For years, Akshay Kumar was considered Bollywood’s most bankable star, he has delivered hits across genres from comedies to action to drama to romance. In the post Covid era, sequels have become a go-to option for filmmakers to ensure maximum return at the box office. And in the race of sequels Ajay Devgn and Akshay Kumar were leading the race. Ajay has nearly half a dozen sequels in the pipeline at various stages of production and Akshay is not too far behind. But when it comes to Akshay his sequel game seems to be not going exactly as planned. Kesari Chapter 2: Ambitious But BurdenedKesari, backed by Karan Johar and directed by Anurag Singh was one of the biggest hits of 2019. Cashing on the sequel Karan and Akshay joined hands to bring Raghu and Pushpa Palat’s book The Case That Shook The Empire based on Jallianwala Bagh Massacre to the big screen and titled the film Kesari 2. The film was mounted on a budget of over Rs 100 crore but it went on to collect Rs 92.72 crore as per Sacnilk at the Indian box office. The film thereby exposed the challenges of escalating sequel budgets without assured market pull. The film wont be losing money after taking into account non-theatrical revenue. Housefull 5: A Fading CharmThe Housefull franchise has long been one of Akshay Kumar’s most reliable brands, with its over-the-top humor and ensemble casts pulling in audiences over multiple installments. However, Housefull 5, despite a strong opening weekend, showed signs of fatigue. The film has gone on to become the 6th biggest hit of Akshay’s career but the massive budget it was made on does not justify the box office collection. The diminishing returns reflect both audience fatigue with the slapstick formula and perhaps a lack of freshness in the franchise’s content.Welcome to the Jungle: Financial Crisis and Exit DramaWelcome to the Jungle, the third installment in the much-loved Welcome franchise, touted as a big-ticket multi-starrer and headlined by Akshay Kumar, ran into financial issues after the film went on floors. It has been months since the last time the film was shot. Reports surfaced that not only were the payments delayed to actors and their staff , several actors have walked out of the film.Though the production claims the film is on track and the film will start once the monsoons are over. The franchise that once delivered a riot of laughs and big box office numbers is currently stuck in limbo — and Kumar can do little until the producers resolve their financial woes.Hera Pheri 3: The Roadblock No One Saw ComingHera Pheri was also backed by the same producer as the Welcome series. But the issue here was absolutely different. Paresh Rawal, one of the pillars of the series, decided to walk out of the film. He played the legendary Baburao Ganpatrao Apte aka Babu Bhaiya and with his absence , the film’s production has come to a standstill. Now will he be convinced to come back to the fold or will he be replaced -only time will tell. Though Akshay claimed in an interview with Pinkvilla that he is hopeful that film will be made. He said “Whatever is happening is happening in front of you..Keeping my fingers crossed. I hope everything goes well.” Jolly LLB 3: The Last Hope?Akshay Kumar’s only stable and hopeful sequel on the horizon is Jolly LLB 3. Directed by Subhash Kapoor, the legal dramedy will bring Kumar with Arshad Warsi. Both played the titular character in 2017 and 2013 respectively. As per reports the film is based on a real life incident revolving around farmers.The Bigger Picture: Akshay and the Sequel TrapAkshay Kumar’s current sequel struggle is emblematic of a larger issue plaguing Bollywood — the over-reliance on franchise films without innovating the content. While nostalgia works, audiences today seek novelty even within familiar brands. Sequels need to evolve with audience tastes, not merely ride on past success.In Kumar’s case, while the Housefull, Welcome, Hera Pheri, and Kesari franchises had solid foundations, their recent outings either overplayed the same tropes or got mired in off-screen controversies and financial chaos.Kumar currently has Bhoot Bangla with Priyadarshan and Vishu Manchu’s Kannappa up for release.
