2014: Spotting the stars

Aamir Khan: He kept his promise of delivering something strong at the box office at the end of year and this time it was with his ‘PK’. Playing a cute alien, Khan’s latest Bollywood flick had a strong message to deliver to his fans. If it was his ‘Dhoom 3’ that roared at the Box Office last year, this year it is ‘PK’ which  ended the season with a bang. Khan was back again with his TV show Satyamev Jayate. Like the previous season, he once again put forward  several  social issues through his morning hour TV show.

Aditya Roy Kapur: The 'Aashiqui 2' actor who went on to be the heartthrob of women was seen only once on screen this year as he played a Lucknowi Kabab king Tariq in Daawat-e-Ishq opposite Parineeti Chopra. The rom com might not be much a success but Aditya was impressive in touching the hearts of his fans.

Alia Bhatt: The cute faced Mahesh Bhatt kid emerged as the promising  star of Bollywood by her strong performance in three consecutive films this year. Highway, 2 States and then Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania, all the three films showcasing Bhatt’s brilliance as an actress and proved that she is more than another Bollywood beauty. She even launched herself as a singer as her ‘samjhawan’ for the film Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania was liked by all.

Arjun Kapoor: Arjun Kapoor did well in 2014.  Arjun was seen sharing screen space with Bollywood’s leading ladies- Priyanka Chopra and Deepika Padukone- this year in ‘Gunday’ and then in ‘Finding Fanny’. In ‘Gunday’, Arjun and Ranveer Singh competed with each other to impress their fans as they both eye to capture the numero uno position in the industry someday.    Arjun paired up with Alia to taste  success and joined the elite group of B-town. 

Abhishek Bachchan: Abhishek was seen only once on-screen and that too in the multi-starrer ‘Happy New Year’. With Deepika, SRK, Boman Irani and Sonu Sood all around, Abhishek had limited opportunity to singlehandedly impress his fans as  the lovable ‘Nandu’. 

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan:  While she was not much in news in the beginning of the year, her fans surely got some good reports in the last month of the year as the gorgeous actress is set to come back with Sanjay Gupta's "Jazbaa". It has been heard that the former Miss World has lost lots of weight for her upcoming movie.  Like every year, she  was seen walking the red carpet in a gold off-shoulder dress at the Cannes Film Festival.

Ajay Devgn: Devgn was back this year as  tough cop Inspector Bajirao Singham  with his  ‘Singham Returns’.  With Kareena Kapoor Khan by his side, the film roared at the box office to join the 100-crore club. But Devgn’s second release of the year, Action Jackson , did not impress the critics or movie buffs.

Akshay Kumar:  Mr Khiladi received a mixed response at the box office this year as his first film ‘Holiday - A Soldier Is Never Off Duty’  joined the 100-crore club but his next film ‘Entertainment’ failed to even impress his admirers. Romancing Sonakshi Sinha on screen, Akshay was busy destroying sleeper cells and showing his fighting skills in ‘Holiday - A Soldier Is Never Off Duty’. He also played the character of an actor in ‘The Shaukeens’. Akshay was also back on the small screen with his TV realty show Dare 2 Dance. Away from the world of entertainment, Akshay also owned  Kabaddi side’ Khalsa Warriors’ which lost to Bollywood star Sonakshi Sinha’s side United Singhs in the final of World Kabaddi League.

Amitabh Bachchan: The same old sounds of the hooter, claps and some moment of excitement were back as Big B hosted the eighth season of popular TV show Kaun Banega Crorepati.  Apart from his iconic presence on the small screen as a TV host, Bachchan senior also made his acting debut on TV with the psychological thriller miniseries 'Yudh'.  Bachchan's debut fiction television show earned him much appreciation but the mini series failed to  garner the expected TRPs and was mainly criticised for its slow pace and confusing plot. On the silver screen, he was seen returning as the lovable ghost with his ‘Bhoothnath Returns’.

Anil Kapoor: Bollywood’s dependable actor Anil Kapoor was not seen on the silver screen this year but he made news as he will be adapting the sitcom Modern Family for the Indian television audience. Interestingly, he had impressed his fans by playing the lead role  in the Indian adaptation of  American TV series ‘24’ last year. In 2015, the  actor will be seen back on the silver screen with ‘Welcome Back’ and ‘Dil Dhadakne Do’.

