Anees Bazmee, in his career spanning over three decades, is essentially associated with hit comedies (as writer-director) like No Entry, Welcome, Singh Is King, Ready …to name a few. Earlier, during an eventful career only as a writer, he penned around 50 films including thrillers, dramas... like Shola Aur Shabnam, Bol Radha Bol, Laadla, but Bazmee is best known for frolicking comedies with many of them being top grossers and money-spinners like Aankhen, Mujhse Shaadi Karogi, No Entry and many more.
Now, for the first time Bazmee who has often worked with top league stars like Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn, Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor, John Abraham, has attempted horror-comedy with Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, sequel to the 2007 hit which was helmed by maverick director Priyadarshan. The film featured Akshay Kumar as a psychiatrist, who is tasked to find out the reason behind supernatural activities in a mansion. Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 features an all new cast — Tabu, Kartik Aryan, Kiara Advani and Sanjay Mishra — with the exception of Rajpal Yadav, who returns as the priest Chhota Pandit. Excerpts from a chat with Bazmee, who opens up on entering the new territory and difficulties mounting the sequel especially when the first film still enjoys a loyal fan base…
You are known for making comedy films with original scripts, so why did you choose to direct a sequel this time? Why is this story worth retelling? Also, Bhool Bhulaiyaa is a remake of a Malayalam film…
Yes, Bhool Bhulaiyaa is remake of 1993 release Malayalam film Manichitrathazhu which was brilliant. If you are making a film the second time it is because the first one got a lot of love, it has got its reputation and it did good business. The story was very different and this one is totally different. It is not that where that story ended and we have taken it forward, or the characters are the same.
No character is the same in Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, all are new, it is a fresh new story. We started from scratch, and worked hard to get everything right at the script level.
Bhool Bhulaiyaa is considered a cult classic among horror-comedy lovers, probably the first one that Bollywood attempted way back in 2007. Does the film’s success weigh on you when creating a sequel considering there will be great expectations and comparisons?
Let me be very honest, making this film was really very difficult because first and foremost you are making the second part of something that was a huge success. I am the one who is most tensed up. Since I have anticipated huge expectations and comparisons I very consciously decided what (elements) to have and what not to have in the second one. For example, I had decided that I will not make a psychological thriller to avoid comparisons. That film had zabardast comedy, a lot of intrigue and horror elements. We have taken two songs – 'Aami je tomar' and 'Teri aankhen bhool bhulaiyaa' from that film but we have picturised those very differently. That movie has got its share of love and we are hoping that we get our share of love as well.
But you have brought back Manjulika, songs...in fact, the entire trailer connects with the first one…
Not just Manjulika and the songs, I have also brought back haveli and ghungroo. I have retained that Rajasthan flavour but it is not a copy. We are inspired by all these elements from the first one and that we have used those in a new way, in our style and given a different flavour. When you watch the second part you will remember the first one but at the same time you will feel that this is something new and not a copy. In fact, I would have also loved to work with Akshay and Vidya but the script didn’t allow us to do that and we went for the new star cast.
What did Akshay have to say? Did you speak to him since both of you have a great rapport? And there were some rumours that he opted out of the sequel due to the fee issue...
Akshay is too big for these small things. He cannot be replaced and he knows that Kartik Aryan is not a replacement. He has a body of work of 30 years…he is doing comedy, dance, action. He is getting films that he wants to do. He has 10 offers from which he chooses one. It is a very small thing that he does Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 or he doesn’t do. But if our story permitted his presence, we would have definitely cast him. We have a great relationship. I wrote our first film Mujhse Shaadi Karogi followed by directing Welcome and Singh is King. In future, I would love to work with him again. He knows one thing whatever I do will be with a lot of honesty and hard work and not just because I want to make a film. I want to work because I want to do something different where I enjoy work.
Tabu has always been a serious actor but off-late she has been showing sparks in comedy. You have also made Irrfan Khan do comedy, in Thank You, how do you manage to do that?
I personally feel that if an actor is good then they can do comedy, or they can do anything. It also depends upon how much spirit they have to make fun of themselves. I don’t want to take names but there are many big actors who are not at ease with comedy because on one hand comedy is difficult and then to make fun of yourself is a big thing. But if they are good actors like Tabu, Irrfan, Nana Patekar…Nana had never done comedy at the level that he did in Welcome but I knew that he is a great actor and he will really benefit our film. Nobody could have done Uday Shetty’s role better than him. The role changed his image. Similarly, Irrfan was so good in Thank You.
Are you satisfied with your new set of actors in Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2?
