Paisa vasool these are the two words which both filmmakers and the audience yearn to hear for a new release. And what better than getting to watch two, three or many more stars for the price of one ticket? Multi-starrer has been the golden formula in Bollywood. Be it Amar Akbar Anthony , Naseeb , to Sholay, 1970s and 80s was the time when many stars worked together in one film.

However, 2019 wasn’t a great year for such films. It started with Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga, with Sonam K Ahuja, Anil Kapoor and, Rajkummar Rao showcasing the story of a family accepting their lesbian daughter. The box office wasn’t encouraging. Then came a string Kalank, a big budget drama boasting of stars like Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt, Son Chiriya, Prasthaanam, and the year ended with Pagalpanti and Panipat. All were letdowns commercially.

However, 2020 seems to still get rocked by a host of multi-starrers. It’s surprising, how such films are still in vogue, despite finding less takers in 2019. Trade expert Atul Mohan says that though the volume of such films is big, it isn’t easy making them in today’s time. “Multi-starrers have always been a favourite, but unfortunately we are unable to make them because we don’t get subjects which appeal to two-three heroes. Everybody has their ego. Earlier, Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra all worked together. Now, everybody feels ‘uska role zyaada powerful hai’. You need a big filmmaker like Karan Johar or Bhansali to balance two actors. There are big chances of one of the heroes feeling unhappy.”