Films to watch out for in 2019

• Uri: Calling a  spade a spade, declaring Pakistan a political enemy in a film about India’s surgical attack on Pakistan is not the kind of soft-focus approach one would expect in a film sensitive film.  Uri tells it like it is. And that’s what makes it interesting. Director Aditya Dhar has not made an apologetic namby-pamby film. This is the hardcore stuff, with Vicky Kaushal playing a soldier out to get blood. Khoon ka badla… Jai Hind! Release date: January 11.
• Manikarnika: The Queen Of Jhansi: The very fact that this project had to go through  a  journey of struggle almost as enormous the one that the Queen Of Jhansi undertook, makes it an interesting project . With two director Krish Jagarlamudi and, ahem, Kangana Ranaut the film could well be more hysterical than historical  but still worth the wait. Release Date: January 25.
• Super 30: Bihar’s world-renowned mathematician Anand Kumar is being played by Hrithik Roshan in his first true-life project. We can only hope he doesn’t do Krish on  the well-known maths wizard. Release date: January 25.

• Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga:  Debutante director Shelley Chopra Dhar brings  father Anil Kapoor and daughter Sonam Kapoor Ahuja together for the first time. I am already game. Release date February 1.
• Sonchiriya: Director Abhishek Choubey’s raw real authentic drama takes us away from the filmy dacoit dramas into a credible view of violence in the Chambal Valley. This  would be an interesting departure from the  formula  for the age-long genre  of dacoit films. Sushant  Singh Raput will face Manoj Bajpai for the first time. Bajpai  is not frazzled. But we hope to be dazzled. Release date: February 8.
• Gully Boyz:  Zoya Akhtar trippy tale of street rappers brings together Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt for the first time. Need anything more be said? Release date: February 14.
• Badla: Sujoy Ghosh brings together the Pink pair Amitabh Bachchan and Tapsee Pannu in what  promises  to be a hardhitting revenge drama replete with  unforeseen twists and turns. Release date: March 8.
• Kesari: Akshay Kumar returns this time to play Havaldar Ishar Singh in the Battle of  Saragarhi . The tale of untold valour and patriotism will connect viscerally with every Indian. This period drama directed by Anurag Singh brings Parineeti Chopra as Akshay’s daughter. Release date-- March 21.
• The Zoya Factor: With cricket at its background and the fresh-as-a-daisy pair of Sonam Kapoor Ahuja and Dulquer Salman in the lead and director Abhishek Sharma (who helmed last year’s surprise success Parmanu ) can this go wrong? Release date: April 5.
• Kalank: Director Karan Johar brings together Madhuri Dixit, Sonakshi Sinha, Varun Dhawan, Sanjay Dutt, Alia Bhatt in the biggest multi-starrer since Karan  Johar’s  Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham. Release  date: April 19.
• Bharat: Ali Abbas Zafar directs Salman Khan in a film that tracks the life of an ordinary Indian from 1947 to the  present day. Remains to be seen if Salman makes history this time. Release date: Eid.
• Mission Mangal: Akshay Kumar goes into outer space. This time he is again navigated by a debutant director Jagat Shakti. He has for company some lovely leading ladies like Vidya Balan, Tapsee Pannu and Sonakshi Sinha. Way to go, Mr Kumar. Release date-August 15.
• Batla House: Recreating the Batla House terror encounter in 2018 director Nikhil Advani has  the newly-converted  patriotic leading man John Abraham attempting an out-of-the-box film. Release date: August 15.
• Hrithik Roshan-Tiger Shroff starrer untitled: The combats between these two sinewy stars prompts me to suggest the title ‘Paisa Vasool’ for the actioner directed by Siddharth Anand to be released on October 2.
• Varun Dhawan-Katrina Kaif starrer untitled : Remo D’Souza directs this never-before pair in a dance face-off that promises to blow the screen apart. Wow. Release date: November 8.

Also Read: 10 best films of 2018

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