For Akshay, it wasn’t less than a nightmare when all his antics, jumping and hanging finally brought him to the ground, injuring his face [value] – Colgate smile – which he brings forth every time when he comes out to promote a new film after a flop. Al though Junior Bachchan and Junior Roshan too have failed to put any show on the box-office but somehow managed to escape the ire of producers and directors.

Now, let’s not talk any more about the actors but the films which have really put them into hiding.

Raavan: Next time when Abhishek Bachchan will be asked, does he know ‘Ramayan’? He will start looking around to save his face in fear of any question about Mani Ratnam’s ‘Raavan’. The film was produced on a whopping budget of 100 crore but couldn’t able to fetch half of it. The gross revenue of ‘Raavan’ was just 29.50 crore, a debacle that has put Mani Ratnam hiding in the same jungles.

Veer: A lethal warrior in the battle field, but ends at the box-office as a creepy creature that come under the audiences boot. Salman Khan as a hero sometimes do wonders like he did in ‘Dabangg’ but wielding a pen to write script needs brain rather than muscle. Veer flopped after a good opening, reason shoddy script, screenplay and dialogues.

Action Replay: Least said about Akshay Kumar and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan starrer ‘Action Replay’ will be a fitting honor one can do to the film. Vipul Shah tried to capture the picnic and romance in Mumbai of 70’s but turned out to be a visual leprosy.  He could have saved himself after watching – if he has watched – ‘Once Upon a Time in Mumbai’ where Milan Lutharia’s imagination of Mumbai of 70’s was a treat to watch, even when the film was set up to show the other side of city.

Tees Maar Khan: The only saving grace for Farah Khan’s ‘Tees Maar Khan’ was the item song ‘Sheila ki Jawani’ that becomes a rage among the DJs across the country. ‘TMK’ has also broken the myth – for Akshay Kumar – that Katrina Kaif is his lucky charm. And moreover, the debacle has put Shirish Kunder’s ideas of taking all credit on the back burners (he will never try it again).

Khatta Meetha: Let us hope Akshay will not go jittery or his fans after seeing his third film making the list of the biggest flops of the year 2010. Now, he should bid adieu to celluloid and move permanently to ‘Chef Shows’ on small screen, because he is yet to find the right ingredients for a good movie but we know that he knows the spices well to make tasty dishes.

It is really a bad idea to comment and write about flops where a lot of hard work and dedication go waste. So why to waste anymore, but few other films need a special mention here which makes the list of flops or duds of 2010; Anjaana Anjaani, Dulha Mil Gaya, Guzaarish, Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey and Aakrosh to end the wastage (bollywood needs some waste management course now).

Writer is a freelance journalist, script writer, avid blogger, poet, dreamer and story teller. Can be reached at http://twitter.com/#!/arziyaan

Let us come to the subject, Mani Ratnam’s has been sage to the Bollywood film industry whenever the sun goes dark over the ‘Mumbai’s’ skies he came to rescue with Madras Talkies. His previous work ‘Bombay’ Roja, Dil Se and Guru has left unfading impression of class and caliber of this South Indian director, screenwriter and producer who conquered ‘Bollywood’ even having a weak understanding of the Hindi language. Yet again, he is ready to tell a story of good and bad – it resembles to Ramayana – which is part of all mythologies and our daily life. In all of us live a good and a bad guy and Raavan sketches the bad guy in the protagonist. The news is abuzz that like ‘Rajneeti’ that was inspired by ‘The Godfather and Mahabharata’ – although it was a kind shake – Raavan do take its inspiration from ‘Ramayana’.

However Mani declines it and said, “Raavan is not a take on Ramayan. Raavan is a story that is set in today’s times. Abhishek is playing the character of Beera. You and I could have shades of the character of Beera. You can look at the character from any perspective and feel that there is something new in it. What is it that makes a villain; my story is about a villain. In fact the Telugu version of Raavan has been titled Villain whereas the Tamil version has been titled Raavanan”.

You need to wait for 18th June when you could make your own view whether the protagonist is a Sage or Satan in the film – it depends on your thinking.