Bhool Bhulaiyaa 4 may be in discussion, but director Anees Bazmee says the next installment of the franchise will only take shape if the team finds a story that can match the scale of its predecessors. Bazmee, who directed Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 and 3, says that while he shares a great equation with Kartik Aaryan, the actor’s involvement alone isn’t enough to greenlight the film.

Anees says, “Making another Bhool Bhulaiyaa is difficult because we used almost all our cards in the third film. But Kartik and I have an excellent understanding. He’s an extremely hardworking actor. What matters is the story. If we find a fantastic story, we’ll definitely make the film. Seventy percent of a film’s success depends on the story.”

Bazmee is also looking forward to his next untitled comedy with Vidya Balan and Akshay Kumar with whom he previously collaborated on the Welcome franchise. “Akshay and I made Welcome, which people still watch and enjoy today. There’s tremendous love and respect between us, and we’ve tried to make another really good comedy together,” he shares.

As he mentions Welcome, the subject of Welcome To The Jungle comes up, which he had been approached to direct. While he didn’t eventually helm the film, he says he holds no resentment towards the team. “Everyone associated with that film is my friend — Ahmed Khan, Akshay Kumar, Paresh Rawal and many others. So while watching it, I really enjoyed it. Whenever someone comes up with a strong story, audiences will continue to shower it with love,” he says.

There’s been a lot of buzz around the next instalment of the horror comedy franchise, Bhool Bhulaiyaa (BB). Recently, director Anees Bazmee expressed excitement about working on Bhool Bhulaiyaa 4, after the massive success of the previous film which had released a year ago.

When we reached out to Bazmee, he said, “The work on the story has not begun, but since we made BB2 and BB3, we must make BB4. Talks are on, but nothing concrete has happened yet. Kartik Aaryan as Rooh Baba has created a strong image. Toh Kartik toh hona hi chahiye.”

When asked if there’s a possibility of bringing together both the Bhool Bhulaiyaa leads — Akshay Kumar (who helmed the original) and Kartik — for the next installment, Bazmee said, “This is a fantastic idea. Beech mein Bhushan Kumar (producer) aur meri baat hui thi and we discussed if we could make it happen. Akshay in that orange attire and Kartik in that black one pitted against each other would be really good,” he revealed.

The Bhool Bhulaiyaa series, known for its perfect blend of laughter and spine-chilling moments, first began in 2007 with Priyadarshan’s Bhool Bhulaiyaa, starring Akshay Kumar and Vidya Balan. The film became a cult favourite for its psychological twist and memorable performances, especially Vidya’s turn as Manjulika and Akshay’s iconic role as Dr. Aditya Shrivastav.

Years later, the franchise was revived with Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 (2022), directed by Anees Bazmee and headlined by Kartik Aaryan as Rooh Baba. The film proved to be a blockbuster, blending fresh humour with nostalgic elements from the original. The success of BB2 cemented Kartik’s image as the new-age Rooh Baba and revitalized the horror-comedy genre in Bollywood. Following that, Bazmee and producer Bhushan Kumar did BB 3 in 2024, with Vidya Balan and Madhuri Dixit as leads.