Bollywood Stars With Hits Across Multiple Film Franchises: Ajay Devgn, Akshay Kumar & More

Written By: Entertainment Desk

Oct 12, 2026 16:26 IST ⓘ

Bollywood stars who delivered hits across different film series and cinematic universes.

Some screen characters are too popular to leave behind after one film. Audiences want another investigation, another impossible escape or another disastrous family gathering – and the sequel becomes an event before its first trailer arrives. For an actor, building one such association is valuable. Having several is an enviable position: one year, you can return as a fearless policeman; another, as a desperate father protecting a secret. Bollywood’s franchise specialists have managed precisely that. Their successes stretch across different stories, characters and genres, giving audiences several reasons to recognise a familiar name on a poster and buy a ticket.

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Ajay Devgn’s latest box-office run makes this a particularly timely conversation. According to Sacnilk, ‘Drishyam: The Conclusion’ has so far collected approximately Rs 309.50 crore India net and Rs 480.40 crore worldwide after ten days. Vijay Salgaonkar’s latest outing has already overtaken Drishyam 2’s worldwide total, strengthening a filmography that also includes successful entries in ‘Golmaal’, ‘Singham’, ‘Raid’ and ‘Dhamaal’.

The club extends beyond actors who headline every installment. Its members include comic performers, formidable antagonists and actresses whose characters give these films much of their personality.

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Here are the stars who have scored across multiple franchise worlds:

1. Ajay Devgn - ‘Drishyam’, ‘Golmaal’, ‘Singham’, ‘Raid’ and ‘Dhamaal’

Ajay’s franchise portfolio is practically a test of how many different kinds of trouble one man can handle. As Vijay Salgaonkar, he thinks several moves ahead; as Bajirao Singham, he prefers a much more direct response. The numbers reflect that versatility. ‘Drishyam: The Conclusion’ reached approximately Rs 480.40 crore worldwide in ten days, following Drishyam 2’s Rs 342.31 crore lifetime haul. In a different register, Rohit Shetty’s ‘Golmaal Again’ collected Rs 308.62 crore, while ‘Singham Returns’ earned Rs 216.56 crore. Suspense, slapstick and police action have all worked for him.

There are two more substantial names to add. His return as income-tax officer Amay Patnaik in ‘Raid 2’ brought Rs 237.46 crore worldwide, while joining the treasure-hunting chaos of ‘Total Dhamaal’ helped produce a Rs 232.18 crore grosser. The appeal changes with the franchise: one asks him to outwit a corrupt politician, another to navigate an ensemble comedy.

2. Akshay Kumar - ‘Housefull’, ‘Hera Pheri’, ‘Welcome’, ‘OMG’, ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa’ and ‘Jolly LLB’

Akshay’s franchise history offers several varieties of confusion: mistaken identities, missing money, unwanted criminal connections and a haunted palace. ‘Housefull 4’ collected Rs 296 crore worldwide, ‘Phir Hera Pheri’ made Rs 69.13 crore and the original ‘Welcome’ earned Rs 119.50 crore. These films depend on different comic situations, but each benefits from his ability to play a man whose confidence is considerably greater than his control over events. Raju’s financial schemes and the ‘Housefull’ gang’s disasters belong to very different stories, yet both became repeat business.

His other franchise successes move beyond straightforward ensemble comedy. ‘OMG 2’ collected Rs 221.75 crore, the original ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa’ earned Rs 82.35 crore and ‘Jolly LLB 2’ reached Rs 197.33 crore. That makes six clear franchise associations, spanning social satire, a courtroom drama and supernatural mystery. The distinction matters when looking at later releases: ‘Housefull 5’ earned a sizeable Rs 288.67 crore, but Sacnilk classified it as average.

3. Salman Khan - ‘Dabangg’ and ‘Tiger’

Chulbul Pandey and Tiger could hardly have more different working styles. One wears his swagger openly, while the other operates through secret missions and shifting loyalties. Both became valuable screen identities for Salman. ‘Dabangg’ collected Rs 215 crore worldwide, and ‘Dabangg 2’ increased that to Rs 265 crore. The success turned Chulbul’s sunglasses, irreverence and police-station theatrics into a recognisable package audiences wanted to revisit.

