W hen Bollywood looks back at 2011, it certainly won't be a happy memory. As high as the expectations were from this year's filmi fare, there have been Friday disasters galore.
Right from the beginning of the year with the much-anticipated Vishal Bharadwaj film, Priyanka Chopra's 7 Khoon Maaf to Pankaj Kapur's directorial debut Mausam starring son Shahid, it has been a dismal performance.
Little wonder that not just audiences, but also producers are hoping the year ends on a good note. All hopes are now pinned on the quartet of Desi Boyz , Rockstar , The Dirty Picture and Don 2 .
Rockstar
(released on November 11)
Starring: Ranbir Kapoor, Nargis Fakhri
This film is riding on director Imtiaz Ali's and Ranbir Kapoor's shoulders. Both have a great track record, but the story of this film is slightly unusual — a naïve country boy tries to fall in love with the college heartthrob to ensure he can be heart broken and thereafter sing well! He does suffer a heart break, and the film is a journey from there.
What's special: Ranbir's new look, Imtiaz Ali's direction, and the song ‘Sadda Haq'
DESI BOYZ
(November 25)
Starring: Akshay Kumar, John Abraham, Deepika Padukone,
Chitrangada Singh
The Akshay Kumar-John Abraham madness that created magic at the box-office ( Garam Masala ) is back after six years, under David Dhawan's son Rohit Dhawan's directorial debut Desi Boyz . The story of Nick Mathur and Jerry Patel deals with the 2009 recession and its effect on these two young men in London. When they get chucked out of their cushy jobs, they have to turn to something so audacious that their friendship and relationships are at stake.
What to expect: David Dhawan's slapstick comedy, good looking locales, beefy men, sexy girls, and Chitrangada Singh in her first ever commercial film
THE DIRTY PICTURE
(December 2)
Starring: Vidya Balan, Naseeruddin Shah, Emraan Hashmi, Tusshar Kapoor
Initially openly positioned as the story of Silk Smitha, The Dirty Picture is now being spoken of as the story of female starlets / strugglers of the 1980s in filmdom who fiercely stuck to their guns in a male-dominated space. It follows the romantic journey of one such starlet who meets Mr. Lusty, Mr. Romantic and Mr. Pretentious who are all in ‘love' with her.
What to expect: Vidya Balan's out-and-out sultry performance
DON 2
(December 23)
Starring: Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Arjun Rampal, Boman Irani, Om Puri, Lara Dutta, Kunaal Kapoor
The film takes off from where the first ended. Don (SRK) had escaped unscathed from the clutches of the cops, and managed to thwart his internal enemies and kingpin Singhania to establish his supremacy over the Asian drugs mafia. In the sequel, he wishes to gain control of Europe and the action moves from Malaysia to Berlin. Priyanka aka Roma has moved on to being a part of Interpol, and Vardhaan (Boman) is jailed in Malaysia.
What to expect: Slick action, SRK's charm (yes, even post Ra.One !), a twist in the tale
What worked in 2011
Ready (Salman Khan-Asin)
No One Killed Jessica (Vidya Balan-Rani Mukherjee)
Murder 2 (Emraan Hashmi-Jacqueline Fernandez)
Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (Abhay Deol-Farhan Akhtar-Hrithik Roshan-
Katrina Kaif)
Yamla Pagla Deewana (Dharmendra-Sunny-Bobby Deol)
Tanu Weds Manu (R Madhavan-Kangna Ranaut)
What definitely didn't
7 Khoon Maaf (Priyanka Chopra-Naseeruddin Shah-Annu Kapoor-Neil
Nitin Mukesh-John Abraham)
Game (Abhishek Bachchan-Anupam Kher-Kangna Ranaut)
Thank You (Akshay Kumar-Bobby Deol-Sonam Kapoor-Suniel Shetty)
Rascals (Ajay Devgn-Sanjay Dutt-Kangna Ranaut)
Aarakshan (Amitabh Bachchan-Saif Ali Khan-Deepika Padukone)
Mausam (Shahid Kapoor-Sonam Kapoor)
