Suniel Shetty has moved the Awara Paagal Deewana sequel from fan speculation to a production window. In an interview with Bollywood Hungama, the actor said the follow-up to the 2002 action comedy will go on floors early next year.
“The sequel is happening for sure. I think early next year for sure,” Shetty said.
Produced by Firoz Nadiadwala, the original starred Akshay Kumar, Paresh Rawal, Aftab Shivdasani, Johnny Lever, Rahul Dev, Om Puri and Shetty as Yeda Anna. Shetty had teased the sequel in an Instagram post earlier this year without giving a timeline.
The 2000s are becoming Bollywood’s franchise pool
The update fits a wider pattern. Hindi film producers are reviving older titles as sequels, with Awarapan 2 cited by Bollywood Hungama as a recent successful example. An actor’s on-record start date is a stronger signal than a slate announcement or a social tease: it gives distributors and marketers a planning anchor.
Still, this is not a full package yet. Beyond Shetty’s involvement, official casting and a release date remain to be announced.
Shetty’s 2026 and the exhibition caveat
Shetty said he has had a successful year with Welcome To The Jungle and a one-scene appearance in Border 2. He also linked the momentum to Season 1 of Bharat Ke Super Founders, while speaking around Season 2.
On the Hindi box office, he described the first half as brilliant, the second quarter as extraordinary and the last quarter as insane. But he added a structural caveat:
- More exhibitors and theatres
- Lower ticket prices
- Cheaper popcorn
That matters because the current success is content-led; access and pricing remain bottlenecks if the market is to widen.
The slate beyond the sequel
Shetty also named Hitman and Sabse Bada Rupaiya as upcoming films, describing them as different scripts with very different stories. His selection filter, he said, is now about positive impact: pure entertainment or neutral cinema that does not hurt sentiments.
For the industry, the sequel is a test case. Nostalgia gives a 2002 ensemble comedy a head start; casting and comedy will decide whether it becomes a durable franchise or a one-off exercise.
Source: bollywoodHungama.com