The ‘Tiger’ films took that repeat appeal onto a much larger international canvas. ‘Ek Tha Tiger’ collected Rs 320 crore, followed by Rs 558 crore for ‘Tiger Zinda Hai’. Alongside Katrina Kaif’s Zoya, Salman’s agent became one of the foundations of the YRF Spy Universe. His place here therefore rests on two distinct character-led series that produced major successes – one built around a flamboyant policeman, the other around espionage, action and a romance that crosses national boundaries.

4. Shah Rukh Khan - ‘Don’ and the YRF Spy Universe

Shah Rukh has found franchise success on both sides of the law. His ‘Don’ is the man you are never entirely sure you should trust; his ‘Pathaan’ is the agent you hope will arrive before everything collapses. ‘Don 2’, directed by Farhan Akhtar, collected Rs 210.35 crore worldwide, continuing the Hindi reboot’s combination of elaborate schemes and a protagonist who enjoys staying ahead of everyone around him.

‘Pathaan’ operated on a much bigger commercial scale, earning Rs 1,055 crore worldwide. It also placed Shah Rukh inside the connected YRF Spy Universe, alongside the already established ‘Tiger’ and ‘War’ worlds. These are different franchise affiliations, rather than two installments of the same story. The attraction is partly the change in persona: audiences can enjoy the calculating criminal, then return for the battered, resourceful agent.

5. Hrithik Roshan - ‘Krrish’, ‘Dhoom’ and ‘War’

Hrithik’s franchise characters seem to come with an unusually demanding fitness requirement. There is the masked superhero, the acrobatic thief and the exceptionally capable spy. ‘Krrish 3’ collected Rs 374 crore worldwide, while ‘Dhoom 2’, featuring him as master thief Aryan, earned Rs 147.90 crore. One franchise makes his extraordinary abilities heroic; the other turns them into the reason the police cannot catch him. Both gave audiences a compelling reason to watch him in motion.

Then came Kabir in ‘War’, which collected Rs 471 crore worldwide and established another major action identity for him. It is a strong three-franchise record, although the distinction between a successful original and a successful sequel remains important: Sacnilk classified ‘War 2’ as a flop. That later setback does not erase the first film’s blockbuster run.

6. Ranveer Singh - ‘Dhurandhar’ and Rohit Shetty’s Cop Universe

Ranveer’s recent franchise numbers are among the most striking in this conversation. ‘Dhurandhar’ collected Rs 1,307.35 crore worldwide, followed by approximately Rs 1,813.39 crore for ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’, according to Sacnilk. The Aditya Dhar series gives him a continuing lead role in a spy-action story whose commercial scale grew enormously between its two releases.

His earlier franchise success came through Sangram Bhalerao in ‘Simmba’, which earned Rs 390 crore worldwide. The film also connected him to Rohit Shetty’s Cop Universe through Singham’s intervention and a tease of Sooryavanshi. That makes two separate successful action worlds, with quite different personalities at their centre. Simmba’s flamboyance and comic energy give Ranveer one kind of returning identity; ‘Dhurandhar’ gives him another.

7. Sunny Deol - ‘Gadar’ and ‘Border’

Sunny’s franchise appeal comes with memories that have lasted decades. Tara Singh’s return in ‘Gadar 2’ converted that affection into a Rs 686 crore worldwide collection. The sequel reunited him with Ameesha Patel and Utkarsh Sharma, bringing an older character back into a new crisis while retaining the fierce family loyalty that made him memorable. Nostalgia supplied the invitation; audiences still had to turn up for another film, and they did in enormous numbers.

‘Border 2’ gives him a second substantial franchise success, with approximately Rs 450.19 crore worldwide and a superhit classification from Sacnilk. The connection here is the wider war-film brand, rather than a continuation of Tara Singh’s story. Together, the two sequels show the commercial value of Sunny’s association with films that audiences remember emotionally. A franchise can return after a long gap and still find viewers ready to revisit its world.

8. Kartik Aaryan - ‘Pyaar Ka Punchnama’ and ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa’

Kartik’s journey between these franchises is a useful measure of how much his screen position changed. ‘Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2’ collected Rs 88.20 crore worldwide, building on the first film’s young-adult comedy about relationships, friendship and romantic exasperation. The sequel helped cement his association with the Luv Ranjan brand of comedy, where a conversation about dating can quickly become a lengthy statement of grievances.

‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa’ brought a different challenge: entering a popular franchise previously led by Akshay Kumar. Kartik’s Rooh Baba helped ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2’ earn Rs 265.50 crore, and ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3’ climbed to Rs 400.35 crore. The latter also brought Vidya Balan back into the franchise and added Madhuri Dixit.

9. Varun Dhawan - ‘Dulhania’, ‘ABCD’ and ‘Border’

Varun’s franchise successes have taken him from romantic comedy to a dance competition and, most recently, a war drama. ‘Badrinath Ki Dulhania’ collected Rs 201.07 crore worldwide, continuing his successful pairing with Alia Bhatt within the ‘Dulhania’ film brand. ‘ABCD 2’, with Shraddha Kapoor and Prabhu Deva, earned Rs 166 crore. The two associations offer different attractions: the chemistry of a popular lead pair in one, and a performance-driven dance ensemble in the other.

‘Border 2’ adds a substantial recent success, with approximately Rs 450.19 crore worldwide and a superhit verdict from Sacnilk. Varun joined Sunny Deol, Diljit Dosanjh and Ahan Shetty in the expanded war-film ensemble, giving him a third clear franchise affiliation with a hit.

10. Riteish Deshmukh - ‘Housefull’, ‘Dhamaal’, ‘Masti’, ‘Ek Villain’ and ‘Raid’

Riteish’s franchise record deserves considerably more attention than it usually receives. He has been a familiar presence in the ‘Housefull’ ensemble, with ‘Housefull 4’ earning Rs 296 crore worldwide. ‘Total Dhamaal’ collected Rs 232.18 crore, while ‘Grand Masti’ reached Rs 145 crore. These are three different comedy brands, and his work across them demonstrates how valuable a dependable ensemble performer can be. A franchise needs people who can keep a ridiculous situation moving as much as it needs a large name on the poster.

His darker roles expand the list further. ‘Ek Villain’, with Riteish as the killer Rakesh, collected Rs 155 crore worldwide. In ‘Raid 2’, he played Dada Bhai opposite Ajay Devgn, contributing to a Rs 237.46 crore grosser. That gives him successful credits across five franchises, with the last two drawing on a very different performance register.

11. Arshad Warsi - ‘Munna Bhai’, ‘Golmaal’, ‘Dhamaal’ and ‘Jolly LLB’

Circuit alone would secure Arshad a place in any conversation about beloved franchise characters. ‘Lage Raho Munna Bhai’ collected Rs 124.98 crore worldwide, with his partnership with Sanjay Dutt central to the film’s warmth and humour. His other long-running comic associations have also delivered: ‘Golmaal Again’ earned Rs 308.62 crore and ‘Total Dhamaal’ collected Rs 232.18 crore.

Arshad also helped launch another successful brand as the original Jolly. ‘Jolly LLB’ collected Rs 46 crore worldwide and earned a hit verdict from Sacnilk, before the courtroom series continued with Akshay Kumar in its second film. That gives Arshad four clear franchise associations.

12. Abhishek Bachchan - ‘Dhoom’ and ‘Housefull’

The antagonists change in ‘Dhoom’, but Abhishek’s Jai Dixit remained part of its original trilogy’s connective tissue. ‘Dhoom 2’ collected Rs 147.90 crore worldwide, followed by Rs 558 crore for ‘Dhoom 3’. Playing the pursuing policeman places him in a different position from the films’ flamboyant thieves, yet the recurring cop-and-partner framework helps hold the series together as its villains and locations change.

His successful entry into ‘Housefull’ came through the third film, which earned Rs 185.70 crore worldwide. The switch from crime-solving to comic confusion gives him two distinct franchise successes. ‘Housefull 3’ is the clear hit supporting this entry; the later ‘Housefull 5’ was classified as average by Sacnilk.

13. Anil Kapoor - ‘Welcome’, ‘Race’ and ‘Dhamaal’

Anil’s franchise characters rarely seem content to remain in the background. As Majnu Bhai, he helped make ‘Welcome’ a comedy people continue to remember through its characters and dialogues. The film earned Rs 119.50 crore worldwide. In ‘Race’, his investigator Robert D’Costa brought an eccentric comic flavour to a story full of deception. ‘Race’ collected Rs 103.73 crore, while ‘Race 2’ earned Rs 162 crore.

