Mar 12, 2026 3:20pm IST
Priyadarshan Questions Franchise Trend: ‘It’s Exploiting the Original Film’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Priyadarshan ruled the 2000s with back to back hits like "Hera Pheri" (2000), "Hungama" (2003), "Hulchul" (2004), "Garam Masala" (2005), "Bhool Bhulaiyaa" (2007) and "Bhagam Bhag" (2006). In the recent past, the sequels of his films have been taken ahead by different directors, like "Phir Hera Pheri" (Neeraj Vora) in 2006 and "Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2" (Anees Bazmee) in 2024.
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In a conversation with Variety India, Priyadarshan who is set to return to Hindi films after a long break with "Bhoot Bangla" starring Akshay Kumar, shares his thoughts on sequels and other directors taking his franchise films ahead. Priyadarshan candidly says, “I don’t like to do sequels of my own films because I know how much I suffered to make the original. I am always tense whether it will work. Finally, when it works, I don’t want to take a bigger burden the next time to make it work again.”
Adding that the concept works with continuity films, he elaborates, “If you are taking films like "Terminator 1," "Terminator 2," you can see a continuity. But in the other case only the title matches, nothing else matches. So then they are utilizing the fame of the previous film to pull the audience into the theatre. Then what happens is the audiences are coming in for three or four days because of the aura of the first part, and the films are able
to clock some collections. But after that, the films are dropping. By that time the producer feels that I have made my money. So it’s a kind of exploitation. I rather say it’s a kind of extortion of the first film.”
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