Bollywood Hits & Flops Of 2006

Hits

Krrish
Is it a bird, it is a plane? No it's Hrithik Roshan!
It's not enough to say that Hrithik is one of the best actors of the country. Extraordinary is the word for the measured manner in which he glides through the air to the beat of Rajesh Roshan's rather-vapid songs... or cuts through the breeze to the stunning special effects created with a verve so-far unknown to Indian cinema.

Fanaa
Send up a silent prayer for rediscovering that old lost pleasure of a powerful plot that 'Fanaa' retrieves so affectionately for us. Also send up a prayer for an actor like Kajol who fills up the screen with feelings and thoughts that go way beyond the tears, fears and jeers of a workaday movie

Lage Raho Munnabhai
'Lage Raho Munnabhai' is a parable on love and companionship. Whether it's Munnabhai's bonding with his faithful companion Circuit, or Munna courting his ladylove (Vidya Balan) and Gandhism, the narrative dodges false notes by remaining sincere to the characters.

Rang De Basanti
If Rakesh Mehra's directorial debut 'Aks' was unusual, then 'Rang De Basanti' is a typical and awe-inspiring. It is not a patriotic film that bores you by glorifying the past. Instead, it meticulously draws a line between the past and the present, both of which move in parallel lines.

Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna
KANK is indeed a definite sign of Karan Johar's maturing as an artiste and a filmmaker. This is a film that derives its inspiration energy from Karan's favourite filmmaker Yash Chopra's interesting but abortive 'Silsila.' KANK with its formidable multi-star cast went on to become the biggest worldwide grosser in the history of Indian cinema beating 'Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham's' five year old record.

Phir Hera Pheri
You really can't miss the signposts. Brassy and insistent, the humour in 'Phir Hera Pheri' takes off from where the first part left off four years ago.

Malaamal Weekly
Once you get over the initial disappointment of realising that this film is actually adapted from a celebrated Irish film, 'Waking Ned Devine,' you actually get into the giggly groove of the loud and limpid look at the life of a bunch of villagers affected by a lottery ticket.

Golmaal
Rohit Shetty has a blast in store as 'Golmaal' is yet another comic caper at a time when laughter is considered the best medicine. The film is a well-timed, well-orchestrated swipe at every sacred institute in the country

Don
This is a cheeky and chic homage to the earlier 'Don'. It goes to places the earlier film couldn't have dreamt of…

Taxi No. 9211
Director Luthria dares to go against the grain. The profile and contour of the narration are cosmopolitan. And yet at heart, 'Taxi No. 9211' is a purely homespun morality tale about people who choose not to take responsibility for their actions.

Flops

Aap ki Khatir
'Aap ki Khatir' could've been an invigorating experience. Instead, it turns out to be a half-hearted effort that lacks the stamp of an accomplished storyteller.

Zindaggi Rocks
At the concept level, Zindaggi Rocks is indeed a story to reckon with. But translated on the big screen, it turns out to be a wishy-washy film that fails to strike the right chord.

Umrao Jaan
'Umrao Jaan' has a weak first half and a tolerable second. But the damage done by the first half creates a major dent, which the second half tries to repair, but cannot.

Ankahee
'Ankahee' is a movie about relationships. It is a bit too serious with all the weepy, tear-jerking situations, which, though not melodramatic, give a sombre mood to the movie And by the end of the film, all the sobbing and weeping really begins to choke you!

Humko Deewana Kar Gaye
Humko Deewana Kar Gaye is saddled with a lifeless script, and the basic premise of the story has been borrowed from flims like 'DDLJ,' 'Forces of Nature,' and 'Notting Hill,' hence leaving you with a constant feeling of déjà vu.

Omkara
Even though it is perhaps the most critically acclaimed film of 2006, the much-hyped and keenly-anticipated 'Omkara,' an Indian adaptaion of Shakespeare's 'Othello' failed to make an impression on the masses. The U.P. dialect, the dark and disturbing theme and also the expletives curtailed the prospects of this multi-starrer to a great extent.

Pyare Mohan
'Pyare Mohan' lacks the stamp of a master storyteller. The film is saddled with a frail plot and powerless screenplay. The film tries too hard to make you laugh, but most of the jokes fall flat and fail miserably at evoking even a smile.

Darna Zaroori Hai
The film lacks the power to scare, frighten, terrify and petrify. In fact, it's as ineffectual as its predecessor 'Darna Mana Hai'. At the box-office, a major disappointment!

