Akshay Kumar is currently going through a very dull phase in his career. Akshay had enjoyed a dream run from 2016-2019 with a total of 12 releases and zero flops. However, post-pandemic the actor has starred in 12 movies of which he has only tasted success with Sooryavanshi and OMG 2.
With the recent string of flops there are question marks on Akshay’s stardom and box office pull, but we also mustn’t forget that he has managed to make a comeback like no one else from even trickier positions and has delivered back to back commercial successes. So, let’s take a look at Akshay Kumar’s lineup and decipher whether the actor would still be able to make a comeback or would the string of flops continue?
1. Skyforce (Akshay)
Directors – Sandeep Kewlani & Abhishek Anil Kapur
Produced By – Maddock Films, Jio Studios
Release Date – 24th January 2025
The first project for Akshay in 2025 will be backed by Maddock Films which has delivered back to back hits in 2024. The director of Stree 2 – Amar Kaushik has also overlooked shoot on Skyforce which is again a positive sign for this Akshay Kumar starrer. Moreover, the VFX of Skyforce are being handled by Oscar Award Winning DNEG. The movie is an aerial war flick based on India’s first air strike on Pakistan which ties perfectly with the patriotic vibe of Republic Day! The signs are positive, so we hope that Akshay begins his 2025 with a smashing hit!
Co-stars – Veer Pahariya, Sara Ali Khan, Nimrat Kaur.
2. C. Sankaran Nair Biopic (Shankara?)
Director – Karan Singh Tyagi
Produced by – Dharma Productions
Release – 14 March 2025
Akshay’s next after Skyforce will be a courtroom drama based on the life of former President of the Indian National Congress, C.Sankaran and his fight for the truth behind the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre. The movie is based on a very well received book titled The Case That Shook the Empire. If adapted well, the movie can guarantee another runaway success for Akshay Kumar in 2025.
Co-stars – R.Madhavan, Ananya Panday
3. Jolly LLB 3
Director – Subhash Kapoor
Produced by – Star Studios and Kangra Talkies
Release – 11 April 2025
Possibly one of the most anticipated Akshay Kumar movie post Sooryavanshi is Jolly LLB 3. With both the movies of the franchise starring Arshad Warsi and Akshay Kumar respectively doing extremely well at the box office, the third part starring both of them against each other is almost certain to do exceedingly well.
The story and direction will be done by Subhash Kapoor who also did the same for first two instalments. Also Saurabh Shukla returns as the judge and will be handling two Jollys this time which hopefully will make it a very humourous watch and another success for Akshay!
Co-stars – Arshad Warsi, Saurabh Shukla
4. Housefull 5
Director – Tarun Mansukhani
Produced by – Nadiadwala Grandsons Ent.
Release – 6 June 2025
The biggest franchise of Akshay’s career is all set to make a comeback with the fifth instalment making it the only franchise in the history of Hindi cinema to have 5 parts. Housefull 5 is also touted to be the most expensive comedy movie in the history of Bollywood with a staggering budget of over 350 crores.
Housefull 5 is said to be a cruise comedy and the UK schedule of the movie has been completed. The team will begin with India schedule in November. With all the parts of the franchise being successful and Housefull 4 being the highest grossing movie of Akshay Kumar’s career, the expectations from Housefull 5 are sky high!
Co-stars – Bohot lambi cast hai bhai
5. Welcome To The Jungle (Welcome 3)
Director – Ahmed Khan
Produced by – Firoz Nadiadwala
Release – TBA
The third instalment of the Welcome franchise – Welcome To The Jungle, will be a jungle adventure action comedy with a star cast bigger than New Zealand’s population. Welcome 3 will see Akshay Kumar returning as Rajeev, but this time without Uday and Majnu bhai.
The movie will be directed by Ahmed Khan and according to him the core concept of the movie was given by LT. Neeraj Vora, but the writing credits are given to Farhad Samji which has sparked confusion. Welcome 3 is a big movie for Akshay Kumar and if made well it can surely be a huge grosser for the actor.
