Writer-director Anees Bazmee has put the lockdown to good use; has been editing his horror comedy too
Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 29, 2020)

After the shoot of his horror comedy, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, featuring Kartik Aaryan, Kiara Advani and Tabu, was halted midway in Lucknow in March, Anees Bazmee took off with his family to his Lonavala farm house. It’s been six months since the filmmaker has isolated himself there. “Initially, no one thought that the Coronavirus lockdown would extend for so long. I took a break from work and spent some time with my family. But now, I have resumed work and after a long time, I have written a pure love story on the lines of Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha. The screenplay, with the dialogue, is locked,” he reveals with much satisfaction.

Through the lockdown, Anees was also in touch with his Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 team. “We edited the chunk we have shot so far, in Jaipur and Lucknow,” he shares, adding that he is in no hurry to resume shooting for the Bhushan Kumar and Murad Khetani production. “It’s essential to follow social distancing till the vaccine arrives. Executing the SOPs on the set will be difficult and expensive. But those who want to shoot should follow them for everyone’s safety.”

Prod him on his shooting plans and he says, “We had to pack up in Lucknow because of Covid-19 and for continuity purposes, we can’t resume filming in Mumbai. Whenever we decide on a date, we will fly to Lucknow again and that’s a big call to take as we had a crew of 300-400 back then. We have to figure a way to cut down on the unit now and that’s going to be difficult. Over 50 per cent of our shoot remains.”

Buzz is, Tabu’s character will be multi-dimensional like Vidya Balan’s in the first film of the franchise. Anees doesn’t get into the details, “It’s a very important character and only an actress like Tabu could have done it as she has grasped the character graph perfectly. The trio of Kartik, Kiara and Tabu has brought a lot of freshness to the script.”

On Wednesday, No Entry, which is among Anees’ most loved films, completed 15 years. Every year, there’s talk of a sequel. The writer-director reveals that the script of No Entry Mein Entry is ready. “This time, Salman, Anil and Fardeen have double roles, every character has a wife and also a girlfriend. There are 10 actresses in the film and to get such an ensemble in place is a challenge, which is why the film is taking so long,” he shares, promising that it will take confusion to another level and assuring that the film will happen. “Every film has its own destiny and this being a cult film, we are all aware of the responsibility of spinning a sequel.”

Revisiting the time he first narrated the script to producer Boney Kapoor in the presence of late actress, Sridevi, Anees says, “Sridevi ji was a huge fan of No Entry, so is Janhvi (Kapoor). She wanted to hear the narration and even congratulated me at the end of it,” he beams.

The filmmaker is also committed to doing a film for Ekta Kapoor. Buzz is it’s with Vicky Kaushal after he was snapped with Anees outside Ekta’s office. “Ekta ji is a friend and yes, finally, we are teaming up. We have been working on a script, but I need to complete Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 first,” he sighs, adding he’s also hunting for the right script to take the 2011 family entertainer, Ready, forward. “Salman bhai is also really keen, whenever we meet, he says, ‘Yaar, Ready ka kuchh banana hai’. But none of us have been able to crack a script for the sequel yet.”

Meanwhile, Mahesh Babu’s 2011 actioner, Dookudu is gearing up for a Hindi remake. The Hindi version is currently being scripted and we hear the producers are keen to have Anees on board as the director. “Yes, I am in talks for Dookudu, but it’s too early to talk about that now,” he concludes.

Akash Bhatnagar (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 6, 2019)

A day full of interviews might seem tedious for some actors, but Pulkit Samrat finds the experience “therapeutic”. He goes on to talk about the Fukrey franchise, being a part of Anees Bazmee’s team, his equation with Kriti Kharbanda, everything except…

Why Pagalpanti?
Every promo or song ends with ‘An Anees Bazmee Film’, and that’s what appealed to me. I grew up watching his No Entry and Welcome, and today, I’m a part of his film’s poster. It gives me goosebumps.

