Blockbusters are back! At least that’s what the slate of upcoming Bollywood movies in 2023 is telling us. The next few months bring in a slew of hotly anticipated movies led by some of the biggest stars in the Hindi film industry. For starters, Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan which is easily the buzziest film at the moment arrives in the first month itself. And it isn’t the only Shah Rukh Khan-led title from the year. The star will also appear in Jawan and Dunki.
2023 also brings some promising onscreen pairings. Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani will reunite Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh after Gully Boy, Katrina Kaif and Vijay Sethupathi are all set to share screen space in Merry Chrismas and Ranbir Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor will come together for Tu Jhoothi Main Makkar. Moreover, the year has two Kareena Kapoor films – The Devotion of Suspect X and The Crew.
Here are 18 Bollywood movies we can’t wait to watch in 2023:
Mission Majnu
Director: Shantanu Bagchi
Cast: Sidharth Malhotra, Rashmika Mandanna, Kumud Mishara
Mission Majnu will see Sidharth Malhotra and Rashmika Mandanna share screen space for the first time. Set around the 1971 India-Pakistan war, the film is a Raazi-esque spy thriller about a RAW agent on a covert mission.
Release Date: January 20
Where: OTT
Pathaan
Director: Siddharth Anand
Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, John Abraham, Deepika Padukone
The release of Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan is days away and the hype is only growing. Set in a dystopian Middle East, the film will see SRK play a RAW agent tasked with protecting his nation. With its stellar star cast and the high-octane action teased in the trailer, Pathaan is poised to offer a blockbuster spectacle.
Release Date: January 25
Where: Theatres
Shehzada
Director: Rohit Dhawan
Cast: Kartik Aaryan, Kriti Sanon, Manisha Koirala
Shehzada is the official Hindi remake of Allu Arjun and Pooja Hegde starrer Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo. The film will see Kartik Aaryan in his first action role alongside Kriti Sanon. The two are reuniting after Luka Chuppi.
Release Date: February 10
Where: Theatres
Tu Jhoothi Main Makkar
Director: Luv Ranjan
Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Dimple Kapadia
The buzz around Tu Jhooti Main Makkar began with a few leaked set photos and continued with the title reveal. Something tells us that Ranbir Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor’s anticipated onscreen chemistry will be quite the payoff.
Release Date: March 8
Where: Theatres
Bawaal
Director: Nitesh Tiwari
Cast: Janhvi Kapoor, Varun Dhawan, Parth Siddhpura
Bawaal will see Varun Dhawan and Janhvi Kapoor share screen space for the first time. The film was in production in Poland, the Netherlands, and even Lucknow. While the film’s plot has been kept under wraps we do know that it’s a love story revolving around characters from a small town.
Release Date: April 7
Where: Theatres
Kisi Ka Bhai… Kisi Ki Jaan
Director: Farhad Samji
Cast: Salman Khan, Pooja Hegde, Shehnaaz Gill
Who doesn’t love it when bhai arrives on the big screen? In the aptly titled Kisi Ka Bhai… In Kisi Ki Jaan, Salman Khan reportedly plays a man whose siblings are trying to get him married.
Release Date: April 21
Where: Theatres
Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani
Director: Karan Johar
Cast: Alia Bhatt, Ranveer Singh, Shabana Azmi, Jaya Bachchan
The last film Karan Johar directed was Ae Dil Hai Mushkil and after roughly seven years, he’s set to release Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani, another star-studded entertainer. We’ve seen what Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh can do together on screen and it’ll be interesting to see what they do next.
Release Date: April 28
Where: Theatres
Jawan
Director: Atlee
Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Nayanthara, Vijay Sethupathi
In Jawan, Shah Rukh Khan is reportedly set to play a double role. The film’s teaser features a bloodied and beat-up SRK and it’s enough to draw fans in.
Release Date: June 2
Where: Theatres
Adipurush
Director: Om Raut
Cast: Prabhas, Kriti Sanon, Saif Ali Khan
2022 was a big year for VFX and special effects. This year will see another experiment in the form of Adipurush, a Ramayana-inspired film starring Prabhas as Ram. After the trailer footage garnered some flak from the internet, the makers have been reworking the film’s visuals.
Release Date: June 16
Where: Theatres
Satyaprem Ki Katha
Director: Sameer Vidwans
Cast: Kiara Advani, Kartik Aaryan
In Satyaprem Ki Katha, Kiara Advani will reunite with her Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 co-star Kartik Aaryan. The film is a romantic drama which also features Supriya Pathak and Gajraj Rao.
Release Date: June 29
Where: Theatres
Animal
Director: Sandeep Reddy Vanga
Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Rashmika Mandanna, Anil Kapoor
Ranbir Kapoor in a rugged look complete with a bloodied shirt? Sign us up! Animal is a gangster film in which the protagonist slowly finds himself turning into an animal.
Release Date: TBA
Where: Theatres
Tiger 3
Director: Maneesh Sharma
Cast: Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Emraan Hashmi
Tiger 3 is the third instalment of Salman Khan’s film franchise. For fans, it is exciting enough to see Salman reprise his role in the spy-thriller but the highlight has got to be Shah Rukh Khan’s anticipated cameo.
Release Date: TBA
Where: Theatres
Sam Bahadur
Director: Meghna Gulzar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Sanya Malhotra
In Sam Bahadur, Vicky Kaushal is set to play Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw. The actor looks unrecognisable in BTS images that emerged from the film’s set. Apart from his impressive transformation, the track also has a stellar track record in biopics after Sardar Udham.
Release Date: December 1
Where: Theatres
Dunki
Director: Rajkumar Hirani
Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Taapsee Pannu, Boman Irani
Dunki will mark Shah Rukh Khan’s first collaboration with Rajkumar Hirani. The film will take on the illegal migration practice called “Donkey Flight” which is rampantly used by Indians to migrate to nations like the U.S. and Canada.
Release Date: December 22
Where: Theatres
The Archies
Director: Zoya Akhtar
Cast: Suhana Khan, Khushi Kapoor, Agastya Nanda, Vedang Raina
The Archies, a musical drama inspired by the popular Archie comics run, will mark the debut of Shah Rukh Khan’s daughter Suhana, Boney Kapoor and Sridevi’s daughter Khushi and Amitabh Bachchan’s grandson Agastya.
Release Date: TBA
Where: OTT
The Crew
Director: Rajesh Krishnan
Cast: Kareena Kapoor, Kriti Sanon, Tabu
While little is known about The Crew, the film has a star-studded cast including Kareena Kapoor, Kriti Sanon and Tabu. The film is written and co-produced by Rhea Kapoor.
Release Date: TBA
Where: Theatres
Chakda ‘Xpress
Director: Prosit Roy
Cast: Anushka Sharma, Renuka Shahane
The year will also see Anushka Sharma’s comeback after the 2018 film Zero. The film will see Anushka flex her cricket skills as former cricket captain Jhulan Goswami.
Release Date: December 16
Where: OTT
The Devotion of Suspect X
Director: Sujoy Ghosh
Cast: Kareena Kapoor, Jaideep Ahlawat, Vijat Varma
Based on Keigo Higashino’s novel, The Devotion of Suspect X will be Kareena Kapoor’s OTT debut. The plot revolves around a single mother and her daughter who cover up a crime. The film promises to see Kareena in a never-seen-before avatar.
Release Date: TBA
Where: OTT