‘Total Dhamaal’ adds a third franchise, collecting Rs 232.18 crore worldwide and reuniting Anil with Madhuri Dixit within its larger comedy ensemble. His record moves between a gangster comedy, a twist-heavy thriller series and a treasure chase. The common factor is how readily he gives a supporting or ensemble character a personality audiences can latch onto.

14. Sanjay Dutt - ‘Munna Bhai’, ‘K.G.F.’ and ‘Dhurandhar’

Sanjay’s franchise worlds could hardly ask more different things of him. ‘Munna Bhai M.B.B.S.’ collected Rs 34.82 crore worldwide, while ‘Lage Raho Munna Bhai’ expanded the series to Rs 124.98 crore. These films build affection around a gangster’s capacity for kindness, with Arshad Warsi’s Circuit forming the other half of an enormously appealing partnership. The comedy works because the rough exterior keeps giving way to unexpected tenderness.

‘K.G.F.: Chapter 2’ turns that formidable physical presence towards a much more threatening purpose. As Adheera, Sanjay joined Yash’s Kannada-led franchise in its second installment, which earned approximately Rs 1,215 crore worldwide across languages. That total belongs to the full pan-Indian release, rather than its Hindi version alone. The ‘Dhurandhar’ series adds another major association: ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’, whose ensemble includes Sanjay, collected approximately Rs 1,813.39 crore worldwide.

15. Kareena Kapoor Khan - ‘Golmaal’ and ‘Singham’

Kareena’s franchise record includes more than standing beside a returning hero. Her comic energy in the ‘Golmaal’ films fits a world where every misunderstanding can become an argument and every argument can become a larger disaster. ‘Golmaal 3’, featuring her as Daboo, collected Rs 162.30 crore worldwide.

‘Singham Returns’ supplies the second franchise, earning Rs 216.56 crore worldwide with Kareena opposite Ajay Devgn. Her later return in ‘Singham Again’ continued that association, but its Rs 372.41 crore worldwide collection came with an average verdict from Sacnilk.

16. John Abraham - ‘Dhoom’, ‘Race’, ‘Housefull’ and the YRF Spy Universe

John’s franchise history is especially interesting because he has often entered these worlds as the obstacle the heroes must overcome. His biker antagonist Kabir helped launch ‘Dhoom’, which collected Rs 50.50 crore worldwide. Years later, ‘Race 2’ earned Rs 162 crore with him as another formidable adversary.

Comedy adds another branch through ‘Housefull 2’, which collected Rs 188.40 crore worldwide. ‘Pathaan’, at Rs 1,055 crore, supplies a further franchise success through the connected YRF Spy Universe, with John’s Jim facing Shah Rukh Khan’s agent. That is four distinct affiliations across crime action, a thriller series, ensemble comedy and espionage.

17. Paresh Rawal - ‘Hera Pheri’, ‘Welcome’, ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa’ and ‘OMG’

Some franchises have a hero; ‘Hera Pheri’ has Babu Bhaiya. Paresh’s Baburao is integral to the comic identity of the series, with ‘Phir Hera Pheri’ collecting Rs 69.13 crore worldwide. His other successful franchise credits include the original ‘Welcome’, at Rs 119.50 crore, and ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa’, at Rs 82.35 crore. Each asks for a different variation of his comic skill: irritation, alarm, opportunism or the magnificent belief that he is the only sensible person in the room.

‘OMG - Oh My God!’ gives the entry a different centre of gravity. Paresh’s Kanji Lalji Mehta drives its challenge to religious profiteering, with the film earning Rs 123.97 crore worldwide. It later became a continuing film brand through ‘OMG 2’, although Paresh did not return in that sequel. His record therefore includes four franchises, with the original ‘OMG’ particularly important because he is central to the story.

