2025 Box Office Report :The Year of Sequels

Filmmakers doubled down on nostalgia this year, bringing back iconic characters and expanding beloved universes. From the high-octane face-off in War 2 to the supernatural hysteria of Stree 2, the box office was dominated by the Part 2 phenomenon. However, the results were a mixed bag of hits and shocking disasters, proving that a franchise tag alone is no longer a guarantee of success. As we wrap up the year, here is the verified collection report and verdict of the 10 sequels of 2025.

War 2

Director	Ayan Mukerji
Cast	Hrithik Roshan, Jr NTR, Kiara Advani
Hindi Net	₹ 236.55 Cr
WW Gross	₹ 364.35 Cr
Budget	₹ 400 Cr
Verdict	Flop

A monumental disappointment. Despite the massive hype surrounding the Hrithik vs. Jr NTR face-off, the film collapsed due to negative word-of-mouth and a weak screenplay. With a colossal budget of ₹400 Cr, the collections are disastrous, failing to even cross the lifetime figures of its 2019 predecessor. It proves that mounting a project on scale alone cannot save a film if the content doesn't connect.

Housefull 5

Director	Tarun Mansukhani
Cast	Akshay Kumar, Riteish Deshmukh, Abhishek Bachchan
Hindi Net	₹ 183.3 Cr
WW Gross	₹ 288.58 Cr
Budget	₹ 250 Cr
Verdict	Average

A classic case of the budget outgrowing the box office potential. While the cruise ship grandeur pushed the cost to an astronomical ₹250 Cr, the collections (₹183.3 Cr Net) failed to match up, falling significantly short of Housefull 4's ₹210 Cr benchmark. Despite decent family footfalls during the holidays, the massive mounting turned a potential money-spinner into a financial burden, signaling clear franchise fatigue.

Jolly LLB 3

Director	Subhash Kapoor
Cast	Akshay Kumar, Arshad Warsi, Huma Qureshi
Hindi Net	₹ 116.75 Cr
WW Gross	₹ 170.8 Cr
Budget	₹ 120 Cr
Verdict	Success

A classic example of diminishing ROI. While the much-hyped face-off between Akshay Kumar and Arshad Warsi helped the film match the net collections of Jolly LLB 2(₹117 Cr), the economics went for a toss. With the budget skyrocketing 4x from ₹30 Cr to ₹120 Cr, what was once a highly profitable franchise has been reduced to just a Success. It proves that while the audience base remained intact, the massive cost escalation ate into the profit margins.

Raid 2

Director	Raj Kumar Gupta
Cast	Ajay Devgn, Riteish Deshmukh, Vaani Kapoor
Hindi Net	₹ 173.05 Cr
WW Gross	₹ 237 Cr
Budget	₹ 120 Cr
Verdict	Hit

Bigger numbers, but smaller margins. While Raid 2 saw a healthy jump in collections (₹173 Cr vs the prequel's ₹103 Cr), it couldn't match the massive profitability of the first part. Raid was a 'Super-Hit' because it earned 3x its lean ₹35 Cr budget. The sequel, burdened by a heavy ₹120 Cr cost, settles for a Hit verdict. It was a commercial success, but not the money-spinner the original was relative to investment.

Sitaare Zameen Par

Director	R.S. Prasanna
Cast	Aamir Khan, Genelia Deshmukh
Hindi Net	₹ 167.3 Cr
WW Gross	₹ 267.34 Cr
Budget	₹122 crore
Verdict	Hit

A case of High Revenue, Lower ROI. While Sitaare Zameen Par clocked an impressive ₹167.3 Cr (nearly 2.6x the prequel's lifetime), the economics tell a different story. With the budget escalating 10x from ₹12 Cr to ₹122 Cr, the massive profitability of the original is missing. However, given the genre and Aamir's recent track record, crossing ₹267 Cr worldwide makes it a respectable Hit, even if it lacks the Super-Hit status of its low-budget predecessor.

De De Pyaar De 2

Director	Anshul Sharma
Cast	Ajay Devgn, R. Madhavan, Rakul Preet Singh
Hindi Net	₹ 74 Cr
WW Gross	₹ 111.5 Cr
Budget	₹ 150 Cr
Verdict	Below Average

A shocking misfire. Sequels are expected to take the franchise forward, but De De Pyaar De 2 took a massive step back. Not only did the collections nosedive from ₹104 Cr (Part 1) to just ₹74 Cr, but the budget ballooned to ₹135 Cr, making theatrical recovery impossible.

Son of Sardaar 2

Director	Vijay Kumar Arora
Cast	Ajay Devgn, Mrunal Thakur, Sanjay Dutt
Hindi Net	₹ 46.82 Cr
WW Gross	₹ 65.75 Cr
Budget	₹ 130 Cr
Verdict	Flop

A box office catastrophe. The franchise completely collapsed with this installment. While the original was a Super-Hit with ₹105 Cr Net on a lean ₹40 Cr budget, the sequel saw the budget triple to ₹130 Cr while collections crashed to less than half (₹46.82 Cr). It stands as one of the biggest loss-makers of the year, proving that a 13-year gap is too long to sustain brand recall without strong content.

Baaghi 4

Director	A. Harsha
Cast	Tiger Shroff, Sara Ali Khan
Hindi Net	₹ 52.1 Cr
WW Gross	₹ 77 Cr
Budget	₹ 80 Cr
Verdict	Flop

The franchise has officially hit rock bottom. While Baaghi 3 managed ₹96.5 Cr even amidst the onset of the pandemic, Baaghi 4 saw collections crash by nearly 50% to just ₹52.1 Cr. Even with a reduced budget of ₹80 Cr, the film failed to recover its costs theatrically. The repetitive action formula has been completely rejected by the audience.

Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon 2

Director	Anukalp Goswami
Cast	Kapil Sharma, Shreyas Talpade
Hindi Net	NA
WW Gross	NA
Budget	NA
Verdict	NA

Kapil Sharma returns to the big screen after a long hiatus. While the opening day of ₹1.75 Cr is lower than the historic debut of the first part, the film relies heavily on family audiences who typically visit over the weekend. It is too early to write it off; all eyes are now on Saturday and Sunday growth to see if it can gather momentum and challenge the lifetime collections of its prequel.

Masti 4

Director	Milap Zaveri
Cast	Vivek Oberoi, Aftab Shivdasani, Riteish Deshmukh
Hindi Net	₹ 14.9 Cr
WW Gross	₹ 19.25 Cr
Budget	₹ 40 Cr
Verdict	Flop

The franchise remains stuck in a rut. Masti 4 has virtually mirrored the disastrous performance of its prequel, Great Grand Masti (₹13.72 Cr). With collections stagnating around the ₹15 Cr mark against a ₹40 Cr budget, it confirms that the adult-comedy genre in this format has lost its theatrical appeal. It marks a second consecutive failure for the once-popular series.