#BingeRewind: 2025 - the year where Bollywood served bland sequels!

We saw major titles enter the box office and OTT platforms with star power and recall value, yet they stumbled badly due to weak plots and a general sense of fatigue.

Unpopular opinion, but I’m one of those people who likes the idea of a sequel. Call it my preference for familiarity or just the desire to spend more time with the stories or characters I already know or care about, taking a stroll in that same world feels more comforting than warming up to the brand-new originals. Yes, most sequels fail to recreate the magic of their predecessors but when they do, they deepen our connection with the franchise even more. Having said that, 2025 proved to be a disappointing year for Bollywood, especially in terms of established franchises. We saw major titles enter the box office and OTT platforms with star power and recall value, yet they stumbled badly due to weak plots and a general sense of fatigue. With a few exceptions, the year largely saw the audiences gravitating towards original and substaintial stories in a way indicating that the era of relying solely on recycled themes and star-studded franchise names may finally be at an end.

The fate of these films is proof!

War 2 - Netflix 

Two of the biggest stars of the country, an ambitious project and Ayan Mukerji’s reputation as a nuanced storyteller had made War 2 a highly anticipated venture as fans expected a stylish action packed affair with a lot of substance, but all that the film had to offer was a quintessential YRF spy universe experience which was grander in scale but followed the template of a globetrotting espionage thriller so ardently that it felt redundant and over-familiar. The Hrithik Roshan and Jr. NTR starrer minted around Rs. 371 crores worldwide, with an estimated budget Rs. 325 crore, accounting for one of the year's biggest letdowns.

Housefull 5 - Prime Video 

The latest in Sajid Nadiadwala’s comedy franchise, Housefull 5 featured a massive ensemble cast and lavish production. However, its chaotic blend of slapstick elements and murder-mystery trope struggled to offer humour evenly, making it a forgettable venture. Thanks to its strong performances, the Akshay Kumar and Riteish Deshmukh starrer fared decently at the box office, raking approximately Rs. 300 crore worldwide against its budget.

Son of Sardaar 2 - Netflix 

Vijay Kumar Arora’s Son of Sardaar 2 aimed at re-creating the charm and humour of the original, however miserably failed in delivering everything that the franchise promises - action, comedy and romance. While Son of Sardaar thrived on some desi humour, action and quirky characters, the second film was packaged with India-Pakistan banter, poor chemistry among the leads and pop culture jokes. While humour was the biggest USP of the first film, it turned out to be the weakest element of Son of Sardaar 2. This combination of weak execution and outdated gags resulted in poor collections, making it one of the clear flops among 2025's sequels.

Baaghi 4 - Prime Video 

Romance, revenge and action are the three pillars on which the makers mount every outing of Sajid Nadiadwala’s action-thrillerBaaghi, and the films have largely managed to deliver on the aforementioned fronts. However, barring action, the Tiger Shroff and Harnaaz Sandhustarrer, Baaghi 4 failed to impress the audience in totality. With 70s-like drama, convoluted plotlines, and redundant revenge tropes, the film failed to captivate the audience, resulting in a box office disaster.   

Chhorii 2- Prime Video 

While Chhorii scared the audience and left a lump in their throats, its successor, Chhorii 2, failed to deliver on the high expectations thanks to its sketchy screenplay, ineffective jump-scares and lazy transitions. The Vishal Furia directorial was neither thrilling nor impactful in its messaging and came across as an average outing, with Nushrratt Bharuccha and Soha Ali Khan’s confident performances being the saving grace of the film.

 Kis Kis Ko Pyaar Karoon 2 - TBA 

Kis Kis Ko Pyaar Karoon 2, simply felt like an extended episode of Kapil Sharma’s comedy show with some polygamy chaos. While the first film enjoyed a decent run at the box office, the second outing fell prey to lazy writing, outdated gags and a well-meaning yet forced social message that failed to entertain even his loyal fans. The slapstick comedy has earned Rs. 8.31 crore so far. 

Jolly LLB 3 - Netflix 

While Jolly LLB 3 carried the brand legacy of the Subhash Kapoor legal-drama franchise with sincerity, it lacked the razor-sharpness of its predecessors. The makers did handle the issues of systematic corruption and corporate greed earnestly, however, its stretched run-time and uneven narration impacted the efficacy of the story, screenplay, and humour of the film. This film minted Rs. 170.3 crores worldwide against a budget of Rs. 120 crores. 

Which other film do you feel deserved to be on this list? Tell us in the comments below!

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