Vishwaroopam 2, Saamy Square, Goli Soda 2: Tamil cinema’s sequels fail to recreate magic of predecessors

2018 has been the year of sequels in Tamil cinema. Even though released amid very high expectations, most of these sequels failed to create the magic of their predecessors and struggled to make an impact at the box office. With a lot riding on superstar Rajinikanth’s _2.0_ and Dhanush’s _Maari 2_ , slated for release later this year, we take a look at what went wrong with sequels such as Goli Soda 2 , Saamy Square and Vishwaroopam 2 , and why cashing in on the popularity of a franchise is not always a great idea.

[caption id=“attachment_4886961” align=“alignnone” width=“1200”]  Kamal Haasan and Rahul Bose in a still from Vishwaroopam 2. YouTube[/caption]

Vikram-starrer Saamy Square, which released 15 years after its prequel, follows the story of Aarusaamy’s (played by Vikram) son Ramasaamy (also played by Vikram) as he locks horns with Raavana Pichai (Bobby Simhaa), son of Perumal Pichai (Kota Srinivasa Rao), who played the villain in the first part. With most critics calling it a senseless and tiring sequel which ruins good memories of the original, the film tanked at the box office.

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A leading distributor, on the condition of anonymity, said that the trend of sequels is passé. “If filmmakers are under the impression that making a sequel to a successful film will draw audiences to cinemas, then they’re wrong. We witnessed the release of over half a dozen sequels in Tamil cinema so far. Out of which, _Kalakalappu 2_ and Thamizh Padam 2 have been quite successful. All other films turned out to be flat out duds or have had a mediocre run in theatres. Vishal’s _Sandakozhi 2,_ despite opening to mixed reviews, managed to have a decent run because it released on a festival weekend.”

He went on to add that Saamy Square was panned heavily because of the lack of a convincing plot. “The first part of Saamy attained a cult status over the years. The sequel didn’t have a convincing story and even the performances were not memorable."

[caption id=“attachment_4493707” align=“alignnone” width=“1200”]  Vikram in a still from Saamy Square. YouTube screengrab[/caption]

Director SD Vijay Milton said he did not make Goli Soda 2 to cash in on the popularity of the first part. He told Firstpost that the sequel plan was always on his mind. “The only thing I wasn’t sure about was when to make the film. It took me three to four years because of other commitments. Goli Soda 2 works as a thematic sequel as it’s cut from the same cloth as the first part and follows three youngsters and their fight to reclaim their identity when faced by forces they can’t control.”

Milton also said he does not believe a sequel can be made just because of the success of the previous part. “If that’s the case, we can have sequels for every successful film. Goli Soda 2 happened because I saw the possibility of building the premise of ‘reclaiming one’s identity’.”

Goli Soda 2, which was lauded for its raw action, was no match to its first part. A theatre owner said that the first part of Goli Soda was a game changer for small budget films. “The success of Goli Soda opened the doors for many small-budget films. Goli Soda 2 had very good pre-release buzz, thanks to the success of the first part. It took a decent start at the box office but couldn’t emerge as a winner as the first part.”

[caption id=“attachment_4510013” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  A promotional still of Goli Soda 2. Twitter[/caption]

Kamal Haasan’s Vishwaroopam 2, which released five years after the first part, turned out to be a disaster at the box office. Even though the makers clarified that the film is both a sequel and a prequel, it did not quite make a difference for the audience, who gave it a thumbs down.

Vishwaroopam 2, according to various trade sources, did not even recover its cost of production. The film, which released in Tamil, Hindi and Telugu, is said to be the biggest disaster in Haasan’s career in recent times.