Active Stocks
Thu Mar 28 2024 15:59:33
  1. Tata Steel share price
  2. 155.90 2.00%
  1. ICICI Bank share price
  2. 1,095.75 1.08%
  1. HDFC Bank share price
  2. 1,448.20 0.52%
  1. ITC share price
  2. 428.55 0.13%
  1. Power Grid Corporation Of India share price
  2. 277.05 2.21%
BackBack

Octoberfest

Octoberfest

Premium

It will be an unusual month at the theatres. Following ‘Endhiran’ and ‘Anjaana Anjaani’ (which was postponed by a week to avoid coinciding with the Allahabad high court’s verdict on the Ayodhya conflict), nine films will be released in four weeks (the release dates for two films, ‘Ramayana The Epic’ and ‘Dunno Y Na Jaane Kyon’, are not final yet; they may be released next month).

Some of these films have been in the news, some are debut features and some are counting on star value. All of them will be battling at the box office. Here’s what you need to know before buying a 300 ticket.

Anjaana Anjaani

Director Siddharth Anand’s films, including his debut ‘Salaam Namaste’ (2005) and the last ‘Bachna Ae Haseeno’ (2008), tend to be urban love stories with all the trappings of a traditional candyfloss Bollywood romance. ‘Anjaana Anjaani’, produced by Sajid Nadiadwala, looks like a road romance but has been promoted as “the greatest love story between two strangers". With Ranbir Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra in the lead, it is bound to attract the young metro crowd. Don’t expect intelligent humour or economy of emotion. Pitted against the mammoth ‘Endhiran’, it rests largely on star power.

Released on Friday.

Crook

‘Crook: It’s Good to be Bad’, produced by Vishesh Films, has the stamp of a Bhatt camp staple. Director Mohit Suri’s film is set in Australia, and is inspired by racial discrimination and the attacks on Indian students there. The victim here is an Indian girl played by Neha Sharma. The other lead is played by Emraan Hashmi. Unlike most successful films from this banner, the soundtrack of ‘Crook’ has not created a noticeable buzz.

Releases on 8 October.

Do Dooni Chaar

There are three firsts in this film—it’s Walt Disney’s entry into the Hindi film market, the director, Habib Faisal, is making his debut and Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh are acting together as a pair after three decades (their last lead couple role was ‘Dhan Daulat’, if you ignore the small appearance together in ‘Love Aaj Kal’). The story is set in Delhi and is about the Duggals, a family of four that runs on the schoolteacher’s salary of the father, played by Kapoor. They dream big and give in to temptations that snowball, landing them in hilarious situations. It has the stamp of a heart-warming comedy. We know the Kapoor magic, and the old Rishi-Neetu one. The director will make or break it.

Releases on 8 October.

Jhootha hi Sahi

After his debut, the successful teenage romcom ‘Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na’ (2008), director Abbas Tyrewala is ready with his second feature film, also a romantic comedy, set in London. John Abraham plays a lonely, nerdy guy in love with a girl who happens to connect with him on a mistaken telephone call (Pakhi, Tyrewala’s wife, who has also written the story). The music by A.R. Rahman is on air, but is not half as eclectic or brilliant as Rahman soundtracks go. Abraham’s films have not been successful in a long time, so this is a bit of a gamble.

Releases on 15 October.

Aakrosh

Based on the honour killings in north India, ‘Aakrosh’ marks a shift in director Priyadarshan’s oeuvre—a return to the genre of some of his earlier films. With Ajay Devgn, Akshaye Khanna and Bipasha Basu in the lead roles, it is being promoted as a gritty film. But the language is over the top. It is set in Jhanjhar, Bihar, where three students from Delhi University go missing. The investigation into their whereabouts turns the film into a thriller.

Releases on 15 October.

Knock Out

Mani Shankar’s ‘Knock Out’ is an action thriller reminiscent of Sanjay Gupta’s earlier films. Sanjay Dutt plays the lead role, with Irrfan Khan and Kangna Ranaut in important roles. Ranaut and Khan sport looks that are different from those of all their earlier films and from the first look, it appears that Dutt plays pretty much the same brawny, no-brainer roles in which his physical power is shown to be a foil to the innate goodness of the character. Expect big blow-ups and chase sequences. It’s not for action buffs who can’t help but compare Bollywood action with the best of Hollywood.

Releases on 15 October.

Rakta Charitra

Based on the conspiracy theories surrounding the slaying of Paritala Ravindra, a political leader from Andhra Pradesh, this film, being made in two parts, is directed by Ram Gopal Varma. Caste politics, ugly political rivalry, love, betrayal and a mirror of Telugu society—‘Rakta Charitra’ is an ambitious project with Vivek Oberoi, who plays Ravindra. It is a make-or-break film for the actor. His opponent is played by Surya. The film also has Shatrughan Sinha and Priyamani. The first look is indicative of its grittiness and powerful visuals.

The first part releases on 22 October, the second part will be released in November.

Paan Singh Tomar

The biopic of ‘Paan Singh Tomar’, a ‘subedar’ with the Indian Army and a runner who won the national championship medal seven years in a row and then became a ‘thug’ in the Chambal valley in Madhya Pradesh, is directed by Tigmanshu Dhulia. Paan Singh was notorious for having created havoc in the Chambal valley. Irrfan Khan plays the lead in the film produced by UTV Motion Pictures.

Releases on 22 October

Hisss

This film has been in the news for around a year. Directed by Jennifer Lynch, this Hollywood production is expected to have a big release in India because of Mallika Sherawat, who plays the lead role—that of a snake woman. It may be ‘Nagin’ redux, wrapped in Hollywood finesse. It is a horror film—and Sherawat’s first home production.

Releases on 22 October.

sanjukta.s@livemint.com

Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed – it's all here, just a click away! Login Now!

Catch all the Business News, Market News, Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.
More Less
Published: 01 Oct 2010, 10:10 PM IST
Next Story footLogo
Recommended For You
Switch to the Mint app for fast and personalized news - Get App