2021 Wish-list: Bollywood actors we are sure the audience is craving to see on the big screen!

In the pre-coronavirus era, Friday was the most important day of the week for the film industry and the audience, especially when big-budget films starring B-Town's biggest actors would hit the screens on festivals. However, since the pandemic, multiplexes and single screens in Mumbai have been sporting a deserted look. With a spike in COVID-19 cases, buzz is that Bollywood films that were to release in theatres are being pushed ahead once again. As reported, the release of films like Rani Mukerji-starrer Bunty Aur Babli 2, Hindi version of Pulkit Samrat and Rana Daggubati's Haathi Mere Saathi and Amitabh Bachchan and Emraan Hashmi-starrer Chehre have been rescheduled. There are talks that makers of movies like Sooryavanshi, Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai and Satyameva Jayate 2 are planning to look at fresh release dates as well.

It’s been a long time since the audience got an opportunity to watch their favourite actors on the big screen, mouthing seetimaar dialogues and shaking a leg on the 70 mm. The last big theatrical releases being the Ajay Devgn starrer Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior, Deepika Padukone-starrer Chhapaak, Taapsee Pannu's Thappad, Anil Kapoor, Aditya Roy Kapur, Kunal Kemmu-starrer Malang among others in 2020. For that matter, a few films and web shows released on OTT through 2020-21 featuring actors like Varun Dhawan, Jacqueline Fernandez, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Kiara Advani, Sara Ali Khan, Akshay Kumar, Ishaan Khatter, Ananya Pandey, Abhishek Bachchan and many others.

However, there are those who have been busy with work, yet out of action on the releases front due to the pandemic. Here’s a list of the actors, whose films we bet, fans are eagerly awaiting for a release.

Ranveer Singh

Last seen in Gully Boy (2019), Ranveer Singh's fans are eagerly awaiting his film projects that are ready for release. If all goes well, the Simmba actor will be seen in Sooryavanshi and 83 this year. While the former, a Rohit Shetty directorial, was to release in March 2020, it was then pushed to Diwali 2020. The dates kept changing, and the makers decided to release it in April this year, but buzz is that the makers have another date in mind now. Likewise, the sports drama 83, directed by Kabir Khan, too, moved its release date from April 2020 to December 2020 to mid-2021.

Ranbir Kapoor

He has been in the news for his new film Animal, in which he will be seen with Anil Kapoor, Bobby Deol and Parineeti Chopra. But it's been quite some time that Ranbir Kapoor made an appearance on the big screen. Last seen in Sanju (2018), the actor has two films coming up soon, Shamshera and Brahmastra. While the former was to release in July 2020, its release is said to have been delayed by a year due to the pandemic. The latter, a trilogy by Ayan Mukerji that also stars Amitabh Bachchan, Alia Bhatt, Mouni Roy, is yet to see the light of the day as the makers are taking time to zero down upon the release date since 2019, apparently due to the post-production work.

Katrina Kaif

The actor's fans are awaiting the release of Sooryavanshi, which reunites her with her Namastey London (2007), Singh Is Kinng (2008) and Tees Maar Khan (2010) co-star Akshay Kumar. Due to the pandemic, followed by the low turnout in theatres and the second wave of the virus, the film's release date has been pushed ahead. Last seen in the Salman Khan-starrer Bharat in 2019, Katrina is currently busy with Phone Bhoot starring Siddhant Chaturvedi and Ishaan Khatter. Buzz also is that she will be seen opposite Salman once again in Tiger 3.

Shah Rukh Khan

There was a time when as many as three SRK-starrers would release in a year. However, that hasn't been the case for a couple of years. Last seen in Zero with Anushka Sharma and Katrina Kaif in 2018, the actor was associated with two projects, as the narrator for The Zoya Factor and the voice of Mufasa for the Hindi dubbed version of The Lion King. While there are talks about him being a part of multiple projects, his next appearance on the screen is likely to be a cameo in Aamir Khan's Laal Singh Chaddha. That apart he’ll also begin shooting for a John Abraham and Deepika Padukone co-starrer.

Shahid Kapoor

After he garnered a lot of attention for Kabir Singh in 2019, the audience has been waiting for the versatile actor's next! His upcoming project is the sports drama Jersey. The film, which also features Mrunal Thakur and Pankaj Kapur, has the actor playing the role of a cricketer. The actor had to undergo a massive amount of prep for the film that is slated to release by the end of this year.

Sidharth Malhotra

Sidharth, who is currently shooting for Mission Majnu, has Shershah, a biographical war action film, ready for release. Last seen on the big screen in 2019, in films like Jabariya Jodi and Marjaavaan, he is one of the few actors who haven't had a release on OTT in the last 12 months. Besides Shershah and Mission Majnu, he will be seen in Thank God opposite his Marjaavaan co-star Rakul Preet Singh. The film also stars Ajay Devgn. While he has a line-up of films that has kept him occupied, his fans are eagerly waiting for his films to release.