Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 is a horror comedy rather than a psychological thriller: Anees Bazmee

When approached to direct Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, director Anees Bazmee admitted he was “slightly nervous” because the first film still has a devoted fan base.

Anees Bazmee says he wanted to make his upcoming Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 purely as a horror-comedy, removing the psychological thriller element from the original to avoid any “direct comparisons.”

The 2007 blockbuster, directed by Priyadarshan, starred Akshay Kumar as a psychiatrist tasked with determining the cause of supernatural activities in a mansion.

Bhool Bhulaiyaa, a Hindi remake of the 1993 Malayalam film Manichitrathazhu starring Mohanlal, began as a horror-comedy before transitioning into a psychological thriller near the end.

Anees Bazmee stated that he wanted to turn things around in the sequel, which stars Kartik Aaryan in a role similar to that of Akshay Kumar.

He says, “I didn’t want to make a psychological thriller.” If I had done it that way, there would have been direct comparisons. This film will remind you of Part One, but it is not the same.
Why bother making a sequel when I can just give you the same film??” My movie is essentially a horror comedy. When you watch a new movie, “you will still see a little bit of the world.”

Bazmee admitted that when producers Bhushan Kumar and Murad Khetani approached him to direct the sequel, he was “slightly nervous” because the first film still has a devoted fan base.

Bazmee and the film’s writers Farhad Samji and Aakash Kaushik were responsible for ensuring that every beat of the sequel was correct.

“Bhool Bhulaiyaa was also made into a movie.” I didn’t have the chance to think, “Oh, here’s a hit movie, let’s remake it.” To do that, you had to start from scratch and work very hard to get everything right at the script level.”

The 59-year-old director, best known for comedies such as Singh is Kinng, Welcome, and No Entry said the sequel allowed him to branch out into the horror genre.

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“I just had to concentrate to get this right.” I was ecstatic because I had never done horror before. It was unfamiliar territory and a new challenge for me. People believe that because my comedies have been successful, I can only make comedies. But I did make Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha, a romantic drama, and Deewangee, a thriller. So I’m hoping that after this film, people will say that I can also make horror films,” he added.

Except Rajpal Yadav, who returns as the priest Chhota Pandit, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 features an entirely new cast, including Tabu, Kiara Advani, and Sanjay Mishra.

Paresh Rawal Ji was great in the first movie, as well as Rajpal and the rest of the cast, as well The three pandit characters were all here when we were writing the next book. That gave me the chance to get in touch with Rajpal again.

‘It was a pleasure to have him in the world, and it also reminds us of what he did in the first film.’

It will be shown in the theatres on May 20.