LOOKING AHEAD 2020: BOLLYWOOD: Return of the underdog

Coming-of-age dramas, sports biopics and woman-centric films vie for attention with romcoms and thrillers this year: Here’s the lowdown
01 'TANHAJI: THE UNSUNG WARRIOR'
Director: Om Raut
Cast: Ajay Devgn, Saif Ali Khan, Kajol
Watch out for: Ajay’s 100th film (set to release this month), features him in the titular role with Kajol as Tanaji’s wife, Savitribai.The couple reunite on screen 12 years after U Me Aur Hum. Saif plays antagonist Udaybhan Rathod. Ajay is also producing The Big Bull featuring Abhishek Bachchan and Ileana D’Cruz, inspired by the life of controversial stockbroker, Harshad Mehta.
02 'LOVE AAJ KAL'
Director: Imtiaz Ali
Cast: Kartik Aaryan, Sara Ali Khan, Randeep Hooda
Watch out for: Sara takes dad Saif Ali Khan’s much-loved film (in February) forward with former steady date Kartik, who also has another sequel, 'Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2', with Kiara Advani and Tabu.
03 'ANGREZI MEDIUM'
Director: Homi Adajania
Cast: Irrfan Khan, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Radhika Madan
Watch out for: Irrfan returns to the big screen after battling cancer, in a first-time pairing with Kareena to take on the education system for ‘daughter’ Radhika. The film opens in March.
04 'CHHAPAAK'
Director: Meghna Gulzar
Cast: Deepika Padukone, Vikrant Massey
Watch out for: Deepika’s maiden production is inspired by acid attack survivor Laxmi Agarwal, with Vikrant Massey as her supportive partner. Meghna’s new true-to-life drama after 'Talvar' and 'Raazi' releases this month.
05 'UDHAM SINGH BIOPIC'
Director: Shoojit Sircar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Banita Sandhu
Watch out for: The film, hitting screens in October, documents the life of the revolutionary who assassinated former Punjab lieutenant governor Michael O’Dwyer in London in 1940.
06 '’83'
Director: Kabir Khan
Cast: Ranveer Singh
Watch out for: This nostalgic trip relives India’s first cricket World Cup win in April, with Ranveer Singh playing Kapil Dev. The actor also has the comedy, 'Jayeshbhai Jordaar', in the works.
07 'RADHE'
Director: Prabhudheva
Cast: Salman Khan, Disha Patani, Randeep Hooda
Watch out for: Another Eid treat from Bhai, with Prabhudheva, this one is gearing up for a May release.
08 'JERSEY'
Director: Gowtam Tinnanuri
Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Mrunal Thakur, Pankaj Kapur
Watch out for: It’s another Telugu remake for Shahid Kapoor after Kabir Singh. He plays a cricketer in the sports drama, which opens in August.
09 'LAAL SINGH CHADDHA'
Director: Advait Chandan
Cast: Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor
Watch out for: Aamir’s adaptation of Tom Hanks’s Hollywood classic, Forrest Gump, hits the marquee in December.
10 'STREET DANCER 3D'
Director: Remo D’souza
Cast: Varun Dhawan, Shraddha Kapoor, Nora Fatehi, Prabhudheva
Watch out for: After 'ABCD 2', Varun and Shraddha reunite for this coming-of age story co-starring Nora Fatehi. The film releases this month.
11 'BRAHMASTRA'
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Amitabh Bachchan, Nagarjuna, Mouni Roy, Dimple Kapadia
Watch out for: The first film in an action-adventure trilogy sees Ranbir as the fire-emitting protagonist and is set for a summer release. RK also features in 'Shamshera', a dacoit-drama. His co-star, Alia, also takes forward 'Sadak', father Mahesh Bhatt’s directorial comeback after 20 years. She plays a 1950s brothel madam in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Gangubai Kathiawadi and is a part of SS Rajamouli’s 'RRR'.
12 'PANGA'
Director: Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari
Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Jassie Gill
Watch out for: Revolving around a kabaddi player, this sports-drama highlights the role of a family in a sportsperson’s life and opens this month. Kangana also has the Jayalalitha biopic, 'Thalaivi', in the works.
