New year, new films - which one are you most excited about?
The year 2024 was truly remarkable for Indian cinema - both mainstream and parallel. Films like 'Kalki 2898 AD', 'Stree 2', 'Maharaja', 'Pushpa 2', and 'Munjya' brought the crowds back to theatres, raising the bar higher. And on the other hand, not-so-commercial works such as 'All We Imagine As Light', 'Girls Will Be Girls', 'Aattam', 'Manjummel Boys', and 'Manikbabur Megh' among others gained their due recognition worldwide, inspiring storytellers to push their own boundaries.
‘All We Imagine As Light’ won the Grand Prix at the Cannes 2024
Now we are in 2025, and needless to say, the excitement for Indian cinema is currently even higher. Throughout this year, we have a lineup of incredible films across genres - whether it's the big-budget productions that the masses are eagerly looking forward to or the out-of-the-box films that have cinephiles counting days for. Well, it's definitely going to be yet another phenomenal year for cinema lovers.
In this article, let's have a look at some of the most anticipated Indian films (only the mainstream ones here) of the year.
A collaboration of Salman Khan, Sajid Nadiadwala, and AR Murugadoss - 'Sikandar' has been in the news ever since its announcement. And given the buzz that the teaser has generated, it goes without saying the film will break all records.
Salman Khan with Sajid Nadiadwala and A R Murugadoss from the sets of ‘Sikandar’
'Sikandar' is scheduled to be released during Eid this year.
Given the phenomenal track record of Maddock Films, all eyes are on 'Chhaava' which stars Vicky Kaushal as the revered Maratha king Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. The film has been made on a massive scale, and is touted to be a 'historical action drama'. It's scheduled for release on February 14, 2025.
Vicky Kaushal as Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj in ‘Chhava’
'Lahore 1947' has Aamir Khan as the producer, Rajkumar Santoshi as the director, and Sunny Deol as the lead actor. Well, it's enough to understand why the film is getting so much hype. Based on Asghar Wajahat's play 'Jis Lahore Nai Dekhya O Jamyai Ni', the film is set against the backdrop of the partition of India in 1947.
Sunny Deol will star in Aamir Khan's next production ‘Lahore 1947’, directed by Rajkumar Santoshi
Although not official yet, 'Lahore 1947' may hit theatres on January 24, 2025.
'Coolie' will mark the first collaboration between superstar Rajinikanth and director Lokesh Kanagaraj - and hence is one of the biggest films of the year. Besides Thalaivar, the action-thriller film also stars an ensemble cast including Nagarjuna, Upendra, Sathyaraj, Soubin Shahir, Sundeep Kishan, and Shruti Haasan.
Rajinikanth in and as ‘Coolie’
The film will be released this year worldwide in standard and IMAX formats. The exact date is yet to be announced.
'Toxic: A Fairy Tale' is Kannada superstar Yash's first outing since 'KGF 2', and you know what it means. Directed by Geetu Mohandas, the high-octane gangster drama was originally scheduled for release on April 10, 2025. However, due to certain issues, the film has been postponed and is now expected to be released sometime during the second half of the year.
The journey begins 🎬 #Toxic pic.twitter.com/Ysqmr4xrpg
— Yash (@TheNameIsYash) August 8, 2024
(Credit: Yash)
Following the massive success of 'Kantara', its prequel 'Kantara: Chapter 1' is currently in production, and is set for a theatrical release on October 2, 2025. Set during the reign of Kadambas of Banavasi, the Kannada-language period horror fantasy action thriller film is written and directed by Rishab Shetty and also stars him along with Jayaram in the lead roles.
The list obviously doesn't end here. Besides the above-mentioned films, it also includes 'War 2', 'Alpha', 'Game Changer', 'Thug Life', 'L2: Empuraan', etc.
