Director's Cut: Anees Bazmee reveals why Akshay Kumar and Vidya Balan aren't a part of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2

Anees Bazmee’s upcoming directorial venture, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, is all set to hit screens on May 20. The film stars Kartik Aaryan, Tabu and Kiara Advani. The Free Press Journal caught up with the filmmaker for an exclusive conversation.

Talking about how Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 happened after 15 long years, Anees shares, “A few years ago, Murad Khetani and I heard a story, and we continued to work on the script and one fine day, we thought it would be good if we call it Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2. We didn’t remodel the story just to take the Bhool Bhulaiyaa’s legacy ahead. We rethought that if this character should be called Manjulika and not Rinku, then why not? People will definitely see a few flashes from the first part, but it won’t look like a similar film. It is not a remake. It’s a new film.”

When asked if he ever thought of Akshay Kumar and Vidya Balan’s cameos in Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, he gushes, “Both Akshay and Vidya had done phenomenal work in the first part. I wish I could have got them on board, but the script didn’t allow me to do so. Both the characters are larger than life and iconic. I didn’t want to waste them. I am sure when people will watch the film, they will support my decision.”

People say filmmakers still haven’t explored comedy in Bollywood. On this, Anees, who has helmed some noted comedies in the past like No Entry and Welcome, says, “We make less comedies in Bollywood since it is a tough genre. If you make an action film, you know where your story is going, but this isn’t the case with comedies. You will not see a clean chapter while making a comedy. Earlier, comedy was looked down upon but over the years, it gained respect since it is not easy to make someone laugh.”

Stree has changed the face of horror comedies in Bollywood over the last few years. However, Bhool Bhulaiya (2007) was a one-of-its-kind horror-comedy. Despite being a blockbuster, it didn’t start the trend of the genre. Anees has tried his hands on the genre for the first time. “It was fun. This was the genre I had never explored, but I had wanted to do it for a long time. I used to listen to a lot of horror stories at night. That intrigued me a lot. I took all those stories to a jungle instead of telling them in the bedrooms,” he explains.

While praising the cast of Kartik, Kiara and Tabu, Anees reveals, “I have liked Kartik from his very first film. I called him even after watching Pyaar Ka Punchnama, and since then, we both wanted to work together. When Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 happened, I called him and took him for the film. Funnily, Tabuji and I never worked before. We kept discussing scripts in the past, but it never materialised. I had a role in this film, and I called her up. She was shooting down South and met me once she was back, and she agreed to do the film. She is extremely talented. In the younger lot, I haven’t seen the growth of any actress like how Kiara has evolved. She is a bubbly and hardworking girl. She has absolutely no hang-ups on the sets.”