Understanding Anees Bazmee: From Creating Welcome, No Entry and more to Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2!

Maintaining the career transition is one of the most difficult tasks and director Anees Bazmee has seen an era through which he emerged as a new artist. While most of his works are known from back in the 80s, he went on to work with many great actors in the future and there was a decade which would make him known for his comedy films. 

Director Anees Bazmee is on a roll with announcing back to back projects featuring our favorite stars. Post Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 with Kartik Aaryan and Kiara Advani and the upcoming John Abraham’s Pagalpanti, the filmmaker gave the details of his work experience and upcoming films. 

What are the difficulties that you faced as you worked on films like Sandwich, Ready, Pyaar Toh Hona He Tha and many more?

I've worked on many genres but even today I find writing a comedy script is the most difficult because it is not easy and does not follow any formula. Sometimes jokes work, sometimes they don't. If I've directed a scene and unless you understand the scene you won't find it funny. As a writer, it is necessary to be mindful of what you write.

Talking about Bhool Bhulaiya first - Akshay and Vidya worked gracefully in the film and our director Priyadarshan Ji had conceived the film beautifully. So people obviously have an expectation from the second. So, there's a challenge in it. Previously I also made a film called No Entry and making a sequel of it was also a challenge in itself as I had to be mindful of people like it or not. Later I made welcome and people loved it. 

Pagalpanti is my favorite subject and when I first thought of the film it was really exciting and as I worked everyone on the team enjoyed it. People have liked my work they are laughing during the film they are enjoying it. 

These challenges walk alongside you when you are doing a good job, it is obviously a challenge and an expectation in itself, and having expectations is really important and you are happy with it. My ultimate goal is to make the audience happy.

What are the challenges of conceiving a sequel?

A sequel has plus points and minus points as well. You make a sequel when your previous film has done exceptionally well and people have offered a lot of love, but the disadvantage is that the expectation also rises. So there are advantages and disadvantages as well. In a sequel, you don't need to waste your time establishing your characters and from word go you can start your story. That is the advantage, but the audience also expects a lot from a character and if you don't grow that character the audience feels betrayed. That's why I feel making a sequel is more difficult, however, on a business basis, it is really good and they carry the goodwill of the first film.

Did you take any permissions from Priyadarshani for Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2? 

NO there was no permission asked from Priyadarshaniji because he made the first film. If someone makes Welcome or Singh is King or No Entry he does not need my permission.

Considering Kartik's forte is there a monologue performed by him?

There's this one film in which he had a monologue which was loved by the audience, I won't claim there will be no monologue. I'm not obstinant while making a film instead I make it with love so I don't mind anything that is beneficial to the film, if I feel there's need of a monologue then I don't mind adding it. but only if it is necessary.

Throughout the year you're making it to the headlines first for your films and second for your sweet and sour relationship with Salman Khan? What kind of relationship is this? 

First of all my relationship with Salman Khan is only sweet and not sour. Even he is aware of how much I love him, and he is a very happy person and I love working with him in fact even he loves working with me. even day before yesterday when I was promoting my upcoming film, I was informed he was downstairs and I met him. whenever we meet we are very enthusiastic and we hug each other we sip tea and had lots of conversation. so the relationship I have with him is truly sweet. In fact, even his father who is a great writer - Salim Sahab, I have a great bond with him. and somewhere I feel Salman has a soft spot for writers because his father is a writer. so has great respects for writers as he knows how difficult the job of a writer can be. as far as we are concerned we love each other we respect each other and we have a really sweet relationship with him.

As far as No entry is concerned I'm a film director. Even if I'm not working with once every week or two we have dinner together. While it comes to Boney sir, he is the one who is responsible for arranging the dates of an actor when everything is finalized I will surely work on this film. So far I'm done writing No entry which is very beautiful and people will definitely have fun and this film should be made and it won't be mine or just boney sir's loss, the audience might also suffer the loss. I believe the film should be made soon.

Anees has worked with stars like Akshay Kumar, John Abraham, Arshad Warsi and many more... Let us how he brings his on-screen magic back with the actors from new generation.