Amitabh Bachchan, SRK and Ranbir, That's a casting coup.

While Ravi Chopra is battling cancer, his son Abhay is trying to fight off creditors as the legendary banner BR Films disintegrated. With Bhootnath Returns, the production house is hoping for a new lease of life. Excerpts from an interview with Abhay:

Is Bhootnath Returns an attempt to cash in on the brand name as is the case with most film franchises today?
The sequel takes up from where Bhoothnath left off, but the story is completely new though some of the characters are familiar. Dad (Ravi Chopra) had planned to take the series forward which is why Part 1 had an open ending. But then he fell ill. After I sawChillar Party, I called Nimesh (director Nimesh Tiwari) and the idea for a sequel evolved. We started the film in October 2013, announcing April 11, 2014, as the release date since the story revolves around a topical social cause, and we're bang on schedule.

Not many believed that you would complete the film in six months?
Not many believed that we would complete the film. Period. Six to eight months ago, many had written us off. But when you're thrown in the deep end, you find the strength to remain positive and carry on.

The last two years have been rough on the Chopras, following your father illness and financial issues.
The litigations have been sorted out. The worst is behind us. Bhootnath Returns is the first step to reviving the banner.

Buzz is, you've sold the family bungalow and also put up the dubbing studio for sale?
Even as we speak, the post-production work of Bhootnath Returns is happening in the studio and I'm living in the bungalow.

You've written and directed three shorts, didn't you want to direct Bhootnath Returns? Your name does not even feature in the credits as a producer.
There are other Chopras more important than me to feature in the credits. My mother Renu Ravi Chopra has co-produced Bhootnath Returns with Bhushan Kumar. As long as there's a Chopra there, it's good enough for me. I do want to direct, but had I picked up the reins on this film, it would have distracted me from production responsibilities. Earlier, dad handled everything, but this time I had to step in.

So have you put your direction plans on hold?
No, I have a script ready. The film should roll by the year end.

And what about your brother Kapil?
He wants to act and should be able to live out his dream too this year.

Given that this is your first film as a producer, did the collaboration with Bhushan Kumar help?
It did, Bhushan is dad's friend and he had wanted to collaborate with him earlier too. The goodwill my dad has in the industry has definitely made the journey easier for us. Boman sir (Irani) is very selective but he immediately agreed to act in Bhootnath Returns because of dad. Ditto for Amit uncle ( Amitabh Bachchan) who simply told me that he'd make time whenever I planned to start shooting.

You have superstars from three generations"Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khanand Ranbir Kapoor"in your film. That's a casting coup.
Amit uncle and Shah Rukh are reprising their roles from the earlier film. Nitesh had written Ranbir into the script. He's an old friend, we've known each other since we were in nursery, and when I approached him he told me, "Just tell me when and where and I'll be there."

Has your father seen the film?
He has seen the rushes, the trailer and the posters. Movies are his life and we go through the day with him. There are a couple of scripts dad was working on before he fell ill. May be we'll make them some day.

Any plans to remake BR Chopra or Ravi's films?
If there's a new way to tell as a story, we will. My granddad's Ittefaq was a taut thriller, and given the technical knowhow today, dad's The Burning Train could be made into a bigger spectacle.