Indian cinematic franchises follow the Hollywood route to expand but challenges remain

Indian film franchises consisting of multiple movies and characters that often cross over from one to the other, inspired by the Hollywood model such as that of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, are expanding as they announce new titles. While Yash Raj Films has announced an addition to its spy universe titled Alpha starring Alia Bhatt, the horror-comedy universe has seen a new hit with Munjya along with films like Stree and Bhediya earlier. The latest instalment of director Rohit Shetty’s cop universe, Singham Again, sees Deepika Padukone and Tiger Shroff joining as new characters. 

Trade experts say while such big-ticket, spectacular films are the need of the hour to lure people to cinemas, unlike Hollywood films which are based on existing comic books, these Indian projects and characters have no reference point and hence, fan bases have to be established from scratch and may not find favour easily. Further, box office numbers of the latest Marvel movies already prove too many spin-offs can lead to an overdose for audiences.

To be sure, films part of a cinematic universe always involve high costs and special effects and are mounted on a large scale requiring much investment in action and other production aspects.

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“In Hollywood, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has strong backing because characters like Black Widow, Iron Man and others have a reference point in terms of comics,” independent exhibitor Vishek Chauhan said. “The challenge with the cinematic universes in India is that the trajectory is entirely new, so there is no existing reason to relate to a character,” he added.

In 2017, actor Taapsee Pannu had starred in a film called Naam Shabana, a prequel to 2015 hit Baby where she reprised her role as a spy. Chauhan pointed out that the action thriller had found no draw at the box office, showing that such cross pollination has been attempted in Indian cinema without significant success. Moreover, action is no longer new for Indian audiences who are exposed to world-class stunts both from foreign and local films. YRF’s Spy Universe has already begun seeing diminishing returns with its last instalment, Tiger 3 starring Salman Khan, having only made a little over ₹260 crore with a budget of more than ₹300 crore.

Cinematic universes can flourish in India like they have in Hollywood if they are seen as an investment to be made over multiple movies and decades, independent distributor and exhibitor Akshaye Rathi pointed out. “Franchises need discipline and commitment and the talent needs to be available at a reasonable cost without star fee going lopsidedly up after one hit. Producers and actors need to be pragmatic and look at the benefits of equity and fan following so that more IPs (intellectual properties) can be created,” he said. In Indian cinema, it is common for lead stars to take a huge chunk of the production budget and command astronomical rates which often makes large-budget films economically unfeasible.

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That said, most entertainment industry experts see value in building cinematic universes given the recall value. Amit Sharma, managing director, Miraj Entertainment, which operates multiplex theatres said most big hits after the pandemic have been sequels, be it KGF: Chapter 2, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 or even Avatar 2.

“Indian cinematic universes are on an upward trajectory, showcasing immense promise across various genres," Ashish Saksena, chief operating officer – cinemas at entertainment platform BookMyShow, said. "Franchises like the YRF Spy Universe, with hits like War, Pathaan and Ek Tha Tiger with the upcoming Alpha just getting into production, the South-focused Lokesh Cinematic Universe featuring Vikram, Leo and Kaithi, and the horror-comedy universe including Bhediya, Munjya and Stree, with its upcoming sequel, Stree 2 are captivating audiences nationwide. A sustained emphasis on character development and compelling narratives will be vital for the expansion of cinematic universes in India. As Indian filmmakers explore different genres and narratives, the landscape is ripe for the creation of unique and memorable franchises that can stand alongside their international counterparts and draw crowds to theatres,” he said.

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