13 'SHAKUNTALA DEVI'
Director: Anu Menon
Cast: Vidya Balan, Sanya Malhotra
Watch out for: After her scientist turn in 'Mission Mangal', Vidya returns to theatres in May as the human computer.
14 'MUMBAI SAGA'
Director: Sanjay Gupta
Cast: John Abraham, Emraan Hashmi, Suniel Shetty
Watch out for: This gangster-drama, set for a June opening, brings John and Emraan together for the first time. John also has the action thriller Attack, and the sequel to 'Satyameva Jayate', which brings back Divya Khosla Kumar to the big screen after 15 years, in the works.
15 'TOOFAN'
Director: Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra
Cast: Farhan Akhtar, Mrunal Thakur, Paresh Rawal
Watch out for: Farhan and Rakeysh’s reunion film opens in October and featurs the actor as a boxer. Farhan is also presenting the Hindi version of 'KGF 2'. Paresh also features in Priyadarshan’s 'Hungama 2' with Shilpa Shetty, Meezan Jaaferi.
16 'THAPPAD'
Director: Anubhav Sinha
Cast: Taapsee Pannu, Dia Mirza, Ratna Pathak Shah
Watch out for: After 'Mulk' and 'Article 15', Anubhav champions women empowerment through stories of eight women. The film opens in February.
17 'DOLLY KITTY AUR WOH CHAMAKTE SITARE'
Director: Alankrita Shrivastava
Cast: Konkana Sen Sharma, Bhumi Pednekar, Vikrant Massey
Watch out for: This satirical comedy with acclaimed actors is eyeing a mid-2020 release.
18 'THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN'
Director: Ribhu Dasgupta
Cast: Parineeti Chopra, Aditi Rao Hydari, Kirti Kulhari
Watch out for: Paula Hawkins’s bestseller arrives in Hindi screens in May after a Hollywood adaptation.
19 'KHAALI PEELI'
Director: Maqbool Khan
Cast: Ishaan Khatter, Ananya Panday
Watch out for: Ali Abbas Zafar’s production debut promises a thrilling ride with Ishaan and Ananya and opens in June.
20 'SAINA'
Director: Amole Gupte
Cast: Parineeti Chopra, Eshan Naqvi
Watch out for: Former World No 1 shuttler and Olympian Saina Nehwal’s story arrives in cinemas this summer.
21 'ROOHI AFZA'
Director: Hardik Mehta
Cast: Janhvi Kapoor, Rajkummar Rao, Varun Sharma
Watch out for: After 'Stree', producer Dinesh Vijan returns with another horror-comedy that features Raj with Janhvi in a double role and opens in April. The actress also has 'Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl' and 'Bombay Girl' slated for 2020.
22 'GULABO SITABO'
Director: Shoojit Sircar
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Ayushmann Khurrana
Watch out for: Amitabh, Shoojit and Ayushmann team up for a quirky comedy, which is set for an April release and is written by Juhi Chaturvedi.
23 'INDOO KI JAWANI'
Director: Abir Sengupta
Cast: Kiara Advani, Aditya Seal
Watch out for: This love story set in the times of online dating is fronted by Kiara and is expected to be in theatres this summer. Kiara will also be seen in Shershaah with Sidharth Malhotra.
24 'BAAGHI 3'
Director: Ahmed Khan
Cast: Tiger Shroff, Shraddha Kapoor, Riteish Deshmukh
Watch out for: Tiger takes 'Baaghi' forward with thrice the action, drama and thrill of its predecessors. Riteish is the ‘surprise’ in this March release.
25 'COOLIE NO. 1'
Director: David Dhawan
Cast: Varun Dhawan, Sara Ali Khan, Paresh Rawal
Watch out for: The Dhawans reunite for their third collaboration, with Sara as the female lead, in this reboot of Govinda’s 'Coolie No 1'. The film releases in May.
26 'CHEHRE'
Director: Rumy Jafry
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Emraan Hashmi
Watch out for: This one pits its leading men against each other and arrives in theatres in April.
