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Sequel season dawns on Bollywood
By Priyanka Khanna, Indo-Asian News Service

New Delhi, April 2 (IANS) Sequel fever is setting in on Bollywood with the first of many such films announced with much pomp and show earlier ready to go on the marquees.
                   

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While last year many A-list Hindi filmmakers went to town about their intentions of churning out sequels of their own films or re-makes of golden oldies, the second quarter of the year 2006 will see some of them bare their wares.

"Boo - Darna Zaroori Hai", a sequel to "Darna Zaroori Hai" from the stables of maverick filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma, will be the first of the many coming up soon.

Up next will be "Phir Hera Pheri", a sequel to hit comedy "Hera Pheri"; "Krrish" that hopes to duplicate the success of "Koi Mil Gaya" and "Dhoom 2", a follow up of "Dhoom". Another eagerly awaited sequel is to "Munnabhai MBBS".

In addition, David Dhawan is working on Act II of "Mujhse Shaadi Karogi" in a 
comic caper titled "Jaaneman". Even producer Ektaa Kapoor is threatening to 
come back with episode two of the truly awful crass comedy, "Kyaa Kool Hai Hum".

This is rather surprising considering that ultra-superstitious Bollywood has traditionally found sequels to be unlucky territory. Having burnt its fingers with the few it has tried, Bollywood has generally shied away from sequels.

Bollywood filmmakers had earlier tired their hand on sequels with "Nigaahein" - a sequel to Sridevi's super hit film "Nagina" - that failed to win the box-office.

From then on, sequel was an alien word for Bollywood. More recently, director Mahesh Manjrekar scooped a sequel "Hathyar" to his highly successful film "Vaastav" with disastrous results.

The fact that sequels are ready to grace the Indian marquees again after a long gap, speaks volumes about the changing face of Indian cinema.

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The booming list of sequels got a new entrant with the makers of last year's runaway animation film "Hanuman" announcing plans to bring out a follow-up this week.

The sequel will feature Hindu mythological god Hanuman as an idol for today's generation who inculcates good values in modern-day children.

"Hanuman 2" will be a Rs.150 million project and released during the festival 
season next year, according to Percept Picture Company chief operating officer Mahesh Ramanathan.

"Hanuman" had earned more than the earnings of Bollywood flicks like "Kyon 
Ki", "Neal 'N' Nikki", "Chocolate", and "Ek Ajnabee" put together.

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More than sequels, it is the remake fever that is gripping Bollywood by the 
throat. Big names like Yash Chopra, Ram Gopal Varma, Farhan Akhtar, J.P. 
Dutta, Feroz Khan, David Dhawan and Rituparno Ghosh are engaged in reworking 
hits of the past for the 'Now' generation.

Yash Chopra is reclaiming romantic film "Kabhi Kabhie" that was released merely 30 years ago and is routinely seen on television. Rituparno Ghosh, who has given us some very original memorable movie moments, is drawing inspiration from Vijay Anand's "Guide" (1965).

Feroz Khan is remaking his 1980 action thriller "Qurbani", Farhan Akhtar is reconstructing the Amitabh Bachchan starrer "Don" (1978) with Shah Rukh Khan in the lead and David Dhawan is in the midst of a new version of Manmohan Desai's comic caper "Amar Akbar Anthony" (1977) with a crop of new comedians.

J.P. Dutta is close to wrapping up "Umrao Jaan", which he claims is not a remake of Muzaffar Ali's off-mainstream 1981 musical drama.

Just as famously, Ram Gopal Varma is relocating Veeru, Jai, Thakur and 
Gabbar Singh from dusty Ramgarh to neon-lit Mumbai in his much-publicised version of Ramesh Sippy's evergreen hit "Sholay" (1975).

For long now, whispers about the "Sholay" sequel have been doing the rounds. G.P. Sippy had himself expressed his desire to cut a sequel to the immortal film. Apparently, Varma has got the green signal from G.P. Sippy.

Filmmakers are tempted by the success of films like "Devdas" and "Parineeta" that were successful remakes of earlier versions. It remains to be seen whether the audience is game to see new interpretations of their favourite films, especially when they can catch the original on their idiot box.