Films drawing from slice of life to enthrall cinegoers in 2007

New Delhi, Jan 28 (UNI) After a hugely successful 2006 thanks in equal measure to its "successful comic cinematic treats" and its ability to inspire through many "New Age films made in a commercial format", Bollywood hopes to keep the adrenaline flowing for cinegoers in the coming year with a host of films providing comic relief and movies draw from a "slice of life".

The year started with Nikhil Advani's "tribute to love" 'Salaam-E-Ishq' which relased yesterday, is one among the series of "unconventional love stories" dealing with "romantic interludes" other than that the typical "boy meet girl" love stories of the past.

After the success of "laugh riots" like 'Golmal', 'Phir Hera Pheri', Maalamal Weekly', 'Apna Sapna Money Money' and 'Bhagam Bhag', Bollywood's honeymoon with comedies is expected to continue in the coming year with films like Ahmed Khan's 'Fool and Final', Anees bazmi's 'Welcome', Shaad Ali's 'Jhoom Barabar Jhoom' and Vipul Shah's 'Namaste London' promising to send cinegoers ''laughing all the way to the aisles''.

February will witness the release of 'Fool and Final', a "comedy of errors" starring Sunny Deol, Viveik Oberoi, Shahid Kapoor, Suneil Shetty and masters of comedy like Paresh Rawal, Om Puri, Javed Jaffery and Rajpal Yadav. Being directed by choreographer-turned director Ahmed Khan, who earlier directed the Sunny Deol Sohail Khan-starrer 'Lakeer- The Forbidden Lines', 'Fool And Final' has been written by Neeraj Vora, the writer of 'Hera Pheri' and director of last year's superhit laugh riot 'Phir Hera Pheri'.

Also slated to hit cinema halls later this year is Anees Bazmee's 'Welcome', the filmmaker's another attempt at sending cinegoers "in a laugh" after his 2005 superhit comedy 'No Entry'.

Incidentally, 'welcome' features Anil Kapoor, who also starred in 'No Entry', along with actors with a brilliant comic timing like Akshay Kumar, Nana Patekar and Paresh Rawal. The film also features the beautiful Katrina kaif and the sexy Mallika Sherawat in the female leads.

Another much-awaited film with a comic touch is Vipul Shah's ambitious venture 'Namaste london', a cross-culture romance between a Punjabi boy and a Britain-born Indian .girl. The promos of the film, which stars Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif in the main leads, have created a huge buzz in the film fraternity making it one of the most-awaited films of the year.

Trailors of the film featuring songs like "Jingle Balle" sung by Akshay himself and 'Chakna Chakna' where Akshay Kumar does a Bhangra with Katrina at an uptown British night club, have already become a rage among cinegoers. With the film also featuring the dashing Upen Patel in an important role, excitement around the film is quite high.

Another comic treat in the coming year is Shad Ali's 'Jhoom Barabar Jhoom'. Featuring the current heartthrob Abhishek Bachchan along with Preity Zinta, Lara Dutta and Boby Deol, the film's title is an offshoot of the famous qawaali "Jhoom Barabar Jhoom Sharabi".

The film, scheduled for release in May, has Abhishek Bachchan and Bobby Deol working together for the first time, which is likely to bring back memories of the famous pairing of their fathers.

Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra), as Jai and Veeru in the 1975 blockbuster 'Sholay'. Trade sources say the film, being produced under the Yashraj films banner, will also feature Amitabh Bachchan and Hrithik Roshan in an item number.

A host of maintream commercial films drawn from a slice of life in society are also scheduled to hit cinema halls in the coming year.

Inspired by the success of 'Rang De Basanti', 'Dor' and 'Corporate', which drew critical acclaim and box office in equal measure for their brilliant weaving of 'realism' with elements of a commercial film, a number of filmmakers are coming up with hardcore commercial films incorporating elements from real life.

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