Bollywood bitten by sequel bug

There was a time when film makers used to start working on their next project after the success of their current movie. The movie might have become a blockbuster but they would still come out with fresh ideas and work on a completely different script. With the passage of time, film making has undergone a drastic change. Today if a movie becomes successful at the box-office then film makers start planning about making its sequels. The trend of sequel had begun from Hollywood where the sequels of successful films like Terminator, Evil Dead, Lethal Weapon, Transporter, Rush Hour, American Pie, Die Hard etc have been made. Bollywood too has been gripped under the sequel fever. Thus we have already seen the sequel of films like Krissh, Dhoom, Hera Pheri, Dedh Ishqiya, Vaastav, Munna Bhai M.B.B.S, Dabanng, Masti, Jism, Murder, Jannat etc. This year one can look forward to sequels like Welcome back, No Entry Main Entry, Shaadi Ke Side Effects, Bhootnath 2, Ragini MMS 2 etc.

Nowadays film makers announce the sequel of the film even before its release. If they are not making the sequel then media starts questioning them about it. Many times directors don’t get the right script for continuing the series hence they have to wait for a long time to make the sequel of the film.

Nowadays directors feel that if the original film has worked then its sequel too will rake in moolah at the box office. But a question which arises here is whether it is necessary to make the sequel of every successful film? Every sequel has not been as successful like the original film. For instance, Ishqiya was a hit but its sequel Dedh Ishqiya tanked at the box office. Vaastav’s sequel Hathyar lacked the steam to make it memorable. Once Upon a Time in Mumbai was a hit but its sequel was a complete washout at the box office.

Even though Murder and Murder 2 were loved by viewers Murder 3 was huge disappointment and failed to live up to the expectations of the audience. Ramgopal Varma’s Satya 2 failed to set cash registers ringing. Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster returns failed to repeat the magic of Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster. Bheja Fry received critical acclaim but its sequel Bheja Fry 2 found no takers. Hyderabad Blues 2 was a major let down at the box-office. Makers of Dhamaal were unable to do justice to its sequel Double Dhamaal which had some irksome comedy scenes.

Many times, film makers dole out substandard scripts while making sequels. Today the film industry has become commercialised as it more concerned about making money instead of concentrating on good scripts. Most of the times, directors blindly copy the script and scenes of Hollywood movies. Sometimes there is no connection between the sequel and the original movie. Thus film makers should only plan about making the sequel of the film if they possess good script. They should not blindly jump into sequel bandwagon merely to cash in on the success of the original film. If directors don’t have good script for making the sequel they should drop the idea and instead start working on a new project.