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If at first you do succeed, try and try again. This seems to be the mantra in the film world of Mumbai these days. A spate of hit films has fanned a wave of sequels. Of course, sequels have been around for a while in Bollywood. But 2012 can easily be crowned the year of sequels. As many as 28 such films are on the anvil this year. Among them are Dhoom 3, Munnabhai 3, Housefull 2, Krrish 3, Once Upon A Time in Mumbaai 2, Golmaal 4 and Mr India 2. Salman Khan, who wowed his fans as a cop in Dabangg, is taking another bow with Dabangg 2 and producer Nadiadwala is renewing his Judwafranchise, but this time with Saif. Ishqiya, directed by Bharadwaj, is in for a new run. "The trend is here to stay," says Hiren Gada, director, Shemaroo, the producer ofIshqiya, and its sequel, Dedh Ishqiya. "Sequels have been successful in the past: they grab attention because of the recall value of the original. And the old star cast connects well," Gada stresses. But why has all of Bollywood suddenly jumped on the sequel bandwagon? "Success," says Sanjay Gadhvi, the director of the Dhoom series, succinctly. In the first place, it's a hit film that spawns sequels. And second, in many cases, the sequel ends up making even more money, he points out. Indeed, according to data from Box Office India, a website that maintains box office rankings, Dhoom 2 was a blockbuster and did business worth Rs 146.78 crore, in comparison to Dhoom, which earned Rs 72.47 crore. Some believe that it's not just money. A sequel, argues Siddharth Roy Kapur, CEO of UTV Motion Pictures, takes a brand — in this case, the film — forward. "You have an existing brand that has entertained people in the past and therefore you are building on the equity of that brand and taking the franchise forward. You know that you will have viewers flocking the theatre from day one," says Kapur. Perhaps that explains why UTV Motions is investing in Race 2 and is in talks with filmmaker Prakash Jha for a sequel toRaajneeti. Gada adds that making sequels is one way of pushing a film forward. "It's like we come up with merchandise, then DVDs, then ringtones and then sequels. It's a step-by-step process, where the filmmakers make a conscious effort of delivering a hit," he says. What also eggs some filmmakers on is perhaps the fact that the concept has met with a fair measure of success in Hollywood. After all, if the US film industry can revel in sequels, why can't Bollywood? "Making sequels and remakes has been an integral part of Hollywood's history," stresses Mumbai-based film historian Rafique Baghdadi. "They have many franchises and interestingly most of them manage to do great business. Star Wars, Indiana Jones,The Matrix, Harry Potter and Men In Black are just few examples of how Hollywood banks on sequels for business," Baghdadi points out. But some fear that unlike their Bollywood counterparts, Hindi film sequels are often a slapdash job. A section of film observers, in fact, wouldn't even like to describe Bollywood's efforts as sequels. Gadhvi, for one, likes to draw a line between series and sequels, which are an extension of an earlier story. Series on the other hand have the same characters but in a plot that has little connection with the first story. "Not all sequels announced are real sequels. To me sequels have an episodic flavour. Almost all hit sequels have that flavour. But some filmmakers are just cashing in on the trend. I seriously don't understand why a Jannat 2 or a Jism 2 is being made. Did these stories demand a sequel? Well it's up to the filmmakers to decide," he says. With the rage for sequels, directors and producers of films who earlier did not think of the possibility of a second part are now chalking out new plots. Gada, for one, admits that when Ishqiya was being made, they had no plans of making Dedh Ishqiya. "It was only after the film became a huge hit and won a lot of accolades that we (Shemaroo and director Bhardwaj) decided to create a quirky franchise," he says. Right now, almost every production house that churned out a major blockbuster in the last few years is planning a sequel, despite their original hits not being conceptualised as films with follow-up stories. "But if something clicks with the audience and the story has the possibility of being taken forward, then why can't filmmakers make sequels," asks Tanuj Garg, the CEO of Balaji Motion Pictures, which has two sequels earmarked for the year — Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai 2 and Kya Super Kool Hain Hum — and Shootout at Wadala, a prequel toShootout at Lokhandwala. Producers, however, hasten to add that not every film can lead to a part two. "The Dirty Picture was a huge hit, but we knew it couldn't be taken forward with a sequel. So we are not going in for one," Garg says. Some filmmakers, however, seek to stress that their works have always been conceived with the thought of a sequel. Actor Luke Kenny, who was last seen in Rock On!!, is all set to deliver the first instalment of his zombie films. "Zombie is a trilogy and it has been conceptualised that way. The stakes are high but still I will be going ahead with it," he says. Actor Isha Koppikar too is working on a sequel to Shabri, though the film did not do well at the box office. "I got a lot of critical acclaim for it and that prompted me to become a co-producer," says Koppikar. From the beginning, she adds, the film was thought of as a two-episode venture. Not everybody, of course, believes that the passion for sequels is a healthy trend. "It means the death of imagination," asserts film critic Gayatri Chatterjee, who believes the trend will dilute standards of filmmaking in India. Baghdadi is not so sure. "The young filmmakers are smart people. And even sequels need to have good scripts to do well. The audience is no longer that naïve," he says. Screenplay writer Jasvinder Singh Bath, who wrote the script for Yamla Pagla Deewanaand its sequel, agrees. "When you are writing a sequel, you have to come up with a plot that is better than the original." Some directors stress that sequels have to end at the right time too. For Gadhvi, twice was enough with Dhoom. Likewise, Sanjay Gupta, director of the Shootout series, stresses that it's curtains for his story. "As a filmmaker, I don't endorse quick-fix sequels. This will make viewers sceptical of sequels." And in an industry where the audience rules, attracting eyeballs is all about minting money. Komal Nahta, host for Bollywood Business, a television show on ETC, states that Rs 200-250 crore have been invested in sequels this year. And everybody wants a hit. Baghdadi doesn't believe there is any reason for concern. "The fate of these sequels out of the 100-odd films made every year will not affect the film industry. For every sequel that bombs there will be plenty of other films to make up for the losses." Meanwhile, the Sultan of Sequels — none other than Salman Khan — is looking at more and more episodes of his hit films. Discussions are on for sequels to Bodyguard,Partner and even Tere Naam, a 2003 film. And he is even contemplating Dabangg 3 — where he will be playing Mumbai's police commissioner. The story continues. PLAY IT AGAIN Sequels set for 2012 1. Kya Super Kool Hain Hum |
Sunday, February 5, 2012
It’s the year of sequels with Bollywood filmmakers cashing in on past productions like never before. Shabina Akhtar finds out what keeps the narrative going
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120205/jsp/7days/story_15094087.jsp
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