Apurv Shukla –
Akshay Kumar should have cause for anxiety as his ‘Jolly LLB 2,’ his first film of the year due for release on February 10.
A Sequel to the surprise 2013 hit ‘Jolly LLB,’ the courtroom drama pairs Akshay for the first time with Huma Qureshi.
While the original starred Arshad Warsi in the title role, the forthcoming film is bigger in scale.
Akshay (48) is going through one of the best phases of his career.
His three releases last year (Airlift, Housefull 3 and Rustom) did well.
Airlift and Rustom (Co-produced by Akshay) were based on real-life incidents and drew critical and commercial acclaim.
Rise of a Star
Akshay started his career with ‘Saugandh’ (1991), co- starring Bhanupriya.
His first major success was the Abbas-Mustan directed ‘Khiladi.’
Loosely based on an earlier suspense drama (Khel Khel Mein), the film had a popular musical score.
The subsequent years saw Akshay’s career bring a mixed bag of hits and misses. He was identified as an action-hero but things changed for the better for Akshay in 2000 with the Priyadarshan-directed comedy Hera Pheri.
His stardom increased manifold as a new audience base was cultivated with his comic act. In recent years, his association with Director Neeraj Pandey has been productive. The duo has strived to give intelligent commercial films like Special 26 and Baby.
Akshay is the most prolific actor. He does about four films a year and with every film he adds to his repertoire and gives fans entertaining cinema.
Attracting Sequels
What makes sequels an attractive option for filmmakers is the brand value the originals of the films carry.
The risks associated with sequels compared to making original films are less. In a highly competitive market, any advantage would be a bonus.
Although 2016 was a disappointing year for sequels in Hindi cinema, comic capers like Tere bin Laden, Kya Kool Hain Hum and Great Grand Masti tanked at the box office.
Rock on 2 and Kahaani 2 also disappointed.
A successful sequel should carry the elements which made the original films popular, but filmmakers should embellish them with new and attractive ingredients to ensure viewers enjoy the films and not become monotonous.