Anushka Sharma: The pretty-faced girl  paired with Aamir Khan  in Rajkumar Hirani’s latest creation- ‘PK'. With the movie, which released on December 19, already making a strong impct at the Box Office, Anushka surely ended the year with a bang. Away from the world of films, Anushka’s personal life  also touched a high point as she was busy romancing Indian cricket star Virat Kohli.

Bipasha Basu: Well, the Bong beauty was seen scaring her fans in Vikram Bhatt’s Creature 3D. Bipasha, who will be again seen in another supernatural film ‘Alone’ next year, was seen fighting a  Brahmarakshas in the monster thriller. She was also seen in Sajid Khan’s ‘Humshakals’. But none of the movies earned her much success.

Deepika Padukone:  Deepika was surely the queen of 2014 with all her movies cementing her position  strongly in the Bollywood world. From shining in small budget ‘Finding Fanny’ to  roaring at the Box Office as the glamorous Mohini in ‘Happy New Year’, Deepika and her love of producing hits remained inseparable. Deepika will be seen sharing the screen space with Amitabh Bachchan and Irrfan Khan in ‘Piku’ next year and the shooting of the film in Kolkata is already much talked about. Deepika also earned kudos for protesting against a major daily for publishing her picture showing her cleavage from a prior event much to the chagrin of the actor. Deepika took Twitter by storm as she protested against the picture published by the national newspaper. Several Bollywood actors and her fans supported her for raising her voice and slammed the newspaper.

Dia Mirza: The beautiful actor-producer Dia Mirza started a new chapter in her life as she  married producer Sahil Sangha this year.

Farhaan Akhtar: The happening guy of Bollywood Farhan Akhtar had stormed into the hearts of his fans last year with his strong performance in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. But this year, the multi talented actor was seen romancing Vidya Balan in the  romantic comedy Shaadi Ke Side Effects. The film received mixed reviews from critics. In 2015, he will be back with megastar Amitabh Bachchan with their upcoming film ’Wazir’. Akhtar will also be seen in multi-starrer ‘Dil Dhadakne Do’ in the middle of the year.

Farah Khan: Choreographer-turned- filmmaker Farah Khan’s latest film ‘Happy New Year’ starring Shah Rukh Khan , released in Diwali and turned out to be one of the biggest earners of the year. As a director, Farah Khan’s third venture  with Shah Rukh Khan brought another success to her crown. Farha is likely to be back on the small screen as it is rumoured that she will be replacing Bollywood superstar Salman Khan as the host of popular reality show ‘Bigg Boss’.

Hrithik Roshan: Hrithik Roshan had a divorce with his wife Sussanne Khan  ending their 17-year-old relationship, thus hogging limelight for his personal life. In the world of films, his only release of the year Bang Bang did well. The film, which saw Hrithik pairing opposite Bollywood beauty Katrina Kaif ,  touched Rs 298 crore gross in its worldwide box office collection. High-octane action sequences  , foot-tapping numbers and a magnetic couple, this official Bollywood remake of the Tom Cruise-Cameron Diaz blockbuster Knight and Day had everything to grab the attention of movie goers though critics were not pleased.

Jacqueline Feranandes: The pretty-faced diva from Sri Lanka had a successful 2014 as he paired with Salman Khan in one of the biggest hits of the year ‘Kick’. Jacquiline playing the character named ‘Shaina Mehra’ in the film was loved by all. Although she was a part of the 2013 hit film  Race 2,  with Kick this Sri Lankan beauty strongly established her position in the industry. Her upcoming release is Roy with Arjun Rampal and Ranbir Kapoor.

John Abraham: The macho actor was not seen onscreen for the entire year but he was busy on the football field guiding his ISL club NorthEast United FC. John, who is the co-owner of the ISL club- was seen completely engrossed with sports and his club this year as it participated in the opening edition of the gala football league.

Kareena Kapoor: Bebo knows how to make a bang on the box office and this year she teamed up Ajay Devgn aka  tough cop Inspector Bajirao Singham  in  ‘Singham Returns’. The action film joined the 100 –crore club and undoubtedly emerged as one of the hit movies of the year. Begum Kareena was also seen doing few cameo roles in ‘Happy Ending’ and ‘The Shaukeens’. In 2015, expectations are high from Kareena when she will be seen opposite Salman Khan in one of the most promising films of the year –‘ Bajrangi Bhaijaan’. She is currently busy shooting for it. 

