After a washout in 2022, the Hindi film industry regained its footing last year, with four movies — Pathaan, Jawan, Gadar 2, and Animal — breaking the 500 crore mark at the box office, setting a record in Indian cinema history. Audiences thronged to cinemas in huge numbers to watch Hindi movies, debunking the myth that Bollywood was overshadowed by the South Indian film industries. The resurgence of box office success has raised expectations for the future, motivating the majority of Bollywood stars—who had been largely on the sidelines for the past year—to resume work and sign new projects after carefully weighing what would and wouldn't work. 

Bollywood’s top stars from younger generations — Ranbir Kapoor, Kartik Aaryan, Varun Dhawan, and Ranveer Singh — have committed to multiple projects that will keep them busy for the next two years. Their tentative lineup of projects will see them experimenting with a variety of characters across multiple genres and collaborating with filmmakers known for a distinct style of storytelling. The most exciting and ambitious lineup comes from Ranbir Kapoor, who has reached the pinnacle of his stardom following last year's monster blockbuster, Animal. 

Ranbir Kapoor 

Ranbir will soon begin shooting for Nitesh Tiwari and Namit Malhotra's three-part screen adaptation of the mythological epic Ramayana, billed as the most ambitious project coming out of the Indian film industry. The Brahmastra actor plays Lord Ram, while KGF star Yash steps in to play Ravana, and Sai Pallavi portrays the role of Goddess Sita. The first part of the trilogy went into production early this month and aims for a theatrical release in late 2025. 

Ranbir will follow the Ramayana with Sanjay Leela Bhansali's epic love story, Love And War, scheduled to go on floors around November or December this year. The big-scale spectacle is said to be a love triangle set against the backdrop of war, much like Raj Kapoor's 1964 classic, Sangam, and will feature Ranbir alongside his wife Alia Bhatt and Sanju co-star Vicky Kaushal. Once that's wrapped up, he is expected to get back into Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s wild world for Animal Park. The director has already begun writing for the Animal sequel and is eyeing taking it on the floor sometime in 2025. 

The second installment of the Brahmastra franchise is also in the works and might get off the ground even before Animal Park, depending on Ayan Mukerji's script and its financials. Although Brahmastra 2 has been announced for a 2026 release, there's no production timeline set yet. Ranbir’s passion project with Anurag Basu, the Kishore Kumar biopic, was revived last year after the rights issues were resolved, but there has been no progress in development since then, leaving doubts about whether this film will ever see the light of day. Ranbir has also been approached for a classic Hollywood action movie remake, but given his filmography, which includes no remake to date, it's doubtful that he will agree to it. 

Kartik Aaryan

Kartik Aaryan has committed to four films, in addition to Kabir Khan's sports biopic, Chandu Champion, which releases in theatres on June 14. He's currently filming for Anees Bazmee's much-awaited Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, where he reprises the role of the beloved Rooh Baba. The horror comedy, also starring Vidya Balan, Triptii Dimri, and Madhuri Dixit in pivotal roles, is slated to hit screens on the Diwali weekend this year. He is expected to follow that with his first-ever collaboration with Vishal Bhardwaj, popularly known for directing critically acclaimed movies like Omkara, Maqbool, and Haider. 

The yet-untitled Kartik-Vishal Bhardwaj film is a gritty thriller that was once supposed to star the late Irrfan Khan and Deepika Padukone in lead roles. The project is now being revived with a modified script and will star Kartik in the role of Hussain Ustara, a fearless don who stood against the underworld's kingpin, Dawood Ibrahim. The leading lady to play Sapna Didi hasn't been locked yet, but the makers are eyeing September 2024 to kick off its production. 

Next for Kartik will be a big-budget action thriller, produced by Karan Johar and Ekta Kapoor. Arya and The Night Manager fame Sandeep Modi will direct this film, marking Kartik's first collaboration with Dharma Productions after his infamous sudden departure from Dostana 2 in 2019. The film is currently in the scripting stage and will likely go on the floor in the first quarter of 2025. Kartik is also teaming up with Anurag Basu on a different project for T-Series after their Aashiqui 3 fell through due to IP rights issues. Insiders say they're reworking the same script with a different title, but the shooting timelines haven't been decided yet. Kartik is also in talks for a romantic comedy, set to be directed by a very talented filmmaker who delivered two critically acclaimed web series last year. If this project materializes, Kartik's date diary might undergo significant changes, as there's a possibility of it happening right after Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3. 

Varun Dhawan 

Varun Dhawan is working on a web series and six movies, including Murad Khetani and Atlee’s Baby John, revolving around a former police officer trying to protect his daughter from his past enemies. He will complete shooting for this action entertainer this week and immediately head to Dharma Productions’ Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari with Janhvi Kapoor. The Shashank Khaitan-directed romantic comedy follows the style of his Dulhania movie franchise and will begin production on May 4 in Mumbai, targeting a release date of April 18, 2025. 

Varun will apparently shoot for David Dhawan’s comedy entertainer simultaneously with the Dharma project. His fourth collaboration with his father after Main Tera Hero, Judwa 2, and Coolie No. 1, this Ramesh Taurani production stars Mrunal Thakur as the leading lady and will go on floors in July 2024. Varun will then move to Anees Bazmee's No Entry 2, which is finally happening with a fresh young cast after failing to materialize for years with the original cast led by Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor, and Fardeen Khan. The No Entry sequel, produced by Boney Kapoor, will now star Varun, Diljit Dosanjh, and Arjun Kapoor in double roles, alongside 10 leading ladies. The production is scheduled to begin later this year. 

The above-mentioned projects aside, Varun is reportedly doing an action comedy with Tiger Shroff for Dharma Productions next year. Good Newwz and Jugjugg Jeeyo director Raj Mehta will direct from the script written by Sumit Roy (screenplay) and Anurag Kashyap (dialogues). Amar Kaushik’s Bhediya 2 is also in the pipeline, supposedly starting in mid-2025. Additionally, Varun will also be seen in a cameo role in Stree 2, starring Shraddha Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, and Abhishek Banerjee, among others. On the release front, Varun will be seen alongside Samantha Ruth Prabhu in Raj & DK’s Citadel India, set to premiere in the second quarter of this year.

Ranveer Singh 

Speaking of Ranveer Singh, the actor's next two years are packed with three exciting projects. Although Farhan Akhtar’s Don 3 is the only film officially announced so far, he is in talks for three more films, all different from each other. His immediate next to go on floors will be Aditya Dhar’s action thriller, supposedly starting around September. Ranveer has broadly agreed to all the terms of the project, with only the final signature left. 

Ranveer is also in advanced talks with Tamil director Pa. Ranjith (Kabali, Kaala) for an action film based on the life of tribal freedom fighter Birsa Munda, who stood up to British colonial oppressors in the 19th century. The project, which would mark Ranjith’s Hindi directorial debut, is progressing well and might get off the ground at the end of this year. He is also exploring a mega-scale mythological adventure with Hanuman director Prasanth Varma, but the discussions are still at a very early stage. 

Although Don 3 is scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2025, there's strong speculation in trade circles that it might end up getting shelved. Ranveer is apparently searching for a replacement project for Don 3 and could potentially allocate the dates for Prasanth Varma's project if it materializes. Sony Pictures’ ambitious superhero epic Shaktiman is also in the pipeline, but that film is undergoing never-ending preparations with no clear timeline for when production will commence. In Ranveer's case, none of these projects are confirmed, and if a new project comes up out of the blue, his schedule may witness drastic changes.