THE soon-to-be-released action sequel Singham Again is being promoted as the biggest multi-starrer in recent years. A glance at the star-studded cast list supports this claim, but a closer look reveals a different story.
Director Rohit Shetty seems to have brought together a group of fading Bollywood stars whose careers are currently struggling.
Tiger Shroff, for instance, is coming off four consecutive flops, including Ganapath, widely regarded as the worst Hindi movie of last year, and this year’s biggest disappointment Bade Miyan Chote Miyan.
Akshay Kumar reprises his role as DCP Veer Sooryavanshi, but 11 of his last 12 films have performed poorly at the box office, with audiences rejecting them outright.
Similarly, Ranveer Singh returns as ACP Sangram ‘Simmba’ Bhalerao, but three of his last four films have failed disastrously, and several planned projects with him have been shelved.
Akshay Kumar Ranveer SinghKareena Kapoor Khan has been appearing in far fewer films over the past decade and hasn’t had a significant hit since 2019. Her latest film, The Buckingham Murders, was a colossal failure. Meanwhile, Jackie Shroff, once a major star, has spent recent years relegated to smaller, inconsequential roles.
The lead star, Ajay Devgn, returns as DCP Bajirao Singham, reprising the role he first played in the 2011 hit Singham. However, Devgn’s career has been inconsistent lately, with five of his last seven films being failures. His two most recent releases, Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha and Maidaan, both flopped at the box office.
A particularly questionable casting choice is Arjun Kapoor, who plays the movie’s main villain. Arguably the worst Bollywood leading man of the past decade, Kapoor’s string of disasters has been career-damaging. His last film, The Lady Killer, was so poorly received that it was quietly released on YouTube.
The one exception in the cast is Deepika Padukone, who has maintained a streak of success. However, her role in Singham Again is expected to be a small supporting part. The November 1 release does have one significant advantage – it is part of a successful ‘cop universe,’ which has previously produced a string of hits.
Deepika Padukone in Singham AgainDespite the film’s hype, the outdated star power of much of the cast may not attract audiences as it once did. This could be why the producers of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 chose not to avoid a release-day clash. The comedy-horror genre is thriving, with recent hits like Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, Munjya, and the record-breaking Stree 2. The trailer for Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, starring Kartik Aaryan, Madhuri Dixit, and Vidya Balan, has been well received, raising expectations of a box office triumph.
With a massive budget, Singham Again will need to generate substantial box office figures to succeed.
Adding to the challenge is a Hindu religious element in the plot, which may alienate some viewers. Faced with stiff competition from a hot comedy-horror release and featuring stars past their prime, Singham Again may not be the guaranteed blockbuster many expect.
That is why those associated with it may get a rude awakening when it releases globally on November 1. They might regret not avoiding a major Diwali clash with Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3.
Migrants in a dinghy crossing the English Channel
Sunder Katwala
