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Franchise Films: Bollywood’s New ‘Safe Bet’ Is Also A Curse As Actors Chase Trend Relentlessly
After the historic success of Stree 2 and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, almost every major production house in Mumbai is setting up sequels to their hit films, with as many as 15 in the works.
If you are a Hindi film screenwriter knocking on the doors of producers or actors with a passion project, industry veterans joke that there is finally an easy way to grab their attention and possibly even get the script green-lit. Just reopen the file and add two words to the original title: "Part 2".
Bollywood, after witnessing a mixed-bag of a year, with surprise blockbusters and shocking duds, seems to have found a new cash cow: franchise films. According to sources who spoke to The Hollywood Reporter India, almost every major production house in Mumbai is setting up sequels to their hit films and almost every young actor has asked their teams to sniff such projects out. Currently, as many as 15 sequels — in various stages of production — are in the works.
A well-placed celebrity management source said there has been a spike in actors specifically demanding franchise films after the blockbuster success of Stree 2 this year. The Amar Kaushik horror-comedy, led by Rajkummar Rao and Shraddha Kapoor, broke box-office records to emerge as the highest-grossing Hindi film of all time, toppling Shah Rukh Khan's Jawan. No one saw this coming.
Actors and their teams are now seeing the sequel’s historic success as an indicator that they too can compete with the mighty Khans — Aamir, Salman, and Shah Rukh — who have been consistently delivering big box–office figures, by relying on popular IPs to accrue record figures. Franchises, then, are being viewed as their vehicles to stardom.
"The market is volatile and everyone now wants to play it safe, especially younger actors and the stars who desperately need to bounce back at the box office," the celebrity manager said.
'Everyone wants it, everyone might also have it'
While Shah Rukh Khan (Pathaan 2) and Salman Khan (Kick 2) have one sequel each in their line-up, Aamir Khan could also headline a potential sequel to his 2008 thriller Ghajini. Ajay Devgn's line-up is dominated by sequels like De De Pyaar De 2, Raid 2, Son of Sardaar 3, Shaitaan 2, and Drishyam 3, and Akshay Kumar is not far behind with at least three franchises — Housefull 5, Jolly LLB 3, Bhagam Bhagam 2, and the third installment of Welcome, titled Welcome to the Jungle. Hrithik Roshan has War 2 up for release next year, after which he will return as the superhero Krrish in the franchise's fourth installment.
Ranbir Kapoor has Animal Park, a sequel to his 2023 crime drama Animal, and Dhoom 4 while Ranveer Singh is set to step into Shah Rukh Khan’s iconic role in Don 3. Varun Dhawan will star in Border 2 and No Entry 2, which also features Arjun Kapoor and Diljit Dosanjh. Shahid Kapoor is in talks to star in Cocktail 2, Tiger Shroff has Baaghi 4. Ayushmann Khurrana might consider a Dream Girl 3, Kapil Sharma will return with Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon 2, and if all goes well, Amitabh Bachchan will be back with Bhoothnath 3. Among the younger generation of actors, Kartik Aaryan leads the pack with the most sequels in his kitty: Pati Patni Aur Woh 2, Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety 2, Aashiqui 3 and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 4.
For everyone except the Khans, the Hindi film industry's release calendar is packed with multiple sequels. A pattern that emerges strongly is that the younger stars are aggressively either looking for readymade IPs belonging to other stars to step into or to mine some of their films, even if they don't have any recall value.
Filmmaker Anil Sharma, who helmed last year's blockbuster Gadar 2 starring Sunny Deol, criticised young actors for going the franchise way. "It signals a lack of confidence," the filmmaker told The Hollywood Reporter India. "Doing a sequel is a safer bet, but it makes sense only if the first part was universally loved like a Baahubali or a Gadar. When you start thinking of a part two for films that don't lend themselves to an organic sequel, then it is not a safe bet."
Sharma explained that for a franchise, the audience must have a character to "root for", who should also appear in the next installment. So it makes more sense for a Bajirao Singham (Ajay Devgn), Chulbul Pandey (Salman Khan), Pathaan (Shah Rukh Khan) or Tara Singh (Sunny Deol) to have their own franchises as the audience follows their journey, rather than a standalone film having a sequel that is not connected to it beyond sharing a title.
