The Science Of Bollywood Sequels & Series

Bollywood seems to have got its film terminology wrong. So while multi-starrers are confused with ensemble cast films, films in the same series are often erroneously called sequels.

Then there are questions if making series or sequels are the end of creativity. So while Double Dhamaal and Murder 2 have already hit the theatres, a healthy debate on whether sequels make sense is not only topical but also desirable.

Have Bollywood sequels stretched the idea of a movie sequel too far? Are filmmakers thinking differently for their sequels or are they just milking the brand? Looking at the movies that have been churned out in the name of ‘sequels’ and ‘series’, Bollywood filmmakers need to push the envelope when it comes to creativity. Filmmaking is a commercial enterprise and since the audience loves these so-called ‘sequels’, there’s no harm in trying to monetize it as a profitable venture. If a film is a success and lends itself to more drama then why not make another film!

However, there are a few things that filmmakers should keep in mind before proudly announcing sequels of their film:

1. The characters should remain same.

2. The sequel should start where the first one ended.

3. The sequel should be an extension of the first film, with the drama taking off from where it ended in the first part.

Will The Real Sequel Please Stand Up?

While Golmaal and Munnabhai are largely considered to be sequels, the truth is that they are not! The Golmaal films are not sequels of one another; their only constant being that all of these Rohit Shetty films indulge in comedy.

Even the Sanjay Dutt-Arshad Warsi combo, Lage Raho Munnabhai, is not a sequel to the first film, Munnabhai MBBS. Though the characters are the same, they do different things in the two movies and they tackled different problems. In the true sense of the term these were not sequels, but were part of the Munnabhai ‘series’.

100% Sequels

On the same note, Dhoom and Dhoom 2 were sequels with Abhishek Bachchan and Uday Chopra on the trail of super-smart villains. Similarly, the story of the hero with superpowers continues in Koi… Mil Gaya and Krrissh. Ram Gopal Varma’s bloody tale, Rakht Charitra 2, was a sequel to Rakht Charitra. Even the Vinay Pathak starrer Bheja Fry 2 was a sequel to the misadventures of a dimwitted Bharat Bhushan from Bheja Fry.

Faking It

The Emraan Hashmi-Jacqueline Fernandez starrer Murder 2 was touted as the sequel to the 2004 hit film Murder, which starred hottie Mallika Sherawat. But as it turns out, Murder 2 is part of the series and not a sequel. To add to the confusion, the Bhatts have already announced their intention to cash-in on the Murder series with Murder 3! Previously, the Bhatts went ahead with Raaz: The Mystery Continues though it wasn’t really a sequel to the original Bipasha Basu horror film, Raaz. Besides the horror element, the movies had nothing in common! And to think that Raaz 3 is already in the pipeline…

More ‘sequels’ / ‘films in the series’ in the making right now:

Bhoot 2
Dostana 2
Housefull 2
Dhoom 3
Race 2
Dabangg 2
Munnabhai series next

Talking about sequels and series…