Filmmaker Priyadarshan is gearing up for his next directorial venture, Bhooth Bangla, starring Akshay Kumar in the lead role. While promoting the film, the veteran director opened up about the growing trend of franchises in Indian cinema. Interestingly, even though he is set to direct the third instalment of the popular comedy franchise Hera Pheri, Priyadarshan admitted that he is not particularly fond of making sequels to his own films.

Filmmaker Priyadarshan is gearing up for his next directorial venture, Bhooth Bangla, starring Akshay Kumar in the lead role. The teaser of the film was recently unveiled on social media, giving fans a glimpse of its spooky setting.While promoting the film, the veteran director opened up about the growing trend of franchises in Indian cinema. Interestingly, even though he is set to direct the third instalment of the popular comedy franchise Hera Pheri, Priyadarshan admitted that he is not particularly fond of making sequels to his own films.

‘I don’t like to do sequels of my own films’

In an interview with Variety India, Priyadarshan spoke candidly about his hesitation when it comes to sequels.“I don’t like to do sequels of my own films because I know how much I suffered to make the original,” the director said.He further explained that the pressure around a sequel’s box office performance makes him uneasy. According to him, if a sequel works well commercially, it creates an expectation that the next film will also perform at the same level.

‘Sometimes only the title is carried forward’

Talking about how franchises work internationally, Priyadarshan cited the example of the Terminator series. According to him, certain Hollywood franchises maintain continuity in their storytelling.However, he believes that in some cases, only the title of the film is carried forward while the core story or spirit of the original film is missing.

‘It’s a kind of exploitation of the first film’

The director also shared his thoughts on how sequels often benefit from the popularity of the original film during their initial box office run.“By that time the producer feels that I have made my money. So it’s a kind of exploitation. I rather say it’s a kind of extortion of the first film,” Priyadarshan said.He added that the goodwill of the first film usually helps sequels attract audiences during the first few days in theatres, but collections often drop afterwards.

Bhooth Bangla release and cast

Apart from Akshay Kumar, Bhooth Bangla also features a strong ensemble cast including Tabu, Paresh Rawal, Rajpal Yadav, Wamiqa Gabbi, Mithila Palkar and the late Asrani.The film is scheduled to hit theatres on April 10, 2026.

After creating massive waves at the box office, Ranveer Singh’s Dhurandhar is all set to roar back to the big screen once again. The film will be arriving ahead of the release of Aditya Dhar’s much-anticipated sequel.

Ahead of the highly anticipated release of Dhurandhar The Revenge on March 19, Dhurandhar will re-release across approximately 500 screens worldwide, including 250 screens in India beginning March 12 and 250 overseas beginning March 13.

In North America, the film will return to theatres across nearly 185 screens. Adding to the excitement, Dhurandhar The Revenge will host special Wednesday premiere shows across the USA and Canada on March 18, a day ahead of its global release. These premieres will take place largely on Premium Large Format (PLF) screens, which feature expansive wall-to-wall screens, immersive sound systems such as Dolby Atmos, and enhanced projection.

The film’s sequel, titled Dhurandhar: The Revenge, will be released in theatres on March 19, 2026. The heavily anticipated sequel also stars R Madhavan, Arjun Rampal, Sanjay Dutt, Danish Pandor, Rakesh Bedi, and Sara Arjun. The film will clash with Pawan Kalyan’s Ustaad Bhagat Singh. Both films are releasing on March 19 with paid previews on the evening of March 18.

Advance bookings for Dhurandhar 2 have surged in the US and Canada. According to trade estimates, by Tuesday’s end, the spy thriller had raked in over $750K for premiere shows alone. Advance bookings for opening day have comfortably crossed $1 million, and the opening weekend mark has now reached a staggering $2 million. In India, where advance booking opened just for paid previews on Wednesday, the film has still sold over 3.5 lakh tickets, grossing a whopping ₹19 crore.

Actor Allu Sirish has spoken about films such as Vicky Kaushal’s Chhaava, Ranveer Singh’s Dhurandhar, Ranbir Kapoor’s Animal and their Telugu dubbed versions. Speaking with Variety India, he shared that Dhurandhar not being dubbed in Telugu “was a huge opportunity missed.”

