Half of 2014 is already over and we already have a few entrants in the Rs 100 crore club, including the likes of Jai Ho, 2 States and Holiday: A Soldier is Never Off Duty. Of course, apart from the moneyspinners, this year has also seen many commercial flops. There's hardly been a Friday without a film release. But what's really interesting is that the first few six months were marked by the absence of some of the biggest Bollywood stars.
But worry not, for all that is set to change in the second half. If the list of films slated to release in the second half of this year is anything to go by, B-town's biggest stars are going to more than make up for their absence so far. hitlist tells you about the big stars' eagerly awaited cinematic outings...
'Kick'
Director: Sajid Nadiadwala
Release Date: July 25
Lowdown: His Jai Ho has already collected Rs 100 crore but this upcoming film looks more promising as it also stars names like Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Randeep Hooda. The official remake of a Telugu film by the same name, Kick also marks producer Nadiadwala's directorial debut.
'Bang Bang'
Director: Siddharth Anand
Release Date: October 2
Lowdown: An out-and-out thriller, Bang Bang is said to feature one of the finest action sequences in Bollywood so far. Starring Hrithik Roshan and Katrina Kaif in lead roles, the high-octane film is an official remake of the Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz-starrer, Knight and Day (2010).
'Bobby Jasoos'
Director: Samar Shaikh
Release Date: July 4
Lowdown: Her recent ventures opposite leading actors may have not really worked, but this time around, Vidya Balan is back in a film centred around her character. The National Award-winner plays a detective in this film and it looks like she will get a chance to exploit her potential to the fullest in this sleuth project.
'Finding Fanny'
Director: Homi Adajania
Release Date: September 12
Lowdown: Deepika Padukone had four releases last year and all of them crossed the R100 crore mark at the box office. Finding Fanny marks her first Hindi release this year. She stars opposite Arjun Kapoor and the cast also includes veterans like Naseeruddin Shah, Pankaj Kapur and Dimple Kapadia.
'Mardaani'
Director: Pradeep Sarkar
Release Date: August 22
Lowdown: With Gulaab Gang and Revolver Rani showcasing a violent side to female protagonists' - played by Madhuri Dixit and Kangna Ranaut respectively - Rani Mukerji's Mardaani is now being looked forward to. Besides, it's the actress' first film release in about 21 months, not to mention that is being produced by hubby Aditya Chopra's Yashraj Films.
'Haider'
Director: Vishal Bhardwaj
Release Date: October 2
Lowdown: Shakespeare is back! An adaptation of Hamlet, Haider completes Bhardwaj's Shakespeare trilogy after Maqbool (2003) and Omkara (2006). With the cast boasting of names such as Shahid Kapoor, Tabu, Shraddha Kapoor and Irrfan Khan, one will have to wait to see how this film shapes up.
'Happy New Year'
Director: Farah Khan
Release Date: October 23
Lowdown: Marking King Khan's first release of the year, the action comedy will have no biggie to compete against this Diwali. The film is said to feature the costliest song made in Bollywood so far. Along with SRK, it stars Deepika Padukone, Abhishek Bachchan, Boman Irani and Sonu Sood.
'Bombay Velvet'
Director: Anurag Kashyap
Release Date: November 28
Lowdown: After the debacle called Besharam, Ranbir Kapoor's upcoming film is a period drama. Set in 1960s Bombay and shot largely in Sri Lanka, the film sees him as a street fighter, opposite Anuska Sharma. The film also marks filmmaker Karan Johar's acting debut.
'P.K.'
Director: Rajkumar Hirani
Release Date: December 19
Lowdown: Aamir Khan's film is said to be a satire on religious dogmas, though not much about the plot has been revealed as yet. What's known though is that the film features other stars like Anushka Sharma, Sushant Singh Rajput and Sanjay Dutt.
Double dose
Last year, Emraan Hashmi had two releases: 'Ek Thi Daayan' and 'Ghanchakkar'. This year too, he has two films slated to hit the marquee in the later half of the year. The first is a thriller called 'Raja Natwarlal' and the second is a comedy titled 'Ungli'.