18. Katrina Kaif - ‘Tiger’, ‘Dhoom’, ‘Race’ and ‘Welcome’

Katrina’s franchise record moves from comic confusion to international espionage. ‘Welcome’ collected Rs 119.50 crore worldwide, while ‘Race’ earned Rs 103.73 crore. ‘Dhoom 3’, featuring her alongside Aamir Khan, added a much larger Rs 558 crore total. These are three separate brands, and her presence across them spans romantic comedy, a thriller full of changing loyalties and a spectacle built around an elusive thief.

The most sustained character association comes through Zoya in the ‘Tiger’ films. ‘Ek Tha Tiger’ earned Rs 320 crore worldwide and ‘Tiger Zinda Hai’ reached Rs 558 crore. Zoya gives Katrina a recurring identity within the YRF Spy Universe, with action increasingly central to the character’s appeal. Across these four franchises, she has been part of successful original films, a later installment and a continuing character-led series.

19. Tabu - ‘Drishyam’, ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa’ and ‘Golmaal’

Tabu’s franchise strength lies in the amount of dramatic weight she can bring into a commercial entertainer. As Meera Deshmukh in the ‘Drishyam’ films, she gives Vijay Salgaonkar an opponent whose determination is deeply personal. ‘Drishyam 2’ collected Rs 342.31 crore worldwide. In ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2’, her dual role becomes central to the mystery, with the film earning Rs 265.50 crore.

‘Golmaal Again’ adds a third successful franchise, grossing Rs 308.62 crore worldwide. Tabu plays Anna, whose ability to perceive spirits helps give the comedy its supernatural direction. The contrast with ‘Drishyam’ is enjoyable: one world relies on people concealing what happened, while the other makes room for a character who can see what others cannot.

20. Shraddha Kapoor - ‘Stree’, ‘ABCD’ and ‘Ek Villain’

‘Stree 2’ gives Shraddha one of the biggest individual film totals on this list: Rs 857.15 crore worldwide. Her mysterious character’s return, alongside Rajkummar Rao and the Chanderi ensemble, helped continue the horror-comedy’s appeal. The franchise makes uncertainty part of the character’s attraction; audiences are encouraged to watch her closely and wonder how much she knows.

Her other franchise successes ask for very different energies. ‘ABCD 2’, with Shraddha as dancer Vinnie opposite Varun Dhawan, collected Rs 166 crore worldwide. ‘Ek Villain’, featuring her with Sidharth Malhotra and Riteish Deshmukh, earned Rs 155 crore. That gives her three distinct brands spanning horror-comedy, dance drama and a romantic crime thriller.

21. Bipasha Basu - ‘Raaz’, ‘Race’, ‘Dhoom’ and ‘Hera Pheri’

Bipasha’s association with horror is only one part of her franchise record. ‘Raaz 3’ collected Rs 99.10 crore worldwide, giving her a major success within the series whose first film had helped establish her. ‘Race’, at Rs 103.73 crore, and ‘Dhoom 2’, at Rs 147.90 crore, show how readily she also fitted into glossy thrillers and action-led ensembles. These films trade in attraction, deception and shifting appearances, giving her several different kinds of screen intrigue.

‘Phir Hera Pheri’ adds a fourth franchise and a very different comic setting, collecting Rs 69.13 crore worldwide. As Anuradha, she is involved in the financial scheme that sends the central trio back into trouble. It is a useful addition because it broadens the picture beyond the horror films most readily associated with her.

22. Emraan Hashmi - ‘Murder’, ‘Jannat’ and ‘Raaz’

Emraan’s franchise successes come from a different era and scale of Hindi filmmaking, when thrillers, strong music albums and comparatively contained budgets could create valuable returning brands. ‘Murder 2’ collected Rs 67.59 crore worldwide and was classified as a superhit by Sacnilk. ‘Jannat 2’ earned Rs 62.50 crore and received a hit verdict. Both continued familiar film titles with fresh stories and characters, showing that franchise appeal can come from a recognisable mood as well as a recurring protagonist.

‘Raaz 3’, at Rs 99.10 crore worldwide, supplies his third franchise success, with Emraan appearing alongside Bipasha Basu and Esha Gupta. The films connect him to crime, obsession and supernatural menace, rather than the giant action universes that dominate many current franchise conversations. His inclusion makes a useful final reminder: repeat success has taken several forms in Bollywood. A continuing character, a dependable comic ensemble or a familiar thriller brand can each give audiences a reason to come back.