Sirish said that Hindi studios should learn from Ranbir Kapoor-starrer Animal. “I think Hindi filmmakers should put more focus on releasing their content here. Dhurandhar not being dubbed into Telugu, I think, was a huge opportunity missed. Imagine how much more business it could have done and how many more eyeballs it could have reached had it released in Telugu also. I feel like the Hindi studios should be more proactive in releasing their content here and not treat it as a one-off activity. I think they should learn a little from Animal’s playbook, because the Telugu version here also collected a sizable amount,” he added.

Dhurandhar is a spy and action thriller film written and directed by Aditya Dhar. The film, which released in Hindi, featured Ranveer Singh, Akshaye Khanna, Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal, R Madhavan, Sara Arjun, Rakesh Bedi, Gaurav Gera, and Danish Pandor.

Set in Lyari town of Karachi, an area known for its history of gang wars and violent turf battles, the film revolves around covert intelligence operations against the backdrop of geopolitical and terror events like the Kandahar plane hijack, the 2001 Parliament Attack and the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.

Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar 2, the much-awaited second part of Dhurandhar, which came out in December 2025 and earned over ₹1300 crore globally, is set for release on March 19.

The 2026 Oscars are knocking, and with the film industry and the whole world getting ready to celebrate the artists and their crafts, it’s the perfect time to look back at how far we’ve come. Especially as Indians, a lot of people are still thinking about the wild, unforgettable moments that brought Indian artistry into the Hollywood spotlight. For Indian film fans, nothing stands out more than that electric night in 2023 when ‘RRR’, the Telugu blockbuster that already had the world’s attention, made history at the Academy Awards.For the unversed, S. S. Rajamouli’s ‘RRR’ exploded onto the scene in 2022, and it didn’t take long for people everywhere to take note and fall for its mix of jaw-dropping action, heartfelt storytelling, and high-octane music. The movie, starring Ram Charan and Jr NTR, was already a hit, but the Oscars pushed Indian cinema into a whole new league.And let’s not forget ‘Naatu Naatu’; that song didn’t just get stuck in everyone’s head; it created history. Moreover, watching it win at the Oscars felt huge: not just for the ‘RRR’ team, but for Indian movie lovers everywhere.With another Oscars ceremony just a couple of nights away, let’s rewind and cherish the moments when ‘RRR’ shone bright at the global stage.

‘Naatu Naatu’ winning Best Original Song

The biggest moment? Hands down, it was the moment when ‘Naatu Naatu’ took home the Oscar for Best Original Song at the 2023 ceremony. Composer M. M. Keeravani and lyricist Chandrabose made history, as it was the first time a song from an Indian movie won that award. Sure, artists like A. R. Rahman had won before, but this was different, as this was a mainstream Indian film, front and center on the world stage.

The ‘Naatu Naatu’ performance that stole the show

Even before the envelope was opened, ‘Naatu Naatu’ was the talk of the night. Singers Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava, backed by a team of dancers, brought the movie’s famous choreography to life on the Oscars stage.Although a lot of us were hoping to see Ram Charan and Jr NTR shake their legs to the electrifying beats, that reportedly didn’t happen due to busy schedules and barely any rehearsal time. However, the performance still captured the movie’s spirit and introduced millions to that wild Telugu dance number.

Deepika Padukone’s proud introduction

There was another moment that stuck with people, even before the win and the performance. Deepika Padukone stepped up to introduce the ‘Naatu Naatu’ performance. She spoke about the song’s infectious beat and iconic dance moves, calling it a global sensation. For Indian audiences, seeing her up there was pure pride. It was also proof that Indian stars and filmmakers are getting the recognition they deserve.

‘RRR’: The film and the unforgettable moments

For the unversed, ‘RRR’s story is set in the 1920s, back when the British still ruled India. The movie tells a fictional tale inspired by real-life revolutionaries Alluri Sitarama Raju and Komaram Bheem. The film follows their bond as they stand up against British rule, blending massive action scenes with emotion and a strong sense of camaraderie. It became one of India’s biggest blockbusters ever. And when ‘Naatu Naatu’ won, the celebration was impossible to miss. Cameras caught director S. S. Rajamouli leaping with joy, while cast and crew hugged and cheered right there in the Dolby Theatre — it was one of those Oscar moments that felt truly global.