After over a decade, having overcome personal and professional hiccups, producer Gaurang Doshi is all set to make a filmi comeback with the sequel of his 2002 hit, Aankhen. He speaks to Bombay Times about the much-talked-about ensemble film and what makes it a cut above the rest.

Aankhen 2 seems to be on track. We hear you've finalised the locations as well?
We will start the shoot in February in Mumbai, followed by a month-long schedule in Johannesburg and finally London. The film will be shot in real locations. The boutique casino hotel in Johannesburg took our breath away. Director Anees Bazmee loved it so much that he wanted to shoot the entire film there (smiles). Anil Kapoor plays a wealthy casino owner, so it fit the bill.

Barring Amitabh Bachchan and Arjun Rampal, the rest of the cast is new...
Amitji ke bina sequel banana mumkin hi nahin tha. Through my tough times, he stood by me like a rock. The new ensemble cast will lend some freshness to the film. We have Anil (in a negative role), Vidyut Jammval and Arshad Warsi joining the cast. Vidyut, Arjun and Arshad are the three blind men in the film.There are two more big names too, which I shall reveal soon.

While Aankhen was based on a Gujarati play, it must have been a challenge to take the story forward with no reference point...
It revolves around a casino heist and has a lot of humour. I started my career with Aankhen and now, I am making a comeback as a producer with its sequel. I've written the story and Neeraj Pathak, Anees and me have penned the screenplay. It took us over a year to zero in on the script. Aankhen 2 is a sequel with a promising story.

Most sequels failed to make an impression at the box office this year. Does that make you anxious?
My sequel is a continuation of the first film, but it has its own story. Of course, it revolves around three blind men, but it has several twists and turns. Amitji plays the sutradhar. As for the other sequels not working, I feel people are not paying attention to the story; they are just trying to cash in on the brand. Most sequels end up being remakes. You have to give something new to the audience. How can your sequels run if they look just like the previous film, in fact an inferior version of it?

Making a comeback after such a long time mustn't be easy.
I may be making a film after over a decade, but filmmaking is in my genes. Three generations of my family have been making films and I missed doing that. I took a break because I didn't want to make films for the heck of it. Paise ke liye mujhe films nahin banani thi. I was shuttling between Los Angeles and Mumbai. I was busy writing scripts and battling personal setbacks (divorce case with wife). Films are my passion and I hope I am able to deliver.

You've produced a critically acclaimed film, Bawandar. Will we see you supporting more indie films?
It was an award-winning film, but I like masala entertainers; I am a commercial filmmaker. I'm not interested in walking the red carpet at Cannes. I'll be happier if people whistle during my film at a single screen theater.