It’s raining sequels in bollyville. Bollywood has found the formula to piggyback on the success of previous hits and cashing on them by announcing their sequels. Various filmmakers have announced the sequels to hit films like Dostana, Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai, Shootout at Lokhandwala, Isqhiya, Kyaa Kool Hai Hum, Race, Ek Chaalis Ki Last Local, Dabbangg.
An interesting trend to be noted in these sequels is the casting. Mostly the director, music composers and lead actors are retained while the lead actresses are mostly replaced with newer and fresher faces.
Neha Dhupia coincidentally featured in three films (Shootout at Lokhandwala, Ek Chaalis Ki Last Local and Kyaa Kool Hai Hum) for which sequels have been announced. She was recently quoted saying, “I don’t know why women are dropped from sequels. It is a male dominated industry and it is entirely upto the director who he wants in the film. But I am glad that most of the films I did are being made into sequels. These films had left a mark, hence they are made into sequels and it feels great to be part of the first part.”
Producers want to rake in the cash based on the loyal fanbase of the earlier hits and they feel that adding a fresh face to the cast will add an extra value to the sequels. It is a model that almost all production houses are now following as it offers lower risk and also helps in keeping the film alive in audience memory as soon as it is announced. It is perfect marketing gimmick as well even when the sequel has very little to connect with the earlier film for instance Murder 2 or Raaz 2 did not take their predecessors’ stories forward.
Few actresses that have been retained for the sequels are Priyanka Chopra for Don 2, Kareena Kapoor for Golmaal series and Sonakshi Sinha for Dabbangg 2.
Katrina Kaif has replaced Priyanka Chopra in Dostana 2 which is quite justified since Priyanka walks away with Bobby Deol in Dostana 1 (2008). Bipasha Basu and Sarah Jane Dias have replaced Neha Dhupia and Eesha Koppikarr in Kyaa Super Kool Hai Hum. Kangana Ranaut has replaced Vidya Balan in Ishqiya. Deepika Padukone and Ameesha Patel have replaced Bipasha Basu and Katrina Kaif in Race 2.
Some of the actors who have lost on the sequels include Ajay Devgn in Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai and rightly so since his character dies in the end. Abhay Deol will be replaced by Vivek Oberoi in Ek Chaalis Ki Last Local tentatively titled as Gyarah Chalis Ki Last Metro the shooting for which will take place in Delhi.