What’s special about Anees?
Most senior directors don’t give you a script or a narration personally, but Anees sir sat me down and gave me a proper narration, twice. Once we started shooting, Kriti (Kharbanda) and I were the only new entrants as Anees sir has worked with the rest before. I was intimidated about doing a film with Anil Kapoor, John Abraham, Saurabh Shukla and Anees sir. But John and Arshad treated me like a kid brother—covering for me and protecting me, advising and appreciating me. It was an addictive, productive team and none of them made Kriti and me feel like raw, uncooked rice.

Weren’t you apprehensive about being a part of a multi-starrer?
As a viewer, while watching a film, I don’t count how many scenes or dialogues an actor had, it’s the impact of the scene that matters. As long as I’m convinced about my part, the length or the genre doesn’t matter. My character, Chandu, thinks he is smart but he is actually dumb.

That would make him different from Vikas Gulati aka Hunny. What’s the status on Fukrey 3?
(Laughs) Ask Ritesh (Sidhwani), Farhan (Akhtar) and Mrigh (Mrighdeep Singh Lamba). We’ve told Mrigh we’ll lock him in a room and throw away the key until he comes out with a script. A good portion has been written. We are being careful as we don’t want to mar the franchise. It has been seven years of highs and lows. There was a phase just before the release of Fukrey Returns, when things were not working out for me. I was disturbed, wishing I’d played my innings differently. But I’m happy now. I still remember my seat number in the theatre where I watched No Entry and the scenes that made me laugh. To be a part of that team is an out-of-the-world feeling. The idea is to keep moving forward, irrespective of hits or flops.

You’re reuniting with Kriti after Veere Ki Wedding and with Urvashi Rautela after Sanam Re. Has your equation with them changed since?
I’m happy to be paired with Kriti, she’s a spontaneous actress and endearing on screen. We are together in Taish also though not opposite each other. It is difficult to find this kind of comfort level with co-stars and I am lucky to have found it with her. She is my best friend…

And Urvashi?
Hello… Hello… Hello…

The connection breaks and Pulkit since has gone missing. 

Prashant Singh (HINDUSTAN TIMES; October 14, 2019)

For a long time now, there has been lot of speculation about a sequel to the 2005 superhit No Entry. Although, makers are yet to make any kind of official announcement, director Anees Bazmee, on his part, is ready with the script. “Yes, I have written it [script], and it has turned out to be beautiful. In fact, I feel it’s surely one of the best scripts ever written by me. People have been watching and enjoying No Entry for close to 15 years now,” he says.

That’s why Bazmee feels that “whenever a sequel [of No Entry] happens, it will be highly anticipated”. He adds: “Even today, whenever it plays on a TV channel, I get calls from people about how much they enjoy it. But greenlighting it is the producer’s prerogative. Whenever I get a green signal, I will start work on it immediately.”

For the time being, Bazmee is busy with his next, Pagalpanti starring John Abraham. “Welcome Back (2015) was a brilliant film but John didn’t have as much comedy to do in that film. But in my new film, he is fantastic. There is also Anil Kapoor, Saurabh Shukla and Arshad Warsi in the film. So, shining out amidst such solid actors is a very big deal,” he says, adding that he has seen “tremendous growth” in John as an actor.

“I have noticed a lot of difference in him since Welcome Back. In a short span of time, he has improved a lot. After watching Batla House, I was shocked. And even when I watch rushes of Pagalpanti, I feel he has done very good work,” says the director, who is also busy with Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2.

Ask Bazmee if he would want Akshay Kumar [he starred in the first part] to play a part in the sequel and he says: “If something works out, we would definitely want that. It would be great for our film if Akshay comes on board.”

Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 31, 2019)

When Anees Bazmee approached Boney Kapoor with a story of three men and their sexual peccadilloes, which he had written and wanted to direct, the producer was game and they quickly decided that Anil Kapoor was apt for Kishan, the newspaper editor with a suspicious wife. “I had written films like Laadla and Deeewana Mastana featuring Anil, and knew he had great comic timing,” Anees reasons, saying they then approached Saif Ali Khan for the role of Shekhar, Kishan’s employee whom he treats like a younger brother. “Saif wanted to play Kishan but since Boney ji and I were convinced Anil was the best choice, we took Shekhar’s role to Fardeen.”

Salman Khan was Prem, though the director is quick to point out that his Prem unlike Sooraj Barjatya’s shareef, seedha family man, was a charming womaniser whose extra-marital affairs sparks off this comedy of errors and terrors. “Salman bhai had allotted only a day for the climax, but when I told him I needed three, he immediately agreed to stay back in Phuket,” Aneees reminisces. The climax was one of the film’s USPs, with the trio going over the edge of a cliff and hanging on to a tree for dear life, as a snake slithers by. “After we shot there, it became a popular tourist attraction and came to be known as the ‘No Entry Spot’ till the Tsunami washed it away.”

Anees surprises you with the revelation that after wrapping up the film, he had to wait for more than a year to release it. He had started writing his script with the title No Entry because, he reasoned, for a married man to court a woman other than his wife is like entering a ‘no entry’ zone. However, to his surprise, most members of his frat disliked it intensely and he was surprised by the almost violent reactions.

“People would snap, ‘Bakwaas hai’, and for a while I flirted with other, titles like Pati Patni Aur Woh, but eventually decided to stick to No Entry,” narrates the writer-director, who was later rewarded when it heard the audience raving, “Bahut achcha title hai”, encouraging him to experiment with Welcome, Ready and Singh Is Kinng.

But before that Anees almost despaired of his film seeing the light of the day. In fact, two days before the its release on August 26, 2005, he was suddenly told that it had been pushed again. “We finally opened without any advance booking and when I heard that there were very few people outside Chandan theeatre in Juhu, I resigned myself to the fact that two years of hard work had gone down the drain and went to sleep. I was woken up by the same well-wishers calling me a few hours later to say that the film was playing to a full house. In fact, business was better in the second week, with blackmarketeers doing brisk business. Even 14 years later, No Entry hasn’t gone into vanwas,” he exults.

Interestingly, despite its risqué subject and an escort, Bobby, at the centre of the plot, the film is seen as a family entertainer. Anees however reveals, tongue-in-cheek, that he knows of many husbands who have managed to distract their better halves from seeing the entire film, afraid that “unki sab pol khul jayegi”.

Prod him on Bipasha Basu’s Bobby who drives the men crazy when she enters the “Ishq Di Galli” and Anees informs that when the actress heard that this song was to be filmed on her, she begged him for 15-20 days to shed the weight she had put on during a holiday in the US. She turned up a fortnight later, looking gorgeous and her sexy moves still makes pulses race.

“Boney ji had wanted to shoot the song on a lavishly-mounted set in Mumbai, had allotted a Rs 3 crore budget only for it. Anu Malik (composer), Sameer (lyricist) and I had cracked while on our way to Lonavala. It was so catchy I immediately knew we had a chartbuster,” reminisces Anees. They eventually shot it in a real club in Bangkok, located opposite their hotel. Raju Sundaram who choreographed mostly for films down South, was cajoled into directing it and Anu’s opening beat became No Entry’s signature tune, used in the background at significant points in the narrative.

In the years since, talk of a sequel has come up several times. Anees admits that two years ago, he locked a story which can take the franchise forward. “We juggled five stories before settling on this one which took six months to finish. Now, I am waiting for Salman bhai and Boney ji to greenlight the project. Bahut khusboorat picture banegi,” he promises.

Meena Iyer (DNA; February 20, 2019)

At 62, Anil Kapoor’s spirit is infectious and his charm undeniable. While promoting his Friday release Total Dhamaal, the actor said, “Even as we speak, I am thinking that perhaps I could qualify for the title of Sequel Man.”

