New jodis to take B-town by storm

When a new jodi graces the box office, there are a lot of factors which can determine its success. However, first and foremost, it’s impossible to bypass how a male and a female lead will look together on screen.

In the coming months, B-town is set to unleash some fresh new couples onto the big screen and��BizAsia��are taking a look at whether they have the potential to sizzle or fizzle at the box office.

Shah Rukh Khan – Katrina Kaif (Yash Chopra’s next)

Theirs is perhaps the jodi that every fan is waiting for and one that has been on the cards for some time. Shah Rukh Khan and Katrina Kaif are being brought together in Yash Chopra’s��forthcoming romantic film, set for a Diwali release. The duo have been getting on like a house on fire, their pairing is fresh and��YRF may just be banking on the two to give their film the appropriate ‘newness’ it needs with a dash of the familiar which��every film from their production house always seems to achieve.

Ranveer Singh – Sonakshi Sinha (‘Lootera’)

The film ‘Lootera’, directed and co-produced by Vikramaditya Motwane, is said to be set in the 1950s and the first look of the movie left a lot to be desired. Ranveer Singh and Sonakshi Sinha come together in what will be the former’s first outside of the Yash Raj banner. Although this couple might, at first glance, come across as a little odd, Singh and Sinha will definitely be a jodi worth waiting for. Sinha’s soft and distinct features make her a perfect choice for the 1950s portrayal and it seems Singh’s look has also been altered to fit in with the era.

Aamir Khan – Anushka Sharma (‘Peekay’)

The two A’s, Aamir Khan and Anushka Sharma,��are finally going to be seen together in ‘Peekay’. This is perhaps one of the most promising couples of the whole list, what with the powerhouse of talent that is Khan and Sharma not so far behind despite being his junior by nearly two decades. It is thought a lot of the film will be shot in Hungary but recent reports suggest a shoot in Jaipur too. Following Sharma’s debut with SRK, this will be her first with another Khan. Let’s see whether she impresses alongside a Khan who is used to making quality cinema for the masses.

Shahid Kapoor -��Sonakshi Sinha��(‘Namak’)

Shahid Kapoor and Sonakshi Sinha. Sonakshi Sinha and Shahid Kapoor. There’s something uniquely fresh about this jodi but it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what. However, it could be perceived that this twosome could be the bearer of two extremes; you’ll either love them or hate them together in Prabhu Deva’s next, ‘Namak’. Kapoor will apparently be seen in an action avatar in a film about drug trade. Will Sinha be his perfect damsel-in-distress… if the script requires her to be? Or will this jodi bomb much before the film even takes off? We’ll have to wait and see.

Farhan Akhtar – Vidya Balan (‘Shaadi Ke Side Effects’)

To bring two actors together that are powerhouses individually is perhaps the best thing that could possibly happen for a producer and a director. Vidya Balan and Farhan Akhtar are being brought together for ‘Shaadi Ke Side Effects’ in which they are to play a married couple with ‘side effects’. Let’s hope that a jodi that is so well thought out doesn’t end up failing at the box office or in the chemistry stakes.

Ajay Devgn – Sonakshi Sinha (‘Son of Sardaar’)

Having acted with the likes of Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar, Sonakshi Sinha will return with yet another ‘older’ actor, Ajay Devgn. ‘Son of Sardaar’ is Devgn’s home production and although the first trailer didn’t impress perhaps as much as it should have, there is something to be said for yet another fresh jodi which will be seen in the film. Sinha seems to carry off the older look because of her very crisp features and appearance. In light of this, it remains to be seen whether she can gel well on-screen with an actor of her own generation as specified earlier on in the list.

Emraan Hashmi – Bipasha Basu (‘Raaz 3’)

This jodi can be described in just one word: bold. Emraan Hashmi is known well for his ‘serial kisser’ avatar and Bipasha Basu is a siren in her own right. To have the two come together in the forthcoming ‘Raaz 3’ is sure to be spectacle enough and considering the movie is a thriller, it is sure to add to an already hot and jumpy��plot. If the trailers are anything to go by, the film is sure to be on par with the ‘Raaz’ franchise and we are sure that the two will be seen at their bold best.

Ranveer Singh – Deepika Padukone (‘Ram Leela’)

After much to-ing and fro-ing, Ranveer Singh finally admitted – putting all rumours at rest – that the leading lady for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘Ram Leela’ was indeed Deepika Padukone. The couple have been spotted at various locations together, in what they say is time they are spending to get acquainted before the film goes on the floors. However, the birdie that confirmed their 4am meet will agree that it suggests more than just a professional acquaintance. Nonetheless, if first impressions are anything to go by, Padukone may come across as a little too tall for Singh but otherwise the two are sure to play a great Indian alternative to Romeo and Juliet.

Vivek Oberoi – Mallika Sherawat (‘Kismet Luv Paisa Dilli’)

The beautifully controversial Mallika Sherawat meets the now-married-and-sobered Vivek Oberoi in ‘Kismet Love Paisa Dilli’. In what promises to be a fresh take on 2007’s ‘Ek Chalis Ki Last Local’, the trailer of this second instalment incorporates about as much mayhem as one can handle in one film. The Sherawat-Oberoi pairing gives way to the havoc because it is a little like chalk and cheese. Whether this was initially planned or whether it indeed will work in the film�۪s ��favour remains to be seen. Best to sit on the fence with this one!

Aamir Khan – Katrina Kaif (‘Dhoom 3’)

This jodi will see the coming together of an industry stalwart and an actress who – at the time of the movie’s release – will have acted with Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan. Katrina Kaif will complete her Khan hatrick with Aamir Khan in ‘Dhoom 3’ which is going to be action-packed to the core – especially with a title like ‘Back in Action’. It is thought that Kaif will be performing stunts in the same way as Khan for the movie. Khan will be seen in a negative avatar and Kaif is sure to give him some takkar in the shady stakes. Their pairing will be interesting to see on screen, more so in the climax scene which reportedly will be a fight sequence between the two.

All in all, the audiences are in for a treat over the next year or so with some promising ventures alongside such fresh couples to further the newness and USP��of any given project. Although it’s simply not possible to judge which jodis will and should do better, it can be said that the excitement and prospect surrounding these mentioned on the list may just outdo the weight in expectation that any��movie may already hold. One will have to wait and see the treatment of these couples visually to judge whether their chemistry, magic and togetherness��are destined to continue in cinema or whether��they are��likely to prove a hindrance in some way to the films they are associated with.