Bollywood 2024: Spotting the stars

Shah Rukh Khan: Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan returned to the silver screen with a bang in 2023 by delivering three massive hits and once again returned to hiatus this year as he had no movies releasing on the big screen. However, Khan's life remained eventful on the sporting field since his Kolkata Knight Riders won the coveted Indian Premier League for the third time since the inception of the cash-rich tournament.

Image Instagrammed by Shah Rukh Khan

Despite remaining absent on the big screen, Khan shattered a new record and surpassed his colleague Akshay Kumar or even cricket icon Virat Kohli to become the highest tax-paying celebrity in the country this year. As per a list prepared by Forbes in September, Khan paid Rs 92 crore in taxes. This was expected especially after the success of three back-to-back movies last year.

Akshay Kumar: Bollywood's Mr Dependable could not live up to the expectations since all his releases, except Singham Again, bombed at the Box Office. He began the year by teaming up with Tiger Shroff with his Eid release Bade Miyan Chote Miyan. The action thriller hit the silver screen with higher expectations but opened with negative reviews and ended with a whimper.

His other two releases Sarfira and Khel Khel Mein remained impactless and tasted unimpressive run at the Box Office.

Akshay made a small appearance in 2024's biggest hit Stree 2 and was also a part of the other major release of the year Singham Again. The two releases were saving grace. Fans expect Kumar to return as a Box Office rockstar in the coming years.

The Lawrence Bishnoi gang carries an anger against Salman Khan over the 1998 blackbuck poaching case | Photo courtesy: Salman Khan Facebook page

Salman Khan: The actor spent some tense days in 2024 after he repeatedly received death threats with reports suggesting Lawrence Bishnoi gang was behind it. Earlier this year, shots were even fired by alleged members of the gang outside Khan's Bandra residence.

Kriti Sanon: From playing a robot who romanced Shahid Kapoor to producing his own film, Kriti Sanon continued to impress her fans with her progressive stance every year. She began 2024 with her first release for the year titled  Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya. Starring opposite Shahid Kapoor, Kriti played the unconventional role of a robot in the science-fiction romantic-comedy movie which was released on February 9 ahead of Valentine's Day. The movie gained mixed reviews in the market from critics and movie lovers alike.

In March, just ahead of Holi, Kriti teamed up with two Bollywood beauties- Kareena Kapoor and Tabu- for their haste comedy Crew. The movie, which also featured Bengali actor Saswata Chatterjee, left film lovers happy and the Box Office lit up with its performance.

Remaining busy in 2024, Kriti added one more feather to the successful crown when she turned into a producer with the movie Do Patti. The movie featured Kajol, her Dilwale co-star, in the lead role.

Speaking about her journey as a producer, Kriti told Variety: "I really enjoyed the whole process of how that film was made. And I felt that I want to eventually also get involved in certain films that I feel passionate about, beyond just being an actor, [to] creatively be there in the whole filmmaking process."

The movie was released on Netflix in November.

The Bollywood rumour mill was meanwhile buzzing with her dating news which was further fuelled by her attendance in a family wedding with UK-based businessman Kabir Bahia. She also shared a photo with Kabir Bahia on social media from their Greece vacation.

Deepika Padukone: After a fairytale marriage following years of romance, Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh became parents when they welcomed their adorable baby girl Dua on September 8, 2024.

She had an eventful working career this year when three of her movies- Fighter, Singham Again and Kalki 2898 AD- released on the big screen.

From playing Air Force squadron leader Minal "Minni" Rathore in Fighter to a tough cop Shakti Shetty, Deepika Padukone preferred to showcase her dynamism onscreen by playing a bouquet of tough characters.

The Sabarmati Report starring Vikrant Massey was based on the pre-Godhra riot train burning. Photo courtesy: Balaji Film FB

Vikrant Massey: Vikrant Massey was slowly marking his name in Bollywood as a thinking actor who played unconventional characters on the silver screen. His performance in 12th Fail earned him fame. His film The Sabarmati Report also made headlines owing to its subject- Godhra train burning on 27 February 2002, an incident that triggered the infamous Gujarat riots.

However, leaving his followers shocked, Vikrant announced in December that he is retiring from films. Later it was reported that he is taking a long break, not completely retiring.

"The last few years and beyond have been phenomenal. I thank each and everyone of you for your indelible support. But as I move forward, I realise it's time to recalibrate and go back home. As a Husband, Father & a Son. And also as an Actor," he wrote on Instagram, announcing his supposed retirement.

