdrop of the eighties and the nineties.

Shamshera

Sanjay Dutt and Ranbuir Kapoor star in the period action drama set in 1800s and flaunting dacoit flick action. There is a patriotism angle thrown in too, because it is about a tribe of dacoits that took on the British. Co-starring Vaani Kapoor, the film is directed by Karan Malhortra, known for his brand of larger-than-life action drama in Agneepath and Brothers.

Bunty Aur Babli 2

The film is a sequel to the 2005 hit Bunty Aur Babli. It stars Saif Ali Khan, Rani Mukerji, Siddhant Chaturvedi and Sharvari Wagh. The first installment ran high on humour, drama, melodrama, romance and music — served in a way to suit audience taste in the 2000s. The sequel, following up on the story, updates the formula for today’s generation. Bunty Aur Babli 2, is scheduled for April 23. It is directed by debutant Varun V. Sharma.