What constitutes a great film? Many believe it’s the chemistry between the actor and the director off screen that translates on screen. While frequent collaborators keep the momentum going, it’s the new actor-director combos that keep fans intrigued every year. And 2021, too, has many such names teaming up for the first time.

The year began with the announcement of Kabir Singh (2019) director Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s first collaboration with Ranbir Kapoor for Animal. Then there’s Ayushmann Khurrana who has worked for the first time with Kedarnath (2018) director Abhishek Kapoor’s upcoming film, Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui.

Moreover, fans are keenly awaiting Shah Rukh Khan and Siddharth Anand’s Pathan. While the director is coming out of the mega success of his film War (2019), the actor hasn’t had a release since Zero (2018).

“We always talk about how we want newer combinations, star cast to work together and collaborate. These are all great combinations,” says trade analyst Taran Adarsh.

Filmmaker Aanand L Rai is working with Sara Ali Khan and Akshay Kumar in his next, Atrangi Re.

Vicky Kaushal, too, is working with new directors — Shoojit Sircar in Sardar Udham Singh and Vijay Krishna Acharya for a comedy.

Taapsee Pannu and Akarsh Khurana have come together for a sports film Rashmi Rocket. “This film is a female-led film, very wholesome, and I was happy to try something new. It’s a privilege to work with her. It’s wonderful to see her commitment towards the film.”

Deepika Padukone and Kapoor & Sons (2016) director Shakun Batra are also working together for the first time in an upcoming film. Alia Bhatt has two interesting collaborations with S S Rajamouli for RRR and Sanjay Leela Bhansali for Gangubai Kathiawadi.

Producer Anand Pandit feels that the audience crave to watch new combinations. “The audience wants to see newness and freshness whether it’s story, casting or director and actor collaborations,” he says.

Echoing the same sentiment, trade analyst Atul Mohan says, “There are no reservations anymore. An actor is now open to face new challenges, work with new directors who can extract the best from them and the same goes for the director.”

Ajay Devgn, who has worked with Amitabh Bachchan before, will direct the latter in MayDay.

Adarsh further adds, “These are not seen before, each of these directors and actors have established themselves. The end result would be interesting to see in 2021.”