So the bar has been raised in the world of Hindi cinema and two films, as predicted have beaten all the box office records for the year to emerge biggest hits for the year so far, the films being BAHUBALI and BAJRANGI BHAIJAAN. It underlines the fact that indeed if the audience is served quality stuff, he would not hesitate to give it back to the film makers. So let’s have a peep for what is there on offer in the month of August 2015:
1. CALENDAR GIRLS: Madhur Bhandarkar after a really long time returns to the business of filmmaking with his new offering CALENDAR GIRLS which stars Akanksha Puri in the lead role. As has been the wont with Madhur Bhandarkar who has created a sort of vertical for himself exposing the underbelly of the world of entertainment and glamour, CALENDAR GIRLS looks into the seamier side of the life that calendar girls live. Obviously, if the poster is so tempting, then one thing is for sure that this film would have ample display of skin, but the moot point would be, whether this display of skin only would be able to save the day for Madhur Bhandarkar? Going by his track record in this genre- FASHION and HEROINE, one hopes that Bhandarkar would surprise the audience once again and would keep the cash flow at the box office tinking.
2. BROTHERS: BROTHERS is the latest offering from Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions, directed by Karan Malhotra, which would be his second directorial venture after AGNEEPATH. For Dharma Productions, BROTHERS would be an acid test, as their last three films have not made much headway at the box office, the films being UNGLI, HANSEE TO PHANSEE and GORI TERE PYAAR MEIN. For the Hindi film industry per se, the genre of boxing has been a time tested vertical that reaps dividend at the box office and this could also happen with BROTHERS as well. Starring Akshay Kumar and Siddhartha Malhotra, along with Jacqueline Fernandez and Jackie Shroff, BROTHERS is a saga of two brothers woven around the game of boxing. It is after a long time that Akshay Kumar is starring in a Dharma Production Film, and for Akshay Kumar as well, it would be a rarity that he is starring in a multi-star cast film. But it could be owing to the fact that a new generation is slowly but surely taking over in the world of Hindi cinema and for the stars from the intermediate era of the likes of Akshay Kumar it could be an experimentation to extend their longevity at the box office as also endear themselves to a new generation of audience thereby increasing their fan following.
3. ALL IS WELL: Producer Bhushan Kumar who is coming up with his latest offer ALL IS WELL has a knack for creating success stories at the box office but would his charm work this time around would be an aspect worth watching through his latest offering, ALL IS WELL as he has picked up Abhishek Bachchan to be his hero for ALL IS WELL. The interest would be more so accentuated by the fact that it is being directed by Umesh Shukla who directed a cult cinema in the world of Hindi films- OH MY GOD. Asin is the lady interest against Junior B and it is for the first time that Rishi Kapoor also stars in an Abhishek Bachchan. Rishi Kapoor had some acted opposite Big B in some interesting films, and it would be interesting to watch whether the chemistry that he shared with Big B, would continue to find the echo with Junior B as well.
4. PHANTOM: For Kabeer Khan, director of this Sajid Nadiadwala productions movie, it could be a double whammy as he has scored a humungous hit in BAJRANGI BHAIJAAN and returns to explore the genre of counter terrorism through PHANTOM. PHANTOM stars Saif Ali Khan and Katreena Kaif and has been shot extensively overseas. This could in fact be the first Hindi film which has Lebanon and Syria as location, while the shoot of Lebanon has been done on location for the location of Syria’s camps studio sets were created, but they were so authentic that the Lebanon militia sent their fighter planes to find out about this supposed new camp of the Syrians. It tries to unravel the narratives associated with counter terrorism and it could be an interesting film to watch out for, as this genre is becoming a hit with Kabeer Khan.
