There is a long list of movie releases for 2015 but we are keeping our eyes peeled for a select few

As we step into the new year today, we look at Bollywood with a lot of excitement. Apart from the big-ticket releases for festive occasions, a host of sequels are set to hit the marquee. As usual, superstars will focus on reaffirming their position while the young guns will battle their way to the top - and filmmakers try their best to enter the Rs 100 crore hall of fame. Hitlist picks some of the most-awaited films this year...

'Fan'

Director: Maneesh Sharma
Cast: Shah Rukh Khan
In brief: Arguably with the greatest fan following worldwide, the superstar will essay the role of his biggest fan himself in the movie.
Why: Will be interesting to see SRK in not a larger-than-life role.
Releases: August 14

'Piku'

Director: Shoojit Sircar
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone and Irrfan
In brief: Set in Kolkata, the comedy drama will show the father-daughter relationship but with a quirky spin.
Why: The star cast itself is enough reason to pull one to the theatres.
Releases: April 30

'Bajrangi Bhaijaan'

Director: Kabir Khan
Cast: Salman Khan and Kareena Kapoor
In brief: It is a romantic drama which centers on the relationship between a Muslim boy and a Hindu Brahmin girl.
Why: One Khan directing another Khan should be interesting.
Releases: Mid July

'Bajirao Mastani'
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Cast: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra
In brief: A period romance on Peshwa Baji Rao and his passion for courtesan, Mastani.
Why: SLB's dream project that was stuck for over a decade.
Releases: December 25

'Bombay Velvet'
Director: Anurag Kashyap
Cast: Ranbir Kapoor and Anushka Sharma
In brief: A story of a boxer and an aspiring Jazz singer and how their hopes and realities collide.
Why: Kashyap turns director after a long gap and Karan Johar will be seen as a villain in this film.
Releases: May 13
'Roy'

Director: Vikramjit singh
Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Arjun Rampal and Jacqueline Fernandez
In brief: A romantic thriller in which Ranbir plays a thief.
Why: The fact that we get to see Ranbir on screen after so long.
Releases: February 13

'NH 10'
Director: Navdeep Singh
Cast: Anushka Sharma, Neil Bhoopalam and Darshan Kumar
In brief: A thriller based on a couple's road trip gone awry.
Why: Anushka's maiden home production.
Releases: March 6

'Wazir'

Director: Bejoy Nambiar
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Farhan Akhtar, Aditi Rao Hydari
In brief: Big B plays a wheelchair-bound chess grandmaster while Farhan essays the role of an ATS officer in the film.
Why: The legend in a never-seen-before avatar.
Releases: Yet to be announced

'Shaandar'

Director: Vikas Bahl
Cast: Shahid Kapoor and Alia Bhatt
In brief: A romantic comedy which is touted to be India's first destination wedding film.
Why: Have you watched Queen? Do you really need a reason?
Releases: Yet to be announced

'Titli'

Director: Kanu Behl
Cast: Ranvir Shorey, Amit Sial, Shashank Arora and Lalit Behl
In brief: A semi autobiography on Titli, the youngest member of a violent car-jacking brotherhood who plots a desperate bid to escape the 'family' business.
Why: It was selected in the Uncertain Regard Section at the last Cannes Film Festival.
Releases: Yet to be announced

'Jagga Jasoos'
Director: Anurag Basu
Cast: Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif
In brief: The film has Ranbir playing a detective
Why: Rumoured lovers off-screen coming together after a hiatus of nearly six years. And the allure of a detective film.
Releases: August 28

'Shamitabh'

Director: R Balki
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Dhanush and Akshara Hasan
In brief: It revolves around a deaf and dumb man (Dhanush) who gets a voice courtesy Big B.
Why: The odd combo of Dhanush and Big B and the fact that it marks the debut of Akshara, legendary actor Kamal Haasan's younger daughter.
Releases: February 6

'Detective Byomkesh Bakshy'

Director: Dibakar Banerjee
Cast: Sushant Singh Rajput and Swastika Mukherjee
In brief: The crime thriller based on the exploits of a fictional detective character Byomkesh Bakshi, originally created by Bengali writer Sharadindu Bandopadhyay.
Why: Dibakar, of course. Also for the nostalgia that Byomkesh Bakshi brings.
Releases: February 13

'Badlapur'

Director: Sriram Raghvan
Cast: Varun Dhawan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Huma Qureshi and Yami Gautam.
In brief: A revenge drama-action thriller in which Varun sheds his romantic hero image to play a baddie.
Why: Pure curiosity to see the otherwise lover boy Varun get into a serious role.
Releases: February 20

'Tamasha'

Director: Imtiaz Ali
Cast: Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone
In brief: The Kapoor scion plays a nomad while Dippy will be seen as a bubbly girl on a trip to Corsica following the trail of her favourite comics characters, Asterix and Obelix.
Why: Imtiaz's sensitive storytelling and ex-flames starring together in yet another project.
Releases: December 25

'MS Dhoni'

Director: Neeraj Pandey
Cast: Sushant Singh Rajput
In brief: A biopic on by far the most successful Indian cricket captain by the same name. Dhoni has won us two of the biggest tournaments in world cricket - T20 World Cup in 2007 and ICC World Cup in 2011.
Why: Now that MSD has retired from Test cricket, this becomes all the more interesting.
Releases: Yet to be announced

'Main Aur Charles'

Director: Prawaal Raman
Cast: Randeep Hooda and Richa Chadda
In brief: Loosely based on the bikini killer Charles Sobhraj, known for drugging and killing several Western tourists in Asia in the '70s. Why: Who isn't fascinated by Sobhraj's story? And of course, the fact that Randeep is playing him.
Releases: March 13

'Phantom'

Director: Kabir Khan
Cast: Saif Ali Khan and Katrina Kaif
In brief: It is a counter-terrorism drama film set post the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai and centers on Indian agents working to combat global terrorist outfits. The lead actors are both secret agents.

Why: It is the director's fourth film dealing with terrorism and spies after Kabul Express (2006), New York (2009) and Ek Tha Tiger (2012).
Releases: April 3

'Dil Dhadakne Do'

Director: Zoya Akhtar
Cast: Anil Kapoor, Farhan Akhtar, Ranveer Singh, Priyanka Chopra, Anushka Sharma and Shefali Shah.
In brief: It revolves around a dysfunctional Punjabi family on a cruise trip.
Why: The interesting plot and the star-studded cast.
Releases: June 5

'Prem Ratan Dhan Payo'
Director: Sooraj Barjatya
Cast: Salman Khan and Sonam Kapoor
In brief: An Indian family drama in which Salman will be seen as a king.
Why: Barjatya's comeback project and Sallu playing Prem again.
Releases: Diwali

Director's pick
As of now, I am looking forward to Detective Byomkesh Bakshy
- Dibakar Banerjee

I have four films on my to-watch list - 'Byomkesh Bakshy' as Dibakar is one of my favourite directors, 'Baby' as its trailer looked promising, 'Margarita, with a Straw' as Kalki Koechlin's performance in the promo looks stunning and finally, 'Shamitabh' because of Bachchan sir, Dhanush, Balki - enough said.
- Bejoy Nambiar

On my list are 'Jagga Jasoos', 'Badlapur', 'Shamitabh', 'Bombay Velvet', 'Hawaizada', 'Byomkesh Bakshy', 'Fitoor', 'Yaara'. These are films; the rest are circus pieces
- Tigmanshu Dhulia

I can only think of 'Shamitabh' now, at least till February 6
-R Balki