New Delhi: Bollywood is set to usher in 2025 as a landmark year with an impressive slate of sequels and franchise films. Audiences can look forward to the return of fan-favourite titles such as ‘Don 3’, ‘Raid 2’, ‘Jolly LLB 3’, ‘Housefull 5’, ‘War 2’, and ‘Welcome to the Jungle’. These films promise a mix of nostalgia and novelty, ensuring a cinematic feast filled with familiar faces and fresh twists.
The dominance of sequels and franchises continue to shape Bollywood’s narrative landscape. Filmmakers are increasingly tapping into established storylines and beloved characters to deliver guaranteed Box-Office hits.
With 2025’s packed lineup, Bollywood is set to double down on this trend, promising a blend of action, drama, comedy, and romance. Here are the major releases to watch out for:
Raid 2
Ajay Devgn returns in ‘Raid 2’, the sequel to the 2018 crime thriller that captivated audiences with its gripping story of tax raids and corruption. Directed by Raj Kumar Gupta, the sequel is all set to bring another intriguing quest led by IRS officer, Amay Patnaik (Ajay Devgn).
Ajay announced the release date for the highly anticipated sequel of his film ‘Raid’ on December 3. Sharing the update, Ajay on Instagram wrote, “IRS Amay Patnaik’s next mission begins from May 2025! Raid 2 is all set to release on 1st May 2025!”
The film also features Vaani Kapoor as the female lead, Ritesh Deshmukh as the antagonist and Rajat Kapoor in pivotal role.
Directed by Raj Kumar Gupta, ‘Raid 2’, is produced by Bhushan Kumar, Kumar Mangat Pathak, Abhishek Pathak, and Krishan Kumar. The film is presented by Gulshan Kumar and T-Series and is a Panorama Studios production.
Jolly LLB 3
In 2017, Akshay Kumar and Huma Qureshi starred in Jolly LLB 2, a spiritual sequel to Jolly LLB, released in 2013. The first film featured Arshad Warsi and Saurabh Shukla in the lead roles. Amrita Rao also starred in the first part.
Akshay Kumar, Arshad Warsi, and Huma Qureshi are all set to entertain the audience with their next ‘Jolly LLB 3’.
The third instalment is expected to tackle contemporary legal issues while maintaining the franchise’s trademark wit.
Housefull 5
The excitement for the latest addition to the hit comedy franchise, ‘Housefull 5’ is at an all-time high.
Known for its slapstick humour and ensemble cast, the ‘Housefull’ franchise ups the ante with its fifth instalment. Helmed by Tarun Mansukhani, ‘Housefull 5’ will be released in theatres on June 6, 2025.
The first part of ‘Housefull’ was released in the year 2010 and starred Akshay, Riteish, Lara Dutta, Deepika Padukone, Arjun Rampal and Boman Irani. The film was declared a hit, followed by another hit sequel ‘Housefull 2’ which was released in 2012 and included a stellar cast of Akshay, Ritiesh, John Abraham, Shreyas Talpade, Jacqueline Fernandez, Rishi Kapoor, Randhir Kapoor, Mithun Chakraborty and Asin. Both parts were helmed by director Sajid Khan.
On December 24, the official Instagram page of Nadiadwala Grandson shared a series of pictures that featured the entire cast and crew of Housefull 5. In the pictures, Abhishek Bachchan, Riteish Deshmukh, Fardeen Khan, Sonam Bajwa, Soundarya Sharma, Jacqueline Fernandez, Chunky Panday, Shreyas Talpade and others can be seen.
Featuring Akshay Kumar, Jacqueline Fernandez, Abhishek Bachchan, and others, ‘Housefull 5’ is set to deliver more chaos and laughter in 2025.
War 2
‘War’ (2019) redefined Bollywood’s action genre with Hrithik Roshan and Tiger Shroff’s high-octane performances. In ‘War 2’, Jr NTR joins as the antagonist, while director Ayan Mukerji takes the lead, promising bigger stunts and visual spectacle.
