PremiumThe film will star Nushrratt Bharuccha and Soha Ali Khan,and is to be directed by Vishal Furia. In January 2020, Abundantia Entertainment had tied up with American entertainment company Crypt TV that specializes in horror content
NEW DELHI: Bhushan Kumar-owned T-Series, Abundantia Entertainment, and Psych Production have announced a sequel to horror film Chhorii starring Nushrratt Bharuccha and Soha Ali Khan. The film will be directed by Vishal Furia.
In January 2020, Indian film and digital content studio Abundantia Entertainment had tied up with American entertainment company Crypt TV that specializes in horror content. The two will create new IPs (intellectual properties) for the Indian market as well as export Crypt’s international shows and films to be remade in local Indian languages, they had said.
Known internationally for short-form horror videos such as The Birch, Ghosted and My First Day for YouTube and Facebook, Crypt’s entry into India will be driven by feature films and long-form streaming content. Abundantia has backed films like Airlift and Toilet: Ek Prem Katha and web shows like Breathe in India.
Bollywood has been betting big on sequels and franchise films in the past few months to cash in on the success of titles such as Bhool Bhulaiya, Heropanti and Ek Villain, among others.
Kartik Aaryan was seen in horror comedy Bhool Bhulaiya 2 this May, while the sequels to period drama KGF and Tiger Shroff’s Heropanti arrived in April and May respectively. Ekta Kapoor also built on her Ek Villain series with an instalment in July, while Zee Studios is planning a sequel to Gadar with Sunny Deol.
The formula may generate some curiosity given the success of previous films but the poor response to recent titles such as Bunty Aur Babli 2 suggest forcing a story forward may not work, according to critics and trade experts. The other challenge is that Hindi cinema does not have the grandeur and special effects of Hollywood superhero franchises, which such sequels are inspired by.
“Sequels are actually made for two core reasons. One is creative and the other is business-led. If audiences have loved a particular story, extending its storyline in a recognizable yet unique manner is a great business opportunity. The sequel will always feed off the appeal of its predecessor,“ Shariq Patel, former chief business officer, Zee Studios had said in an earlier interview to Mint.