Gone are the days of using hit owwn-screen jodis as a hook for movie-goers; filmmakers are now forced to serve up fresh pairings for an increasingly discerning audience
Many Bollywood actors have been immortalised in the pages of history due to their on-screen chemistry with another actor. So, from the Raj Kapoor-Nargis pairing, to Sridevi-Jeetendra, Anil Kapoor-Madhuri Dixit, Aamir Khan-Juhi Chawla, Govinda-Karsima Kapoor and Shah Rukh Khan-Kajol, movie-goers have always looked forward to watching these hit on-screen jodis.
But things are a-changing. Just as the audience will no longer settle for repetitive formulae in terms of stories, they are also seeking variety in on-screen pairings. So this year, filmmakers will not only present the audience with a wide array of genres, they will also serve up instant freshness in the form of new on-screen jodis. And with a barrage of young actors making their silver-screen debut, this task is becoming easier by the day.
In fact, the year kickstarted with the first-time pairing of Arjun Kapoor and Sonakshi Sinha in the action drama Tevar. Next up, Dolly Ki Doli featured Sonam Kapoor opposite not one but three fairly new heroes – Rajkummar Rao, Pulkit Samrat and Varun Sharma.
The month of February will see three big films all with new on-screen pairings. First, in a casting coup of sorts, filmmaker R Balki has cast Amitabh Bachchan along with Dhanush and debutant Akshara Haasan in Shamitabh. Following suit is Arjun Rampal, Jacqueline Fernandez and Ranbir Kapoor to be seen together in the thriller Roy. Then there’s Sriram Raghavan’s Badlapur, which will feature Varun Dhawan and Yami Gautam for the first time together.
We will have another outing with Amitabh Bachchan this year. And once again we will see him sharing screen space with the unusual pairing of Deepika Padukone with Irrfan in Piku. Another big-ticket Akshay Kumar film Gabbar will feature the khiladi actor opposite Shruti Haasan for the first time. The actress will also be seen in another film, Welcome Back, with John Abraham. There’s also Ranbir Kapoor’s period drama Bombay Velvet, which will have him paired for the first time with Anushka Sharma.
June will bring two such films Dil Dhadakne Do and ABCD 2. So after having directed Priyanka Chopra in films like Don and Don 2, Farhan Akhtar will now act alongside the actress in Zoya Akhtar’s Dil Dhadakne Do and Varun Dhawan and Shraddha Kapoor will match steps in ABCD 2.
Director Kabir Khan, who is making his third film Phantom with his muse Katrina Kaif, will give the audience a new on-screen pair in Saif Ali Khan and the actress. Having hit a home run in three hit films last year, Alia Bhatt will be share screen time with Shahid Kapoor in Vikas Bahl’s Shaandaar. And while Kangana Ranaut had a successful outing with director Bahl last year, the Queen actress will be seen in an all-new avatar on screen, with Imran Khan in Katti Batti.
And last but not least, Salman Khan, who will be teaming up with his favourite director Sooraj Barjatya after more than a decade, will be seen with Sonam Kapoor in Prem Ratan Dhan Payo.
With such freshness up for grabs for the audience, will they give these new jodis the thumbs-up? And how much will these films benefit from this newness? Here’s what tradewallahs have to say:
Amrita Pandey, VP and Head, Marketing and Distribution, Studios, Disney India
2015 will be an interesting year for Indian cinema, we believe varied genres and high concept movies might fare better than the more traditional stories. Breaking from the clutter, our focus will also be to give audience something to look forward to and one of them being fresh casting and never before seen pairing of stars. Varun Dhawan and Shraddha Kapoor will be seen for the first time ever in the much awaited sequel to ABCD in ABCD 2. Varun and Shraddha have undergone special dance training to play these characters on screen to perfection and their high energy performances and crackling chemistry is worth watching out for! We revealed the first look of the much-anticipated movie Katti Batti starring Kangana Ranaut and Imran Khan, to which we got an amazing response. They have been paired for the first time. They are looking great together! Fitoor, the Indian adaptation of Charles Dicken’s Great Expectations is a story of love lost and realised over two generations, set in the picturesque valley of Kashmir. The fresh pairing of Aditya Roy Kapur and Katrina Kaif is something that fans are really looking forward to. Katrina Kaif will also be seen for the first time with Saif Ali Khan in Phantom.
Ajit Andhare, COO – Viacom18 Motion Pictures
The most important jodi that needs to work is that of the script and the cast. If that fit works, then other things fall in line. Cinema is evolving very fast and moving past the conventional way of looking at jodis that used to headline a mainstream film. In both Queen and Mary Kom, the unconventional jodi worked very well in the context of the script. Akshay Kumar and Shruti Haasan form a fresh and very enticing pair in the context of the film Gabbar and so is Hema Malini, Rajkummar Rao and Rakul Preet’s trio in Shimla Mirchi!
Vivek Krishnani, Senior VP, Revenues and Marketing, MSM Motion Pictures
2015 will see unique pairings of talented actors coming together besides just romantic pairings. Amitabh Bachchan – Dhanush in Shamitabh as well as Akshay Kumar – Siddharth Malhotra in Brothers will be quite exciting. Shahid Kapoor – Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor – Anushka Sharma could be other pairs to look out for. Our next film – Shoojit Sircar’s family comedy drama Piku brings together the unique and fresh pairing of Deepika Padukone and Irrfan and for the first time audiences will get to see the two powerhouse performers Amitabh Bachchan and Irrfan in the same frame!