Rocky - The Rebel
Old wine in new bottle. That's the appropriate way to describe 'Rocky.' Since time immemorial, we've watched heroes going on a killing spree to avenge the murder of their beloved. Fighting for the rights. Revolting against injustice. That's the essence of the film. Nothing has changed, only the faces have.

Bas Ek Pal
Besides a flawed script, 'Bas Ek Pal' unwinds at a lethargic pace. The story takes it own sweet time to reach the finale, thereby making the moviegoer impatient at regular intervals. And that only dilutes the impact of a film that could've been a rich emotional experience.

Bollywood's Juciest Gossip in 2006

Will Aishwarya marry Abhishek?

Will they, won't they? The tantalising possibility that two of Bollywood's biggest stars, Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai, might get married has filmdom and millions of star gazers in a frenzy.

That most of it is at the level of speculation and all the dramatis personae are stonily silent is more grist to the mill that started working in real earnest when the two stars began work on J.P. Dutta's 'Umrao Jaan' about three months ago.

A few months ago Ajitabh Bachchan went to Bangalore on Feb 10 to meet the Rai's family astrologer Chandrashekhara Swamy, ostensibly to match their horoscopes. The story was splashed on all channels and in the newspapers, and there has been no let-up since. Ajitabh, who has been estranged from the family for some time but was seen by his brother's bedside when he fell ill in November, neither confirmed nor denied the rumours and only said: "That is up to destiny."

John leaves Bips for Mallika/Vidya?

Rumours have been flying fast and furious about the trouble between the golden couple Bipasha Basu and John Abraham. Now there's more to the buzz. It's been said that bombshell Mallika Sherawat is the reason behind the rift.

It was Mallika's proximity to John during their recent world tour that upset Bipasha, say sources.

After that rumour settled, it was Vidya Balan's turn to be linked with John, her co-star from 'Salaam-E-Ishq.' Vidya and John have an amazing on-screen chemistry and according to sources they also share a great off-screen camaraderie.

Unfortunately, Bipasha is not too happy about their close friendship!

Sushmita's 'project' with Gere

After all the hoo-ha over Sushmita Sen pairing up with Richard Gere in a film called 'The Expat,' it appears as if Sush won't be doing the film after all.

After the proud announcement it's now being said that Sush cannot fit Mr Gere into her schedule since her schedules have gone haywire due to her neck accident.

Sure, we believe you. With the number of films that Sush is doing right now, it would really be a pain in the neck to a do a Richard Gere film.

By the way, could we have a list of the films that would keep Ms Sen occupied in the coming months? After Tanuja Chandra's 'Zindaggi Rocks' she hasn't really signed any major films. So why would she say bye to a Richard Gere film?

Could this be another of those hoax Hollywood projects that our stars have got into the habit of announcing periodically?

Amitabh-SRK: All is not well

All is not well between Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan. The reason seems to be Abhishek's increasing popularity among both sexes.

It has been rumoured that Shah Rukh decided at the last moment that he didn't want to grace the IIFA Awards because Amitabh Bachchan is the brand ambassador for the event.

However, Both SRK and Big B have vehemently denied the rumour.

Rani, Saif want separate hotels

The great friendship between Saif Ali Khan and Rani Mukherji is on the rocks.

Rani and Saif were busy shooting for Siddharth Raj Anand's 'Tara Rum Pum' in New York when they had a spat on the sets of the film. The incident took an ugly turn when both stars asked producer Yash Chopra for separate hotels so that they do not have to see much of each other outside the sets.

Rani and Priyanka at odds!

A few months ago it was rumoured that Rani went to Kuala Lumpur where the shooting for 'Don' was on, but she avoided Priyanka because she herself wanted a role in the film.

"I had not gone to meet Priyanka or anyone else but it was something very urgent. In fact, some of the scenes of 'Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna' were to be shot and Shah Rukh was busy with his schedules for 'Don.' He had taken time out from his very hectic work plan," says Rani.

Priyanka, on the other hand, had something else to say. "I don't think that Rani avoided me because she wanted to do the same role in 'Don' which I am playing now. In fact, when she came on the sets, I was not even there. I didn't have any shoot so when I was not there how can she avoid me?" says the actress.

Well, who is avoiding and who is hiding is still not confirmed. But it definitely looks better for Priyanka to say that she was not there rather confirming that she was subtly snubbed by the Bong beauty.

