Will Bollywood Finally Get A Non-Khan Highest Grossing Film Of The Year In 2019?

While 2018 has just begun, big producers of Bollywood have already announced their slate of release for 2019 by blocking major holidays of the year. While Eid and Christmas have been blocked by Salman Khan for the release of Bharat and Kick 2 respectively, Shah Rukh Khan is expected to announce his film for the coming year, sooner or later. The other holiday slots like Holi, Good Friday, Independence Day and Gandhi Jayanti have already been booked for few of the biggest releases of 2019.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmaavat and SS Rajamouli’s Baahubali 2 proved that with the right content, a film can set several records without getting the additional padding from the festive holidays of Eid, Diwali and Christmas.

The Khan’s apart, all other major Bollywood stars i.e. Hrithik Roshan, Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn, Varun Dhawan and Ranbir Kapoor have mega-budget films up for release and it seems that 2019 can be a year wherein one out of these stars might just deliver the highest grossing film of the year. The last when a non-Khan film proved to be the highest grosser of the year was 2006, Dhoom 2, starring Hrithik Roshan in lead.

Kesari:

The year 2019 starts with the release of Akshay Kumar’s Kesari, which is based on the infamous Battle of Saragarhi. The movie, which is a period drama, is set to be the costliest Akshay Kumar film till date (discounting 2 Point 0). Produced by Karan Johar and Akshay Kumar, Kesari is slated to release during the Holi 2019 weekend.

Shiddhat (Tentative Title):

Another mega budget entertainer from the Dharma camp is director Abhishek Verman’s next, tentatively titled Shiddhat, starring Varun Dhawan in lead. The movie, which is set against the backdrop of partition is slated to hit the big screen during the Good Friday weekend. The film is said to be a project close to Karan Johar’s heart, and the same has been in news since a long time. Initially, there were reports about Karan Johar wanting to cast Shah Rukh Khan and Ranbir Kapoor for the film, however, the things didn’t work out as expected.

Brahmastra:

Karan Johar announced the most ambitious project of Dharma Productions i.e. Brahmastra as the Independence Day 2019 release. The film, which is a trilogy stars Amitabh Bachchan, Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt in lead. According to reports, the film is India’s first mythological superhero film wherein Ranbir Kapoor will have the super-powers to emit fire from his hand.

Hrithik Roshan vsTiger Shroff:

Another mega film, which is up for release in 2019 is YRF’s yet untitled mega action entertainer starring Hrithik Roshan and Tiger Shroff in lead. The film is touted as one of the most stylish action films to be made in Bollywood and the production house has blocked the Gandhi Jayanti weekend for the release. The movie will revolve around the clash of egos between a mentor and his protége.

Taanaji:

Ajay Devgn too has an ambitious project in the form of Taanaji, which is the biopic of Maratha leader, Taanaji Malusare. The film, which is a period drama will go on floors in April 2018 and the production house, Viacom 18 is looking to release the film in the second half of 2019. The film is currently in the pre-production stage.

More than the release dates, what makes these films appealing is the fact that they would be mounted on a humongous scale backed up with the star-power of the actors who have been in the industry for quite some time. While Akshay Kumar and Varun Dhawan have delivered hits after hits consistently, the films didn’t command as universal an appeal as compared to their releases in 2019. On the flip side, the Krrish franchise has shown us the potential of the superhero films in India, and with Dharma trying their hands at exploring the genre with stalwarts like Ranbir Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan and Alia Bhatt, we can expect the production house to up the standards of a superhero film in India. Like is the case with Taanaji, which is a period drama whose real potential was explored by a regional film like Baahubali 2.

Last when a Non-Khan film proved to be the highest grosser of the year was way back 2006, wherein YRF had teamed up with Hrithik Roshan. With the duo coming together yet again with HRvsTiger, we can’t rule out the possibility of history repeating itself.

While Salman Khan has two films up for release in 2019 and they can never be underestimated, as the superstar’s dominance at the box-office since 2010 is something that not many can boast about, one can’t deny the fact that with so many magnum opus starring the other major stars of the industry, 2019 will definitely be a year to look out for.

Here’s a look at highest grossing Bollywood films from 2006 to 2017:

2006: Dhoom 2 (Hrithik Roshan)

2007: Om Shanti Om (Shah Rukh Khan)

2008: Ghajini (Aamir Khan)

2009: 3 Idiots (Aamir Khan)

2010: Dabangg (Salman Khan)

2011: Bodyguard (Salman Khan)

2012: Ek Tha Tiger (Salman Khan)

2013: Dhoom 3 (Aamir Khan)

2014: PK (Aamir Khan)

2015: Bajrangi Bhaijaan (Salman Khan)

2016: Dangal (Aamir Khan)

2017: Tiger Zinda Hai (Salman Khan)