Bollywood Sequels That Became Bigger Hits Than Their Originals: ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’, ‘Stree 2’, ‘Gadar 2’ And More

Written By: Entertainment Desk

Aug 19, 2026 14:23 IST ⓘ

Bollywood sequels that surpassed their originals at the box office.

Sequels are often viewed as safe bets in Bollywood, but a familiar title alone cannot guarantee success. For every franchise that has grown stronger with a new chapter, several follow-ups have failed to recreate the appeal of the original. Audiences may arrive expecting nostalgia, but they stay only when a sequel offers enough entertainment of its own. Some films, however, have done much more than preserve the goodwill of their predecessors. They have expanded the scale, attracted a considerably larger audience and turned an already successful property into a genuine box-office phenomenon.

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In a few extraordinary cases, the sequel has earned several times the amount collected by the first film. The contrast is particularly relevant following the theatrical arrival of ‘Awarapan 2’. The sequel revisits Shivam Pandit, played by Emraan Hashmi in Mohit Suri’s ‘Awarapan’. Released on June 29, 2007, the crime drama also starred Shriya Saran, Mrinalini Sharma and Ashutosh Rana. Although it earned only around Rs 12.18 crore worldwide and failed commercially during its original run, its tragic story, memorable soundtrack and Emraan’s performance gradually turned it into a cult favourite.

Nearly two decades later, that enduring affection translated into far greater theatrical business. Directed by Nitin Kakkar and starring Emraan alongside Disha Patani and Shabana Azmi, ‘Awarapan 2’ was released on August 14, 2026. By August 19, the sequel has already collected over Rs 138 crore worldwide – with its theatrical run still underway.

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‘Awarapan 2’ is not the only follow-up to have commercially eclipsed the film that started it all. From horror comedies and romantic dramas to action spectacles and patriotic blockbusters, several follow-ups proved that the second outing can sometimes become the main event.

Without further ado, here are some of the most notable examples:

1. Dhurandhar And Dhurandhar: The Revenge

Aditya Dhar’s ‘Dhurandhar’ arrived in cinemas on December 5, 2025, with Ranveer Singh leading an ensemble that included Akshaye Khanna, R Madhavan, Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal, Sara Arjun and Rakesh Bedi. The espionage thriller became a box-office juggernaut, collecting approximately Rs 1307 crore worldwide. Its scale, violent action, music and cliffhanger ending ensured that the wait for the concluding chapter was unusually intense.

Directed once again by Aditya Dhar, ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’ was released on March 19, 2026. Ranveer returned alongside R Madhavan, Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal and Sara Arjun. The sequel took the story to a far bigger commercial peak, earning approximately Rs 1813 crore worldwide. It reportedly surpassed its predecessor’s lifetime total within just 11 days.

2. Stree And Stree 2

Amar Kaushik’s ‘Stree’ was released on August 31, 2018, and starred Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, Aparshakti Khurana and Abhishek Banerjee. Inspired by the “Nale Ba” legend, the film blended small-town comedy, social commentary and supernatural horror with remarkable ease. Made without the scale normally associated with major Hindi hits, it grew through strong word of mouth and collected approximately Rs 182 crore worldwide.

The main cast reunited with Amar Kaushik for ‘Stree 2’, which opened on August 15, 2024. This time, the residents of Chanderi faced the headless entity Sarkata, while Tamannaah Bhatia and several surprise appearances added to the spectacle. The sequel did not simply improve on the original – it became a nationwide phenomenon. With an estimated worldwide gross of Rs 857 crore, ‘Stree 2’ earned nearly five times as much as ‘Stree’ and emerged as the highest-grossing Hindi film of 2024.

3. Gadar: Ek Prem Katha And Gadar 2

Released on June 15, 2001, Anil Sharma’s ‘Gadar: Ek Prem Katha’ featured Sunny Deol, Ameesha Patel, Amrish Puri and Utkarsh Sharma. Set against Partition, the film followed Tara Singh’s journey to Pakistan to bring his wife, Sakina, home. It became an all-time blockbuster, with its dialogues, songs and hand-pump sequence entering popular culture. Sacnilk estimated its worldwide gross at Rs 132 crore – an enormous figure for its time.

22 years later, Anil Sharma brought Tara, Sakina and their son Jeete back in ‘Gadar 2’. Released on August 11, 2023, the sequel starred Sunny Deol, Ameesha Patel, Utkarsh Sharma and Simrat Kaur. Its nostalgia-driven campaign turned into a full-fledged box-office storm, resulting in an estimated worldwide gross of Rs 686 crore.

4. Ek Tha Tiger And Tiger Zinda Hai

Kabir Khan’s ‘Ek Tha Tiger’ introduced Salman Khan as Indian intelligence agent Avinash Singh Rathore, better known as Tiger, and Katrina Kaif as Pakistani spy Zoya. Released on August 15, 2012, the romantic action thriller also featured Ranvir Shorey. Its combination of espionage, romance and star power made it a major success, with an estimated worldwide collection of Rs 320 crore.