Katrina Kaif: With too many actresses, including new ones like Alia,  giving their best shots on screen, Katrina is surely sweating it out to hold on her position in B-Town. She was seen playing the ‘Harleen Sahni’ in ‘Bang Bang’. Her chemistry with Bollywood heart throb Hrithik Roshan was  appreciated.  Katrina  will surely need to sweat it out a lot to keep mesmerizing her fans in 2015.

Kangana Ranaut: She was loved as  Rani Mehra, struggling to survive in a foreign land, as she put up her best show in ‘Queen’. The film surely helped Kangana winning lots of hearts as she displayed  the strength of her acting  by portraying the simpleton. She was also seen in Revolver Rani and Ungli.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui:  When you think about Nawazuddin Siddiqui, you expect to see some magic on the silver screen.  The actor did not disappoint his fans with his performance as the main antagonist  in the film ‘Kick’   liked by all. With  Varun Dhawan, he will be next seen in their action-thriller ‘Badlapur’ next year.

Priyanka Chopra: 2014 was a crucial year for Priyanka as her much awaited film  ‘Mary Kom’, where she portrayed the character of India’s  Olympic medalist MC Mary Kom, was released. The film received mixed reviews but Priyanka won hearts by her charismatic performance as the boxer. Piggy Chops, however, was back in the glamourous avatar earlier in the year with ‘Gunday’ where she played the role of a cabaret dancer.

Parineeti Chopra: She is dynamic and with three releases -Hasee Toh Phasee, Daawat-e-Ishq, Kill Dil- Parineeti was one busy actress in 2014. Although all her films received average response her fans did not forget to appreciate her performance in all of them.

Ranbir Kapoor: Once in ‘Bhootnath’ and then in ‘PK”, Ranbir was seen in just two cameo roles this year and was not seen playing any full-length character onscreen. But his break from films, did not prevent Ranbir from keeping himself in news as the trailer of his upcoming movie ‘Roy’ has already created much expectations.  He will be seen playing a thief in the movie which also features Bollywood’s new queen Jacquiline Feranandes and Arjun Rampal. Ranbir and Katrina’s real life romance was reported though.

Riteish Deshmukh & Genelia:  Riteish and his wife  Genelia became proud parents this year as the ‘Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na’ actress gave birth to her first child in November this year. Riteish and Genelia had tied the knot in February 2012 after a long term courtship.

Rani Mukerji: Rani's fans surely expected something special from her in 2014 and she kept her promise by delivering a strong performance as tough cop Shivani Shivaji Roy in ‘Mardaani’. At a time when  atrocities against women has become a burning issue across India, this film surely impressed Rani’s fans and gave women a courage to voice their opinion.

Ranveer Singh: From romancing his rumoured girlfriend Deepika Padukone to dancing in busy Mumbai street by wearing the Krrish attire, Singh kept himself in news all over the year. His performance in ‘Gunday’, ‘Finding Fanny’ and then ‘Kill Dil’ brought him positive response from fans and critics. Fans will be surely waiting for his next arrival on the silver screen next year with ‘Dil Dhadakne Do’ and ‘Bajirao Mastani’.

Randeep Hooda: Thinking actor Randeep’s much hyped ‘Rang Rasiya’ was finally released this year and as usual his performance in the film gained appreciation from fans. A busy actor, he was seen producing a magic with Alia Bhatt in ‘Highway’. The sensitivity with which he played the character in the film was lauded by his fans and critics. ‘Kick’ was another big project in which the actor was seen this year besides appearing in Ungli.

Saif Ali Khan:  Humshakals and then Happy Ending, the Nawab of Bollywood had a forgettable year as far as his career in Bollywood is concerned. None of his films were successful at the box office. Hope to see him back with success in 2015.

Salman Khan: Like every year, Sallu kept roaring at the Box Office with two major hits- ‘Jai Ho’ and then ‘Kick’. Both the films created magic but it was mostly ‘Kick’ and Salman’s chemistry with Jacquiline Fernandez that was highly appreciated by his fans. ‘Kick’ emerged as one of the biggest hits of the year and Salman kept his promise intact of delivering something big on the silver screen every year during the festival of Eid. He was also seen busy hosting the eighth season of popular TV reality show ‘Bigg Boss’. Away from stardom, the  cinkara and blackbuck poaching cases besides the 2002 hit-and-run case kept troubling the actor this year.

