Director Sabbir Khan, who had helmed films like Baaghi, and Heropanti, claimed that he has not watched the sequels or the other films of the franchise. He also added that the films were not made keeping in mind that they would be turned to the franchise.
In an interview with PTI, Sabbir Khan revealed, “When we made the films initially, we did not make it as a franchise. They were organic films. For me a sequel is something where you take the story and characters forward. If you are making a completely different story, then it is a different film. It is just a business move to use the title. I was not leaning towards that… I have not seen those films (the sequels of Heropanti and Baaghi). It has lost its audience.”
The director has been busy with the promotions of his upcoming film, Nikamma. Starring Abhimanyu Dassani, Shirley Setia and Shilpa Shetty, the film is a remake of the 2017 Telugu film, Middle Class Abbayi. Talking about making remakes, and whether they have appeal, he said, “When you remake a film, it is very tough because the original has worked and there is a benchmark set. I liked the core story of the original but the screenplay is mine. We have added our touch and flavour to the story. For me as a director, Nikamma is a slightly different film from my past work. Apart from action, it has a strong story and family values.”
Earlier, Shilpa Shetty had revealed why she signed Nikamma and said, “It is a beautiful story between brother-in-law and sister-in-law and Bhabhi devar ki kahani bohot kam banti hai (lesser movies are made on the bond between a sister-in-law and brother-in-law). That is one of the reasons why I wanted to do this film, that is one relationship that hasn’t been tapped in other than Sooraj Barjatya’s films.”
Produced by Sony Pictures Films India and Sabbir Khan Films, the film will release in the theatres on June 17.