The spies returned on December 22, 2017, in ‘Tiger Zinda Hai’, directed by Ali Abbas Zafar. Salman and Katrina reprised their roles. Inspired in part by the 2014 rescue of Indian nurses held captive in Iraq, the sequel placed Tiger and Zoya inside a larger, more muscular rescue thriller. The expanded action and strong festive-season response helped it collect approximately Rs 558 crore worldwide, comfortably overtaking the first film.

5. Border And Border 2

Written and directed by JP Dutta, ‘Border’ was released on June 13, 1997. Inspired by the Battle of Longewala during the 1971 India-Pakistan war, the epic featured Sunny Deol, Suniel Shetty, Jackie Shroff, Akshaye Khanna and more. The performances, battle sequences and unforgettable soundtrack helped it become the highest-grossing Hindi film of 1997 in India. Bollywood Hungama estimated its worldwide gross at Rs 55 crore.

Nearly 29 years later, Sunny Deol returned for ‘Border 2’, directed by Anurag Singh and released on January 23, 2026. Varun Dhawan, Diljit Dosanjh and Ahan Shetty joined him as soldiers drawn from different branches of the armed forces. Expanding the canvas beyond a single battle, the sequel revisited several military operations connected to the 1971 war. It grossed approximately Rs 450 crore worldwide – more than eight times the original’s collection.

6. Drishyam And Drishyam 2

Nishikant Kamat’s ‘Drishyam’ was released on July 31, 2015, and featured Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shriya Saran and Rajat Kapoor. A Hindi remake of Jeethu Joseph’s 2013 Malayalam film, the thriller followed cable operator Vijay Salgaonkar as he constructed an elaborate alibi to protect his family after a police officer’s son disappeared. The film became a word-of-mouth success, taking its worldwide theatrical gross to approximately Rs 110 crore.

Abhishek Pathak directed ‘Drishyam 2’, which arrived in cinemas on November 18, 2022. Ajay, Tabu, Shriya reprised their roles, while Akshaye Khanna joined the cast as a police officer determined to uncover what happened on the night at the centre of the first film. The sequel turned Vijay Salgaonkar’s carefully constructed defence into an even more intricate battle of wits. It collected approximately Rs 343 crore worldwide.

7. Krrish And Krrish 3

After introducing Rohit Mehra and the extraterrestrial Jadoo in ‘Koi... Mil Gaya’, Rakesh Roshan transformed the story into a superhero franchise with ‘Krrish’. Released on June 23, 2006, the film starred Hrithik Roshan in a dual role alongside Priyanka Chopra, Naseeruddin Shah and Rekha. Its combination of romance, science fiction and superhero action helped it collect approximately Rs 121 crore worldwide.

Rakesh Roshan returned to direct ‘Krrish 3’, which was released on November 1, 2013. Hrithik Roshan and Priyanka Chopra reprised their roles, while Vivek Oberoi and Kangana Ranaut joined the franchise. With mutants, elaborate visual effects and a much larger conflict, the film expanded almost every element of ‘Krrish’. It collected approximately Rs 374 crore worldwide.

8. Bhool Bhulaiyaa And Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2

Priyadarshan’s ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa’ opened on October 12, 2007, with Akshay Kumar, Vidya Balan, Shiney Ahuja, Ameesha Patel, Paresh Rawal and Rajpal Yadav in prominent roles. The psychological horror comedy became particularly memorable for Vidya’s performance as Manjulika, Akshay’s comic timing and the title track. It collected approximately Rs 82.35 crore worldwide.

Anees Bazmee revived the title with a largely new story and cast in ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2’, released on May 20, 2022. Kartik Aaryan, Kiara Advani and Tabu led the sequel, with Rajpal Yadav and Sanjay Mishra contributing to its comic energy. Arriving when the Hindi film business was still recovering from pandemic-era disruption, the horror comedy brought family audiences back to theatres and became one of 2022’s biggest Bollywood successes. It earned approximately Rs 266 crore worldwide.

9. Tanu Weds Manu And Tanu Weds Manu Returns

Aanand L Rai’s ‘Tanu Weds Manu’ was released on February 25, 2011, with Kangana Ranaut and R Madhavan playing the mismatched Tanuja Trivedi and Manoj Sharma. Jimmy Sheirgill, Deepak Dobriyal, Swara Bhasker completed its ensemble. The romantic comedy found its audience through relatable characters, memorable music and a distinctly North Indian flavour, eventually collecting approximately Rs 53.60 crore worldwide.

The same central cast returned in ‘Tanu Weds Manu Returns’, released on May 22, 2015. Aanand L Rai again directed, but the sequel raised the stakes by giving Kangana a second role as the spirited athlete Kusum “Datto” Sangwan. Her contrasting performances became the film’s biggest talking point. The sequel collected approximately Rs 258 crore worldwide.

