The Listicle

WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE

June 26, Theatres

Here’s the third film in Akshay Kumar’s Welcome series, among his many franchises that ensure he always has something to fall back on. Nearly one-fourth of Bollywood is co-starring. The director is choreographer-turned-filmmaker Ahmed Khan (Heropanti, Baaghi).

PEDDI

June 4, Theatres

Ram Charan, star of RRR, is aiming for bigger leagues as the solo hero leading a gigantic production with actors from across India, an A.R. Rahman soundtrack, and a national award-winning director, Buchi Babu Sena. The Telugu-language Peddi is Sena’s sophomore project. Ram Charan plays a rural athlete using brawn and more brawn to fight injustice.

HAI JAWANI TOH ISHQ HONA HAI

June 5, Theatres

David Dhawan, the veteran’s veteran of wacky nonsensical comedies punched with slapstick, double entendres and relentless comedy setups, directs another one for his son, star Varun Dhawan. He is a playboy tackling two pregnant girlfriends (Mrunal Thakur, Pooja Hegde), but the jokes are more important than the disposable premise.

MAA BEHEN

June 4, Netflix

A single mom (Madhuri Dixit) and her daughters (Tripti Dimri and Dharna Durga) have to hide the corpse of her neighbouring hunk (Ravi Kishan), who decided to die in their home. Directed by Suresh Triveni (Tumhari Sulu, Jalsa, Subedaar).

MAIN VAAPAS AAUNGA

Jun. 12, Theatres

Imtiaz Ali, A.R. Rahman, Naseeruddin Shah, singer Diljit Dosanjh, and rising stars Vedang Raina, Sharvari and Danish Pandor team up for another Imtiaz Ali flick about lost love and longing across time, against the backdrop of Partition.

COCKTAIL 2

May 30 | Jio Hotstar

The 2012 film Cocktail, directed by Homi Adjania from an Imtiaz Ali screenplay, was about a 40-year-old man-child stuck between a beautiful woman with conservative values and a beautiful woman with none of that. It was a superhit. The sequel has new faces: Shahid Kapoor, Rashmika Mandanna and Kriti Sanon. Any changes to the plot? Time will tell.

—Compiled by Devarsi Ghosh