The film is a sequel to the 2019 action thriller film ‘War’ which starred Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff and Vani Kapoor in the lead roles. Directed by Siddarth Anand, this high-octane action drama minted Rs 200 crores within seven days of its release in 2019. It’s touted to be one of the highest-grossing Hindi films of that year.
Welcome to the Jungle
The film features Akshay Kumar alongside renowned names such as Disha Patani, Raveena Tandon, Lara Dutta, Arshad Warsi, Shreyas Talpade, Suniel Shetty, Johnny Lever, Kiku Sharda, Krushna Abhishek, Rahul Dev and singers-brothers Daler Mehndi and Mika. Ahmed Khan has come on board to direct the film.
The film is the third instalment of the hit franchise ‘Welcome’ which starred Feroz Khan, Akshay Kumar, Katrina Kaif, Anil Kapoor, Nana Patekar and Paresh Rawal in the lead roles. The second instalment, titled ‘Welcome Back’, was released in 2015.
Actors John Abraham and Shruti Haasan replaced Akshay and Katrina in the second part. Both films were helmed by Anees Bazmee.
With Akshay Kumar and Suniel Shetty, leading the cast, this chaotic comedy promises another dose of hilarious misadventures and over-the-top situations.
Son of Sardaar 2
Following the success at the box office in 2012, Ajay Devgn is back to enthral the audience with the sequel of the action comedy ‘Son of Sardaar’.
Helmed by Vijay Kumar Arora, the film has an extensive shoot schedule in the UK, followed by India.
‘Son of Sardaar’, directed by Ashwani Dhir, features Devgn alongside Sonakshi Sinha and tells the story of Jassi, a man who returns to his ancestral village in Punjab and becomes embroiled in a family feud. The film was known for its mix of humour, action, and romance, and while it received mixed reviews, it was praised for its lively performances and engaging soundtrack.
‘Son of Sardaar 2’ was officially announced on August 6.
Presented by Jio Studios and Devgn Films, A Devgn Films and SOS 2 Limited production, ‘Son of Sardaar 2’ is produced by Ajay Devgn and Jyoti Deshpande.
Produced by N R Pachisia and Pravin Talreja and co-produced by Kumar Mangat Pathak.
De De Pyaar De 2
Romantic comedy ‘De De Pyaar De’ struck a chord with its unconventional take on relationships. The film, starring Ajay Devgn, Rakul Preet Singh, and R. Madhavan, is set to hit theatres on November 14 next year.
The makers took to Instagram to share the news and wrote, “#DeDePyaarDe2 will release on 14th November 2025. The film is directed by @anshul3112, produced by #BhushanKumar, #KrishanKumar, #LuvRanjan & @gargankur82 and written by @tarun.j.85 & Luv Ranjan.”
‘De De Pyaar De 2’ is being filmed in Punjab, Mumbai, and London.
The sequel is directed by Anshul Sharma and produced by T-Series Bhushan Kumar and Krishan Kumar, along with Luv Films’ Luv Ranjan and Ankur Garg.
The original ‘De De Pyaar De’ (2019), directed by Akiv Ali, was a hit among moviegoers. It starred Ajay Devgn, Tabu, and Rakul Preet Singh in lead roles. The romantic comedy follows the story of Ashish (Ajay Devgn), a 50-year-old divorcee who falls in love with Ayesha (Rakul Preet Singh), a woman half his age. The film revolves around the complexities of their relationship, including societal judgment and the challenges posed by Ashish’s ex-wife (played by Tabu).
Don 3
The people have been waiting impatiently for the new ‘Don’ from the wildly anticipated movie ‘Don 3,’ directed by Farhan Akhtar. Ranveer Singh will be the new Don in the third film of the hit franchise.
In August 2023, Farhan had in a special announcement video revealed that Ranveer Singh will be the new Don in the third film of the hit franchise.