The film was supposed to release in December 2024, but now it is postponed till next year.
Co-stars – Jackie Shroff, Suniel Shetty, Arshad Warsi, Paresh Rawal, Aftab Shivdasani, Johnny Lever, Rajpal Yadav, Tusshar Kapoor, Shreyas Talpade, Krushna Abhishek, Kiku Sharda, Daler Mehndi, Mika Singh, Rahul Dev, Mukesh Tiwari, Sharib Hashmi, Inaamulhaq, Zakir Hussain, Yashpal Sharma, Raveena Tandon, Lara Dutta, Jacqueline Fernandez, Disha Patani, Vrihi Kodvara. (Thak gaya bhai)
6. Bhooth Bangla
Director – Priyadarshan
Produced by – Balaji Telefilms Ltd.
Release – 2025
Easily the most awaited movie in the entire lineup of Akshay Kumar is Bhooth Bangla. The actor will be seen reuiniting with Priyadarshan after 14 long years and that is enough for anyone to be excited for Bhooth Bangla. It is said to be a horror fantasy comedy based on black magic with inspirations from our vedas and Mahabharata.
Everything right from the theme, the genre to the director and actors are in favour of the movie to do wonders at the box office and emerge as a big hit for Akshay Kumar. While the motion poster of the announcement said ‘In cinemas 2025,’ looking at the shoot timelines and release history, Bhooth Bangla is most likely to postpone to 2026.
Co-stars – Paresh Rawal, Asrani, Rajpal Yadav and three actresses.
7. Kannappa (Cameo)
Director – Mukesh Kumar Singh
Produced by – AVA Entertainment, 24 Frames Factory
Release – December 2024 (tentative)
Kannappa is an upcoming fantasy film which will be based on the legend of Kannappa who is also regarded as the biggest devotee of Lord Shiva. The teaser of the movie was released in June 2024 which confirmed that Akshay Kumar will be seen as Lord Shiva once again after OMG 2. Other than Akshay, Prabhas and Mohanlal also have cameos in this fantasy epic.
Other cast – Vishnu Manchu, Mohan Babu, Mohanlal, Prabhas, Preity Mukundhan, Sarathkumar, Kajal Aggarwal.
OTHER PROJECTS
Vedat Marathe Veer Daudale Saat (Cameo)
Director – Mahesh Manjrekar
Produced by – Qureshi Productions
Release – TBA
Vedaat Marathe Veer Daudle Saath is a Marathi period action epic directed by Mahesh Manjrekar. The movie was supposed to feature Akshay Kumar as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and was slated to release on Diwali 2023. However, the release date was pushed back to avoid clash with Tiger 3.
According to latest reports, it seems like the release of the film is uncertain as only 50-60% of the shoot is completed and the producers are facing difficulties in completing the film due to budget constraints. We hope that the movie sees the light of the day soon.
Other cast – Pravin Tarde, Hardik Joshi, Akshaya Deodhar, Satya Manjrekar, Vishal Nikam, Utkarsh Shinde, Jay Dudhane, Virat Madke.
Hera Pheri 3
Director – TBA
Produced by – Firoz Nadiadwala
Release – TBA
Now coming to the biggest comedy project in the history of Bollywood – Hera Pheri 3. The makers shot for an announcement video in Feb 2023 and Farhad Samji was meant to direct it, but due to backlash from the audience he will no longer direct it and the makers are searching for a capable director to maintain the legacy of the franchise. The movie also fell into a legal tussle due to rights issue with Eros which has now been resolved and the movie is very much on track.
According to reports, we might see an official announcemnent either in December or whenever the shoot for Welcome 3 is wrapped. Whom do you want to see as director of Hera Pheri 3? Let us know in the comments!
Akshay currently has a very strong lineup featuring comedies, original movies as well as franchises and it looks like he is all set to make a roaring comeback in 2025!
Author: Kshamik Vadecha
Also Read: Varun Dhawan’s strong Lineup
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