A year of reckoning for Bollywood

Trust Salman Khan to swoop in and save 2017 from being the ultimate disaster! Although he faced disappointment earlier in the year with Tubelight, the superstar gave a roaring hit with Tiger Zinda Hai, the sequel to his previous blockbuster Ek Tha Tiger. The film had all the makings of a bhai film - tonnes of action, an emotional love story with the stunning Katrina Kaif, larger than life characterisation as well as a groovy chartbuster. Hardcore Sallu fans lapped up the film and ensured that the year came to an end with a bang and the film earned Rs 300 crores at the box office, at the time of writing. This feat made the superstar the only Bollywood actor with three Rs 300 crore films at the box office!

Marred by a string of flops and the Padmaavat(i) controversy, Bollywood faced an exceptionally tough 2017. The first half of the year was abysmal and despite the star power, films such as Ok Jaanu, Rangoon, Phillauri, Raabta, Jagga Jasoos, Begum Jaan, as well as Shah Rukh Khan's Jab Harry Met Sejal bombed at the box office. The saving grace came through Hrithik Roshan's heart-warming performance in Kaabil, SRK's don act in Raees, and Akshay Kumar's satires Jolly LLB 2 and Toilet Ek Prem Katha. And, of course, Baahubali 2, the action-packed spectacle that wowed cinemagoers, and made a whopping Rs 500 crores at the box office, making it the only Hindi film to have reached the milestone. 

But the year truly belonged to Varun Dhawan who with his affable personality impressed the masses with two major hits. Of the highest grosser's of the year, his act in Judwaa 2, a remake of the hit 1997 Salman film, is ranked fourth, while Badrinath Ki Dulhaniya, opposite Alia Bhatt, comes in at the 10th position, cementing his status as a bankable actor. 

Another actor who can be counted on to delight the audiences with his choices is Ayushmann Khurrana. The actor starred in Meri Pyaari Bindu, which didn't do very well, but he followed it up with slice-of-life films such as the rom-com Bareilly Ki Barfi and Shubh Mangal Saavadhan, a film that tackled the topic of erectile dysfunction that earned him critical as well as box office success. 

Rajkummar Rao also impressed critics with his act in Newton, which was India's official entry to the Oscar's. In the film, the actor is seen playing the role of a government clerk, who has to carry out a fair voting process in the conflict-ridden jungles of Chhattisgarh. The actor, who was also fabulous in Bareilly Ki Barfi, received rave reviews at home as well as on the international circuit.

The second half of the year continued on more or less the same trajectory and most films were unable to get the cash registers ringing. In August, Sidharth Malhotra and Jacqueline Fernandez were seen in A Gentleman that despite its catchy soundtrack failed to create any buzz at the box office. 

September saw Kangana Ranaut's Simran, which got publicity for all the wrong reasons. While promoting the film, Kangana received a lot of negative press for bringing up her feud with Hrithik Roshan (she said he was her ex-boyfriend, he denied it, and it led to real-life drama where allegations and court notices were sent to each other). In Simran, the actress brings her A-game as a divorced Indian woman living in the U.S. with her parents, who gets addicted to gambling and has her life turned topsy-turvy. Despite Kangana's breezy performance, the film received a lukewarm response from the public. It clashed with Farhan Akhtar's Lucknow Central, a film about an aspiring singer who lands himself in jail and gets fellow inmates to participate in a competition to fulfil his musical dreams. Although the film received decent reviews from critics, it failed to create an impact on the masses. 

Last year also saw the return of Sanjay Dutt on the big screen with the film Bhoomi. Omung Kumar, who has hits such as Mary Kom and Sarabjit to his credit, took the mantle for Sanju baba's film, but the weak script and stereotypical characters ensured that the film fizzled at the box office. 

Things started to look up from Diwali for the industry, as two biggies clashed during the holidays and luckily both did well at the cash registers. Aamir Khan produced and starred in a cameo role in Secret Superstar, the coming-of-age story of a teenage girl who aspires to be a singer and the challenges she faces. The film featured a touching performance by Zaira Wasim, of Dangal fame, and saw Aamir in a never-seen-before avatar as a music mentor dressed in quirky outfits, sporting outrageous hairstyles. 

