Explore the evolution of sequels in Indian cinema, from 1943’s Hunterwali Ki Beti to modern blockbusters like Baahubali, KGF, and Dhurandhar: The Revenge
Dr. Mrinal Chatterjee
A sequel is a book, movie, play, or video game that continues the story or expands upon the theme of an earlier work. For much of its history, Indian cinema was built around the idea of a complete story. A film began, unfolded, and ended within its own two or three hours.
Hunterwali Ki Beti (1943) was the first Indian film to have a sequel, following the 1935 film Hunterwali. Both movies starred Fearless Nadia in the lead role and were produced by the Wadia brothers, J. B. H. and Homi Wadia (Nadia’s husband), under the banner of Wadia Movietone. Nadia, born Mary Ann Evans on January 8, 1908, is best known by her stage name, Fearless Nadia. An Australian-Indian actress and stuntwoman, she made a significant impact on Indian cinema, particularly through her role as the masked, cloaked adventurer in Hunterwali, one of the earliest female-led Indian films. The plot of Hunterwali Ki Beti, directed by Batuk Bhatt, follows the daughter of the original vigilante hero, Hunterwali, as she embarks on a daring quest to save her imprisoned mother from villains in the Black Forest.
Following this very early experiment, the concept of a “Part 2” or continuation remained rare for decades.
It was in 1981 that Wardat, an early Hindi spy-thriller featuring Mithun Chakraborty as “Gunmaster G9”, followed its earlier avatar, Surakksha (1979).
In 1985, Japanil Kalyanaraman, a Tamil film directed by S. Ramanathan, was released. It was widely regarded as an early landmark sequel in Tamil cinema, following the 1979 film ‘Kalyanaraman’.
Later, films such as Nagina–Nigahen and Surakksha–Wardat offered occasional examples of continuing characters and stories.
Nigahen, the sequel to the supernatural fantasy hit Nagina (1986), was released in 1989.
It was after the new millennium that more sequels began to be made, and many of them succeeded.
Films such as Phir Hera Pheri (2006), Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2006), Dhoom 2 (2006), Krrish (2006), Golmaal Returns (2008), Don 2 (2011), and Dabangg 2 (2012) demonstrated that a successful film could become a repeatable cinematic brand. By 2013, trade observers were describing sequels as a fast-growing phenomenon, with numerous follow-ups scheduled within a single year.
The contemporary era has taken this much further. Baahubali 2, KGF Chapter 2, Pushpa 2, Dhurandhar (2025), and its sequel Dhurandhar: The Revenge (2026), among other pan-Indian films, have transformed the sequel from merely a second instalment into an event—often continuing one large narrative across multiple films.
Another interesting phenomenon is that several high-profile Indian sequels have vastly outperformed their original films, both in box-office collections and cultural impact. In many cases, these follow-ups have expanded a regional hit into a massive pan-Indian blockbuster.
Consider Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017). S. S. Rajamouli’s epic sequel outperformed its predecessor, Baahubali: The Beginning (2015), grossing over ₹1,810 crore worldwide. The original had already set a massive benchmark, earning roughly ₹600–650 crore. The same phenomenon could be observed with KGF 2 and Pushpa 2.
This happened with Hindi films too. Consider Gadar 2 (2023). Returning 22 years after the historic 2001 classic Gadar: Ek Prem Katha, this legacy sequel rode a wave of nostalgia to earn over ₹691 crore worldwide.
The same trend can be seen in the Dhoom franchise. Each iteration smashed the previous film’s records. While Dhoom (2004) was a sleek hit, Dhoom 2 pushed boundaries globally, and Dhoom 3 eventually crossed ₹550 crore.
Stree 2 (2024), the horror-comedy sequel, became a runaway phenomenon, dominating the domestic box office with a worldwide gross of ₹874 crore. It easily surpassed the modest but successful 2018 original.
The same happened with Drishyam 2 (2022). The Hindi sequel, starring Ajay Devgn, relied heavily on intense word-of-mouth and strong franchise recall to gross ₹345 crore globally, far outshining the 2015 original.
Why are sequels increasingly popular?
Familiarity is the first reason. A successful film comes with an established audience, familiar characters, and brand recognition. Producers, therefore, begin with an advantage that an entirely new film does not possess. Sequels can generate curiosity even before their trailers appear.
Economics is another factor. Established franchises make marketing easier. The audience already knows the characters and the genre. In an increasingly expensive and competitive theatrical market, familiarity has commercial value.
There is also a creative reason. Today’s filmmakers increasingly think in terms of cinematic universes rather than isolated stories. Streaming platforms have further accustomed audiences to long-form storytelling, multiple chapters, and recurring characters. Modern viewers enjoy tracking interconnected storylines across multiple films.
Yet the sequel boom raises an important question: Are we extending stories because they genuinely demand continuation—or because audiences already recognise the brand?
The history of Indian cinema suggests that the most enduring sequels will be those that offer not merely more of the same, but more of the story.
(The author is a journalist-turned-media academician and former Professor & Regional Director at IIMC, Dhenkanal. He currently serves as Professor of Practice at OUTR, Bhubaneswar. Views expressed are personal.)