From '83 to Laal Singh Chaddha, top 10 Bollywood movies to watch in 2021

As the entertainment industry reels from the Covid-19 pandemic, the year 2021 may offer hope for filmmakers and theatre owners

While 2020 has turned out to be a dark, forgettable year for the Hindi film industry because of Covid-19, there is some hope that 2021 will turn out to be different with a large number of films -both small and big-budget ones- will find their way to theatre screens across India and abroad.

One notable thing about 2020 was how Bollywood quickly moved on as projects were stalled and many jobs were lost during the lockdown. From shootings being halted to postponing release dates, the entertainment industry saw it all and is ready to return to the silver screen with much-awaited projects.

Here are the top 10 Bollywood movies to watch out for in 2021:

1. '83

Directed by Kabir Khan, '83 is a movie on India's historic Cricket World Cup win in 1983. The sports drama stars Ranveer Singh in the role of team captain, Kapil Dev, and is slated to release in 2021. It was earlier scheduled to be out in April 2020.

2. Sooryavanshi

The movie is a part of Rohit Shetty's Singham franchise and was a much awaited movie slated to release in 2020. Now the makers have decided to schedule it for the first quarter of 2021. The movie has Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif in lead roles.

3. Thalaivi

Starring Kangana Ranaut in the lead role, the shooting of Thalaivi was wrapped up on December 12. Following the pack-up, Ranaut wrote on Twitter, "And it’s a wrap, today we successfully completed the filming of our most ambitious project Thalaivi- the revolutionary leader, rarely an actor finds a character that comes alive in flesh and blood and I fall in love so hard but now suddenly it’s time to say bye, mixed feelings.”. The movie is directed by AL Vijay and also features Arvind Swami and Prakash Raj.

4. Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai

Directed by Prabhu Deva, the action-drama got Salman Khan and Disha Patani in leading roles. The shooting was wrapped up in October and most probably will release on Eid 2021.

5. Brahmastra

The much-anticipated movie was scheduled to release in December 2020 but the pandemic forced a postponement. After Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, this is Ayan Mukherji's first project after 7 years. The movie has steller actors starring Amitabh Bachchan, Ranbir Kapoor, and Alia Bhatt. The dates are not confirmed yet but hopefully, it will release hopefully release in 2021, having been delayed for long already.

6. Pathan

Starring Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, and John Abraham, Pathan is slated to release on Diwali 2021. The movie is directed by Siddhartha Anand and the shooting has begun for the action-revenge flick.

7. Atrangi Re

Slated to release in 2021, the movie is directed by Anand L Rai and stars Akshay Kumar, Sara Ali Khan, and Dhanush. The movie will see Khan romancing Kumar and Dhanush in two timelines set in Bihar and Tamil Nadu, according to media reports.

8. Jersey

Finally, all the Shahid Kapoor fans can finally sigh in relief. Directed by Gowtam Tinnamuri, Jersey is a Telugu-remake that will release in 2021. The shooting was wrapped in 47 days during the pandemic. Kapoor will be seen playing the character of a cricketer and will also star Pankaj Kapur.

9. Laal Singh Chaddha

Aamir Khan will return to the silver screen as Laal Singh Chaddha in the Hindi adaptation of the Tom Hanks starrer Forrest Gump. Forrest Gump was released in 1994 and is recognised as a classic. The movie was adapted for a Hindi remake by actor, writer Atul Kulkarni. Previously scheduled for release on Christmas 2020, the film's release has now been pushed to Christmas 2021 as the shooting couldn't be completed on time because of the pandemic.

10. Gangubai Kathiawadi

Another movie that was supposed to release this year, the Sanjay Leela Bhansali-directed biopic is now slated for 2021 if all goes well. The shooting for the movie resumed in October and stars Alia Bhatt as Gangubai Kathiawadi, apparently one the most dreaded character in Mumbai's underworld.