Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 15, 2019)

Mirror was the first to report (May 9) that Nawazuddin Siddiqui will join Akshay Kumar and the Housefull 4 gang for a special song as an exorcist who introduces an important twist in the plot. Titled “The Bhoot Song”, it was shot over four days with around 500 background dancers.

“It appears at a crucial juncture in the film and the ensemble cast—Akshay, Riteish Deshmukh, Bobby Deol, Kriti Sanon, Pooja Hegde, Kriti Kharbanda, Johny Lever and Chunky Pandey—feature in it,” revealed a source close to the development. While the team was considering several names for the quirky exorcist Ramsey Baba, it was producer Sajid Nadiadwala who suggested Nawaz for the role. “Since the duo has worked together in Kick, Nawaz instantly agreed to play the character,” the source reveals, adding, “His Ramsey Baba helps Akshay and the gang figure out a problem they find themselves entangled in.”

The song, which has a spooky vibe, sees Nawaz in a look which the team came up with in 15 days. “It took the actor two hours to get into the get-up before the shoot,” informed the source.

The song, which is a recreation of Laxmikant-Pyarelal’s “Bhoot Raja” from the Dharmendra and Hema Malini-starrer Chacha Bhatija, was shot on a massive set in Mumbai, with hundreds of fake skulls, some of which were also used to make a throne. A three-storey building, which serves as Ramsey Baba’s residence, was also designed for it. The Farhad Samji directorial is a reincarnation comedy which shuttles between 1419 and 2019.