Theatre releases with Ranbir, Vicky, SRK, Manoj Bajpayee, Prabhas & more in December

SRK's third film to release this year is Rajkumar Hirani-directed 'Dunki' on December 22.

The last month of the year is upon us and it is the perfect time to celebrate the festive time with some much-anticipated releases. While some, like Katrina Kaif-Vijay Sethupathi starrer Merry Christmas (now releasing on January 12) have pushed their release date, there is still the clash of the titans with movies starring Ranbir Kapoor, Vicky Kaushal and Shah Rukh Khan. Here’s what in store this December:

Animal (Hindi), December 1

Strength, vulnerability and unpredictability – these are the three words that Ranbir Kapoor used to describe his character in his forthcoming film in an interview to Variety. Indeed, one look at the trailer of the Sandeep Reddy Vanga-directorial and you will be drawn to the Barfi star’s portrayal of a man who almost worships the ground his father (portrayed by Anil Kapoor) walks on and will go to any lengths to protect him from his enemies. Also starring Bobby Deol and Rashmika Mandanna, the three-hour-long movie is a much-anticipated one from the Kabir Singh director and is expected to rake in the moolah once it releases.

Sam Bahadur (Hindi), December 1

Clashing with Ranbir Kapoor’s Animal is Vicky Kaushal’s Sam Bahadur, based on the life of India’s first Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw. Another anticipated film by director Meghna Gulzar, the trailer of the film has garnered appreciation from all quarters for the actor’s transformation —right from his body language to his dialogue delivery — and getting under the skin of his character. Sanya Malhotra plays the role of his wife while Fatima Sana Shaikh will be portraying the role of former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

Annapoorani — The Goddess of Food (Tamil), December 1

After taking the country by storm with her debut Hindi blockbuster Jawan with Shah Rukh Khan, Nayanthara is set for her 75th film release titled Annapoorni — The Goddess of Food. Directed by Nilesh Krishnaa who is making his directorial debut, the film will also see the Lady Superstar reunite with her Raja Rani (2013) co-star Jai. Director Krishnaa has mentioned in an interview that food is a space which has not been explored much in Tamil cinema and it took him more than a year to research for it.

Antony (Malayalam), December 1

Director Joshiy’s commercial comeback with Porinju Mariam Jose in 2019 starred actor Joju George and the duo are collaborating yet again for the forthcoming Antony. With his trademark compelling narrative and engaging storytelling, Joshiy’s Antony also stars Kalyani Priyadarshan, Chemban Vinod Jose and Nyla Usha in pivotal roles. In an interview, Priyadarshan has described the movie as a “drama about human relationships with action in Joshiy sir’s style.”

Hi Nanna (Telugu), December 7

Following the super success of her Telugu film Sita Ramam last year, Mrunal Thakur has her sights set on her second Telugu release, also starring popular actor Nani in the family drama. Debutant director Shouryuv has called the film an “emotional ride” with songs that carry the movie forward. The film also stars Shruthi Haasan and Angad Bedi. Not much is known about the plot, except that Nani plays a professional photographer and there is a father-daughter relationship at the heart of the film. The movie will be dubbed in several languages, including Hindi which will be titled Hi Papa.

Joram (Hindi), December 8

National Award-winning actor Manoj Bajpayee’s third outing with director Devashish Makhija after Taandav (2016) and Bhonsle (2018), Joram became a festival favourite soon after its world premiere at the International Film Festival Rotterdam in January this year. The highly-anticipated survival drama sees Bajpayee fleeing from the system along with an infant daughter. The movie was shot extensively in Jharkhand and boasts of a star cast that includes Tannishtha Chatterjee, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub and Smita Tambe. Bajpayee, who lost a lot of weight for the film, believes it is a special film for his career.

Kastoori (Marathi), December 8

The National Award-winning Kastoori which has garnered appreciation and accolades from several festivals is all set to release in theatres. Directed by Vinod Kamble and presented by acclaimed filmmakers Anurag Kashyap and Nagraj Popat Manjule, the film tells the story of a 14-year-old manual scavenger who grapples with prejudice because of the scent of his body. Kashyap has said about the film, "Vinod is a director who understands the world well, and thus has made a beautiful film around a heart-breaking story. That’s what brought me and Nagraj to together present it to the world.”

Wonka (English), December 8

Oscar-nominee Timothée Chalamet stars as a young Willy Wonka in this prequel to the much-loved Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005). Directed by Paul King, the musical fantasy film shows Chalamet as a young chocolatier with a dream of owning his own chocolate shop. Reportedly, actors such as Tom Holland, Ryan Gosling and Ezra Miller were also considered for the role which eventually fell into Chalamet’s lap. The Dune star is the third actor to essay the role of Willy Wonka after Gene Wilder in the 1974 classic Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and Johnny Depp in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in 2005.

Operation Valentine (VT 13) (Hindi-Telugu), December 8

Tollywood star Varun Tej marks his Hindi film debut with this bilingual film that also stars Manushi Chhillar. Inspired by true events, the film shows Tej in the role of an Indian Air Force pilot with Chhillar playing a radar officer. The actor recently tied the knot with actress Lavanya Tripathi and was last seen in the Telugu actioner Gandeevadhari Arjuna which underperformed at the Box Office.

Dunki (Hindi), December 21

The coming together of maverick filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani and superstar Shah Rukh Khan was inevitable. The filmmaker has in the past, reportedly, offered Munnabhai MBBS and 3 Idiots to SRK but the duo is finally coming together for this comedy-drama on an illegal immigration technique known as ‘donkey flight’. While it was known that Taapsee Pannu will also be a part of the film, the inclusion of Vicky Kaushal came as a pleasant surprise when the film’s first teaser titled Dunki Drop 1 and second teaser, the song Lutt Putt, as Dunki Drop 2 dropped in November. After the stupendous success of Pathaan (January) and Jawan (September), will Dunki prove to be a hattrick for Shah Rukh Khan in 2023? Going by Hirani and SRK’s track-records, a resounding yes seems to be the most obvious answer.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (English), December 21

The 15th and final installment in the DC Extended Universe, the Hollywood film stars Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry/Aquaman in the sequel to 2018’s Aquaman. Patrick Wilson plays Orm Marius, Aquaman’s half brother who Momoa’s character is forced to seek help from to protect Atlantis from an ancient power unleashed by the cursed Black Trident. Amber Heard and Nicole Kidman are also part of the film.

Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire (Telugu), December 22

Just a day after SRK’s Dunki hits the theatres, south Indian superstar Prabhas’ highly-anticipated and much-delayed action thriller will mark its presence on the big screen. The Adipurush actor has called his role in the film ‘extremely violent’ which can be seen in the teaser which was released in July. Prithviraj Sukumaran and Shruthi Haasan also star in the film, the trailer for which is slated to drop on December 1.

Kabuliwala (Bengali), December 22

Written in 1892, Rabindranath Tagore’s story Kabuliwala continues to intrigue filmmakers with its human drama. The 1957 Bengali film directed by Tapan Sinha starring Chhabi Biswas and the 1961 Hindi film directed by Hemen Das starring Balraj Sahni are two instances as well as the 2017 film Bioscopewala with Danny Denzongpa. The forthcoming Bengali film by director Suman Ghosh stars Mithun Chakraborty in the titular role of an Afghan dried-fruit seller who develops a bond with a small girl from Kolkata. The film is set in the Kolkata of the 1960s and also stars Anumegha Kahali, Abir Chatterjee and Sohini Sarkar.