"Earlier, actors would have a loyal fan following, but today’s new Bollywood stars don't," Sharma said. "South Indian cinema still has that fandom culture, but they (younger Hindi film actors) are now thinking of how to attract a larger audience and this is one way to do it. Producers also think it is safe to call a film ‘part 2’ even if it has nothing to do with the original film.”
The filmmaker added that though they could have easily greenlit a Gadar 3, they did not, only because they didn’t have a story in place. “Instead, I began an original film, Vanvaas. It takes courage to do something original; we are not here to cash in on lazy formulas such as franchises," he added.
No franchise, no shoot
According to multiple industry sources The Hollywood Reporter India spoke to, an actor recently refused to begin shooting for a film as a legal dispute rendered it no longer part of a franchise. He told the filmmakers that unless the movie regained its franchise status, he wouldn't be part of it.
Why? Franchise films guarantee actors at least a better box-office opening than a standalone film, which they can then use to spike their fees.
"You are cushioned and padded with the franchise hype, so you will mostly sail through even with your mediocre performances as people will come to the theatres for the 'franchise experience'. Also, if you get a bigger opening, you are in a position to demand a higher fee," the manager said. He added that actors now actively prioritise franchise and genre films, like horror-comedies.
Screenwriter Anu Singh Choudhary, whose work includes Sushmita Sen's Aarya, Grahan, and the upcoming Sanya Malhotra-starrer Mrs, agreed that there was a lack of demand for original scripts and recalled how, the Monday after horror comedyf Munjya released, three producers called to check if she had a script of the same genre..
"That speaks to the kind of wave everyone wants to ride. Every senior or junior writer worth their salt has been getting calls for franchise films. It isn't about filmmaking or storytelling now. It’s all about how you can get a particular actor to be a part of a franchise and set up a project within a certain budget and with a certain director," Choudhary told The Hollywood Reporter India.
The myth and math of franchise
"I don't blame these actors," said exhibitor Vishek Chauhan, adding that the industry has not been able to create another Shah Rukh, Salman, Akshay or Ajay as "star creation" stopped post Hrithik Roshan.
"Everyone after Hrithik can only sell the film if the product is good. If the film isn’t good, however, there is no bottom line or safety net. Salman or Shah Rukh’s bad films can still deliver certain numbers because of their fanbase. But they can only do, at the most, one film a year. So where do you get those tentpole numbers from if they don't have a release?"
It's here that the industry has realised the potential of franchises. In a year in which there were no Khan-led, Ranbir or Hrithik films, in which there were three Akshay Kumar flops — Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, Sarfira, Khel Khel Mein — and two Ajay Devgn disasters (Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha and Maidaan), only Stree 2 and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 emerged as the biggest success stories. The writing was on the wall — a franchise film could guarantee a minimum entertainment value, just like Dharmendra, Amitabh Bachchan, Salman, and Shah Rukh could with their standalone films.
"The theatrical film business runs on brands. It’s either a star driving the business or a franchise. Since we are running out of stars, we have a problem," Chauhan said. The exhibitor noted that before Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, Karthik Aaryan's last blockbuster was Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, and in between these two films, he had flops with Shehzada and Chandu Champion and moderate success with Satyaprem Ki Katha.
"So there is a problem. If you change the name of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, which opened at Rs 36 crore, to something like 'Bhaago Bhoot Aaya,' it wouldn't have gotten that opening at all! Because there is no inbuilt audience yet. It is the benefit of the franchise which has to be factored in."
Choudhary also said the need for an easy box-office bet isn't only limited to male stars as even female actors “want to play it safe." She added, "They want to do something that has a brand recall value and is safer to put together. This also means no one is taking risks and there is no scope for a new kind of storytelling." In most of the new franchises, the female leads are replaceable, even if the male star remains a constant. If Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 had Kiara Adavni, the third installment featured Triptii Dimri.
The screenwriter said in the current climate, the only hope was to not give up on original ideas and wait for the tide to pass, which it will, with a standalone blockbuster.
"For screenwriters, the tip is to do one such commissioned work if it comes your way but, at the same time,burn the midnight oil by doing something you believe will be different from what everybody is asking you to do. Eventually, your conviction will take you in the direction of authentic storytelling and the wave will change. If a big romantic film works, then everyone will want that. And when that happens, you better be ready with your Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham 2," she laughs.