Anees Bazmee on casting Madhuri-Vidya in Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3: A lifetime memory

Film director Anees Bazmee discusses casting Vidya Balan and Madhuri Dixit in Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, expressing excitement over their dance-off and the film's release on November 1.

In Short

• Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 releases on November 1
• Vidya Balan and Madhuri Dixit play Manjulikas
• Anees Bazmee was excited to cast Madhuri in the film

Director Anees Bazmee is finishing the last edits of his next film, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, which is set to release on November 1. While Kartik Aaryan returns as 'Rooh Baba,' the presence of Vidya Balan and Madhuri Dixit as the two Manjulikas has piqued audiences' curiosity. In an exclusive chat with India Today Digital, Bazmee spoke about what led to this interesting casting and how he convinced the actors to have a dance face-off.

"I am immensely happy and proud that we could get Vidya Balan and Madhuri Dixit to come on board. When I was writing the script, Vidya was always in my mind for Manjulika. She has been part of the original film and has received so much love for it. She was excited when I gave her a short narration, and then we sent her the final script. She was more than happy about it, also because we share a great bond," Anees Bazmee said.

Talking about Madhuri Dixit, the filmmaker said that when he thought of casting her and told his team, everyone was 'super excited.' "That's when I thought, if as a filmmaker I am excited, then the public would be all the more joyous to see them together. Both of them have done such a wonderful job, and I am sure people will remember them for a long time. It's going to be a lifetime memory for me, and even the audience," he added.

Anees Bazmee also opened up about "Ami Je Tomar 3.0," the dance-off song featuring both actors. "If we had Madhuri ji and didn't include a dance number, fans would have been disappointed. That's when we planned a grand dance song for them. It's like a competition between them. When you watch the film and the complete song, you will see how beautiful it has come out. While Madhuri is a fabulous dancer, Vidya has also worked really hard. I couldn't have enough of them, and the audiences would also feel the same."

On a final note, we asked the director if he ever imagined a female Rooh Baba in the film. He replied with a laugh, "The Rooh Baba that we have is already doing a great job. Sahi jaa raha hai sab (Everything is going well). If something goes wrong, then we can think about a female one."

Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 will clash with Singham Again on November 1.