Actor Pankaj Tripathi was part of the biggest Bollywood hit this year, Stree 2, but box-office numbers don’t impact him. “It’s great that a film made on such a nominal budget became a blockbuster. Par iss success se aapka dimaag kharab nahin hona chahiye. Ek thehraav rehna chahiye,” he says.

Tripathi insists that since the film was part of a franchise, it helped its performance: “The happiness the audience got after watching the first part played a huge role in bringing them to the theatres for the sequel in the first weekend itself. Otherwise, people wait for the weekend to get over to know the reviews, but with franchise films that isn’t the case.”

Having been a part of franchises that have been both hits and misses, he talks about Bollywood’s obsession with sequels. “To make a franchise, a hit film isn’t all you need. You need a unique film. Sometimes, a film is successful, but not unique. Stree fit in both these spaces.”

This year’s biggest hits were sequels — Stree 2, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 and Singham Again. But overall, Bollywood underwhelmed at the box office. Tripathi equates that to the nature of the audience. “I don’t have an expertise in the business side of films, but I feel audiences are unpredictable. They change their tastes from time to time. Woh trailer dekh kar hi apna mann bana lete hain. Baaki publicity gimmicks aur stunts se kuch nahin hota hai,” the actor ends.

Talking of Stree 2, he shares an interesting anecdote: “During Stree (2018), the producers told me that if the film did well, they’d give me a bonus. That amount was crossed in four days. I didn’t even know when the makers put that same clause in my contract for Stree 2,” he ends.