Fardeen, Saif at war

Rumours have it that Fardeen Khan and Saif Ali Khan are not on good terms. The duo had last worked together in 'Love Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega' after which Saif had committed to do Feroz Khan's 'Qurbani' with Fardeen. Sources have it that though committed Saif backed out of the film last minute and that upset Fardeen no end.

In order to retaliate Fardeen backed out a Tips film that had Saif in the lead. Ramesh Taurani of Tips confirmed that Fardeen was no more a part of the project that starred Anil Kapoor, Mallika Sherawat and Saif Ali Khan.

Esha Deol slaps Amrita Rao!

Esha Deol seems to have developed quite a reputation for slapping people! First it was the youngster who misbehaved with her at the premiere of 'Dus' and now as reported by a leading daily, she slapped actress Amrita Rao who starred with her in 'Pyaare Mohan.' Apparently, Amrita abused Esha in front of her director and cameraman, which instigated Esha to slap her. She is not apologetic over the incident as she felt that Amrita deserved it. However, sources close to Amrita deny the incident. Amrita herself was not available for her comments.

An age-old controversy

Yet another controversy has surfaced regarding Bollywood sex-kitten Mallika Sherawat and this one concerns her age. The tabloids insist that Mallika cannot be 25 years old as claimed by her and her mother. Instead, she could well be 35 years old.

A private TV channel even aired Mallika's group photo taken in way back 1995 when she was working as an airhostess. Records show her age then to be 24 years old!

Rani to marry Adi?

Rani Mukerji and family might go blue in the face denying her link-up with Aditya Chopra, but the fact remains that a certain Chopra junior had been frequenting USA under the pretext of editing Yash Raj Films' next production, 'Tara Rum Pum' (starring Saif and Rani). Rumour has it that the visits are very hush-hush, with not even the unit being aware of them.

Says a source from New York, "A couple of weeks ago, Adi dropped in to meet Rani and they spent three days together at the Radisson Hotel in New York.

When the entire unit was shifting from New York to Connecticut, Rani delayed her move, as she wanted to spend time with Adi. It was very secretive and even the hotel management had been specifically warned not to speak about them."

Adi's wife, interior designer Payal Chopra, has apparently shifted out of the Chopra home in Juhu. The source adds, "Adi appears quite happy with Rani, but his parents, Yash and Pamela Chopra disapprove of the affair and are supporting their daughter-in-law completely. They will never allow Adi to marry Rani."

However, sources say that Rani and Adi will marry shortly. Aditya Chopra is just awaiting the divorce papers from his first wife.

Riya Sen, Koena Mitra and Tanushree Dutta caught in a fracas

Bengali beauties Riya Sen and Koena Mitra who were working together in Subhash Ghai's film 'Apna Sapna Money Money' apparently got into several cat fights on the sets of the film. Sources from the film unit claim that Koena suddenly started developing an inferiority complex and in a fit of jealousy started spreading rumours on the sets that Riya has had a face lift. It was also claimed that Riya also later made allegations that it was Koena herself who had had the face-lift.

Koena Mitra on her part denied spreading such nasty rumours. The next day Riya sent Koena an SMS saying that she thought Koena was spreading rumours about her having a face-lift, but later she found out that it was Tanushree Dutta who was responsible for the rumours.

However, Tanushree claims that Koena sent her Riya's message at 3 am in the morning, and is very upset with Riya's message and appalled as Riya has unknowingly put the blame onto her. She has also confirmed that Koena and she had already spoken about the issue at hand.

This certainly is one long Bong connection!

Celebs planning a zealous 2007!

It’s time to bid adieu to 2006! It has undeniably been an eventful year for Indian cinema. B-town junta is all smiles for 2007 and heartily welcomes another spirited, funfilled year.

“I don’t know what I’ll be doing. I guess I’ll just chill out with friends,” says Minissha Lamba as she optimistically looks forward to ANAMIKA and HONEYMOON TRAVELS…her upcoming films this 2007.

Bombshell Sophie Chaudhary feels that people stress so much on the perfect night out for New Years that they end up being disappointed and don't have fun. She hopes Arjun Rampal’s I SEE YOU that released yesterday strikes gold at the box office and her role as ‘Dilnaz’ is appreciated.

“I always like to work on New Years since I just believe in starting New Year doing what I love doing and that is working and being with my family. I will be doing an appearance in Dubai after which I will spend time with my family and friends who will all be in Dubai this year,” informs Sophie.

