It’s all about the moolah, right? Although the Ayushmann Khurrana-starrer Dream Girl 2 opened to mixed reviews, it crossed Rs 95 crore at the box-office. Propelled by the box-office success of the film, director Raaj Shaandilyaa is not ready to part with the franchise.

“I knew that people would appreciate Dream Girl 2. [I believe] if the audience is laughing, your film is a success,” he says, adding that he plans to take the franchise forward.

Shaandilyaa hopes to keep mixing his movies with comedy and relevant messaging. “For Dream Girl 3, I plan to take [the comedy] a notch higher than the first two parts with a different message. It will revolve around patriotism, contemporary social issues, and personal relationships,” he explains.

He insists that Pooja (Khurrana’s cross-dressing character) will continue to be the hero of the film. “Without Pooja, I cannot make Dream Girl. She is the central [character], along with her father and Smiley [played by Annu Kapoor and Manjot Singh, respectively], who will remain the primary characters. How she gets trapped while solving the problem and how she comes out of it will form the crux of the story in Dream Girl 3.”

As the franchise continues, so will Khurrana’s involvement with the project. “Nobody else can be Dream Girl except Ayushmann,” he assures, adding that it will take another year to make the third instalment. He hopes to take a break before diving into it.

Currently, Shaandilyaa is busy making his next project with producers Ekta Kapoor and Bhushan Kumar. “It is too early to comment on my next directorial as it is still being finalized. Dream Girl 3 will happen, but after a couple of years, as I need to take a break from it,” he laughs.