The year 2012 saw the release of some of the biggest blockbuster movies, some of which shattered records at both domestic and international box offices. The upcoming year is expected to follow suit as a few upcoming releases have already grabbed public attention.
While new story plots, fresh star casts and never-seen-before pairing set the standard for filmakers this year, 2013 will churn out more sequels and many of the original casting actors are set to recreate their magical presence onscreen.
Here is a look at ten biggest movies that are likely to set the cash registers ringing at the box office in the forthcoming year:
1) "Matru Ki Bijli ka Mandola": The film, which is slated to release on Jan 11, has Imran Khan, Anushka Sharma, Pankaj Kapoor, Shabana Azmi and Arya Bababar playing key roles. Vishal Bhardwaj takes up the multiple role of director, co-producer, music director and screenplay writer.
2) "Race 2": As a sequel to the 2008 blockbuster "Race", the film is expected to be a hit among movie goers in 2013. The film, like its first version, ensembles a rich cast. Saif Ali Khan and Anil Kapoor will be seen returning to their respective roles as Ranveer Singh and Inspector Robert D' Costa . John Abraham, Deepika Padukone , Jaqueline Fernandez and Amisha Patel make up the rest of the cast. "Race 2" is directed by Abbas-Mustan and is expected to release on Jan 25. Pritam is the music director. Bipasha Basu, who played a lead role "Race", will make a cameo appearance.
3) "Special Chabbis": The action drama, which will feature Akshay Kumar and Kajal Aggarwal in lead roles, is expected to hit screens on Feb 8. "Special Chabbis" is directed by Neeraj Pandey and also stars Jimmy Shergill, Manoj Bajpai and Anupam Kher. The music is composed by M. M. Kreem, Himesh Reshammiya and Honey Singh.
4) "Murder 3": The movie is a sequel to 2011 release "Murder 2" that starred Imran Hashmi and Jaqueline Fernandaz. "Murder 3" is produced and directed by Mahesh Bhatt. Imran Hashmi, who played the lead in previous sequels, has been replaced by Randeep Hooda. The female cast includes Aditi Rao Hydari and Sara Loren. The movie will debut on Feb 15.
5) "Himmatwala": This Ajay Devgn starrer features south Indian actress Tamannaah. The film is directed by Sajid Khan and co-produced by Vashu Bhagnani and UTV Motion Pictures. "Himmatwala" falls into comedy genre. and is said to be a remake of 1983 blockbuster with the same name that starred Venketesh. The movie is expected to release on March 29. Music duo Sajid-Wajid composed the music for the movie.
6) "Shootout at Wadala": This sequel of 2007 movie "Shootout at Lokhandwala" has a rich cast that includes John Abraham, Anil Kapooor, Kangna Ranaut, Sonu Sood, Manoj Bajpai, Tushaar Kapoor, Ronit Roy and Mahesh Manjrekar. "Shootout at Wadala" is thriller directed by Sanjay Gupta and co-produced by Ekta Kapoor and Shobha Kapoor. The movie is expected to hit the cinema floors on May 1.
7) "Once Upon a Time in Mumbai Again" is a sequel of "Once Upon a Time in Mumbai". The film's cast features Akshay Kumar, Sonakshi Sinha, Imran Khan and Sonali Bendre. Directed by Milan Luthria and co-produced by Ekta Kapoor and Shobha Kapoor, the movie is slated for an Eid release. Pritam has composed the music of "Once Upon a Time in Mumbai Again".
8) "Satyagraha-Democracy under fire"; Set for a release on Aug 15, the movie is a political thriller by Prakash Jha and stars Arjun Rampal, Amitabh Bachchan, Kareena Kapoor , Ajay Devgn and Manoj Bajpai. Prakash Jha and Sunil Lulla have jointly produced the film, while Harris Jayaraj has composed the score.
9) "Krish 3" is one of the much-awaited movies of 2013. The third installment of the series, preceded by "Krish" and "Koi Mil Gaya", is set to release along with a 3D version on Nov 3. Directed and produced by Rakesh Roshan, the film's star cast has Hrithik Roshan playing the lead role of Superhero 'Krish'. Priyanka Chopra, Kangna Ranaut, Vivek Oberoi and Shaurya Chauhan are the other major characters of the science fiction. Rekha, who was featured in the previous sequels, will make a guest appearance in the movie. Rajesh Roshan and Salim- Sulaiman have composed the music of "Krish 3".
10) "Dhoom 3": The third sequel to the popular "Dhoom" franchise is among the much-anticipated movies of 2013. Apart from Abhishek Bachchan and Uday Chopra, who were part of "Dhoom" and "Dhoom 2", this action thriller will feature Amir Khan and Katrina Kaif. The movie is directed by Vijay Krishna Acharya and produced by Aditya Chopra. The film's score is composed by Pritam.
Several other movies like Salman Khan's "Sher Shah", Shahruhk Khan's "Chennai Express" and Vidya Balan and Imran Hashmi starrer "Ghanchakkar" are set to release in 2013. The release date of these flicks are kept under wraps.