Koena Mitra will be scorching the stage with international diva Nelly Furtado on New Year’s Eve. “I’ll be grooving to all my songs (MUSAFIR, EK KHILADI EK HASINA) including my latest tracks from APNA SAPNA… So many varied artistes like Nelly, Canada based Punjabi band JOSH, A.R Rahman, Shahid and Priyanka are performing, so it’ll be great fun,” exults Koena, adding “After which I plan to party with my friends. Work wise it’s been a satisfactory year for me. But health wise I’ve not been doing well.”

GARAM MASALA babe Neetu Chandra intends to slog harder and abide by her resolutions for once. “I want to strictly follow my New Year resolutions this year. I will work harder and follow a more disciplined lifestyle. 2006 has been a blessing and a turning point in my life since I signed Madhur Bhandarkar’s TRAFFIC SIGNAL. I am eagerly waiting for the film to release,” informs Neetu.

“I am going to be at a few work events and hope to bring in 2007 with my sister Meghana and her friends in Europe,” reveals Sushma Reddy.

The sultry Neha Dhupia will be grooving to a medley of foot tapping songs on 31st December at Country Club India Ltd. “This is the first time I’m performing for CCIL. I’ll dance on a few songs from GARAM MASALA, CHUP CHUP KE and other hit tracks. I am looking forward to spending time with the lovely audience out there,” enthuses Neha.

Source

Ten stories, five directors, twenty two actors!

It is going to be a novel experiment by filmmaker Sanjay Gupta.

After making a number of remakes or “inspired” movies, Sanjay Gupta is thinking original now. One of his forthcoming productions will be Dus Kahaniyaan, a collection of ten different stories.

Gupta himself will be directing four stories. Four other directors will make the remaining stories.

Each story will be of 10-minute duration. The stories will not be linked with each other.


The ten different stories will be Gubbare (starring Nana Patekar and Sammir Dattani), Lovedale (starring Soha Ali Khan), Matrimony (Arbaaz Khan, Mandira Bedi and Sudhanshu Pandey), Sex on the Beach (Tusshar Kapoor), Rise and Fall (Sanjay Dutt and Suniel Shetty), Zenzi (Arjun Rampal, Tanushree Dutta), Highway (Jimmy Shergill, Neha Dhupia), Zahir (Manoj Bajpai, Bipasha Basu), Poonam (Esha Deol) and Mr.Khan (Aftab Shivdasani).

In total, all the stories will have as many as twenty two different actors from Hindi film industry.

Sneak Peek - Chamki Chameli

Sanjay Gupta’s production movie Chamki Chameli will be the coming together of two different genres of cinema. Acclaimed director Shayam Benegal is all set to direct 'Chamki Chameli', produced under the banner of White Feather films, promoted by actor Sanjay Dutt and director Sanjay Gupta.

'Chamki Chameli' is based in modern day Rajasthan and is the love story of a beautiful gypsy girl and a BSF soldier. Sanjay told mediapersons that the film will go on floors in January next year and will be completed in one schedule, spanning over a month.

About the storyline, Sanjay said Chamki is a temptress who is responsible for the downfall of many men. She woos a BSF jawan Dilip Singh, leading him to revolt against his superiors. His infatuation causes him to join a band of drug-runners, of which Chamki is a member. Dilip Singh is happy with Chamki for a brief period, but is driven to madness as things from her dark past and her ambitious future come in the way.

Muqaddar ka Sikandar

Anupam and Kirron Kher’s son Sikandar’s debut film, ‘Woodstock Villa’ made under the banner of Sanjay Dutt and Sanjay Gupta’s White Feather Films is all set for release. Sikandar, though excited about this Hansal Mehta directorial, has no butterflies-in-the stomach anxiety. He says, “Only 10 per cent of the shooting is to be completed. I am confident of the film. It has shaped up really well. We had a blast while shooting it.”

Sikandar feels honoured to be a part of Bollywood. “I’m lucky to be a part of this exciting world. It is a fantastic time for Indian cinema. Subjects, which were untouched a while ago, are being explored. It’s a challenging time for newcomers like me.”

Sikandar is also excited about his forthcoming film, ‘Raaste’, which also stars Abhishek Bachchan and John Abraham. “It is about a race between the three of us. I cannot reveal much about it now. I love my character. I’m sure working with John and Abhishek will be fun.” Sikandar concludes, “I am looking for diverse subjects and films that will give me recognition as an actor.”

