Exclusive: I have taken a calculative risk, says Anees Bazmee on Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2

The makers of Kartik Aaryan, Kiara Advani-starrer Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2’ dropped the film’s title track on Monday, recreated by Tanishk Bagchi. The sequel to Akshay Kumar’s iconic 2007 film, co-starring Vidya Balan, Anees Bazmee-directorial is all set to hit the theatres on May 20. Ahead of the film’s release, Bazmee got in a candid conversation with Asianet Newsable about his upcoming next.

Even before the release of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, and especially after its trailer, the audience has been drawing several comparisons between the original film and the sequel. When asked if that mounts pressure on him as a director to meet the expectations that the prequel has already set, Anees Bazmee said, “There is always this pressure whether you are making a fresh film, a sequel or a remake.”

“This is because your previous work itself has set so many expectations that the audience always wants you to deliver your best every single time. And to be honest, I would not be happy if my audience is not having expectations from me,” Anees Bazmee explained further adding that “when you are making a sequel of an iconic film like Bhool Bhulaiyaa, the pressure obviously doubles”.

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Despite the mounting pressure, Anees Bazmee says that when he heard the script, he was sure of taking the ‘calculative risk’ with this film. “It is important to take a calculative risk which I have taken with this film. When the story was narrated to me, I was sure that despite the comparisons, the film will be liked. The prequel has received its share of love and now we are hopeful that we will receive our share of love too,” he said while talking to this reporter.

“Since a film has already been made, there will always be some comparisons which you can’t avoid. When we were making the film, we knew there will be comparisons. But, when we make films, we also know that every film has its own world. After the first 5 minutes to 10 minutes into the film, they (the audience) forget the previous film and start enjoying the one they are watching.”

‘This was my most difficult film shooting’:

Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 of the many films that had to face the wrath of the pandemic. The filming had begun a little before the outbreak of Covid-19 but later it was brought to a halt, all thanks to the virus. With a career spanning over three decades, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 is apparently the most difficult film of Anees Bazmee’s career.

Explaining this, Anees Bazmee says: “When we started the filming of Bhool Bhulaiyaa, we wanted to wrap it up in three months. The way the work had begun, we were sure that we will be able to achieve our target since everything was on schedule. We were in Lucknow when the pandemic happened; everything was new for us. When we did the pack-up there and came back to Mumbai, we were expecting that we will begin shooting after 15-20 days. But then the lockdown happened.”

Soon after the lockdown, the entertainment industry was allowed to resume its work with precautions and measures. While the tea was happily back on the set, Anees Bazmee still had a long battle to fight. “And when we were able to begin the shoot, someone or the other people was catching the virus that resulted in us pausing the shooting again.”

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“The new normal was very difficult to follow in the beginning but we had to follow the guidelines. It was very challenging. The number of difficulties I had to face while shooting for Bhool Bhulaiyaa, I have never faced with any other film. I was not able to adjust,” he concluded. The film also stars actors Tabu, Amar Upadhyay, Rajpal Yadav, Sanjay Misra and Milin Gunaji.

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• Anees Bazmee
• Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2
• Kartik Aaryan
• Kiara Advani
• Bollywood