We did it! 2020 is finally over. As we begin the new year, it’s time to set new hopes and expectations and look forward to new releases that we can once again enjoy in theatres. While many of 2021’s releases were supposed to be out last year, the COVID-19 pandemic postponed these highly anticipated movies and we can now look forward to them in the new year. Here are the Bollywood releases of 2021 you need to have on your watchlist. Mark our words, they will be this year’s biggest blockbusters!
Roohi
Director: Hardik Mehta
Cast: Janhvi Kapoor, Rajkummar Rao, Varun Sharma
Release Date: Mar 11, 2021
Set in a fictional town of North India, this horror-comedy revolves around two small-town boys who fall in love with a girl named Roohi and her scary alter ego Afza respectively. What follows is a madcap journey where the one who is madly in love with Roohi is trying to get rid of Afza and the one who is madly in love with Afza, wants to marry her.
Mumbai Saga
Director: Sanjay Gupta
Cast: John Abraham, Emraan Hashmi
Release Date: Mar 19, 2021
Set in 80s and 90s, this crime action thriller shows the changing faces of the people of Mumbai when the mills close down to make way for malls and high rise buildings as well as the crime and corruption behind it all.
Haathi Mere Saathi
Director: Prabhu Solomon
Cast: Rana Daggubati, Vishnu Vishal, Pulkit Samrat, Shriya Pilgaonkar, Zoya Hussain
Release Date: Mar 26, 2021
Also releasing in Tamil language as Kaadan and Telugu language as Aranya, this drama is a true-blue animal film signifying a deep and strong bond between humans and animals with a story revolving around an orphan and his elephant.
Sooryavanshi
Director: Rohit Shetty
Cast: Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn, Ranveer Singh, Katrina Kaif
Release Date: Apr 02, 2021
The next action film in Shetty’s cop-verse traces the acts and serious antics of DCP Veer Sooryavanshi, the chief of the Anti-Terrorism Squad in India. He is aided by Bajirao Singham (from the Singham movies) and Sangram Bhalerao (from Simmba).
Bunty Aur Babli 2
Director: Varun V. Sharma
Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Rani Mukerji, Pankaj Tripathi, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Sharvari Wagh
Release Date: Apr 23, 2021
A spiritual sequel to the 2005 film Bunty Aur Babli, this crime comedy brings back Bunty and Babli out of retirement after a spate of robberies with their trademark sigil start appearing across India.
Thalaivi
Director: A.L. Vijay
Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Arvind Swamy, Samuthirakani
Release Date: Apr 23, 2021
Releasing in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu, this film is a biopic based on the life of the late Tamil superstar-turned-politician, J. Jayalalithaa. She had served six terms as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.
Chehre
Director: Rumi Jaffrey
Cast: Emraan Hashmi, Amitabh Bachchan
Release Date: Apr 30, 2021
While the plot of this mystery thriller has not been revealed yet, we know that Big B plays the role of a lawyer, while Hashmi stars as a business tycoon. Rhea Chakraborty is expected to make her Bollywood comeback with this film.
Satyameva Jayate 2
Director: Milap Zaveri
Cast: John Abraham, Sahil Vaid, Divya Khosla Kumar
Release Date: May 12, 2021
While the plot of this action drama has not been revealed yet, it can be assumed that it will be based on the fight against injustice and misuse of power, like its prequel Satyameva Jayate.
Radhe
Director: Prabhu Deva, Zeel Thacker
Cast: Salman Khan, Disha Patani, Randeep Hooda
Release Date: Eid 2021
Bhai’s next is an action thriller where ACP Rajveer Shikawat aka Radhe, after taking on the dreaded gangster Gani Bhai, goes on a manhunt to find the wealthiest man of the town secretly running a crime syndicate.
Bell Bottom
Director: Ranjit Tewari
Cast: Akshay Kumar, Vaani Kapoor, Lara Dutta
Release Date: May 28, 2021
A remake of the Kannada film of the same name, this action thriller is based on some true events of the ’80s. The film promises to take you back to that era for a roller-coaster spy ride.
’83
Director: Kabir Khan
Cast: Ranveer Singh, Pankaj Tripathi, Deepika Padukone
Release Date: Jun 04, 2021
Releasing in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu, this historical sports film is the story of India’s victory in the men’s Cricket World Cup of 1983. It is centered around Kapil Dev and also features the characters of Sunil Gavaskar, Balwinder Singh Sandhu and others cricketers of that era.
Shamshera
Director: Karan Malhotra
Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Vaani Kapoor
Release Date: Jun 25, 2021
Set in the 1800’s, this period action drama tells the story of a dacoit tribe and their fight for independence against the British rule during the pre-independence period. The movie has been produced by Yash Raj Films.
Shershaah
Director: Vishnuvardhan Kulasekaran
Cast: Sidharth Malhotra, Kiara Advani
Release Date: Jul 02, 2021
This biographical war action film tells the story of army officer and Param Vir Chakra awardee Vikram Batra. The biopic brings his untold story to the screen, portraying the brave journey of the Kargil War hero.
Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui
Director: Abhishek Kapoor
Cast: Ayushmaan Khurrana, Vaani Kapoor
Release Date: Jul 09, 2021
Produced by T-Series in collaboration with Guy In The Sky Pictures, this romantic drama is set to release one year after it was announced.
