‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3’: How Anees Bazmee Recreated ‘Ami Je Tomar’

When Indian star Kartik Aaryan joined the team of popular horror-comedy Bhool Bhulaiyaa in 2022, most people believed it was a bad decision. Not only did Aaryan deliver a blockbuster with Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, he even ensured his presence brought on a new wave of fan following for the franchise. As the third film in the franchise is all set to release in theatres next week, director Anees Bazmee talks about the experience of working with stellar actors Madhuri Dixit and Vidya Balan and creating the magic of their dance with the song, Ami Je Tomar 3.0, for the film.

Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3

Kartik Aaryan will headline the third installment of the hit horror-comedy franchise which began in 2007 with Akshay Kumar and Vidya Balan in lead roles. After giving the second part a miss, Balan makes her comeback in the third one while Kumar is yet to return.

Asked if he was skeptical or a repetition or a novel element in Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, director Anees Bazmee says, “I've done a lot of films and people have a lot of expectations. I have some expectations from myself as well. Not just this one, that worry and tension, that stress is always there for all films. I feel when we prepare a basic line, forget about the screenplay and dialogue, just the basic line of the story, we need to be sure of that. I work and rework a lot at that stage. After that, everything is smoother.” He goes on to reveal that he had five or six stories for the third installment and finalized the one which completely convinced him.

Vidya Balan and Madhuri Dixit

Bazmee says it was a beautiful experience to work with Balan and Dixit, adding that the talented actors performed so well on sets that he’d often be lost watching them on the monitor. “They have done a fantastic and extraordinary job. Be it dancing or singing. Not just them or me, everybody did. The entire unit. I used to keep watching all that they did. They have done such a great job. And, both are very nice. We had a lot of fun. This film will be remembered for a long time.”

Ami Je Tomar 3.0

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Recalling the time the team worked on the new version of Ami Je Tomar, Bazmee says, “I shot a song for both of them. That song is a special one. We planned a lot for it and production designer Rajat Poddar put up a beautiful set for us. Unfortunately, he is not with us anymore. My DoP Manu Anand discussed the song for a long time. ‘What should be the color palette and lighting?’ And, he eventually did a fantastic job. I was very happy when choreographer Chinni Prakash told me he had already worked with both Balan and Dixit. But, he was in a lot of tension and took a lot of time thinking and planning. He rehearsed a lot.”

He adds that Prakash even got his assistants in dresses similar to what the leading ladies wore when they explained the dance steps to the lead actors. “We loved the experience of working on the entire film. Those five days (when the song was shot with Vidya Balan and Madhuri Dixit) were very special. Everybody was happy and we just watched them. Our hearts were full.”

Getting Vidya Balan and Madhuri Dixit onboard for Bhool Bhulaiyaa

Recalling the time of casting for the film, Bazmee says he wished for the original Monjolika (Balan’s character in Bhool Bhulaiyaa) to be back, adding that his producer wanted the same. “I always wanted to work with Vidya. This film was the perfect opportunity. Then we thought of Madhuri Dixit for the part of the second spiritual being. Everybody was excited like a kid. I approached her with a 10-minute synopsis of the story. I immediately understood that she is interested. She loved it, and then asked for the complete narration. She was very happy. She liked it, and loved her part as well as the film. She was very excited. She had the same excitement and offered hard work right from narration to the last shot.”

Asked about the preparation for the film, the director insists he did nothing more than giving full narrations to the actors. “I give my actors least instructions. There is a fine line of what to do and what not to do, that's why I'm there. They respect and love me. They have confidence in me. So, it happens very easily, and without any hesitation. I have written thousands of films, made so many of them. They know when I say something, there must be a reason behind it, and it must be right.”

Diljit Dosanjh in Bhool Bhulaiyaa

The title track of Bhool Bhulaiya 3 features Punjabi rapper Diljit Dosanjh. Talking about getting him onboard, Bazmee says, “I wanted the song to be on the next level. People really liked the title track of the second part (of the film). I wanted to make it big, and had the backing of Bhushan Kumar (producer, T Series). We knew it’d be amazing. We also have Pitbull for the rap portion. This song will be a treat to watch and listen. It is very beautiful and legendary. I think people are going to love the song.” The new film also features Madhuri Dixit and Triptii Dimri in lead roles alongside Sanjay Mishra, Rajpal Yadav, Vijay Raaz, Ashwini Kalsekar and Rajesh Sharma.

Directing film with a broken leg

Bazmee informs us his leg was injured when he in Kolkata. He broke three bones and had a surgery in Bombay. He was asked to wait for at least six months before getting back to work. “But I had a shoot lined up, and everybody was so excited. We wanted to release Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 on Diwali. I did not want to halt the process of something for which so many people had been working. Even my producer asked me to wait but I said I’d feel better if I shoot. ‘I think I'll get well soon’. I stay in a good mood when I shoot, so it had been a week or maybe ten days when I was back on sets, on my wheelchair. I completed half the film sitting on the wheelchair.”

He also confirms that he had to get physiotherapy on sets to ensure that the pain did not distract him. Bazmee adds that the pain in his leg worsened with the publicity work, assuring that he’d get back to working on recuperating once Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 releases in theatres on November 1, 2024.

Box Office clash: Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 Vs Singham Again

Two big-ticket Hindi films are set for a Diwali release this year - Rohit Shetty’s third film in his hit action franchise Singham Again, and Bazmee’s Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3. The action film boasts of a multi-starrer cast including Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn, Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone. The horror-comedy brings Kartik Aaryan back as popular Rooh Baba. Aaryan teams up with stars Vidya Balan and Madhuri Dixit for the film.

Asked about the clash, Bazmee says, “It is such a big festival. Two films can easily get together. I think people will watch both the films. I’d pray for both the films to be successful. They are all my friends. I hope they have made a good film and I'm sure they spent a lot. I'm going to watch it.”

Making hit comedies

In his long career in Hindi films spanning over more than three decades, Bazmee has delivered several hit comedies including No Entry, Welcome and Ready. Talking about the process of creating comedy that hits home with the masses, Bazmee says he has his own laws for filmmaking. “I won't use shortcuts or buffoonery. I won't pull people's hair, or slap them for comedy. I won't use double meaning lines. I have a lot of don'ts. My focus is to make situational comedy. It's a very serious situation and you can see comedy in it. My instruction for my actors is always ‘Please don't do comedy, be serious’. I also always keep my family and children in my mind. I want people to laugh and enjoy. The world is in a lot of pain. I want to give happiness to people. I want them to feel that they had a good time. I think this is enough.” He adds that he finds the job of writing comedies a serious business and it is serious job. Bazmee finds it easy to understand comedy.

Sequels in the making?

Prodded about sequels to some of his hit comedies, Bazmee says he is working on No Entry and assures that he will do his best to get Anil Kapoor onboard. “I have always enjoyed working with him. We have brought in new people for the new film, and I will have to do something different to do justice to them. I also want to do something for Anil Kapoor.”

How Hindi film industry changed over decades

Bazmee has been working in Hindi films for a long time now. He admits a lot has changed in all the decades that he spent here. He recalls how it used to be a rushed job in the 80s and 90s. “Be it Govinda or Chunky Pandey’s films, we got 15-20 days to write them.”

He adds that the industry now functions in a very organized manner and that helps a lot. However, he admits that the cost of filmmaking has gone up. Anees Bazmee also reminisces old times, recalling how a film’s team would always bond on outdoor shoots but now everyone is busy with social media and mobile phones.

(This conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.)