SRK and Akshay’s role reversal with Chennai Express, OUATIMA

An interesting phenomenon is all set to strike Bollywood in weeks to come. Quite a few actors are coming out of their comfort zone and doing something that they have either never done before or have kept it on hold for a very long time. When was the last time one actually saw Shahrukh Khan letting his hair down? When was the last time Akshay Kumar actually turned into a don? Isn’t Vidya Balan actually associated with only those role which come with a tag of ‘substance’?

However all of this and more is all set to happen and the emerging trends suggest that more and more actors would be actually stepping out of their territory and end up doing something that would be a welcome change for their fans. Have a look at all of that starting in a few weeks from now.

Neil Nitin Mukesh – Shortcut Romeo (21st June)

Middle name of Neil Nitin Mukesh could well be ‘serious’. In each of his last few films, he has played someone really intense. In ‘3G’ he was a man possessed, ‘David’ had him fighting it out to know about his real father while ‘Players’ didn’t quite allow him to chill. However he would be not just chilling with his ‘shola’ as he turns ‘coca cola’ for ‘Shortcut Romeo’ but also let his hair down (literally so, considering his long chops in the film) as he beats the pulp out of Kenyan locals. He could well do with adding some ‘masala’ and zing to his repertoire after a few heavy duty stuff.

Vidya Balan – Ghanchakkar (28th June)

On the flipside, Vidya Balan has been a party to so much heavy duty stuff film after film (Kahaani, The Dirty Picture) that she can afford to mouth an expletive or two and get all dirty and naughty while playing sex games with Emraan Hashmi. Despite his ‘Ghanchakkar’ act, Vidya appears to be in a good form as she aims for her share of the booty as a Punjabi housewife in a film which also marks a huge departure for director Rajkumar Gupta. Considering the fact that the duo had appeared in ‘No One Killed Jessica’ not too many moons back, this one could well have been a time out for the actress and the director.

Ranveer Singh – Lootera (5th July)

He was a ‘Dilli Ka Launda’ in ‘Band Baaja Baraat’ and then turned into a Casanova who is ‘aadat se majboor’ in ‘Ladies v/s Ricky Behl’. One could well have expected that fear of being typecast pretty much on the anvil, considering the fact that this was one style of acting with which he was actually being loved. However he did an about turn soon after and the results are there to be seen in ‘Lootera’. The film has him going subtle in a way that not many heroes from present or recent past have. With his usual flamboyance being kept aside and subtlety setting in, Ranveer is indeed bringing on a role reversal of sorts.

Shahrukh Khan – Chennai Express (8th August)

How many out there would have really imagined Shahrukh Khan in the middle of flying jeeps, a dozen odd man thrown into the air with a mere fist and explosions taking place a la Rohit Shetty ishtyle. Well, all of that and more is indeed happening with ‘Chennai Express’ where Shahrukh Khan is pretty much taking over from where he left with ‘Om Shanti Om’. After a few back to back heavy duty stuff (Jab Tak Hai Jaan, Don 2, Ra. One, My Name Is Khan), Shahrukh Khan is clearly in mood for some fun with ‘Chennai Express’. The man chosen for the job, Rohit Shetty, is just right as well and it is time to see how the fun begins.

Akshay Kumar – Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai Again (8th August)

On the other hand Akshay Kumar, who did exactly that in ‘Khiladi 786’ (i.e. kicking jeeps into the air and stuff alike) is pretty much expected to let histrionics do the talking in ‘Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai Again’. Oh yes, he did go a tad serious in ‘Special 26’ but then it was never sold as an out and out commercial affair. The Milan Luthria stuff is being seen as one mass-meets-class affair though which means for Akshay, it could well have been a tightrope walk indeed. For someone who is fresh out of the world of ‘Rowdy Rathore’, ‘Housefull 2’, ‘Desi Boyz’ and ‘Thank You’ in quick succession, this one is a role reversal form sure.