Young guns look set to take over male bastion

By Simran Sethi

New Delhi, July 28 (IANS) Back in the days, heroes, who are generally considered as main part of our films, were mostly seen beating the villain or romancing the actresses or flaunting their machismo on screen. With time, our male artistes have tried their best to change the typical image by coming out of their comfort zone and taking up the versatile roles.

To be in the race for the top position, new-age actors like Ranveer Singh, Ayushmann Khurrana, Vicky Kaushal, Kartik Aaryan and Rajkummar Rao, are giving a tough fight to senior stars including the superstar Khans - Shah Rukh, Aamir and Salman - not only in terms of versatility, but also establishing themselves as bankable heroes.

So let's have a look at what male artistes from Hindi cinema have "new" in store to offer their fans.

RANVEER SINGH
Ranveer Singh has been surprising his fans since his Bollywood debut film "Band Baaja Baaraat" in 2010. Be it his role of a conman in "Ladies vs Ricky Bahl" or fearless Maratha leader in "Bajirao-Mastaani" or the ruthless Alauddin Khilji in "Padmaavat" or the street rapper in "Gully Boy" or the maverick cop in "Simmba", Ranveer has always given a stellar performance. Now, he is set to take his acting game to the next level, playing cricket superstar Kapil Dev.

He will be seen playing the iconic cricketer Kapil in the Kabir Khan directorial "83". For him, it's one of his most challenging roles till now.

Talking about his preparations for the film, Ranveer said: "I feel prepared and less anxious than I was when I started. This is the longest I have prepared for any role."

"Playing a living legend poses a unique set of challenges, and your approach to the preparation for that character has to be all the more intensive. And it has been. But at the same time, it has been very rewarding and fulfilling."

Ranveer will also be seen in Karan Johar's multi-starrer period drama "Takht" in which he will share screen space with Alia Bhatt, Vicky Kaushal, Janhvi Kapoor, Anil Kapoor and Bhumi Pednekar.

VICKY KAUSHAL
After working as an assistant on Anurag Kashyap's film "Gangs of Wasseypur", Vicky made his Bollywood debut with "Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana" in 2012. It was, however, his 2015 film "Masaan" that brought the actor in the spotlight.

Later, the 31-year-old received phenomenal success with his roles in "Raazi", "Sanju" and "Manmarziyaan" and "Uri: The Surgical Strike", which made it to the Rs 100 crore club.

Vicky will next be seen in Shoojit Sircar's "Udham Singh" and in a horror comedy "Bhoot part One: The Haunted Ship" He will also essay the role of Sam Manekshaw, the first Field Marshal of India, in Meghna Gulzar's new movie.

According to the film expert Vinod Mirani, Vicky is one of the most demanding actors in the industry.

"Vicky has totally proved his mettle with 'Uri...'. Look at the business his film has done at box office. He has that energy which attracts the audience to the cinema halls," Mirani added.

AYUSHMANN KHURRANA
Ayushmann Khurrana is on a roll. He gave two blockbusters, "Badhaai Ho" and "Andhadhun", in 2018 and emerged as one of the most successful actors of last year. Recently, he came out with "Article 15" which also performed quite well at the box office.

As far as the second half of 2019 is concerned, he has an excited slate of movies aligned. He will be seen in "Dream Girl" and "Bala".

Ayushmann is also currently shooting along with megastar Amitabh Bachchan for Shoojit Sircar's "Gulabo Sitabo", which will release in 2020.

On his success, Ayushmann shared that it depends upon the films' choices.

"It's the age of talent, and talent will get recognition. I am glad I am born in this era but, at the same time, my success will totally depend on the choices I make. I am glad that my choices are working and there is a certain validation I have got over the past two years," Ayushmann told IANS.

KARTIK AARYAN
Kartik shot to fame in "Pyaar Ka Punchnama", especially with his highlight monologue in the film. It was "Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety" which added star power to his name, as the film crossed the Rs 100-crore mark at the box-office. His latest release "Lukka Chuppi" also garnered rave reviews from the audience.

Now he will be seen opposite Ananya Pandey and Bhumi Pednekar in "Pati Patni Aur Woh", which is an adaptation of B.R. Chopra's 1978 film with the same title. He has also wrapped up shooting for "Love Aaj Kal 2", in which he will play Sara Ali Khan's love interest.

RAJKUMMAR RAO
With a filmography boasting of titles like "Shahid", "Newton", "Trapped", "Shaitan", "Kai Po Che!" and "Queen", actor Rajkummar Rao has carved a niche for himself in Hindi filmdom. In his ninth year in Bollywood, he has once again proved his mettle with "Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga" and just released "Judgementall Hai Kya".

He also has two more films "Made in China" and "Roohi Azfa" in pipeline, which will release later this year.

VARUN DHAWAN
He did not have a good start this year as his film "Kalank" failed to impress the audience, but he is all set to make a strong return next year with his dancing avatar in "Street Dancer 3D".

Young male actors, no doubt, are ruling the hearts of people, but one can't forget the senior actors. Actors like Akshay Kumar, Saif Ali Khan and John Abraham are trying their best to maintain their charm amongst the audience.

After "Kesari", Akshay is coming up with a space film "Mission Mangal". It will release on Independence day. His comedy film "Housefull 4" and "Good News" are also releasing this year. And 2020 seems to be great for Akshay's fans as he will be seen donning different avatars for different films.

He will be seen in action cop avatar in "Sooryvanshi". While "Laxmmi Bomb" is a comic-horror. And he recently announced his new project "Bachchan Pandey", which will release on Christmas next year.

Bollywood's poster hero of nationalism, John Abraham, is coming up with "Batla House". It will clash with Akshay's "Mission Mangal" at box office. His "Pagalpanti" will also release later this year.

Actor Saif Ali Khan has also two major films coming up this year. In "Laal Kaptaan", he will be seen as naga sadhu, while "Jawaani Jaaneman" is a romantic comedy.

Talking about the Khans, only Salman has film aligned in the second half of 2019. After his patriotic acting stint in "Bharat", Salman will bring back "Dabangg" franchise on big screen with the third part on December 20.

Unfortunately, Shah Rukh and Aamir have no films in 2019. They were last seen in "Zero" and "Thugs of Hindostan" respectively. Both of these films turned out to be dud at box office.

(Simran Sethi can be contacted at simran.s@ians.in)