The “Avengers effect” made its way into Bollywood, with the concept of interconnected universes gaining traction. The success of the Avengers franchise, which brought together superheroes from various corners of the world and different time periods, has influenced Bollywood filmmakers. Rohit Shetty was the pioneer, creating his own cop universe with Singham, Simmba, and Sooryavanshi. Yash Raj Films is following suit, planning a spy universe that will unite characters from the Tiger franchise, War, and Pathaan. Additionally, Dinesh Vijan has launched a horror universe, encompassing four films: Stree, Roohi, Bhediya, and Munjha.
We asked Bobby Deol to share his thoughts on Bollywood’s growing trend of interconnected universes and franchises, inspired by the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.He said, “I just feel that the industry is trying to find ways on how to make things interesting and intriguing for the audience. So, things have started falling into place. They are trying to make the most of it and trying to create the best of scenarios for the audience to lap it up. It’s just the new flavour that the industry has embraced and it is happening on a pan-India level now. Long story short is that the viewers are getting excited with the concept, and which is why the filmmakers have taken a plunge into it.”
In an earlier chat with us, Bobby spoke about how things changed for him after the release of Animal in December 2023, saying, “Wherever I go, I still feel the love and blessings from people. It’s overwhelming. Animal has given me confidence and made me realise that you can’t get carried away with success, you have to respect it.” When quizzed about the film’s sequel, Animal Park, he said, “I spoke to Sandeep (Reddy Vanga, Director) the other day to celebrate the film’s anniversary, but I don’t know what’s happening with the sequel. I’m sure it will be made because the audience wants it.”