Bollywood Journal: What’s Hot, What’s Next 

Barring a couple of good films, the past few months in Bollywood can be summed up as more ‘meh’ than ‘masala’. However, looking at the upcoming slate of movies, it looks like the industry is finally getting its groove back.  With a line-up boasting action, romance, and comedy, one thing cinephiles can be pretty much sure about is—entertainment galore. Here's a look at some of the most-awaited films, which we think will reignite the silver screen and set the cash registers ringing. 

RAID 2 

 Release date: May 1, 2025 
 Directed by: Raj Kumar Gupta 
 Starring: Ajay Devgn, Riteish Deshmukh, Vaani Kapoor, Supriya Pathak, Saurabh Shukla 

The no-nonsense and sharp-witted IRS officer Amay Patnaik (Devgn) is back in action for his 75th raid. And this time around, he is going head-to-head with political heavyweight Dadabhai, played with sinister swagger by Riteish Deshmukh, and the audience simply can’t keep calm. From the looks of the trailer, this face-off is going to be nothing short of explosive. Adding to the intrigue, the makers have revealed in a statement that the film is inspired by real-life income tax cases, “Raid 2 will celebrate the unsung heroes of the Income Tax Department and narrate a true case from their books.” So, mark your calendars and double-check your tax filing—Amay Patnaik is coming, and this ‘Raid’ means serious business. 

ABIR GULAAL 
 

Release date: May 9, 2025 
Directed by: Aarti S. Bagdi 
Starring: Fawad Khan, Vaani Kapoor, Ridhi Dogra, Lisa Haydon 

Good old-fashioned love stories have become a rare find in Bollywood lately, hence Abir Gulaal is a welcome change. And, of course, there is the suave Pakistani heartthrob—Fawad Khan, who is gracing Indian screens after 8 years. Set in London, the film promises a soulful narrative and heartwarming romance, which has been missing from the mainstream lately. As the film's producers said, “Fawad has a massive global fan base, and we anticipate that audience and his fans will wholeheartedly embrace this film, as it showcases him in his most endearing role yet.” Well, the makers are indeed bringing back love, and we are ready to lose our hearts again.  

BHOOL CHUK MAAF 

Release date: May 9, 2025 
Directed by: Karan Sharma  
Starring: Rajkummar Rao, Wamiqa Gabbi, Seema Pahwa, Sanjay Mishra  

Bhool Chuk Maaf comes with all the wedding shenanigans—the band, the baaja, the songs, the relatives, but there is a tiny hitch—The saat pheres seems elusive. Think Groundhog Day meets Band Baaja Baarat only with more madness, and that sums up the essence of this film. At the heart of this film is the hopeless romantic—Ranjan (Rao), who is all set to marry his sweetheart Titli (Gabbi), but as fate would have it, he gets thrown into a bizarre time loop, just before the big day. So, while the wedding prep seems to be in full swing, the wedding itself feels increasingly out of reach. Joining Rao in this mad chaos is Wamiqa Gabbi. Speaking about the film, she said, “I always doubted if I could do comedy because comedy is very tough. I have learned comic timing from Raj and the entire cast we have. So now I am completely ready for another comedy film.” Apart from the leads, the film also boasts of other comic veterans like Seema Pahwa, Sanjay Mishra, Raghubir Yadav, Zakir Hussain, and others.  

HOUSEFULL 5 
 

Release date: June 6, 2025 
Directed by: Tarun Mansukhani 
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Riteish Deshmukh, Abhishek Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt, Nana Patekar, Jacqueline Fernandez, Sonam Bajwa 

Talk about a star-packed extravaganza, and no one delivers it better than the blockbuster comedy franchise—Housefull. Packed with a stellar ensemble cast and all its signature essentials, the franchise is now returning with its fifth installment, which promises to be bigger, crazier, and loaded with entertainment. While the makers are tight-lipped about the plot, reports claim that Housefull 5 takes a whodunit turn, with a mysterious murder aboard a luxury cruise ship and the entire cast landing on the suspect list. Speaking about the film, writer-producer of Housefull 5, Sajid Nadiadwala said, ‘It’s a huge film and will cross Housefull 4 on the scale front. We plan to surprise everyone with the theme.” Knowing the franchise’s track record, we can expect nothing but a joy ride loaded with laughs and punchlines.  

METRO… IN DINO 

Release date: July 4, 2025 
Directed by: Anurag Basu 
Starring: Aditya Roy Kapur, Sara Ali Khan, Anupam Kher, Neena Gupta, Pankaj Tripathi, Konkona Sensharma 

Director Anurag Basu returns to familiar territory with Metro… In Dino, a spiritual sequel to his critically acclaimed 2007 film, Life In A… Metro. Like the previous one, Metro… In Dino is set against the backdrop of bustling urban life and is an anthology that weaves together four contemporary love stories. The makers shared a photo collage of all the actors in the film and wrote, “When love, fate, and city life collide, magic is bound to happen! Metro… In Dino brings the stories of the heart from the cities that you love!” With renowned names like Pankaj Tripathi, Konkona Sensharma, Neena Gupta, and Basu’s whimsical touch, this Metro too is sure to tug at the heartstrings.