He laughed and added, “There are so many of my films that have the definite possibility of being made into successful franchises. For eg, for some reason, the sequels to Mr India (1987) and No Entry (2005) haven’t taken off. Welcome (2007) has had two successful instalments. People keep asking me why I haven’t agreed to a sequel for Nayak: The Real Hero (2001) because this socio-political drama has so much relevance even today and will definitely lend itself to a mind-blowing second part.”

Anil exclaimed that he was proud of the fact that he was a part of the Race franchise. Now, he is excited about Total Dhamaal that he has just joined.

“Indu (Indra Kumar) didn’t have to say much to convince me to get on board. I am happy to team up with Madhuri (Dixit-Nene) with whom I have done 18-odd films and of course, with Ajay (Devgn) as well as the rest of the cast which includes Riteish (Deshmukh), Jaaved (Jaaferi) and Arshad (Warsi). We had the most fun shooting this film and today I feel happy to be in the last leg of the promotions as well. Some movies just make you happy. Total Dhamaal is one of them,” he signed off.


The actor in No Entry; As the protagonist in Nayak: The Real Hero; As the patriarch in Race 3

Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; February 4, 2019)

An ensemble cast of big stars, lavish budgets and masala laced with comedy — Anees Bazmee’s movies tick all the boxes. The writer-director of films like No Entry (2005), Welcome (2007), Singh Is Kinng (2008) and Welcome Back (2015) has had a smashing success with multi-starrers. Yes, there have been a few like No Problem and Thank You, which have come a cropper, but his success ratio outweighs the failures.

After his last directorial Mubarakan (2017), the filmmaker is set to helm his next, Pagalpanti, toplined by John Abraham, Anil Kapoor and Ileana D’Cruz along with Pulkit Samrat, Kriti Kharbanda and Arshad Warsi. Here, the director tells us about his upcoming film, his penchant for multi-starrers and why he is serious about comedy.

What is Pagalpanti about?
Pagalpanti is full of madness. It’s a hard-core commercial film with songs, dialogue, and zabardast family comedy. There will be no vulgarity because that has never been a part of my films. It will be shot in London non-stop for 50 days minimum. It is about John’s journey and the other people involved in it. He will be seen in a different role as he is doing an out-and-out comedy. There’s Anil with whom I share good tuning. We have worked together in so many films — No Entry (2005), Welcome (2007), Welcome Back (2015), to name a few. I have also scripted his Deewana Mastana (1997), Laadla (1994), etc. This must be our 11th or 12th collaboration. Honestly, we have stopped counting!

Is the film releasing this year?
I think so, because by April-May, InshaAllah, we will be able to finish the film, after which the producers will decide on the release date. They did want to announce it in advance, but as a maker, it puts the burden on you because you have to finish it by then. That’s when the chalega attitude creeps in especially, if the work is not done according to your satisfaction. I didn’t want that. I told them to not worry about the date. In the earlier days, when we made films, we used to see it and if there was something which we felt was not up to the mark, we would re-shoot it. Though I have never done that, one should have the liberty of improving it and if that takes a couple of months one should get that breathing space.

Most of your films are multi-starrers, is that deliberate?
It’s not that I want to make only multi-starrers. Every time I finish a film, I feel I should make a movie with one hero and heroine. Having said that, multi-starrers are not easy to make, which is why you don’t see everybody making them. You can say that multi cast films are my forte. I have a good tuning with all my actors, aur main aram se multi-starrer bana leta hoon. Uska maza kuch aur hai. Moreover, the seven-eight actors that I have in my film have important roles, whether it was Welcome, Welcome Back, No Entry or now Pagalpanti. It’s not that I set out to make them, it just happens. The story of Pagalpanti is such that it needs many actors, that’s all. 

