(From top) Aamir Khan’s Ghajini should boost spirits in a year that had only a few bright spots;Salman Khan had a poor 2008 but hopes to bounce back with Wanted Dead And Alive; Akshay Kumar’s Chandni Chowk To China is the first big release of 2009

You could say that December was a godsend for Bollywood otherwise 2008 might have gone down as one of the worst years in its recent box office history. But Shah Rukh Khan’s Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi and Aamir Khan’s Ghajini, which released this month, should help bring back the cheer to an industry hit by spiralling star prices and poor content not to mention the recent terrorist attacks in Mumbai, which have kept audiences away from cinema halls.

Aditya Chopra and SRK’s jodi must indeed be blessed. For Rab Ne…,their sixth outing together, is poised to be a box-office hit despite the poor initial response.

For the most part though, more films bombed than scored in 2008. Besides, a lot of big and anticipated films bit the dust. So the industry may have lost up to Rs 225 crore in 2008 alone.

More misses than hits

The few big films that did succeed included Aamir Khan’s production Jaane Tu…Ya Jaane Na, Anees Bazmee’s Singh Is Kinng, Rohit Shetty’s Golmaal Returns and Tips’ Race. Although several distributors lost a part of their investment in Singh Is Kinng, the Akshay Kumar-Katrina Kaif comedy wrote box-office history when it globally raked in Rs 23 crore to Rs 25 crore in its first week alone.

Mahesh Bhatt’s Jannat, Ram Gopal Varma’s Phoonk, Ravi Chopra’s Bhoothnath, Vikram Bhatt’s 1920 and UTV’s A Wednesday! were the low to medium-budget films that gave some of the big-budget films a run for their money. Farhan Akhtar’s Rock On!! was the most unexpected success although it worked in the big cities only.

The debacles…

Among 2008’s monumental disasters were the period drama, Drona, Harman Baweja’s sci-fi Love Story 2050, Subhash Ghai’s magnum ‘flopus’ Yuvvraaj, Kunal Kohli’s Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic, Apoorva Lakhia’s Mission Istaanbul, Yashraj Films’ Tashan, Ajay Devgan’s directorial debut U, Me Aur Hum, Himesh Reshammiya’s Karzzzz, and Sanjay Dhoom Gadhvi’s Kidnap.

Ashutosh Gowariker’s Jodhaa Akbar may have worked wonders abroad but closer home, it didn’t fare as well and barely managed to cover its huge cost of around Rs 50 crore.

(From top) Anushka Sharma and Shah Rukh Khan in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi; Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif in Singh is Kinng; Jaane Tu...Ya Jaane Na made stars out of Imran Khan and Genelia D’ Souza; Shah Rukh and Karan Johar get together for My Name Is Khan

Coming up… . in 2009

So what does 2009 look like? Promising, to say the least. For one, although the film industry finds itself in the grip of recession, there’s the theory that, at such times, the box-office looks up because people want to be entertained to overcome their depression. Secondly, although many companies are pulling out of projects that were under planning, this’ll only have an impact in 2010 and not next year because films usually take 12 to 14 months.

So Hrithik Roshan’s Kites may fly high because it’s directed by, as his filmmaker-father Rakesh Roshan says, “one of the best screenplay writers of our times”, Anurag Basu. Salman Khan had a poor 2008 but may bounce back with Wanted Dead And Alive, the remake of the Southern blockbuster, Pokkiri. There’s also Anil Sharma’s Veer, though its producers are reworking its budget, including Salman’s price, currently.

Aamir Khan has 3 Idiots with maverick filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani. Akshay Kumar’s Chandni Chowk To China will be 2009’s first major release. He’ll also have Priyadarshan’s comedy, De Dana Dan, opposite his favourite Katrina Kaif, and Sajid Nadiadwala’s Kambakht Ishq with Kareena Kapoor and Sylvester Stallone. Saif Ali Khan’s home production, directed by Imtiaz Ali, is expected to be a unique love story.

Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai, who announced their romance to the world after their first and only success together so far, Guru, may have some more good news when their next Mani Ratnam film, Raavan, releases in 2009. Shree Ashtavinayak’s Blue better run, not because it stars Akshay Kumar and Sanjay Dutt, but because it’s the costliest film being made in India at Rs 125 crore.

And if the response to the first look of Rakeysh Mehra’s Delhi 6 at the recent Dubai film festival is any indication, this Abhishek-Sonam starrer should create ripples when it hits Indian screens on February 20.

Vipul Shah’s London Dreams may not have been picked up by Indian Film Company despite the company making money on his Singh Is Kinng. But that doesn’t mean it’s any less hot. David Dhawan is so excited about his Govinda starrer, Do Knot Disturb, that he didn’t want to be disturbed during its making. Hence, he decided to start Hook Ya Crook with John Abraham only after DKD. Both comedies will release next year.

Ashutosh Gowariker’s What’s Your Raashee? will decide Baweja’s fate. Before that, Baweja will have another release, Anees Bazmee’s It’s My Life, a remake of a South hit.

Rajkumar Santoshi’s Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, Aamir Khan’s productions, Delhi Belly (in English) and Dhobi Ghat (directed by wife Kiran Rao), Ajay Devgan’s live animation Toonpur Ka Superhero, and Balki’s Pa (starring Amitabh, Abhishek and Vidya Balan) are some other films that will arouse the audience’s curiosity. Farhan’s sister Zoya Akhtar will also showcase her talent in Luck By Chance in January.

Finally, of course, there’s Shah Rukh and Karan Johar’s My Name Is Khan, which may be the last release of 2009. It has the power to be Bollywood’s biggest blockbuster overseas. Its story also has the punch to make the large Muslim audience for Hindi films think of Karan as their Godfather. Before that, Karan’s production venture directed by Rensil D’Silva (who co-scripted Rang De Basanti) will also have released. It stars Saif, Kareena and Vivek Oberoi.