Why Sherlyn Chopra thinks she is Charlize Theron?

Originality has seldom been Bollywood's forte. So it doesn't come as a surprise to learn that the concept of Vinod Pande's forthcoming film ‘Red Swastik’, starring Sherlyn Chopra in the lead, bears an uncanny resemblance to one of Hollywood's most controversial and initially banned movie ‘I Spit On Your Grave’.

The storylines are simple – A girl is brutally attacked by a group of boys. She manages to survive. What follows are acts of revenge. She cleanses with blood! Not only the storylines, but even the poster designs are identical – with the barely clad girl steadfastly holding a knife to kill. Its time Bollywood starts being original.

When lead actress of ‘Red Swastik’ was asked, she replied, “In today's times, even originality is undetected plagiarism. Most films are a reflection of life. Maybe we have to improve life before we can hope to improve our films.”

As for the plagiarism charge, she said, “My role in ‘Red Swastik’ is not only on the lines of ‘I Spit On Your Grave’, but also derives inspiration from Oscar-winning Charlize Theron's character of a murderer highway prostitute in the critically acclaimed ‘Monster’. Copy from one, it's plagiarism; copy from two, it's research."

Hold your breath for EKLAVYA- The Royal Guard

Vinod Chopra Films’ EKLAVYA- The Royal Guard, directed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra marks the coming together of a grand multi star cast- Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt, Saif Ali Khan, Vidya Balan, Jackie Shroff, Boman Irani, Jimmy Sheirgill, Raima Sen and Sharmila Tagore together for the first time.

The music of EKLAVYA is by Shantanu Moitra, who once again provides an eclectic score for the film after the resounding success of PARINEETA and LAGE RAHO MUNNABHAI.

EKLAVYA- The Royal Guard, a contemporary dramatic action thriller is about Eklavya, loyal guardian of a royal dynasty whose duty is to protect the erstwhile royal family in Devigarh, Rajasthan. The cast of characters includes Prince Harshwardhan (Saif Ali Khan), an irreverent police inspector (Sanjay Dutt), the King's scheming brother (Jackie Shroff), his son (Jimmy Sheirgill) and the Prince's childhood love (Vidya Balan). What follows is a story of deceit, revenge, drama and action. Set in present day India, the film has a special resonance for today’s world, beleaguered by hate and violence born from fanatic belief.

Eklavya promises to give its audiences a visual treat whilst showcasing edge of the seat performances with brilliant action sequences shot in never before seen locations on celluloid. The film is slated for release on 16th February 2007.

Makers of DON bring HONEYMOON TRAVELS…this February

When the first theatrical trailor of Farhan Akhtar-Ritesh Sidhwani produced HONEYMOON TRAVELS PVT LTD. was beamed during the screening of DON, there was immense curiosity about what first time director Reema Kagti had to offer.

The promo had a fresh feel to it and the concept of 6 honeymooning couples on a package trip in a bus seemed like an extremely interesting idea. Even Reema Kagti described the film as an out and out whacky comedy.

Since there wasn't any sort of promotion for the film after the theatrical promo and one didn't hear about the film's release, one wondered whether it would come all the way after World Cup Cricket.

Meanwhile Reema was quite positive that the film would be coming this February. She had said, “"No, we are sure that the film will indeed come in February", she says confidently, "No more delays after that. Farhan and Ritesh know what they are doing and we have the plans chalked out. Yes, it is a film belonging to different genre in itself but it sure would make its presence felt".

Her words have come true as the promotion of the film has kick started on satellite channels too [with the same terrific theatrical promo] and the film is now all set for a February release [most likely February 2].

HTPL is a multistarrer with Boman Irani-Shabana Azmi, Ranvir Shorey-Dia Mirza, Kay Kay Menon-Raima Sen, Amisha Patel-Karan Khanna, Minissha Lamba-Abhay Deol and Vikram Chatwal-Sandhya Mridul in principal roles. Vishal-Shekhar are the composer duo for the film.

10 stars to watch out for in 2007

Saif Ali Khan
In the last two-years Saif Ali Khan has delivered not only a string of hits but also many credible performances that have made him one of the most sought after actors in Bollywood. From the lovable guy in 'Salaam Namaste' to the unscrupulous villain in Vishal Bharadwaj's 'Omkara' Saif Ali Khan is undoubtedly the man of the moment. If 2006 was good year for Saif, then 2007 promises to be a great year with big budget films like Vidhu Vinod Chopra's 'Eklavya-The Royal Guard' and Siddarth Anand's much-awaited 'Tara Rum Pum'

John Abraham
2007 seems to be the year of John Abraham. The sexy macho actor known for making girls go weak in the knees has big films lined up for the year. John will be seen doing a variety of roles in 2007. He starts the year playing a loving and devoted husband in the multi-starrer 'Salaam-e-ishq' and will end the year with a sports action film titled 'Goal'.

