It’s crowded at the top

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Despite the below-par showing by Ra.One, the Khans still continue to rule the roost when it comes to the battle for the numero uno spot in Bollywood. But the younger crop of actors are fast making inroads. Ranbir Kapoor, who’s leading the pack, is well poised to take his image further with Rockstar, while Imran Khan has just delivered back to back hits with Delhi Belly and Mere Brother Ki Dulhan. Then there is Shahid Kapoor, who hasn’t really let the debacle of Mausam affect his standing.
“The battle has become really intense, as apart from the Khans, there are major players like Ajay Devgn, Hrithik Roshan and Akshay Kumar who are all fighting with these youngsters. In fact, it’s got so tight that even a minor slip from any one, and equations could change overnight,” says an industry follower.
And looking at their upcoming line-up of films, things don’t look like they are about to change. Imran and Shahid both have romcoms with Kareena Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra respectively, but they are still some months away from release. Emraan, on the other hand, is looking much better with The Dirty Picture, Shanghai, Jannat 2 and Raaz 3 at different stages of production. “No one can take their place for granted anymore,” says a filmmaker on condition of anonymity, “There isn’t any single superstar, either in the top-five or lower down, who can feel secure about retaining his place for years to come. Just like Aamir, Shah Rukh, Salman and others have to be constantly on their toes, same holds good for Imran, Ranbir, Shahid and Emraan as well. It is going to be interesting times for Bollywood from here on.”