From the latest instalment in a blockbuster horror-comedy franchise to a star-studded action drama that brings top on-screen cops together, films releasing this week promise a cracker of a Diwali. Here’s everything you need to know.
Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 (Hindi)
Directed by: Anees Bazmee
Cast: Kartik Aaryan, Vidya Balan, Madhuri Dixit, Tripti Dimrii
The third instalment in the Bhool Bhulaiyaa franchise has Kartik Aaryan reprising his role as Rooh Baba. The horror-comedy film also stars Vidya Balan — who was part of Priyadarshan’s original Bhool Bhulaiyaa — and Madhuri Dixit. Triptii Dimri plays Kartik’s romantic interest in the movie. The trailer shows how Vidya’s Manjulika creates havoc by taking refuge in Madhuri’s body while Rooh Baba tries to challenge her. Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 also features Rajesh Sharma, Sanjay Mishra, Rajpal Yadav, and Ashwini Kalsekar in supporting roles.
Singham Again (Hindi)
Directed by: Rohit Shetty
Cast: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Deepika Padukone, Arjun Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar
Singham Again, the latest film in Rohit Shetty’s ever-expanding cop universe, features Ajay Devgn as Bajirao Singham alongside Akshay Kumar and Ranveer Singh as Veer Sooryavanshi and Simmba, respectively. The plot centres on Kareena’s character, Avni, who is abducted by Arjun Kapoor's villain modelled after Raavan. Devgn’s mission to save her involves a powerful team, including Deepika as Lady Singham and Tiger Shroff as ACP Satya. Salman Khan is also expected to make a cameo appearance in the film in his Chulbul Pandey avatar.
Amaran (Tamil)
Directed by: Rajkumar Periasamy
Cast: Sivakarthikeyan, Sai Pallavi, Bhuvan Arora, Rahul Bose
Amaran is a biographical war drama directed by Rajkumar Periasamy. It features Sivakarthikeyan as Major Mukund Varadarajan. The cast also includes Sai Pallavi, Bhuvan Arora and Rahul Bose. The film adapts Shiv Aroor and Rahul Singh’s book series India's Most Fearless: True Stories of Modern Military Heroes, focusing on Mukund, an officer in the Indian Army’s Rajput Regiment, who received the Ashok Chakra posthumously for his valour during a counterterrorism operation with the 44th Rashtriya Rifles in Jammu and Kashmir.
Lucky Baskhar (Telugu)
Directed by: Venky Atluri
Cast: Dulquer Salmaan and Meenakshi Chaudhary, Ayesha Khan, Hyper Aadi, P. Sai Kumar
Venky Atluri’s Lucky Baskhar, featuring Dulquer Salmaan and Meenakshi Chaudhary in lead roles, delves into the life of Baskhar Kumar (Dulquer) who faces financial hardships while navigating the ethical dilemmas that arise from his ambition for wealth. Set in the 1980s, the film starkly portrays the struggles of living near poverty, with Baskhar barely making his ends meet with a meagre monthly salary. He becomes increasingly captivated by the prospect of riches, willing to take risks for his family's sake, leading to moral conflicts.