Shiney Ahuja
Seven films and tremendous acclaim later - Shiney Ahuja is a name to reckon with. The surprise success of Anurag Basu's 'Gangster', and critical accalaim for his brilliant performances in 'Woh Lamhe' and 'Zindaggi Rocks' made 2006 an eventful year for the actor. Shiny will play diverse and complex characters in his forthcoming films 'Four' and 'Metro.' Slowly yet steadily Shiney is carving his own alcove into the big league in Bollywood.

Priyanka Chopra
After the success of 'Krrish,' and 'Don,' Priyanka Chopra proves she's more than just the flavour of the month. Priyanka is yet to receive glowing reviews from the press and prove her mettle as an actress of substance. Luckily for Priyanka, 2007 will be a performance oriented year with a host of films like 'Salaam-e-ishq,' 'Love Story 2050,' 'God Tussi Great Ho,' Chamki Chameli,' and 'London Dreams'

Bipasha Basu
She's known as India's sexiest movie star, beating actresses like Aishwarya Rai, Sushmita Sen and Priyanka Chopra for the coveted title. Post 'Corporate,' 'Phir Hera Pheri,' and 'Omkara,' Bips is also giving some of Bollywood's biggest leading ladies a run for their money. She has finally reached a comfortable position in the industry and has some plum projects in her kitty including Abbas-Mustan's 'Mr Fraud,' Sanjay Gadhvi's 'Dhoom 2' and Rituporna Ghosh's 'Draupadi.'

Vidya Balan
With just two films to her credit - 'Parineeta' and 'Lage Raho Munnabhai' (2006), both critically acclaimed box office successes, Vidya Balan is becoming a much sought after star. The demure Balan girl will next be seen in Vidhu Vinod Chopra's period drama 'Eklavya' and Nikhil Advani's multi-starrer 'Salaam-e-ishq'.

Hrithik Roshan
Step aside Shahrukh, Salman, Saif and Aamir, Hrithik Roshan is predicted to be Indian cinema's biggest superstar. After delivering one of the biggest hits in 2006 with 'Krrish,' Hrithik Roshan has gone beyond any actor's pricing after signing a deal with Adlabs at a reported price of a whopping Rs.350 million (Rs 35 crores). Post 'Dhoom 2' and 'Jodha-Akbar,' Hrithiks is all set to catapult to superstar status.

Kangana Ranaut
Kangana Ranaut is the new happening girl in Bollywood. Her unconventional looks and stellar performances in 'Gangster' and 'Woh Lamhe' has made her one of the most sought after heroines in a short span of time. Kangana has some interesting movies lined up in 2007. She has completed the shooting of Suneel Darshan's next movie 'Shakalaka Boom Boom' in Johannesburg. Apart from this, she stars in Anurag Basu's ' Metro' and David Dhawan's next film. For a newcomer, Kangana sure is making rapid strides.

Abhishek Bachchan
Abhishek Bachchan, who started his film career with 'Refugee' in 2000 had a string of 14 flops before coming good in Mani Ratnam's 'Yuva'. Since then he has starred in a chain of box office successes like 'Bunty Aur Babli,' 'Sarkar,' 'Bluff Master' and 'Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna.' And his hit rate is likey to get better with forthcoming films 'Guru,' 'Jhoom Barabar Jhoom,' 'Sarkar 2' and 'Shootour at Lokhandwala,' which could well be on the threshold of yet another nudge to his career that could place him in league with the Khans.

Rani Mukherjee
Rani Mukherjee is probably one of the few Bollywood actresses who can actually choose the kind of roles she would like to do. After a slow start to her career, Rani has become one of the most bankable stars in present times. Very little was seen of Rani in 2006, but 2007 will be a big year for Rani. Post 'Baabul,' Rani stars in Siddarth Anand's 'Tara Rum Pum,' Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Black' and Pradeep Sarkar's 'Chudiyan.' With such wonderful films on the anvil Rani's star as an actress and her clout as a box-office force will continue to rise.