Ishaan-Janhvi's Dhadak to Shah Rukh Khan's Zero: 10 highly-anticipated films in the next 6 months

While it has been a good six months for the industry as well as the junta, with a wide range of films hitting the marquee, there’s a lot that the audience can look forward to in the second half of 2018. From July onwards, there are around 10 big releases — featuring B-Town superstars as well as next-generation actors — lined up. Here are the dates you should mark in your calendar...

DHADAK
RELEASE DATE: JULY 20

WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR: Dhadak will be Sridevi and Boney Kapoor’s daughter Janhvi’s launchpad. Along with her, there’s Ishaan, whose talent has already been appreciated in his first film, Majid Majidi’s Beyond The Clouds. The adaptation of the Marathi blockbuster Sairat has all the elements of a big commercial flick — good-looking actors, a strong premise, and chartbusters. Shashank Khaitan, who’s famous for the Dulhania series, has a good hold over the tone and the desi-ness that a script like this requires.

GOLD
RELEASE DATE: AUGUST 15

WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR: This is Akshay Kumar’s trademark Independence Day feast for his fans. The actor plays a Bengali hockey coach, who leads the Indian team to its first-ever victory as a free country at the Olympics. The premise is strong, the trailer has done its job and Akshay is expected to steal the show with this one. Enough said!

STREE
RELEASE DATE: AUGUST 31

WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR: A one-minute teaser of the film that was released recently generated a lot of curiosity. The film starring Rajkummar Rao and Shraddha Kapoor is based on an urban legend. Their unconventional pairing is rather interesting. We hear, the movie explores the horror-comedy genre.

SUI DHAAGA: MADE IN INDIA
RELEASE DATE: SEPTEMBER 28

WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR: The flick brings together Varun Dhawan and Anushka Sharma for the first time. Based in the heartland of India, the film is a take on the Make In India campaign. The desi setting is something that director Sharat Kataria (Dum Laga Ke Haisha) is comfortable with. The Indian connect coupled with Varun and Anushka’s mass connect gives it great scope at the BO.

THUGS OF HINDOSTAN
RELEASE DATE: NOVEMBER 7

WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR: This is an Aamir Khan film. Period. The actor-producer has been delivering blockbusters consistently. This period drama will see him team up with Amitabh Bachchan for the first time. Expect dollops of action with both the men and the two women — Katrina Kaif and Fatima Sana Shaikh — bringing the house down in this adventure flick. The Diwali release may even crash all pre-existing records.

KEDARNATH
RELEASE DATE: NOVEMBER 30

WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR: Saif Ali Khan and Amrita Singh’s daughter Sara Ali Khan will step onto the silver screen with this movie. This Abhishek Kapoor venture has Sushant Singh Rajput opposite her. A love story set around the backdrop of the Uttarakhand floods, Kedarnath is expected to be a tear-jerker. Industry insiders, who have seen the rushes, feel that the film has a lot of potential.

STUDENT OF THE YEAR 2
RELEASE DATE: NOVEMBER 23

WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR: SOTY (2012) introduced three Dharma protégés in tinsel town — Varun Dhawan, Alia Bhatt and Sidharth Malhotra. The sequel will serve as the launchpad for Tara Sutaria and Ananya Panday. They will have Tiger Shroff, who has built a loyal fan base among the young generation, giving them company. He is the only Gen-Y actor who has had a Rs 25 crore opening on the first day (Baaghi 2). Director Punit Malhotra will definitely make good use of the actor’s strengths which include dance and action.

TOTAL DHAMAAL
RELEASE DATE: DECEMBER 7

WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR: The film has a great recall value as it’s the third instalment of a popular franchise. It is headlined by Ajay Devgn along with Madhuri Dixit-Nene and Anil Kapoor. Director Indra Kumar has also retained some of the original cast members like Arshad Warsi, Riteish Deshmukh and Javed Jaffrey. Like the first part, this too will be a chase to the finish line with the principal cast running behind a treasure!

ZERO
RELEASE DATE: DECEMBER 21

WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR: Shah Rukh Khan plays a midget in this Aanand L Rai slice-of-life film which celebrates the incompleteness of two people in love. This is said to be one of SRK’s most ambitious projects where he shares screen space with Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma. There are a lot of expectations from the film that’s helmed by Rai, who is the man behind movies such as Ranjhanaa, and the Tanu Weds Manu series.

SIMMBA
RELEASE DATE: DECEMBER 28

WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR: The Rohit Shetty-Ranveer Singh combination is all set to make a big splash on the screen with their first association. This film will have Rohit’s stamp and with Ranveer playing the zanny and eccentric tough cop, it will be one to watch out for. Co-produced by Karan Johar, it will also see Sara Ali Khan opposite Ranveer for the first time. Reports say that the climax will have a Singham-Simmba crossover with Ajay Devgn stepping in for an important cameo in his Bajirao Singham avatar.