By Joginder Tuteja
Salman Khan has just released Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai and currently has one biggie Tiger 3 on the floors.
Aamir Khan has almost finished Laal Singh Chaddha but hasn't announced his next.
Shah Rukh Khan is filming for Pathan but there is no news about his next.
Each one of these is a superstar par excellence who just needs to give a nod of approval for a film to be made, and every top filmmaker of Bollywood would be willing to make an announcement. However, surprisingly they aren't signing up for sheer volume of films that would make fans begin to celebrate in anticipation right away.
This is where the movie buff in me wonders, 'why?'
Salman Khan does have Tiger 3 coming, and by all means, this is the biggest franchise with which he is associated. It won't be wrong to say that though Chulbul Pandey makes news for Dabangg, it's Tiger that mints bigger moolah on a consistent basis. In the middle of this all there is Antim but then there are clear indications that it is basically an Aayush Sharma starrer with Salman Khan's starry presence elevating the film's prospects.
Will his next be Kabhi Eid Kabhi Diwali? Most likely, but what I am waiting for is for the film to go on floors. After all, Salman Khan is too big a superstar to be not having at least two to three major films in different stages of production (after announcement). Recently, there were murmurs that he has signed up a couple of biggies. Still, the wait for these announcements to go public is something that I am waiting for.
Yes, Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai, Dabangg 3 and Race 3 have been underwhelming experiences. However, he is the same superstar who has given back-to-back 300 Crore Club blockbusters like Tiger Zinda Hai, Bajrangi Bhaijaanj and Sultan, and that too in different genres. It is just a matter of time and Tiger 3 should turn out to be that one biggie all over again.
Which brings me to Aamir Khan!
He has now started making only one film in two years. Even though there is a ready audience that wants to see him more than ever before, he chooses to go slow and that too after delivering blockbusters. PK [2014] and Dangal [2016] were biggies and agreed that Thugs of Hindustan [2018] was bewildering, to say, the least, he still chose to make only film Laal Singh Chaddha. It has been a gap of three years already and there is no sign of the next film that he plans to do.
Can we get to see more of you, Aamir?
Thankfully, Shah Rukh Khan has now started giving hints of being seen often in years to come. After his self-imposed sabbatical after Zero [2018], which came after a series of disappointments [Zero, Fan, Jab Harry Met Sejal], surprisingly he just paused on signing any more movies. Surprising, because he is Shah Rukh Khan, the man who has the ability to make his fans happy even in a semi-good film like Raees. How I wish that he had continued to make two films a year, and then let his subsequent set of releases to do the talking.
Buzz is that after Pathan, he would be making a film each with Raj Kumar Hirani, Atlee, and Raj & DK. I would say, go for it! These are indeed the filmmakers who know their job, and the good part is that each has a different style and vision around filmmaking. More than anything else, Shah Rukh Khan's presence would only elevate the prospects.
That said, there is always one 'safe' proposition in the offering. That's the film which would find an amazing response at the announcement state itself and turn out to be the hottest of the year on its release.
The film I am talking about? Don 3.
Can we have that on your list as well? Farhan Akhtar, are you listening?
[Joginder Tuteja is a trade expert and film critic, who writes extensively about films and content streaming on OTT platforms.]
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