Gangubai Kathiawadi
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Cast: Alia Bhatt, Ajay Devgn, Emraan Hashmi
Release Date: Jul 30, 2021
Based on a chapter of Hussain Zaidi’s book ‘Mafia Queens of Mumbai’, this biographical drama is based the life of Gangubai Kothewali, a powerful woman in the ’60s, who was also known as the ‘Madam of Kamathipura’ for her connections with the underworld.
Atrangi Re
Director: Aanand L. Rai
Cast: Sara Ali Khan, Akshay Kumar, Dhanush
Release Date: Aug 06, 2021
Initially expected to release on Valentine’s Day this year, Rai’s next is a romantic drama that brings together the biggest Bollywood star and the biggest South star along with one of the most successful star kids of today.
Attack
Director: Lakshya Raj Anand
Cast: John Abraham
Release Date: Aug 13, 2021
John Abraham’s third action entertainer of the year – after Mumbai Saga and Satyameva Jayate 2 – is based on hostage crisis, with a storyline that is inspired by true events. Jacqueline Fernandez and Rakul Preet Singh star in less prominent roles.
Jayeshbhai Jordaar
Director: Divyang Thakkar
Cast: Ranveer Singh, Boman Irani, Shalini Pandey
Release Date: Aug 27, 2021
This social comedy features Singh in the titular lead role as a Gujarati man who believes in equal rights between men and women in society. The plot is currently unknown.
Bhoot Police
Director: Pavan Kirpalani
Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Arjun Kapoor, Jacqueline Fernandez, Yami Gautam
Release Date: Sep 10, 2021
Horror comedies are a big hit in Bollywood and the next big one seems to be this Tips Industries and 12 Street Entertainment co-production. The plot of the movie is currently unknown.
Anek
Director: Anubhav Sinha
Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana
Release Date: Sep 17, 2021
Ayushmann Khurrana will be reuniting with his Article 15 director this year for this film, whose plot is currently unknown. According to sources, Anek is going to be Anubhav Sinha’s most expensive and big-scale film till date.
Dhaakad
Director: Razneesh Ghai
Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Arjun Rampal, Divya Dutta
Release Date: Oct 01, 2021
This action drama focusses on a fierce and tough international spy who embarks on an action-filled adventure with guns blazing. It is rumored that the lead role in this film was initially offered to Katrina Kaif, who rejected it.
Maidaan
Director: Amit Ravindernath Sharma
Cast: Ajay Devgn, Priyamani, Gajraj Rao
Release Date: Oct 15, 2021
Releasing in in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam, this sports drama is inspired by the Indian national football team coach and manager Syed Abdul Rahim, who is regarded as the architect of Indian football.
Jersey
Director: Gowtam Tinnanuri
Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Mrunal Thakur, Pankaj Kapur
Release Date: Nov 05, 2021
A remake of his 2019 Telugu film of the same name, this sports drama revolves around a thirty-something cricketer who to aims play for the Indian cricket team, despite retiring from his career 10 years ago.
Prithviraj
Director: Chandra Prakash Dwivedi
Cast: Deependra Singh, Nikkita Chadha, Akshay Kumar
Release Date: Nov 05, 2021
This historical action drama is the biopic of the legendary warrior king Prithviraj Chauhan and captures his early life, military accomplishments, marriage to Sanyukta, and battle with Muhammad of Ghor.
Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2
Director: Anees Bazmee
Cast: Kartik Aaryan, Tabu, Kiara Advani
Release Date: Nov 19, 2021
A standalone sequel to Priyadarshan’s 2007 cult and highly successful film Bhool Bhulaiyaa, which starred Vidya Balan and Akshay Kumar in leading roles, this one will see Tabu in an interesting role/s.
Laal Singh Chaddha
Director: Advait Chandan
Cast: Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor Khan
Release Date: Dec 24, 2021
An official remake of the 1994 American film Forrest Gump, this film focusses on Laal Singh Chaddha, a man with a low intellect, who unfolds the events in India’s history through his perspective.
Also watch out for:
Bhuj: The Pride of India
Director: Abhishek Dudhaiya
Cast: Ajay Devgn, Sanjay Dutt, Sonakshi Sinha, Ammy Virk
This war film is set during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971 and revolves around IAF Squadron Leader Vijay Karnik. Along with his team, he reconstructed the IAF airbase of Bhuj with the help of 300 women from the local village of Madhapar in Gujarat.
Shabaash Mithu
Director: Rahul Dholakia
Cast: Taapsee Pannu
This sports drama is a biopic based on the life and struggles of Mithali Raj, the Indian cricketer and captain of the Indian National Cricket team.
Raksha Bandhan
Director: Aanand L. Rai
Cast: Akshay Kumar
Rai and Kumar reunite later in the year for this family drama that explores the pure relationships between siblings.
Brahmastra
Director: Ayan Mukherjee
Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Amitabh Bachchan, Mouni Roy, Dimple Kapadia
An action fantasy film, this will be the first part of Mukherjee’s superhero trilogy. It is the story of Shiva, a reluctant hero who embarks on an unexpected journey of self-discovery and love, which leads him to rise against the dark forces that threaten our very existence.
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