had an average year at the box office in 2018. He started the year with a special appearance in the Akshay Kumar starrer Pad Man.
Bachchan’s first release of 2018 in a starring role was the drama-comedy 102 Not Out. The movie also featured Rishi Kapoor as one of the leads and thus the audience got to see the duo for the first time together on screen after 27 years. A remake of a Gujarati play of the same name, the film released in theaters on 4th May 2018, to mostly positive reviews. Critics especially praised the chemistry and energy between Kapoor and Bachchan. As of Jan 2019, the film has collected INR 115.3 crores worldwide at the box office.
The next release of Amitabh was the magnum opus ‘Thugs of Hindustan’ which also starred Aamir Khan, Katrina Kaif, and Fatima Sana Sheikh. The film had high expectations and collected over INR 50 crores on the first day. The movie was however panned by critics and the adverse word of mouth reviews resulted in a rapid decline in collections. The film also bombed at the Chinese box office and is now available over the web on Amazon Prime India.
Bachchan also made a cameo appearance in the Kajol starrer Helicopter Eela. The upcoming film projects of Amitabh include Brahmāstra, Jhund, and Badla.
- Brahmāstra is a fantasy film produced by Karan Johar and directed by Ayan Mukerji. In Oct 2017, Karan had announced that the film would be the first part of a trilogy. Other lead actors in the film include Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Akkineni Nagarjuna, Dimple Kapadia, Mouni Roy, and Divyendu Sharma. Prep work on the film began in Jan 2108, shooting started in Feb 2018, and the film is set to release in theaters on Christmas 2019.
- Jhund is a drama film directed by Nagraj Manjule who made the blockbuster Marathi movie Sairat. This film will mark his directorial debut in Bollywood. Amitabh will play the role of a teacher who motivates street kids and starts a football team. As per reports, the movie is based on the life of ‘Slum Soccer’ founder Vijay Barse. Bachchan began shooting for the movie in Jan 2019 on location in Nagpur and nearby areas. The release date has not been finalized.
- Badla will reunite Bachchan with Taapsee Pannu. The movie is a remake of the 2016 thriller Spanish movie Contratiempo. It is directed by Sujoy Ghosh and produced by SRK’s Red Chillies Entertainment. Shooting began in June 2018 and the film will have a theatrical release on March 8, 2019.
- Bachchan is set to make a special appearance in the Telugu period drama and Chiranjeevi starrer ‘Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy’. The megabudget film will release in 2019.
As per reports, Bachchan will also be seen in the below listed films. However, nothing has been officially announced about them.
- R Balki’s untitled film: Amitabh and R Balki will collaborate for the fourth time in the next untitled film of the director. The female lead will be essayed by Kangana Ranaut.
- Shoebite: This Shoojit Sircar directed film has gotten delayed due to copyright issues for a few years now. Besides Bachchan, the movie also features Jimmy Shergill, Dia Mirza, and Sarika. It is rumored that the film may finally release in 2019.
- Aankhen 2: This sequel to the 2002 robbery drama Aankhen will be directed by Anees Bazmee. Other cast members are rumored to be Anil Kapoor, Arshad Warsi, and Ileana. No release date has been finalized.
- Hasmukh Pighal Gaya: Other than Amitabh, this comedy drama will have Sanjay Dutt and Jackie Shroff in the lead roles. Dutt will be the producer and Sejal Shah the director. The release date has not been finalized.
- Buddam Sharanam Gachhami: It is a crime thriller movie with Bachchan in the main lead. Vivek Sharma will direct it. The release date or other details have not been finalized.
- The Legend of Kunal: Bachchan and Arjun Rampal will play the main leads in this Chandraprakash Dwivedi directed drama flick. The release date has not been finalized.
