Mahira Khan in Raees
Mahira Khan’s long-awaited Bollywood debut tops our list for plenty of reasons. First, there’s the fact that Raees will feature her against the King of Bollywood, Shah Rukh Khan.
Secondly, the film is a departure from Shah Rukh Khan’s usual brand of
In a nutshell, the film will pull Shah Rukh Khan and Mahira out of their comfort zone as actors. For fans of Mahira, this film will make for an intriguing watch and in all likelihood, will help her shed the image of the girl-next-door.
Fawad Khan in Kapoor & Sons
Following his overnight success in Bollywood, it is obvious that we are eagerly looking forward to what Fawad Khan has to offer next – especially when his next is a Karan Johar production, the man behind some of SRK’s blockbuster romantic dramas.
Starring young guns Alia Bhatt and Sidharth Malhotra, the ‘romedy’ will see Sidharth and Fawad play brothers, one of whom would be coming out of the closet. Yes, rumour has it that Fawad will be the one playing the ‘gay’ brother and it’ll be interesting to see the Pakistani royalty, who is known for his sophisticated and somber roles on screen, pull off something so daringly different.
But that’s not the only reason why the film has us so excited. Fawad, who once ruled our hearts as the lead singer of EP, will be returning to his musical roots and crooning a fresh, young and energetic track, alongside his co-stars, for the film. That’s reason enough to hit the cinema.
Iman Ali in Mah-e-Meer
After making a splash in Shoaib Mansoor’s Khuda Kay Liye (2007) and Bol (2011), Iman Ali returns to the big screen with Anjum Shehzad’s Mah-e-Meer. A film about a contemporary poet in conflict, drawing parallels to the life of poet Mir Taqi Mir, has an all-star cast, led by Fahad Mustafa who is essaying the role of the poet alongside a cast that also includes Alyy Khan, Sanam Saeed and Manzar Sehbai.
In the film, Iman Ali stars as Mahtab, a courtesan and yes, she played a similar role in Bol but given the credentials of Mah-e-Meer’s cast and crew, the project certainly seems promising.
Ali Kazmi in Dobara Phir Se
The dynamic actor-director duo of Ali Kazmi and Mehreen Jabbar is all set to return after the immensely successful and thought-provoking television series, Jackson Heights. However, this time around the two will be seen creating magic, or so we hope, on the big screen with the film titled Dobara Phir Se.
Currently taking over the streets of New York with back-to-back shoots, the film is a far cry from Mehreen’s hard-hitting dramas and is said to be a rom-com about two Pakistani-Americans, who fall in love, and then embark on a road trip to meet their families. But given it’s a Mehreen Jabbar film, we won’t be surprised if it has an unconventional climax in store.
The film boasts of an exciting ensemble cast that, apart from Ali, includes Adeel Hussain, Hareem Farooq, Sanam Saeed, Tooba Siddiqui, Atiqa Odho and Shaz Khan. While we aren’t sure of the kind of role Ali will be seen essaying, the actor has been on a roll; taking a lot of risks and doing some interesting work. He was recently seen playing a gangster in Deepa Mehta’s Beeba Boys and will also be seen in Ajay Devgn’s Shivay. Hence, one is curious as to what does he have up his sleeve for his big screen Pakistani debut.
Sheheryar Munawar in Ho Mann Jahaan
Television hottie Sheheryar Munawar will be launching his filmi career with Asim Raza’s Ho Mann Jahaan come January, and if there was ever a dream debut to talk about, this has to be it. Not only is the film one of the most highly anticipated releases of next year, it casts Sheheryar opposite the woman of the hour, Mahira Khan.
What’s more, the young actor seems to have landed a role that he can really sink his teeth into. The trailer shows him as Arhaan, a street-smart college student with a penchant for pranks, but beneath the happy-go-lucky surface simmers something darker. We catch a glimpse of his tumultuous relationship with his father and his friendship with an intriguing older woman played by Sonya Jehan.
This is not your typical romantic comedy role, and Sheheryar seems to revel in the character with its shades of grey. Plus, he looks mighty fine in that beard, whether he’s rocking the guitar on stage in a leather jacket or wooing Mahira in a dapper white sherwani.