Franchises are lucrative business: Mukesh Bhatt

Mumbai: Almost every hit film from the Bhatt camp is now getting a sequel and producer Mukesh Bhatt says that movie franchises have proved lucrative for business in every film industry. While `Jannat 2` and `Raaz 3` are already in the making, `Aashiqui 2` is all set to go on floors as well while plans are being put together for `Jism 2` and `Murder 3`. "Global talent hunt for `Aashiqui 2` is on and it is upon Mohit (Suri) to take a final call on the chosen actors. We are starting the film soon and would release it in December this year. Next year we also kick-start `Murder 3`. "We have no qualms in building on franchises. After all, world-over franchises have been always lucrative in terms of business. We have such a strong film base and infrastructure so we should be making the most out of it. When others are only thinking about it, we are already on the job," Mukesh told PTI. Sequels may be minting money for them, but the producer says there were a number of mis-calculations they have made in the past few years leading to quite a few flops like "Crook" and "Tum Miley". "We always do an introspection after every film, whether it is a hit or a flop. You have to always learn from your past. Also, as has been the trend with Vishesh Films, we own our failures more than our successes. After all, a film`s success should be attributed to it`s director and actors while producers should take complete responsibility of flops." Though the 59-year-old admitted that they went wrong in the story-telling technique of "Tum Miley", the film`s director Kunal Deshmukh will bounce back with "Jannat 2". "We went wrong big time in `Tum Miley`. There were too many flashbacks and flash forwards which didn`t go well with the audience. We could have avoided that. However, director Kunal Deshmukh is a promising boy and he would bounce back in a major way with `Jannat 2`," said Mukesh. On the other hand their blue eyed boy Mohit Suri delivered his first ever commercial and critical dud in the form of `Crook` before `Murder 2` managed to redeem him. "`Crook` went wrong because of its climax. When we were talking about racism in Australia, we should have had the villain being an Australian. In our film he turned out to be an Indian (played by Arjan Bajwa). We went wrong in sheer characterisation and that was disappointing for many out there," Mukesh added. As for "Awarapan`, which was the costliest film ever made by them then, Bhatts are candid enough to admit that they took a wrong decision to pitch the film alongside Himesh Reshammiya`s "Aap Kaa Surroor" and Deols` "Apne". "`Awarapan` was a clear case of a wrong release. It was a very good film but then too many films came on the same date. I have learnt a lesson to never release a film in a clutter. It`s not a ego-driven decision. One must think as a businessman as well," he said. PTI