"So coming 2025, we would meet each other for one last time. Until time deems right. Last 2 movies and many a years of memories. Thank you again. For everything and everything in between. Forever indebted," the actor wrote in a note (sic).

Ranveer Singh: Ranveer Singh returned as  Sangram "Simmba" Bhalerao in Singham Again and put up a cracking performance in the Diwali release. Away from movies, Singh became a father to baby girl Dua this year.

Shraddha Kapoor-Rajkummar Rao-Pankaj Tripathi: The tio-Shraddha Kapoor, Rajkummar Rao and Pankaj Tripathi-joined to deliver one of the biggest hits of the year-Stree 2. Winning hearts with its perfect comic timing and strong acting, the tale of the headless ghost was successful in minting a worldwide gross of Rs 858.4 crore. Shraddha became one of the most sought-after actors in Bollywood following her convincing performance in the horror comedy.

Tripti and Vickey in Bad Newz. Photo courtesy: Dharma Productions

Vicky Kaushal: After playing serious role for years, actor Vicky Kaushal experimented by showcasing a romantic hero in Bad Newz where he fought Ammy Virk onscreen to win the heart of Triptii Dimri in the movie that revolves around the theme of heteropaternal superfecundation, which according to Biomedica is an extremely rare phenomenon that occurs when a second ova released during the same menstrual cycle is additionally fertilized by the sperm cells of a different man in separate sexual intercourse. It is the birth of fraternal twins from two different fathers.

Karthik Aaryan: Karthik was back as 'Rooh Baba' to fight ghosts and spirits in the horror comedy Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 which stood as one of the major Box Office hits of the year. Karthik's golden run at the box office continued and he maintained his trend of delivering hits every year. Kathik experimented and played the character of India's first Paralympics gold medallist Murlikant Petkar in director Kabir Khan's Chandu Champion.

Triptii Dimri:Tripti emerged as one of the most sought-after actors of the Indian film industry after she made her brief appearance in Animal in 2023. Tripti soon became a national crush and a sex symbol. This year, her presence in commercial movies grew stronger and she returned to the big screen with two films- Bad Newz and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3.

Abhishek Bachchan-Aishwarya Rai Bachchan divorce rumours

Years back, when Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan tied the knot, they broke the headlines as India celebrated a fairytale marriage that remained the talk of the town. That was 2007. The couple welcomed their baby girl Aaradhya in 2011. The country followed the power couple of Bollywood over the years until recent developments left fans shocked when rumours buzzed that they were planning to get divorced. Gossip even brewed that Abhishek Bachchan is involved in a relationship with actress Nimrat Kaur. There has been no official statement from the couple but the alleged discontent in their relationship kept followers busy at the fag end of the year.

Hrithik Roshan: Hrithik Roshan romanced Deepika Padukone onscreen for the first time in Fighter and their chemistry left the audience feeling the heat even in the month of January. The high-octane Indian Air Force-based movie remained one of the early hits of the year and the gripping storyline, backed with stellar performance by the actors, left movie lovers amazed.

Anushka Sharma: Bollywood beauty Anushka Sharma and her cricketer husband Virat Kohli became parents for the second time when they welcomed their second child- Akaay. The baby boy was born in February. While they spend more time in London where they have a property, it is likely the couple would permanently shift to the UK.

Yami Gautam Dhar stars in Article 370. Photo courtesy: Official FB

Yami Gautam: Yami Gautam perhaps delivered one of the best performances onscreen with her real-event-based movie Article 370. The movie moves around the events that led to the abolition of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, a landmark moment in Indian politics.

Man of the Match:

A poster of Singham Again starring Ajay Devgn, Kareena, Deepika, Tiger Shroff and Akshay Kumar

Ajay Devgn: Actor Ajay Devgn appeared in several movies in 2024 with Shaitaan marking his first release where he competed with R Madhavan to impress his fans in the supernatural drama. The two actors were praised for their performances and Shaitaan was one of the year's most sought-after movies.

Apart from Shaitaan, Ajay was seen in Naam, a movie which was finally released after getting postponed for years, the critically-acclaimed sports drama Maidaan, the romantic tale  Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha and finally Singham Again. The multistarrer saw Ajay once again stepping into the shoes of  DCP Bajirao Singham and fighting his way to deliver one of the major hits of 2024.