by Subhash K Jha

Amitabh and Abhishek Bachchan
Together and apart the father and son represent a formidable force. After the success of Bunty Aur Babli and Sarkar they prepare to pair again in Apoorva Lakhia's Just Punjabi. Individually the senior AB has a walloping year beginning with Raj Kumar Santoshi' Family and and ending with Karan Johar's Kabhi Alvidaa Na Kehna.

Says AB, "Yeah, it's a good assortment of roles in 2006. I play a very unusual character in Karan's film and in Balkrishnan's Cheeni Kam where I'm paired with Tabu."

As for Abhishek, watch him give contrasting performances in Sanjay Gadhvi's Dhoom 2 and J P Dutta's Umrao Jaan. Yup, it's quite a spectrum.

Aishwarya Rai
In recreating an era and aura that Rekha has already done, Aishwarya was taking a great risk in Umrao Jaan. Comparisons, as they say, are inevitable.

"But Ash's Umrao is diametrically different from Rekha's. Ash is doing it in her own way. And it's certainly a unique and outstanding way," says movie mogul J P Dutta, all set to prove himself a ladies' director.

Before Umrao, Ash bathed herself in glamorous glory playing Paro in Sanjay Bhansali's Devdas. In Umrao, the scent of this woman is amazing. All those who think she's had her best innings are going to sit up and watch.

Says co-star Divya Dutta, "The minute Ash walks in, we are transported into another time zone." Laughs Ash, "You know I've been told so many times that I belong to a different era. Maybe Umrao is my chance to really prove it."

Akshaye Khanna
In Feroz Khan's Mahatma Versus Gandhi. Though the project is being kept completely under wraps by producer Anil Kapoor, the shy retiring Khanna is all set to emblazon the screen with the role of Mahatma Gandhi's neglected persecuted bitter angry and frustrated son who sees his father neglect family for nation.

It's a role that will finally take Akshaye to places he was meant to go before a sort of stagnancy set into his career.

The fog clears. This year Akshaye will emerge a clear winner. No one is allowed to talk about the film. But someone who has seen the rushes, swears by Akshaye's performance.

"After Mahatma Versus Gandhi people will forget all Akshaye's silly antics and facial gymnastics in those Priyadarshan comedies. It's a gut-wrenching performance. Akshaye is the dark horse of 2006."

Hrithik Roshan
Quietly, he creeps back into the limelight with Krissh. So what if Lakshya didn't do as well as expected? Hrithik grew his hair, toned up his muscles to do two sequels for Dhoom and Koi... Mil Gaya. Priyanka who co-stars with Hrithik in Krissh (the Koi...Mil Gaya sequel) can't stop raving about him. "Every day I learnt something from him on the sets." Hope the lessons don't go to waste.

Saif Ali Khan
In Vishal Bhardwaj's Omkara (Othello), Shakespeare's arch-villain becomes a lout from Uttar Pradesh for Saif who declined Ramu's Sholay to do this.

It's a performance that will compete for all the best villain's awards next year along with Hrithik in Dhoom 2. Saif will probably have a cutting edge. "I've already started preparing my speech, body language and look," says Saif.

Aparna Sen
Her new film, 15 Park Avenue is being talked about as the most heart-wrenching film since Black. The story of two half-sisters features Konkona as the girl lapsing into insanity as Didi Shabana tries to cope with the crisis.

"It's the kind of film that offers its actors a chance to get seriously involved. And Aparna is in splendid shape," says Rahul who plays Konkona's guy. The gifted director also goes into her first Hindi film with Govinda, Sharmila , Soha and Konkona (but naturally) later this year.

Seema Biswas, Shabana Azmi
The senior bracket gets a walloping boost. Seema never had it so good since Bandit Queen and Khamoshi - The Musical. Ever since Deepa Mehta's Water released in Toronto, six weeks ago, it's Seema who has caught the international press' attention.

As for Shabana (who was supposed to play Seema's role in Water) her performance as Aishwarya's mother will be remembered for ages. "I'm playing the role that my mother (Shaukat Kaifi) played in Muzzafar Ali's Umrao Jaan. It's a very emotional moment for me."

Ram Gopal Varma, Farhan Akhtar, David Dhawan
They're all set to re-make three Bachchan classics. While Ramu has gone heavily into pre-production for his take on Sholay, Farhan goes on the floors with Don in January 2006. David Dhawan speaks for all of them, when he says, "When I remake Amar Akbar Anthony with Salman, Arbaaz and Sohail it will have to be very different from the way Manmohan Desai made it. But I can't lose the spirit of the original."

Sooraj Barjatya
Vivah la difference! He has been down. But he's certainly not ouch. Sooraj Barjatya's under-production film, now being shot at Madh Island, carries excellent reports.

Says the leading man Shahid Kapoor, "Sooraj-ji is so meticulous , he just makes the whole process of performing so easy. Me and Amrita (Rao) are learming so much on the job, " Adds Anupam Kher, "With Sooraj I don't even question the role or price. I've been part of his Hum Aapke Hain Koun. Hope he makes history again." Sooraj hua madhyam...but nor for long.