27 'MIMI'
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Kriti Sanon, Pankaj Tripathi
Watch out for: This adaptation of Marathi film, 'Mala Aai Vhhaychy', sees Kriti as a surrogate mother and hits theatres in July.
28 'BHUJ: THE PRIDE OF INDIA'
Director: Abhishek Dudhaiya
Cast: Ajay Devgn, Sonakshi Sinha, Sanjay Dutt
Watch out for: The heroic tale of rebuilding the Bhuj airstrip during the 1971 Indo-Pak war, fronted by Ajay, will be in cinemas in August. The actor will also be seen in 'Maidaan' with debutante Keerthy Suresh.
29 'LUDO'
Director: Anurag Basu
Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Abhishek Bachchan, Sanya Malhotra, Aditya Roy Kapur
Watch out for: Another anthology from Anurag after 'Life In A Metro', this one is set for an April release and rides on a formidable ensemble cast. Raj also teams up with Nushrat Bharucha for Hansal Mehta’s 'Chhalaang'. Fatima has signed Abhishek Sharma’s 'Suraj Pe Mangal Bhari' with Diljit Dosanjh and Manoj Bajpayee.
30 'JHUND'
Director:Nagraj Manjule
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan
Watch out for: The Big B plays Vijay Barse, the founder of Slum Soccer, in the Sairat director’s Hindi debut.
31 'GINNY WEDS SUNNY'
Director: Puneet Khanna
Cast: Yami Gautam, Vikrant Massey
Watch out for: Vikrant and Yami team up for the first time for this wedding romance set in Delhi, which is expected to release in the next three months.
32 'KHUDA HAAFIZ'
Director: Faruk Kabir
Cast: Vidyut Jammwal, Aahana Kumra
Watch out for: After the tough-guy act on screen, Vidyut forays into the romance-thriller genre with this story which is based on true events. The film’s release date is expected shortly.
33 'JAI MUMMY DI'
Director: Navjot Gulati
Cast: Sunny Singh, Sonnalli Seygall
Watch out for: This January release features producer Luv Ranjan’s brand of romcom with his 'Pyaar Ka Punchnama' actors.
34 'SHIDDAT'
Director: Kunal Deshmukh
Cast: Sunny Kaushal, Radhika Madan, Diana Penty
Watch out for: This passionate love story with young talents opens in September.
35 'RASHMI ROCKET'
Director: Akarsh Khurana
Cast: Taapsee Pannu
Watch out for: Taapsee features as a Kutchi athlete in this year-end release.
36 'BACHCHAN PANDEY'
Director: Farhad Samji
Cast: Akshay Kumar, Kriti Sanon
Watch out for: Another larger-than-life action entertainer with Akshay as the protagonist, this film is slated for a Christmas release.
37 'SOORYAVANSHI'
Director: Rohit Shetty
Cast: Akshay Kumar, Katrina Kaif
Watch out for: Rohit teams up with Akshay to expand his cop-universe, with a climax featuring 'Singham' and 'Simmba', in March. Akshay also has 'Laxmmi Bomb', in which he plays a man possessed by a transgender ghost.
38 'SHUBH MANGAL ZYADA SAAVDHAAN'
Director: Hitesh Kewalya
Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Jitendra Kumar
Watch out for: Ayushmann returns for a sequel to the film that changed the tide for him. This time, the 'Saavdhaan' series explores a gay love story in a small town set-up.
39 ARJUN, RAKUL’S NEXT
Director: Kaashvie Nair
Cast: Arjun Kapoor, Rakul Preet Singh
Watch out for: A crossborder romance marks Arjun and Rakul’s first collaboration, which is likely to release in the second half of the year.
40 'MALANG'
Director: Mohit Suri
Cast: Anil Kapoor, Aditya Roy Kapur, Disha Patani, Kunal Kemmu
Watch out for: A revenge thriller with a twist, this one sees Mohit and Aditya reunite seven years after 'Aashiqui 2' and opens in February.
41 'BHOOT: THE HAUNTED SHIP'
Director: Bhanu Pratap Singh
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Bhumi Pednekar
Watch out for: This February release finds inspiration in an abandoned ship. Bhumi will also be seen in 'Durgavati'.