Mumbai: Franchise films and sequels, once billed as sure-shot insurance against fickle audiences and shrinking theatre turnouts, are increasingly backfiring in India, with many high-budget releases struggling to generate buzz and failing to recover their massive investments.

In the first nine months of 2025, at least 10 big-ticket franchise films and sequels hit theatres, but most stumbled at the box office.

Among the biggest disappointments were Jolly LLB 3, Baaghi 4, War 2, Dhadak 2, Son Of Sardaar 2 and Housefull 5. War 2, a part of Yash Raj Films' ambitious Spy Universe, managed collections of just Rs 236.55 crore in India against a production budget estimated between Rs 300-400 crore, according to box office tracker Sacnilk.

Industry experts say the problem is that Bollywood builds its franchises as forced extensions rather than carefully thought-out universes.

"Hindi franchise films are not planned organically like Cinematic Universe films in the West. These films are made as an 'afterthought'," said scriptwriter Sudeep Nigam, known for the mini-series The Indrani Mukerjea Story: Buried Truth. Nigam gave an example of the recent horror films. "I don't understand the connection between Shaitaan (2024) and Maa (2025). Shaitaan is a film about black magic. And Maa is a demon in a forest. Can these films belong to a universe because they share a theme?" he explained.

In the West, franchise films are planned well in advance and connected through consistent characters and narratives.

For instance, Marvel Studios planned for two years before it released its first Marvel Cinematic Universe film Iron Man in 2008. To date, the studio has released 33 films with careful planning in terms of budgets ($130-300 million range) and timeline (in six phases).

Lack of connection in stories between the original and the sequel has also added to the failure, especially of recent sequels and franchise extensions.

"Sequels must have plots which take stories of original films ahead. But this is not observed in recent sequels. These films are made just to cash in on the brand value built by original films. It is just weak writing," said Girish Johar, producer and film business expert.

In this context, scriptwriter Nigam cited an example of the Jolly LLB film series.

"The first two Jolly LLB films worked. Then, the idea of bringing together both heroes in a film sounded viable to its makers. But did the makers have a proper plot to justify their presence and create a proper franchise film?" Nigam explained.

After the pandemic, the box office outcome of films across geographies has become more unpredictable than in the pre-pandemic period, as films are either accepted wholeheartedly or shunned completely.

The days are gone when a film would do average business and break even. In this context, large production houses have been focusing on franchise films or sequels as they have an established audience base.

"As regards franchise films, there is too much reliance on the 'stardom' of stars rather than creating 'characters' which utilize their stardom, talent and add emotional depth to these films. Today, the story is a film's star, which makers are not fully recognizing yet," said Varun Kapoor, producer and founder of Brooken Reels Production, a film production company.

Trade analysts pointed out the poor performance of War 2 to its makers' excessive focus on the stardom of the film's stars. They noted that in the past six months at least fifty new franchise films and sequels have been announced in the industry. A few of these are Border 2, No Entry 2 and Awarapan 2.

Nervous and anxious, these are the feelings that he was laden with when filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Gangubai Kathiawadi happened to actor Varun Kapoor. But gradually, as the process began, he “trusted” himself and enjoyed shooting for the film.

Kapoor, who played the role of Gangu’s (played by actor Alia Bhatt) lover in the film, admits, “Nothing can prepare you for life or a Bhansali set. You can only enjoy if you give yourself completely into the process. I learnt a lot by being a good listener.”

Delighted that the movie worked well and his performance was loved by many, he exclaims, “I thought gaali padegi for the role, but thankfully, the viewers were convinced and felt I did justice to the role.”

Kapoor adds, “The way Bhansali sir presented my character (Ramnik Lal), it turned out well. I never thought he was a villain. People told me that I had a good screen presence. It was a revelation for me.”

While waiting for the release of the film was daunting, waiting during the pandemic was worse for Kapoor. “I lost my brother when his plane crashed on 4 November, 2020. It was a tough time for me. Professionally, everything got stalled. I wasn’t available to shoot as I was in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, with my parents. But more importantly, I wasn’t in a proper frame of mind. I couldn’t pull myself out of the shock,” says the actor.

He reveals that Bhansali and his team waited for him. “It was kind of them. They could have gone ahead with another actor, but they didn’t. They told me to take my time,” he remarks.

Having done a number of popular TV shows, including Swaragini and Savitri Devi College & Hospital, Kapoor feels patience is a virtue for actors. He is glad that his Bollywood debut got a theatrical release and was well received, despite the ongoing pandemic.

Talking about transitioning to films, he shares, “I had done many TV shows and I came to a point where I thought, ‘What’s new for the audience and me?’ When people see you everyday, there is no curiosity left. Sure, there’s money and fame, but after a point, things come to a standstill. And you have to push yourself. Going forward, I want to be part of films and web.”