‘Sequel’ is the mania that’s driving star heroes mad right now in the Tollywood industry. Films like Baahubali 2, KGF 2, and their massive box office numbers are the reason for this.
Pushpa 2 is now the most hyped sequel, but if we look back at the situation when Pushpa was released, we find that the first part itself received very average reviews, let alone talk of a sequel. However, the stupendous success in the Hindi belt is the reason for Pushpa 2, and the rest is history.
Salaar has been a commercial success, but both Prabhas and the film’s director, Prashant Neel, have moved on to other projects, seemingly uninterested in a sequel. Although Salaar ends with a Salaar 2 end card, there is no clarity on when it will be made or if it will ever be made.
Prabhas’s recent film Kalki 2898 AD, directed by Nag Ashwin, delivered an ultra-boring first half in the name of world-building. But what is world-building without even developing the hero’s character? This left everyone scratching their heads. At least Nag Ashwin has successfully created hope for a better Part 2 due to the climax of Kalki Part 1.
However, the same issue arises: the hero signing back-to-back films raises doubts about when Kalki Part 2 will see the light of day. Prabhas has already signed projects with Sandeep Vanga, Maruthi, and Hanu Raghavapudi. He did not do this for Baahubali 2; he patiently waited to complete Part 2, showing how much he trusted the first part before its release.
The most recent example is NTR’s Devara, which falls into the same category. A writer like Koratala stated he realized the film needed to be told in two parts only after he started shooting. The result was that he diluted Part One’s climax.
Like Prabhas, NTR is already shooting for War 2 and will soon start filming with Prashant Neel. If both the hero and the director were serious about Devara Part 2, why start another film?
The bottom line is that none of these have a strong cliffhanger that made people restless like Baahubali; these are merely name-sake sequels being announced, and no one knows when they will come out.
Moreover, there is no public demand for these sequels; no one is debating when these movies will be released or eagerly waiting for them.
But that does not mean that people will not watch these sequels if they are made. The title penetration and branding are already done, and they will generate big numbers. However, the fact is that no one is asking for them.
India beat West Indies by 14 runs in the third T20I at the Holkar Stadium…
Rajinikanth's highly anticipated sequel Jailer 2 directed by Nelson Dilipkumar is all set to hit…
