Feature: Summer of 2008 to sizzle

This summer will see a host of films releasing at the Box Office, and each as unique as the other.

First up will be Tashan, which hits theatres next week (25th). Directed by Vijay Acharya, the film is a mulit-starrer with a cast that includes Akshay Kumar, Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor and Anil Kapoor. It is an action thriller with a pinch of romance. A lot is expected from this film and if it fails then it will put Yash Raj Films on the back foot once more. Last year they had numerous flops with only Chak De India managing to score with viewers and critics alike.

May 9th will witness Amitabh Bachchan as a ghost in Vivek Sharma directed Bhoothnath. The film might not have had much going for it had it not have been for a guest appearance from mega star Shah Rukh Khan. The audience is hoping to see both Bachchan and Khan share screen space once more, but our sources say that thy do not. Initial openings for the film are expected to be huge, but as news spreads of no scenes between the big 2, people’s interest will falter away.

After last year’s huge flop Aag, Ram Gopal Verma has a lot riding on the sequel to Sarkar, Sarkar Raj. Once more both Bachchans, Amitabh and Abhishek, will star but this time new member of the family Aishwarya Rai will chip in too. We are all well aware of how good a director Ramu is and we already know Amitabh is a legend. If this film also flops, then the future for Ramu will look bleak. June 6th is D-Day for him.

Acclaimed director Nagesh Kukunoor has roped in his favourite hero ShreyasTalpade once more, this time for the John Abraham headlined Aashayein. The film is expected to release end of May, but its Box Office stats will be poor. The film requires a lot of promotion as it doesn’t have any big names in its cast for it to sell itself.

The Bhatts always manage to get audiences interested in their flick, and May 16th release Jannat is no exception. The Emraan Hashmi starrer is all about gambling in Cricket, and with the Bob Woolmer incident still fresh in our minds, we expect this to fare well.

What movies will be on your list to must-see this summer… any of the above… or some other? We would love to hear your views and thoughts on the next few months in Bollywood. Please use the comments section below to let us know.