The other release was the ensemble goofball comedy Golmaal Again that became a bona fide super hit. The fourth instalment of the series showed that the public enjoyed seeing the old gang of Ajay Devgn, Arshad Warsi, Kunal Khemu, Shreyas Taplade and Tusshar Kapoor getting back together and the jokes kept the family-friendly audiences in splits. 

This was followed up by Tumhari Sulu, which saw the charming Vidya Balan play the role of a housewife who becomes a radio jockey for a late-night relationship advice show. The script's realism plus Vidya's endearing performance dazzled the critics and the film even managed to get some moolah at the box office. 

The year ended on a positive note with the super success of Tiger Zinda Hai, as well as Fukrey Returns being declared a hit. The sequel to the 2013 film featured the misadventures of Hunny (Pulkit Samrat), Choocha (Varun Sharma), Lali (Manjot Singh) and Zafar (Ali Fazal) and the don Bholi (Richa Chadda), and turned out to be a fun-filled ride for spectators.

The Republic Day weekend was going to see the clash between Akshay Kumar's Pad man and Padmaavat but when the latter's director got in touch with Akshay to postpone his film, the actor graciously did so and showed his solidarity with the director. Now releasing on February 9, Pad man is inspired by the life of Arunachalam Muruganantham, a social activist who revolutionised the concept of menstrual hygiene in rural India. Akshay has become the flag bearer when it comes to spreading awareness of such sensitive issues to the masses and the positive buzz the film is garnering looks like another hit is in the wings for Khiladi Kumar. He will be back for the Independence Day release, Gold, a biopic based on the life of hockey player Balbir Singh Sr., who was on the team that won the first Olympic medal for India. 

Strong female characters are all set to take the spotlight this year. In February, Rani Mukerji will end her sabbatical and will be seen in Hichki, where she is essaying the role of a teacher suffering from the Tourette syndrome. The trailer looks uplifting and extremely promising. 

In April, Kangana will don the character of the fierce warrior Rani Laxmibai in Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi. In June, Kareena Kapoor Khan will be back on the big screen with, Sonam Kapoor, Swara Bhaskar and Shikha Talsania, and will be seen entertaining the audiences in the chick flick Veere di Wedding.  

At the end of June, Rajkumar Hirani's much-awaited biopic on Sanjay Dutt's life will hit the screens. Ranbir Kapoor will be seen essaying Sanju baba's controversial life. The leaked pictures on social media, where Ranbir looks like a splitting image of baba, has gotten the audience's attention and the curiosity surrounding it is sure to make it a big ticket release. 

The year will also see two star kids make their big screen debut. In July, Sridevi and Boney Kapoor's daughter Jhanvi Kapoor will star in Dhadak, alongside Shahid Kapoor's stepbrother Ishaan Khatter. In December, Saif Ali Khan and Amrita Singh's daughter Sara Ali Khan will star in Kedarnath opposite Sushant Singh Rajput. Both the divas have already become social media sensations and their every move is followed carefully by the paparazzi!

The three Khan's also have big releases lined up this year. In July, Salman will star in the Eid release Race 3, which will most likely be an adrenaline filled movie with shiny cars and swanky locations. Aamir will star in Thugs of Hindostan, which will release in November, and will see the star collaborate with veteran Amitabh Bachchan for the first time. The year will come to an end with Shah Rukh Khan's Zero, where the superstar will play the role of a dwarf and the film is said to be full of surprises!

Originally scheduled to release on November 30, 2017, Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmavati, starring Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor, had been in controversy since its shoot started. While filming, Karni Sena, a religious group, disrupted shooting and even physically assaulted the director and halted the shooting and also gave death threats to both Bhansali and the lead actress Deepika. The group believes that the film has distorted historical facts related to the Rajput community and wants a complete ban on it. The film finally received clearance and released on January 25. The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) gave the film a U/A certificate and advised five modifications, including changing the title to Padmaavat.

Set to release in April, S Shankar's 2.0 stars Rajinikanth, alongside Akshay Kumar (who will be seen in a villainous role) and Amy Jackson. It is the first Indian film shot directly in 3D and is touted to be the most expensive Indian film ever made, with a staggering budget of Rs 450 crore.