Sanjay Dutt:  Dutt, who is currently lodged in jail, was seen playing a crucial role named  ‘Bhairon Singh’ in ‘PK’. His other release of the year ‘Ungli’ also received good response from audience and did mixed business at the box office. The actor is currently serving 42 months of his sentence since May 2013 for illegal possession of arms in a case related to the 1993 serial blasts.

Sidharth Malhotra: This hot hunk has graduated from the 'Student of the Year' to a matured actor. He paired with two lovely ladies of Bollywood-first with Parineeti Chopra in 'Hasee Toh Phasee' and then with Shraddha Kapoor in 'Ek Villain'. While it was not all smiles at the box office for Hasee Toh Phasee but Ek Tha Villain received good response from critics.

Shraddha Kapoor : Shraddha is one talented actress who promises to deliver in the coming years and it was rightly proved by her with two of her major releases- Haider and Ek Villain- this year. Her hands are full and she hogged much limelight all through the year.

Shah Rukh Khan: SRK finally laughed out loud and danced merrily in Kolkata's Eden Garden as his Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) won the Indian Premier League for second time under the captaincy of Gautam Gambhir. In the world of films, he was seen romancing Deepika Padukone in ‘Happy New Year’. Box Office India declared the film a "hit" in India. In August, Shah Rukh Khan was given enhanced protection by the Mumbai Police following the incident of a firing at the house of his associate and producer Karim Morani allegedly by men of an underworld men.

Shahid Kapoor: Shahid’s careergraph, which was moving  down over the past few years, moved up with a bang as he put up a powerful show in Vishal Bhardwaj's 'Haider', His performance as a troubled Kashmiri youth in search of his missing father surely stunned his fans.

Sonakshi Sinha: Bollywood beauty  Sonakshi Sinha's love for sports became evident when she owned United Singhs team for the World Kabaddi League. She was also seen boxing her opponent in the film 'Holiday: A Soldier Is Never Off Duty'  Paired opposite Bollywood's Khiladi Akshay Kumar, the film did good business at the box office. But her later release of the year-Action Jackson- performed poorly and even Ajay Devgn's magic was not successful in saving the masala flick.

Sonam Kapoor: Starting the year opposite promising ‘Ayushmann Khurrana’ in  ‘Bewakoofiyaan’ did not promise her much return from the Box Office but she earned some amount of success with her next release of the year- Khoobsurat.

Vidya Balan: Her success at the box office might not have been much to speak about but her ability to drag a movie on her own shoulders was once again tasted with ‘Bobby Jasoos’. The film might not have worked well but Vidya was once again impressive as  detective Bobby. In her other release of the year she was seen romancing Farhan Akhtar in the romantic comedy Shaadi Ke Side Effects.

Rest In Peace:

Suchitra Sen: The year started with the death of Tollywood legend Suchitra Sen. The actress, who remained away from public life for nearly three and half decades, died at the age of 83. The Garbosque life of more than three decades and half has only mystified the aura around Suchitra Sen. As the screen goddess of Bengali cinema whom India remembers for her Bollywood roles in films like Devdas, Bombai ka Babu and Aandhi had begun her career in 1953 with the film Saat Number Kayedi though another film in which she acted in 1952 was never released. He romantic paring with late matinee idol Uttam Kumar is legendary.

Sadashiv Amrapurkar: Bollywood actor Sadashiv Amrapurkar, who played a menacing transgender villain in the Hindi film Sadak in 1991, died in a  Mumbai hospital in November this year. He was 64.

Deven Verma: Bollywood actor Deven Verma, known for essaying light comic roles that had endeared him to the cine goers for generations, passed away in Pune in December , He was 77.  His roles in films of late Hrishikesh Mukherjee will be fondly remembered.

K. Balachander: Legendary Indian filmmaker, doyen of Tamil cinema and Dadasaheb Phalke winner K. Balachander, who made films with unusual themes and often with women-centric storylines, passed away in December. He was 84. Balachander, who had mentored actors like Kamal Hasan and Rajnikanth, was also a screenwriter and producer who worked mainly in the Tamil film industry but also made some meaningful Hindi films besides several in other South Indian languages like Telugu and Kannada.
Among his famous movies are  Aval Oru Thodarkathai, (Tamil) which was also made as Anthulaney Katha in Telugu, Maro Charitra (Telugu), Ek Dhuje Ke Liye (Hindi), Arangetram, and  Thillu Mullu.