10. Baaghi And Baaghi 2

Tiger Shroff and Shraddha Kapoor starred in Sabbir Khan’s ‘Baaghi’, which was released on April 29, 2016. Sudheer Babu played the antagonist in the action film, which followed Ronny as he travelled to rescue Siya from a dangerous fighter. The film collected approximately Rs 126 crore worldwide.

‘Baaghi 2’, released on March 30, 2018, was a standalone spiritual sequel rather than a direct continuation. Ahmed Khan replaced Sabbir Khan as director, while Tiger returned as Ronny alongside Disha Patani, Manoj Bajpayee, Randeep Hooda, Prateik Babbar and Deepak Dobriyal. The sequel increased the action and scale, opening far ahead of expectations and collecting approximately Rs 257 crore worldwide.

11. Dabangg And Dabangg 2

Abhinav Kashyap’s ‘Dabangg’ was released on September 10, 2010, and introduced Salman Khan as the irreverent Uttar Pradesh police officer Chulbul Pandey. Sonakshi Sinha made her acting debut as Rajjo, while Arbaaz Khan, Sonu Sood and more appeared in supporting roles. The film’s dialogues, action, music and Chulbul’s distinctive personality made it a pop-culture phenomenon. It collected approximately Rs 215 crore worldwide.

Arbaaz Khan took over as director for ‘Dabangg 2’, released on December 21, 2012. Salman and Sonakshi returned, while Prakash Raj joined the cast as antagonist Bachcha Singh. The sequel relocated Chulbul to Kanpur and delivered the same mixture of romance, comedy and mass action on a larger commercial canvas. It grossed approximately Rs 265 crore worldwide, narrowly finishing ahead of the original in collections.

12. Raid And Raid 2

Directed by Raj Kumar Gupta, ‘Raid’ was released on March 16, 2018. Ajay Devgn played Amay Patnaik, an income-tax officer who leads a prolonged search of the mansion belonging to powerful politician Rameshwar Singh, played by Saurabh Shukla. The film turned paperwork, hidden wealth and bureaucratic pressure into a tense mainstream thriller. It collected approximately Rs 154 crore worldwide.

Ajay returned as Amay in ‘Raid 2’, again directed by Raj Kumar Gupta. Released on May 1, 2025, the sequel pitted the officer against a publicly adored but deeply corrupt politician, Dada Manohar Bhai, played by Riteish Deshmukh. ‘Raid 2’ surpassed the original to collect approximately Rs 237 crore worldwide.

13. Singham And Singham Returns

Rohit Shetty’s ‘Singham’ was released on July 22, 2011, with Ajay Devgn playing Bajirao Singham, an upright police officer who takes on the corrupt and politically connected Jaikant Shikre. Prakash Raj delivered one of the film’s most memorable performances as Shikre. A remake of the 2010 Tamil film of the same name, ‘Singham’ turned its title character into a popular symbol of larger-than-life screen justice and collected approximately Rs 151 crore worldwide.

Ajay and Rohit reunited for ‘Singham Returns’, released on August 15, 2014. Kareena Kapoor Khan joined the sequel, which followed Singham’s battle against a fraudulent religious leader and the political network protecting him. The film opened significantly bigger than its predecessor and finished with a worldwide gross of approximately Rs 217 crore. Its success also helped prepare the ground for Rohit Shetty’s interconnected cop universe.

14. Don And Don 2

Farhan Akhtar’s ‘Don: The Chase Begins Again’ was released on October 20, 2006. A contemporary reimagining of the 1978 Amitabh Bachchan film, it starred Shah Rukh Khan in the dual roles of criminal mastermind Don and his lookalike Vijay. Priyanka Chopra, Arjun Rampal, Boman Irani, Isha Koppikar, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Om Puri completed the cast. Its famous final twist separated the new version from the earlier film and provided the foundation for a franchise. It earned approximately Rs 104 crore worldwide.

Farhan returned to direct ‘Don 2’, which was released on December 23, 2011. Shah Rukh, Priyanka, Boman and Om Puri reprised their roles, while Lara Dutta and Kunal Kapoor joined the cast. The sequel took Don to Berlin for an elaborate bank robbery, replacing the first film’s identity mystery with a sleek international heist. Its overseas locations, action and larger scale helped it collect approximately Rs 210 crore worldwide.

15. Dhoom And Dhoom 2

Sanjay Gadhvi’s ‘Dhoom’ raced into cinemas on August 27, 2004, and gave Bollywood a stylish new cops-and-robbers franchise. Abhishek Bachchan and Uday Chopra played police officer Jai Dixit and his unlikely partner Ali, while John Abraham became the film’s scene-stealing antagonist. Esha Deol and Rimi Sen also starred in the action thriller, which collected approximately Rs 50 crore worldwide.

The franchise shifted into a significantly higher gear with ‘Dhoom 2’, released on November 24, 2006. Sanjay Gadhvi returned as director, while Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan joined Abhishek, Uday and Bipasha Basu. Hrithik’s master thief Aryan brought elaborate disguises, international locations and a far more glamorous series of heists to the film. The sequel collected approximately Rs 148 crore worldwide, earning more than three times the original.