Bollywood
Year Ender 2025:The year of Sequels
BY SACNILK
Sequel Report 2025 Filmmakers doubled down on nostalgia this year, bringing back iconic characters and expanding beloved universes. From the high-octane face-off in War 2 to the supernatural hysteria of Stree 2, the box office was dominated by the Part 2 phenomenon. However, the results were a mixed bag of hits and shocking disasters, proving that a franchise tag alone is no longer a guarantee of success. As we wrap up the year, here is the verified collection report and verdict of the 10 sequels of 2025. War 2 Director Ayan Mukerji Cast Hrithik Roshan, Jr NTR, Kiara Advani Hindi Net ₹ 236.55 Cr WW Gross ₹ 364.35 Cr Budget ₹ 400 Cr Verdict Flop A monumental disappointment. Despite the massive hype surrounding the Hrithik vs. Jr NTR face-off, the film collapsed due to negative word-of-mouth and a weak screenplay. With a colossal budget of ₹400 Cr, the collections are disastrous, failing to even cross the lifetime figures of its 2019 predecessor. It proves that mounting a project on scale alone cannot save a film if the content doesn't connect. Housefull 5 Director Tarun Mansukhani Cast Akshay Kumar, Riteish Deshmukh, Abhishek Bachchan Hindi Net ₹ 183.3 Cr WW Gross ₹ 288.58 Cr Budget ₹ 250 Cr Verdict Average A classic case of the budget outgrowing the box office potential. While the cruise ship grandeur pushed the cost to an astronomical ₹250 Cr, the collections (₹183.3 Cr Net) failed to match up, falling significantly short of Housefull 4's ₹210 Cr benchmark. Despite decent family footfalls during the holidays, the massive mounting turned a potential money-spinner into a financial burden, signaling clear franchise fatigue. Jolly LLB 3 Director Subhash Kapoor Cast Akshay Kumar, Arshad Warsi, Huma Qureshi Hindi Net ₹ 116.75 Cr WW Gross ₹ 170.8 Cr Budget ₹ 120 Cr Verdict Success A classic example of diminishing ROI. While the much-hyped face-off between Akshay Kumar and Arshad Warsi helped the film match the net collections of Jolly LLB 2 (₹117 Cr), the economics went for a toss. With the budget skyrocketing 4x from ₹30 Cr to ₹120 Cr, what was once a highly profitable franchise has been reduced to just a Success. It proves that while the audience base remained intact, the massive cost escalation ate into the profit margins. Raid 2 Director Raj Kumar Gupta Cast Ajay Devgn, Riteish Deshmukh, Vaani Kapoor Hindi Net ₹ 173.05 Cr WW Gross ₹ 237 Cr Budget ₹ 120 Cr Verdict Hit Bigger numbers, but smaller margins. While Raid 2 saw a healthy jump in collections (₹173 Cr vs the prequel's ₹103 Cr), it couldn't match the massive profitability of the first part. Raid was a 'Super-Hit' because it earned 3x its lean ₹35 Cr budget. The sequel, burdened by a heavy ₹120 Cr cost, settles for a Hit verdict. It was a commercial success, but not the money-spinner the original was relative to investment. Sitaare Zameen Par Director R.S. Prasanna Cast Aamir Khan, Genelia Deshmukh Hindi Net ₹ 167.3 Cr WW Gross ₹ 267.34 Cr Budget ₹ 122 Cr Verdict Hit A case of High Revenue, Lower ROI. While Sitaare Zameen Par clocked an impressive ₹167.3 Cr (nearly 2.6x the prequel's lifetime), the economics tell a different story. With the budget escalating 10x from ₹12 Cr to ₹122 Cr, the massive profitability of the original is missing. However, given the genre and Aamir's recent track record, crossing ₹267 Cr worldwide makes it a respectable Hit, even if it lacks the Super-Hit status of its low-budget predecessor. De De Pyaar De 2 Director Anshul Sharma Cast Ajay Devgn, R. Madhavan, Rakul Preet Singh Hindi Net ₹ 74 Cr WW Gross ₹ 111.5 Cr Budget ₹ 150 Cr Verdict Below Average A shocking misfire. Sequels are expected to take the franchise forward, but De De Pyaar De 2 took a massive step back. Not only did the collections nosedive from ₹104 Cr (Part 1) to just ₹74 Cr, but the budget ballooned to ₹135 Cr, making theatrical recovery impossible. Son of Sardaar 2 Director Vijay Kumar Arora Cast Ajay Devgn, Mrunal Thakur, Sanjay Dutt Hindi Net ₹ 46.82 Cr WW Gross ₹ 65.75 Cr Budget ₹ 130 Cr Verdict Flop A box office catastrophe. The franchise completely collapsed with this installment. While the original was a Super-Hit with ₹105 Cr Net on a lean ₹40 Cr budget, the sequel saw the budget triple to ₹130 Cr while collections crashed to less than half (₹46.82 Cr). It stands as one of the biggest loss-makers of the year, proving that a 13-year gap is too long to sustain brand recall without strong content. Baaghi 4 Director A. Harsha Cast Tiger Shroff, Sara Ali Khan Hindi Net ₹ 52.1 Cr WW Gross ₹ 77 Cr Budget ₹ 80 Cr Verdict Flop The franchise has officially hit rock bottom. While Baaghi 3 managed ₹96.5 Cr even amidst the onset of the pandemic, Baaghi 4 saw collections crash by nearly 50% to just ₹52.1 Cr. Even with a reduced budget of ₹80 Cr, the film failed to recover its costs theatrically. The repetitive action formula has been completely rejected by the audience. Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon 2 Director Anukalp Goswami Cast Kapil Sharma, Warina Hussain,Tridha Choudhary, Ayesha Khan Hindi Net ₹ 7.20 Cr(As of day 3) WW Gross NA Budget ₹30 Cr Verdict NA Kapil Sharma's return to the big screen witnessed some respite over the weekend. After a slow start, the film saw positive growth on Sunday (₹ 2.85 Cr), taking its 3-day total to ₹ 7.20 Cr. While family audiences stepped out, the numbers still pale in comparison to the record-breaking debut of the first part. The film has gathered some momentum, but it now faces the crucial Monday test to see if it can sustain its run and challenge the lifetime collections of its prequel. Kesari Chapter 2 Director Karan Singh Tyagi Cast Akshay Kumar, Ananya Panday Hindi Net ₹ 92.73 Cr WW Gross ₹ 145 Cr Budget ₹ 150 Cr Verdict Average A failed attempt to capitalize on patriotism. While the original Kesari was a Hit earning ₹155.70 Cr Net on a controlled ₹100 Cr budget, the sequel stumbled significantly. With the production cost escalating to ₹150 Cr, the collections dropped by over 40% (₹92.73 Cr Net). Despite recovering ₹34.25 Cr from overseas markets, the film could not overcome its high budget, ending as a major commercial disappointment. Masti 4 Director Milap Zaveri Cast Vivek Oberoi, Aftab Shivdasani, Riteish Deshmukh Hindi Net ₹ 14.9 Cr WW Gross ₹ 19.25 Cr Budget ₹ 40 Cr Verdict Flop The franchise remains stuck in a rut. Masti 4 has virtually mirrored the disastrous performance of its prequel, Great Grand Masti (₹13.72 Cr). With collections stagnating around the ₹15 Cr mark against a ₹40 Cr budget, it confirms that the adult-comedy genre in this format has lost its theatrical appeal. It marks a second consecutive failure for the once-popular series.
