Here’s Looking at You,2011

Aamir & His Ladies: The New Year translates into an Aamir Khan bonanza as the selective Khan has two films lined up for release. He plays a painter in wife Kiran Rao’s directorial debut,Dhobi Ghat,while in Reema Kagti’s thriller,he plays an undercover cop. Kareena Kapoor and Rani Mukerji co-star with Aamir in Kagti’s film. Two films and both with female directors:once again Aamir steps in unchartered territory.

Son Shine: He made a small ‘by the way’ character debut in Jaane Tu…Ya Jaane Na and since then we’ve wanted to see more of the boy. Blessed with a face that is at once reminiscent of his supernova talented mother,Smita Patil,Pratik makes his full-fledged appearance with Dhobi Ghat. Then he’ll venture into the multi-starrer zone with Amitabh Bachchan,Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone in Prakash Jha’s Aarakshan.

Girl Power: The girls want justice for Jessica Lal in the January release,No One Killed Jessica. In this Rajkumar Gupta thriller,Vidya Balan plays Jessica Lal’s sister,Sabrina while Rani Mukerji plays a television journalist who takes up the case. Priyanka Chopra gets into seven get-ups as she plots the murder of her seven husbands in Vishal Bhardwaj’s 7 Khoon Maaf. Girl-power gets a 30’s edge with Gul Panag in Turning 30. Girls just wanna have fun,it seems.

Move Over Munni & Shiela: Deepika Padukone aims to be the new item girl when she does a Zeenat Aman in Rohan Sippy’s Dum Maaro Dum. The song needs to be extra zingy to beat the original ,which is still so fresh in the moviegoer’s mind. Rohan and Deepika have their task cut out.

Family Business: A family that films together stays together. The Deols- Dharmendra,Sunny and Bobby,get set to take over,turbans and all in Yamla Pagla Deewana. While Apne had an emotional connect,this Samir Karnik film spells fultoo entertainment. Get ready to do the bhangra with the Deols.

Starring Superheroes: Shah Rukh Khan plays superhero in Ra.One,Akshay Kumar does it in Shirish Kunder’s Joker and Saif Ali Khan,while not playing a superhero per se,can boast of super-hero styled stunts in Sriram Raghavan’s much awaited Agent Vinod.

Love Actually: New pairs galore: Akshay- Sonam in Thank You,Akshay-Sonakshi in Joker,Akshay-Anushka in Patiala House,Shahid- Sonam in Mausam,Imran-Katrina in Mere Brother Ki Dulhan,Imran-Kareena in Short Term Shaadi and Ranbir-Nargis in Rockstar.

South Sensations: The remakes continue with Salman Khan’s Bodyguard which re-tells the Malayalam hit. Produced by Atul and Alvira Agnihotri,Bodyguard teams up Kareena with Salman. Ajay Devgn will star in the remake of the Tamil hit Singam to be directed by Rohit Shetty.

Band of Boys: Guy bonding seems to be the flavour of the season with Zoya Akhtar’s Hrithik- Farhan-Abhay starrer Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara,Rohit Dhawan’s Akshay-John starrer Desi Boyz and David Dhawan’s Sanjay-Ajay starrer Rascals.

It’s Different: Anurag Kashyap’s Gangs Of Wasseypur,Ekta Kapoor’s Ragini MMS and Dirty Picture,Dibakar Banerjee’s Shanghai and Anurag Basu’s Barfee are hardly run-of-the-mill.

Can’t wait,right! 2011,come soon.

harneet.singh@expressindia.com