12 Indian films you can't miss in 2016

Some things in Bollywood never change. In 2016, there will be sex comedies (Mastizaade, Great Grand Masti), lots of biopics (Azhar, Dhoni, Sarabjit), more sequels (Kya Kool Hai Hum 3, Housefull 3, Rock On 2, Aankhen 2), mushy romances (Sanam Re, Sanam Teri Kasam), star-led spectacles (Mohenjo Daro, Sultan) and more.

There are the rare actress-centred projects (Jai Gangaajal, Akira). There is no Deepika Padukone, at least so far. But then Aamir Khan is back. So are Karan Johar (Ae Dil Hai Mushkil), Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra (Mirzya which marks the debut of Harshvardhan Kapoor and Saiyami Kher) and Aditya Chopra (Befikre). Here are 12 movies to look forward to.

Neerja

Could Ram Madhvani show us what we haven’t seen too often? Sonam Kapoor as an adept dramatic actress. Going by the trailer, this looks promising.

Sairat

Nagraj Manjule, National Award-winning filmmaker of Fandry, directs a tale of “an impossible love” set in his village. Berlin Film Festival describes Manjule’s second feature as one with “powerful imagery” and “epic scope”. Here is some proof of it.

Ki and Ka

R Balki’s Shamitabh misfired but the Paa director looks to bounce back with a relationship drama with Kareena Kapoor Khan and Arjun Kapoor as a married couple struggling to conform to societal gender roles.

Fan

Yash Raj’s first release of 2015 also sounds like its most ingenious yet.

Maneesh Sharma looks to enter the A-league of directors as he works with Shah Rukh Khan. Khan plays himself (only he is named Aryan Khanna) and also a massive fan of Khanna. Only the fan bears an uncanny resemblance to Khanna himself. 

Jagga Jasoos

Ranbir Kapoor to India Today in May 2015: “With Jagga Jasoos we [Anurag Basu and Kapoor] are offering audiences an engaging and thrilling detective story.

There’s a kid who has this ability but he also the handicap of a stammer. We present it in the musical format with 25 songs. But it is not singing and dancing. Even if it is a dramatic scene he has to sing it and perform it. If he doesn't, he will start stuttering. So we decided to do something new and it could fall flat on our faces but we thought let's give it a try.” Will it work like Barfi!, Kapoor’s last collaboration with Anurag Basu? We’ll know on June 3. Unless the film is delayed again!

Udta Punjab

Ishqiya and Dedh Ishqiya writer-director Abhishek Chaubey moves from Uttar Pradesh to Punjab and stages a tale against the backdrop of the state’s escalating drug crisis.

Kareena Kapoor Khan, Shahid Kapoor, Diljith Dosanjh and Alia Bhatt star.  

Raees

Nawazuddin Siddiqui, one of the finest actors in India, versus Shah Rukh Khan, one of the biggest superstars of Indian cinema. Bring it on. Directed by Rahul Dholakia, Siddiqui is the cop trying to pin down Khan, the Gujarati don.

Baahubali: The Conclusion

In 2016, there will be some 900 odd releases and then there is the final part of SS Rajamouli’s fantasy epic.

Rangoon

With Rangoon, Vishal Bhardwaj takes a break from the Bard and teams up with his current favourite, Shahid Kapoor (it is their third collaboration), ropes in his Omkara star, Saif Ali Khan, and works for the first time with the two-time National Award winner, Kangana Ranaut, to present an “ambitious love triangle” set in the 1940s.

Dangal

Aamir Khan is back.

It is his favoured Christmas release slot. He has put on weight and not dyed his hair. Enough said.

Tumbad

Sohum Shah, actor and producer of Ship of Theseus, stars in what is described as “a period drama and a fantasy epic” in which he is an “anti-hero”.

Raman Raghav 2.0

Anurag Kashyap’s big-budget, studio-driven Bombay Velvet failed.

So he returns to what he does best: go the indie way. He has quietly gone and shot a film about the serial killer featuring Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Vicky Kaushal (Masaan).