With 'Ek Villain 2', T-series hopes for an encore to 'Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2'

In a flop-infested scenario, movie producers T-Series have all their hopes pinned on Ek Villain Returns to bring some succour. Their logic being, another belated sequel Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 is a rare blockbuster of 2022. So why not a sequel to Ek Villain, which created a mild murmur in 2014?

Like Bhool Bhulaiya (its title track), Ek Villain too has a winning song Galliyan in both the first film and its sequel. But is that enough to bring the audience in?

There is a world of a difference between Ek Villain in 2014 and its ‘spiritual sequel’ (which essentially means the two films have nothing in common) in 2022. For one, the villain in the original was played by Riteish Deshmukh who made a smart and convincing shift away from his comic roles. Deshmukh’s conflict with ‘hero’ Sidharth Malhotra was ably set up in Ek Villain.

John Abraham plays the villain in Ek Villain Returns and his ‘hero’ is Arjun Kapoor.

An unofficial spokesperson from a multiplex chain describes Ek Villain Returns as a promising project. “After the shocking attendance for Shamshera, we expect good attendance for Ek Villain Returns. There is also curiosity about this weeks other release Vikrant Rona.”

Vikrant Rona is Kannada star Sudeep’s big action thriller being presented in Hindi by Salman Khan. Prudently the ticket price for Vikrant Rona in its dubbed Telugu version has been fixed at Rs 150 in Telangana for the single screens. This move will most certainly help the film get a larger audience.

Says Bihar's exhibitor Roshan Singh, "Both Vikrant Rona and Ek Villain Returns have potential, one for its grand scale and the other for its recall value. We desperately need a hit. Hopefully, this week's content in the theatres has something for the audience."