Sunny Deol and Ameesha Patel reunite after 22 years for Gadar 2: A look at Hindi film sequels that were released after a long gap

Ghayal, Aashiqui and Bhool Bhulaiyaa are other popular movies with a gap of over 10 years between them and their sequels

Sunny Deol in Gadar 2

On the occasion of the 74th Republic Day, Sunny Deol gave his fans a glimpse into the much-awaited sequel of his 2001 hit, Gadar. The film, titled Gadar 2, will release on August 11 this year – 22 years after the first instalment. While sequels are usually made within a couple of years after the release of the first film to ride on its popularity, Gadar 2 isn’t the first Bollywood sequel to be made after a gap of over 10 years. Here’s a look at some others:

Gadar: Ek Prem Katha (2001) and Gadar 2 (2023): Gap of 22 years
Much of the star cast from the 2001 hit film have been retained for the sequel of Gadar. This includes Sunny Deol, of course, along with his leading lady Ameesha Patel and Utkarsh Sharma, who reprise their roles. Luv Sinha, Simrat Kaur, Manish Wadhwa and Gaurav Chopra will also be seen in pivotal roles in Gadar 2. Gadar: Ek Prem Katha was declared an all-time blockbuster at the time.

Sadak (1991) and Sadak 2 (2020): Gap of 29 years
Sanjay Dutt and Pooja Bhatt’s 1991 romantic thriller was a runaway hit, and was one of the highest grossing films of the year. While the lead pair were appreciated for their performance, Sadashiv Amrapurkar stole the show with his performance in a negative role. Sadak 2, with Alia Bhatt and Aditya Roy Kapur alongside Sanjay, did not release in theatres due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Released on Disney+ Hotstar, the film received a big thumbs down.

Ghayal (1990) and Ghayal: Once Again (2016): Gap of 26 years
Ghayal is another franchise starring Sunny Deol which had a sequel releasing more than two decades later. The 1990 action-drama was Rajkumar Santoshi’s directorial debut, and was the second-highest grossing film of the year. It won several awards as well. While Sunny and Om Puri were part of the sequel Ghayal: One Again, the rest of the star cast – Soha Ali Khan, Shivam Patil and Anushka Mehra – were cast freshly. This film did fairly well at the box office, but not as well as the prequel.

Aashiqui (1990), Aashiqui 2 (2013) and Aashiqui 3 (2023): Gap of 23 years & 10 years
Starring newbies at the time, Rahul Roy and Anu Aggarwal, Aashiqui was one of the biggest hits of its time, winning several awards. Its soundtrack was an instant hit and remained so for a while. The magic of the romantic hit was recreated by Aditya Roy Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor in the 2013 sequel, and the film was one of the highest grossers of the year. Like its predecessors, Aashiqui 2 made its lead star cast popular names. The third instalment is slated to release this year, with Kartik Aaryan in the lead role.

Judwaa (1997) and Judwaa 2 (2017): Gap of 20 years
Salman Khan’s Judwaa, in which he plays twins with polar opposite personalities, is much-loved in this comedy caper. Starring alongside him lead roles were Karisma Kapoor and Rambha. In 2017, Varun Dhawan, with the blessings of Salman Khan, tried to recreate the magic of Judwaa, with Taapsee Pannu and Jaqueline Fernandez as his leading ladies. The sequel received a lukewarm response from critics, as well at the box office.

Bunty Aur Babli (2005) and Bunty Aur Babli 2 (2021): Gap of 16 years
Rani Mukerji and Abhishek Bachchan’s Bunty Aur Babli was loved equally for its story and songs. The crime-comedy film was one of the biggest hits of the year, and both Rani and Abhishek were loved for their portrayal of Babli and Bunty. Rani attempted to recreate the magic of the film in 2021, but this time she had Saif Ali Khan as her leading man. The sequel also stars Siddhant Chaturvedi and Sharvari Wagh, but it failed to impress.

Tum Bin (2001) and Tum Bin (2016): Gap of 15 years
Starring newcomers Sandali Sinha, Priyanshu Chatterjee, Himanshu Malik and Raqesh Bapat, Tum Bin was a surprise hit, with its music and performances working in its favour. Like the 2001 film, Tum Bin 2, a standalone sequel, also starred relative newcomers – Neha Sharma, Aashim Gulati and Aditya Seal. The film failed to do as well as the 2001 hit.

Bhool Bhulaiyaa (2007) and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 (2021): Gap of 14 years
A remake of the 1993 Malayalam film Manichitrathazhu, Akshay Kumar and Vidya Balan’s horror-comedy Bhool Bhulaiyaa was received well by both critics and audiences. The standalone sequel, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 had Kartik Aaryan, Kiara Advani and Tabu in lead roles, also went on to do well at the box office, becoming one of the highest grossing films of 2021.

Sequels to popular films that are slated to release in 2023:
The year 2023 is likely to see the release of sequels to several popular films. They are:
OMG: Oh My God 2
Dostana 2
Indian 2
Krrish 4
Apne 2
Aashiqui 3

OMG: Oh My God 2

Dostana 2

Indian 2

Krrish 4

Apne 2

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