Sequel Mania!

The trend of making sequels to the movies which have set the cash registers ringing at the box office has undeniably increased in the past few years. Like many things, even the idea of making sequels has been directly "inspired" from Hollywood. However, unlike Hollywood, most of the sequels made in Bollywood aren't pre-planned and are more of a spur of a moment idea. Once a film does well or has managed to impress the audience/critics in some way, a sequel somehow becomes the automatic next step. As most movies do not plan to be a part of a franchise, these movies often do not have an ending open enough to make way for the next. This perhaps in when creativity is born and our movie makers release such creative ideas that we are left stunned!

It now sometimes feels like filmmakers lack originality and just do not want to bother brainstorming for new ideas. They'd rather cash in the popularity of the previously acknowledged films despite their immense talent in telling new stories.

Though movies such as Race 2, Dabangg 2, Double Dhamaal have been direct sequels to already hit movies, yet to be released movies such as Shootout at Wadala, Once Upon a Time in Mumbai Again and Aashiqui 2 aren't really technically sequels as they do not continue the story established in the first installments. Producers, just for the sake of raking in some extra moolah, mint the tag of sequel to lure audience in.

In some cases the sequels work, for example Golmaal Returns, Don 2, Dhoom 2 and the Munnabhai series, but many a times, the movie the sequel only ends up mocking the original story. The most recent example is Race 2, a direct sequel to 2008 blockbuster, Race. While the original movie was praised for its music and flamboyant thrilling story which kept the audience glued to the edge of their seats, the sequel was trashed by critics and audience alike for it's mundane storyline. Or lack of it.