Filmmakers are no longer shy about sequels or instalments
Still from Vishwaroopam
Blame it on insecurity of whether a film would be a hit, or the lack of a producer’s support, but for as long as one could remember, Indian filmmakers have always been tight-lipped about announcing sequels to their movies. “Let’s see how the film is received first,” was the standard response. Even with big budget films, producers were reluctant to announce the number of installments a movie would be made in, for fear that people would be reluctant to see an ‘incomplete’ film. In complete contrast, the western film industry used this strategy to their advantage and announced sequels to ensure ongoing interest — take for instance The Hobbit and the newly- announced Star Wars trilogy (directed by J.J. Abrams).
This trend has finally caught on in the south industry. It started when Kamal Haasan announced Vishwaroopam Part 2 even as Vishwaroopam was released. Kamal had revealed then that the second part of Vishwaroopam is both sequel and prequel and it will focus on the romantic, emotional quotients and would be technically more advanced. He said that he was sure from the beginning that he will make a second part too. “I don’t make films for publicity rather I want my film to be enjoyed by my audiences. I had written the film in two parts and wanted to tell the complete story,” said Kamal, who is also directing the film.
More recently filmmaker Rajamouli revealed that the story of his magnum opus Baahubali will be told in two segments. He titled the first release Baahubali — The Beginning which is a huge box office success, and now the second part which is scheduled to release in 2016 has been named Baahubali – The Conclusion. On why the film was made in two parts, Rajamouli said, “The story about two warring brothers for a kingdom, is so big that one film was not enough. We tried, but we were losing some of the emotional quotient, so we planned the second release after a gap."
The newest film to join this trend is Vetri Maaran’s Vada Chennai with Dhanush in the lead, which is being made as a two-part story. Vetri Maaran says, “The movie spans three decades and has minute details and descriptions which cannot be told in one part. He adds that it was Bollywood filmmaker Anurag Kashyap who encourages him to do the film in two parts.
“Kashyap liked my film Aadukalam very much. We used to be in touch when he was working with GV Prakash for his two part film Gangs of Wasseypur. He always said to me, ‘You write how much ever you want and then decide whether to go for a sequel or a trilogy”. The national award winner says that he has completed and sealed the entire script which will be narrated in two parts.
In the 50s and 60s, the average run time of a film would range from 3-3.5 hours. However, modern audiences dont have the patience to sit for that long so films have been cut short by an hour. If a filmmaker wants to tell a story without compromises, he will need to make it in parts, says trade analyst and writer Sura.
( Source : deccan chronicle )
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