For many years, sequels have proven to be the most reliable crutch for Bollywood. While many popular franchises guarantee a massive opening, they also somewhat reduce the risk of the film flopping. Secondly, they tap into the nostalgia of fans, so there's less demand for creativity.

Failed Franchises
But 2025 showed everyone their true colors. While franchises were being churned out indiscriminately, considered a lucky charm, 2025 said, "Show some creativity, or you'll flop." It pushed movie directors and writers out of their comfort zones. Sequel after sequel arrived with hype, grandeur, and inflated budgets, but ultimately, the audience's patience wore thin.

Shattered Illusions
The films released in 2025 not only performed poorly but also revealed a pattern behind their failures. Several films garnered headlines, yet suffered heavy losses. Some films completely flopped, proving that brand recognition alone cannot sustain a film.

Box office figures consistently released by Sacnilk show that 2025 proved to be the year that shattered the illusion of sequel success. Let's talk about some of them.

War 2
The sequel to War was brought in with massive star power. South Indian actor Jr. NTR made his Bollywood debut with this film, and Kiara Advani added to the entertainment quotient. Hrithik returned as Kabir, but it all went in vain. Made on a budget of 400 crore, the film earned 365 crore worldwide. According to Sacnilk, the sequel failed to even surpass the lifetime collection of the original War (2019).

Housefull 5
Similarly, Housefull 5 was also a multi-starrer film. On paper, this comedy film seemed successful and earned ₹364.35 crore worldwide. However, in reality, the film's ₹250 crore budget made it difficult to turn a profit. The filmmakers pulled out all the stops, banking on Akshay Kumar's return to slapstick comedy, a massive cruise ship sequence, and even releasing two versions (5A and 5B). While this initially drew audiences to theaters, the weak storyline and double-meaning jokes ultimately turned them away.

Baaghi 4
Tiger Shroff's Baaghi 4 proved to be the worst installment in the franchise. While Baaghi 3 earned a respectable amount in 2020 despite the pandemic, the fourth installment only managed to rake in a mere ₹77 crore worldwide. All figures are according to Sacnilk.

Son of Sardaar 2
The figures for Son of Sardaar 2 were even worse. The original film was a superhit due to its low budget. The sequel, released after a 13-year gap, reportedly had a budget of ₹130 crore but only managed to earn ₹65.75 crore worldwide.

Masti 4
The adult comedy genre also fared poorly. Masti 4 barely earned ₹15 crore worldwide against a budget of approximately ₹40 crore, mirroring the disappointing performance of its predecessor, Great Grand Masti. This once-popular genre has clearly lost its audience, and 2025 confirmed that the franchise model is not a guaranteed safety net.

Dhadak 2
Dhadak 2 was a social drama film starring new talents like Siddhant Chaturvedi and Tripti Dimri. Despite receiving critical acclaim for its handling of caste politics and the performances, the film only earned ₹31.5 crore globally and failed to attract audiences to theaters.

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