I am quite satisfied because I wanted to work with Tabu for a very long time. I would always wonder why I haven’t got the opportunity to work with her. When I narrated the story to her she was so excited that josh stayed till the end of the film. The level of actress that she is, she not only knows what she is supposed to do but she also knows what she is not supposed to do which is very important. She doesn’t need much explanation from her director. Talking about Kiara, whatever films I have seen I feel her growth as an actor has been really fast. After the first and second shot, she knew exactly what she had to do. Kartik is very focused, efficient and enthusiastic. Now it is up to you if you call it interference or involvement. I like to work with such people.
2007 was a year when both Welcome and Bhool Bhulaiyaa did very well at the box office. There was also Heyy Baby, Partner...You think those times have gone away when comedy films ruled the box office?
That was a fantastic time. I hope and pray those days come back. It is difficult to write comedies, but the good thing about comedies is that you can watch these films as many times, unlike other genres where you know the story and everything is so predictable. For example, you know when someone will be murdered, or how many fights hero will have with the villain depending upon the length of the film. Good comedies always work though it is difficult to write.
Is there stress these days when you have to make a kind of fusion and mix comedy with horror or action? Pure comedies are not happening…
No, nothing like that. Genre is not important. When I made Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha (1998) everyone told me that, ‘You should only make romantic movies because that is your genre’. When I made Deewangi, a suspense thriller, everyone told me, ‘Suspense thriller is your genre’. When I made No Entry which is a comedy, everyone told me, ‘What rubbish were you making all these years? Comedy is your genre’. I have written over 50 films myself and every time it is a new challenge which I love. When I came across Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, I was excited to try the horror genre. Every genre has its style and that is the part that I love the most. I enjoy directing different genres. Here we have tried to experiment with scenes and tried to add jump scares and contemplated how much scarier it should be to scare away people. It was a fun process.
What is important is what you are making and how honest you are…kitni imandari se bana rahe hain? Now when I was making Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, I knew I had to keep both the elements of horror and comedy. I have done comedy films, but I am doing horror for the first time. I was really excited. I wanted to have fun. Otherwise, it is just simple calculations. I have seen many horror films and I have an idea of how to create horror, and how to create that atmosphere. My grandmother used to narrate a lot of horror stories, when she would tell these stories during the day I would feel that she didn’t narrate it well because I didn’t get scared but if the same story was narrated in the night then I would get scared. If the story was told in a room I was fine but when we went into some isolated spot for a picnic I felt it was khatarnak. So that awareness, that ehsaas of horror stories and how to create horror was always there in me.
Since you have had a long journey as a writer before you turned director, what is your experience dealing with directors and now with writers?
Initially, in all 40-50 films I was a writer. But I always wanted to become a director. I was an assistant to Raj Kapoor and 16 other directors. I had taken this shortcut of writing scripts (to become a director) because you can’t show proof of being a good director unlike actors, writers, music composers…It is a risky business and people don’t want to risk their product. Or then you become friends with actors but I didn’t want to do that. So I decided to write a few films first and most of those films worked. People discouraged me saying there are many directors but there are very few writers, why do you want to direct. I was also given this list of 135 big writers who wanted to become directors but their first film (as director) was a flop and they had to shut their shop. That tension was always there. But I decided to take the risk. My first film as a director – Hulchul (1995)- had an average run but my next Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha was a superhit. When I was a writer I used to have a lot of heated arguments with the director and today I have fights with writers. I tell these writers that it is your misfortune that you are dealing with someone who is also a writer. But to convince a writer is a bit difficult because they have their own thoughts, whereas, you can convince a director. But without heated arguments, fights you can’t make a good film.
Lastly, do you think filmmakers who make mass commercial entertainers get less respect here than those who make, say off-beat or ‘intellectual’ films?
No, I don’t think so. Look at the kind of respect that Manmohan Desai got…he made films for the masses. Today also…I will talk about myself. I always got love and respect from people. It is not easy to make commercial mass entertainers. It is easy to cater to a small target audience but if you want to make a film that works in Ludhiana as well as London, or Pan India, it is very difficult. It is very difficult to make everyone happy. Movies should be such that both educated and illiterate like it, it should cater to both. I used to watch a lot of films with my mother, she was illiterate and she would ask me a lot of questions while watching movies. That is when I would understand the difference…that is when I would know how a common man thinks and how an intellectual thinks. You have to tell a story, now whether you want to tell it in a simple way, or in a difficult way, your purpose should be that whatever you are trying to convey to the public is getting conveyed and it reaches all sets of audience.
Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 is slated to release on 20 May
Seema Sinha is a Mumbai-based mainstream entertainment journalist who has been covering Bollywood and television industry for over two decades. Her forte is candid tell-all interviews, news reporting and newsbreaks, investigative journalism and more. She believes in dismissing what is gossipy, casual, frivolous and fluff.
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