In the teaser, Ranveer was seen seated in a building with his back to the camera. He lit up a cigarette, introduced himself as Don, and then turned to face the camera. He wore a leather jacket and matching pants for the dapper look and accessorized it with leather boots and matching sunglasses. Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan played the character in the earlier versions.
The ‘Don’ series has always been associated with compelling stories, exhilarating action, and unforgettable moments.
‘Don’ starred Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra and Boman Irani in prominent roles. The film was released in 2006 and won Best Asian Film at the Neuchatel International Fantastic Film Festival. Later, its sequel was released in 2011 and was declared a hit.
Actor Hrithik Roshan was seen in a special appearance role in ‘Don 2’. Farhan’s directorial was a remake of 1978’s ‘Don’, featuring Amitabh Bachchan in the lead role.
Baaghi 4
Tiger Shroff is all set to thrill fans in the next instalment of his popular action franchise ‘Baaghi 4’. In November, the actor, took to his Instagram to share the intense and “bloodier” first look of the film.
Tiger shared a gripping poster of himself sitting on a toilet seat with a knife in one hand, and bottle in another.
Along with the pictures, the actor added a caption that read, “A darker spirit, a bloodier mission. This time he is not the same!”
‘Baaghi 4’ will be directed by Kannada filmmaker A Harsha, which marks his Bollywood debut.
The film is produced by Sajid Nadiadwala under the Nadiadwala Grandson banner and is set to hit theatres on September 5, 2025.
The ‘Baaghi’ franchise started in 2016 with the release of the first film, directed by Sabbir Khan. It was an action-packed thriller inspired by the 2004 Telugu movie ‘Varsham’ and the 2011 Indonesian film The Raid: Redemption. The movie featured Tiger Shroff, Shraddha Kapoor, and Sudheer Babu in lead roles.
The second instalment, ‘Baaghi 2’, came out in the year 2018. Directed by Ahmed Khan, it was a remake of the Telugu movie ‘Kshanam’. This film starred Tiger Shroff alongside Disha Patani, Manoj Bajpayee, and Randeep Hooda.
In 2020, ‘Baaghi 3’ was released, again directed by Ahmed Khan. It starred Tiger Shroff, Riteish Deshmukh, and Shraddha Kapoor in the lead roles.
Border 2
Another much-awaited sequel ‘Border 2’, has officially started filming. Earlier this year, Sunny Deol confirmed his return to the iconic role he portrayed in the original, 1997 blockbuster ‘Border’ and now, the cameras are rolling for the much-awaited continuation of the patriotic war saga.
In a recent announcement shared by the film’s makers, a picture from the film’s sets was posted, featuring a clapboard that signals the start of production.
The post reads, “The cameras are rolling for Border 2! With Sunny Deol, Varun Dhawan, Diljit Dosanjh, and Ahan Shetty leading the charge, this Anurag Singh directorial, powered by cinematic legends Bhushan Kumar, JP Dutta, and Nidhi Dutta promises action, drama, and patriotism like never before. Mark your calendars: #Border2 hits theaters on Jan 23, 2026!”
Directed by Anurag Singh, ‘Border 2’ is set to be a grand cinematic spectacle with a star-studded ensemble cast that includes Sunny Deol reprising his legendary role, Varun Dhawan, Diljit Dosanjh, and Ahan Shetty.
The surge in sequels highlights Bollywood’s strategic shift toward building franchises, much like Hollywood. By combining familiarity with innovation, filmmakers are keeping audiences invested while minimizing commercial risks.
This approach has proven effective, as audiences gravitate toward stories and characters they already love, with sequels adding layers to these narratives.
With a star-studded lineup and a mix of genres, 2025 is shaping up to be a year of cinematic extravagance for Bollywood. Whether it’s heart-pounding action, side-splitting comedy, or heartfelt romance, moviegoers can expect something for everyone.
As the franchise era takes centre stage, Bollywood is poised to keep audiences entertained while evolving its storytelling techniques. Fans can gear up for a year packed with excitement, laughter, and unforgettable moments at the movies.
