New Delhi, Dec. 21 -- For big-budget Hindi films, the real payoff increasingly hinges on whether a first hit can sustain a second.

Ranveer Singh's action film Dhurandhar has cracked box office gold in India, making over Rs.538 crore at last count, and industry experts say the filmmakers who spent around Rs.300 crore on two instalments, are likely to reap even greater benefits with the release of the second part, due in March-while the buzz around the first is still fresh.

Indian filmmakers have often tried to release two parts to what they plan as a big-budget film franchise in quick succession, shooting much of the material together in an attempt to economize marketing and production costs, besides encashing brand value and audience fa...