The Season of Bollywood Sequels What Works?

Bollywood for quite sometime has been struck by a sequel epidemic. After a recent movie whose climax was entirely squished because the director thought to carry it forward on to a sequel, it was essential to understand the entire need of a sequel. While a few films decided to get greedy and cash on a little more from the fame and revenue of prequels, to some scripts a sequel is an absolute necessity to avoid a cluttered film. The main intention of the sequel is to carry forward the story and 'keep the magic alive'. While Hollywood has witnessed many successful sequel stories, Bollywood is still trying to match up to its Western counterparts. While undoubtedly sequels get the audiences attention easily and cause excitement, more often than not Prequels have proved to be far better films with sequels failing dismally. Quality wise often sequels aren't good enough. But then there have been constant disparities regarding whether sequels prove to good successors of their prequels. Koimoi looks at the validity of the issue analyzing popular films and their sequels.

Don and Don 2 (2006 and 2011)

After making path breaking movies like Lakshya and Dil Chahta Hai, Farhan turned to hardcore Bollywood entertainment with Don. The film was a remake of the 1978 film of the same name. The film starred Shah Rukh Khan and Priyanka Chopra in lead roles. The story of the film had been largely altered especially the climax and the message which very evidently left open space for a sequel to follow. The film was well received. The sequel released in December, 2011 starring the same actors in lead roles along with Kunal Kapoor and Lara Dutta too. The films had an interlinked plot which followed from the main weave of story, butDon 2 was declared a better film in terms of revenue it raked and quality as well.

Dabangg and Dabangg 2 (2010 and 2013)

This movie is one of Bollywood's most memorable blockbuster hits and won the National Award for the Most Popular film. The film was an absolutely delightful entertainer and went on garner over 200 crores of revenue. Directed by Abhinav Kashyap and produced by Arbaaz Khan, the film starred Salman Khan and Sonakshi Sinha in the main roles. Soon after the huge success of the film, Arbaaz Khan issued a statement announcing Dabangg 2. Abhinav Kashyap declined to direct a sequel and hence it was directed by Arbaaz Khan himself. The main characters of the story remained the same with a different setting for the film's plot. The film's success can be attributed to the fact that Dabangg was already an excessively hit film. Qualitatively Dabangg was an obviously better film and Dabangg 2 simply cashed on it.

Race and Race 2 (2008 and 2013)

The prequel was straight out sibling rivalry genre of films made into a suspense thriller. An added comic flavor was simply the entertainment bit of the film. Starring Saif Ali Khan, Bipasha Basu, Katrina Kaif and Akshaye Khanna, the film went on to be quite a hit. Race 2 follows the story of the same plot but with newer actors and charcters. Race 2 had John Abraham playing a major role along with Jacqueline Fernandez andAmeesha Patel. The film is still running in theatres.

Jism and Jism 2 (2003 and 2012)

Jism was rated as one of the sexiest films. Essentially an erotic suspense thriller, Jism starred John Abraham and Bipasha Basu in the main roles. In his hottest avatar ever, John hasn't been forgotten for his great debut performance in this film. In 2012, the sequel Jism 2 released starring Randeep Hooda, Arunoday Singh and introducing Sunny Leone in Bollywood. The film was directed by Pooja Bhatt. However it was easily forgotten venture and a huge disappointment for both critics as well as audiences.

Murder and Murder 2 (2004 and 2011)

Directed by Anurag Basu, one would remember Murder because of the lustful kisses and the sex siren presence of Mallika Sherawat. Despite a weak plot and a faltering storyline, Murder managed to become a hit at the box office, mainly because of the aggressive controversies surrounding the film. Murder 2 which released in 2011 was more of a semi sequel to Murder. The film was a psych thriller and an excessively dark film which was a let down. Murder 3 is lined up for release soon. The film will star Randeep Hooda and Aditi Rao Hydari in main roles.

Dhoom and Dhoom 2 (2004 and 2006)

Dhoom gave India a taste of good action thriller. Cops-chasing-smart-goon is central plot of the film which was elaborated stylishly. Dhoom has hot villains and a hotter storyline! While John Abraham swooned brilliantly in Dhoom, Dhoom:2 was at par in fact almost better because of Hrithik Roshan's brilliant performance and breathtaking stunts. Dhoom:3 is all set to release this year and is much awaited as Aamir Khan plays villain in the film which was shot extensively in Chicago.

Koi… Mil Gaya and Krrish (2003 and 2006)

The prequel was an endearing science fiction film starring Hrithik Roshan, Priety Zinta and an adorable alien called Jaadu. The film was a huge hit and received excellent reviews from critics. Krrish, the sequel gave India its very own superhero. The film despite being a huge hit was a flop show for critics who thought the film was lacking on story front. Commendably, the film had great action sequences and a brilliant performance by Hrithik Roshan. Krrish 3, the next part of this series is slotted to release this year.

Prequel-Sequel movies are a mixed bag. Though the same plot follows into the film, every film is an individual entity which must provide something entertaining and grasping for the audiences in order to be successful. Creativity is a dying art and still in case of films and mostly sequels it must better be put to some good use.