Big returns

Bollywood will be showcasing many sequels this year.

SEQUEL MANIA: With bigger casts and more masala,
sequels plan to rock this year

THIS is the new season for Bollywood. This is the season of sequels. If you loved watching Salman Khan’s action flick Wanted, or enjoyed Abhishek Bachchan and John Abraham’s chemistry in Dostana, a lot more is in store for you in the coming months. A second innings of Don, Dostana, Race, Dhamaal, Partner and Wanted along with Dhoom 3 and Hera Pheri 4 are surely going to make 2011, a year of sequels. While King Khan will be seen romancing Piggy Chops in Don 2 with Lara Dutta as the new addition, Wanted 2 and Partner 2 will feature its original cast.

Although many might not have announced the final date of release or the star-cast, one thing is for sure: everyone is trying their best to recreate the magic of the first part. “There is a baggage of high expectations with a sequel. The hype is always there as the part ones of the movies have been big hits. The hard work is more as the team knows that they need to live up to the expectations and capitalise on it by making a better product,” says trade analyst Taran Adarsh. When a brand name is established, the chances of a better collection in the first week of the sequel are higher. Take for instance Munna Bhai MBBS. Though it had a slow start when it released, it went on to become one of the biggest grossers of 2003. So when Lage Raho Munna Bhai released three years later, people came in hordes to see what the sequel had to offer. But Deepa Gahlot, film critic, believes that one cannot generalise the success rate of sequels. She explains, “It is hard to generalise, since sequels are relatively new to Bollywood. It goes without saying that, if the original is good, then the sequel has a chance. But the yardstick that applies to every other film, applies to sequels as well — that is, it has to be good. I feel that Munnabhai’s sequel was genuinely good; maybe even better than the first. Same was the case with Rohit Shetty’s Golmaal.”

Film critic Ajit Duara, who believes that Wanted’s sequel has the best prospects at the box-office, adds that a sequel is just a marketing device. “A movie can be called a sequel when there is continuity in the script. But here, they just use the brand name and, may be, the same characters. But that is it.” Trade analyst Vinod Mirani agrees, “The script is always the God. The brand name might draw more people to the theatres. But if the content does not work, then the formula will inevitably fail.” 

Sometimes the cast becomes bigger than the movie, which increases the possibility of having a successful sequel. Mirani agrees, “Hera Pheri would not be what it is sans Paresh Rawal. If the cast has worked in the first movie, then it’s important to retain them as it helps enhance the connect with the audience. This also helps maintain continuity.” Some trade analysts seem to be quite excited about the entry of sequels in B-town. But whether or not the audience will accept this trend and the movies will strike gold at box-office, only time can tell.