Bollywood Bringing Sequels This Year 2013

It’s pouring sequels in Bollywood’s backyard. In a bid to cash in on franchises that have brought in box office numbers, production houses continue to play the sequel game.

Picture this: Salman Khan’s Dabangg 2 did better business than the first part; Shah Rukh Khan’s Don 2 managed an improvement in numbers over its earlier version. Ajay Devgn’s Golmaal 3 is a bigger hit than Golmaal and Golmaal Returns; Hrithik Roshan’s Krrish grew in stature; Abhishek Bachchan is a Dhoom regular and Emraan Hashmi’s Jannat 2 put him in the super star league.

According to a report in TOI, in a bid to emulate the success formula perfected by makers like Mahesh Bhatt, Farhan Akhtar and Rohit Shetty, others too are engaging in the sequel game. A trade source brought to our notice that this year alone, Bollywood will see 10 sequels being released.

Mahesh Bhatt says, “Blockbuster mentality has taken over, where numbers are everything. The market compels you to deliver hits. We ( Vishesh Films) have created franchises like Raaz, Murder, Jannat which have thrill, erotica and great music. It is difficult to create a brand and once you do it, you are ensured a minimum return on judgment day. The cow that gives you milk is the dearest of the flock.”

Rohit Shetty, whose Golmaal series is a huge success, plans to keep the franchise alive. He is also working on the script of Singham 2. Says the filmmaker, “You can never have enough of a good thing. Wherever I go, I’m asked when will I make Golmaal 4 and the Singham sequel. Obviously, public taste dictates box-office trends.”

Producer Rohan Sippy, who is planning a sequel to Bluffmaster says, “Sequels need to surprise the audience. Few years back, the trend wasn’t popular. Today it is. I will however not make a sequel just to cash in on the success of the original. If you can make a sequel like Munnabhai’s, then its fine.”
Bhatt adds, “Sequels have a recall value, so marketing one seems safer. But at the same time, these films stand the risk of not living up to the audience’s expectations. Even Francis Ford Coppola had to deal with huge expectations when Godfather sequels were compared to the