People have come to expect a certain kind of comedy from you. Does that put pressure on you?
Whenever your films do well, and you have made a name for yourself, people have expectations from you. That does put pressure on you, but it’s good because it means logon ko aapse ummeed hai. I don’t feel the pressure because if you have seen my work, I make one film in a period of two years. When I am working on it, my entire concentration is on it, there are no distractions. I use my experience of over 50 films  — have written several movies and directed about 10-12 — and the knowledge that I have.

Many of your films have done well at the box-office but they haven’t won critical acclaim. What do you have to say about it?
Honestly, main chahta hoon that critics also love my films, but I can’t make films only for those 20-25 people. It’s sad that critics kind of look down upon comedy, which is such a difficult genre. But these movies are big hits. When I meet people they tell me they haven’t seen a better comedy than No Entry, which released over a decade ago, and that they watch it even today. So, I feel films like these will become cult movies in the future. I am sure even the critics enjoy it when they watch it! Still, I hope I make a film that is liked by the audiences and the critics.

What kind of comedy do you like?
I like situational comedies. I always tell my actors that they should not act in a funny way or do comedy, that will happen on its own. If you have seen my films, I don’t go over the board, where people are climbing and falling to create laughter, there is no slapstick comedy. I don’t believe in that. The situation is comical. For instance in the climax of No Entry, three people are hanging from a cliff and are about to die, in the Welcome climax, the entire house with all the characters in it is on the verge of falling off — these are serious things, there is no buffoonery — but the situation leads to comedy.

There are reports about you directing a college love story with Kartik Aaryan?
Chal raha hai. I want to make films in different genres, not just comedy. I have in the past made a romantic film like Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha (1998) and a suspense thriller like Deewangee (2002). I am comfortable writing all the genres, but I don’t need to prove anything to anybody. I do a film which I enjoy at that point.

David Dhawan has been remaking his old films like Judwaa and now Coolie No 1. Have you thought about revisiting any of your earlier movies?
I have some 15 original stories in mind and I still feel like a newcomer. There is a lot of excitement now with Pagalpanti. I am not just a director, but also a writer. If start remaking my old movies, what do I do with the new ideas that I have?

What is happening to the sequel of No Entry and Aankhen?
You will have to check with Boney Kapoor (producer) about the No Entry sequel. But Aankhen part 2 is happening. It has a big star cast, and I will start the film this year once I am done with Pagalpanti.

Subhash K Jha (DNA; August 11, 2017)

The failure of some recent highly-anticipated biggies has had a Domino Effect on Anees Bazmee’s family-oriented comedy Mubarakan which is well on the way to becoming one of the bigger successes of the year.

The film opened on a lower scale and went on to become bigger with each passing day. In the following week of the release, additional shows were added in several centres. Despite reduced screens in the second week, the film continues its triumphant march at the box office with rock steady collections even on working weekdays — a phenomenon that has taken industry pundits by surprise.

So, what’s the secret of this startling turn-around? Says trade guru Komal Nahta, “It’s a good film and is growing due to a great word of mouth. Traditionally, Anil Kapoor has never been known to be an initialwaala star. The flopping of other films released during the same period has also helped Mubarakan remain steady in the second week.”

Trade analyst Atul Mohan adds, “Mubarakan is a family entertainer, or as we say, paisa vasool. Such movies do take time to grow. The release of Jab Harry Met Sejal in the subsequent week did put Mubarakan on the back seat for a couple of days, but at the end of the day, good content always works in the long run. The cinema-hungry audience felt the film is worth their money. In Mubarakan’s case, it’s all about slow and steady winning the race!”

Anil, who is one of the highlights of Mubarakan, isn’t surprised by this turn of events at the ticket counters. He says, “Mubarakan is not my first film that had a low start at the box office. My other films like Judaai, Taal and No Entry had a subdued start too and went on to become big successes. I’ve never looked for instant success. I really enjoyed my character; Kartar Singh is destined to be iconic just like my characters in Mr India, No Entry, Nayak, Ram Lakhan and TV series, 24. I played characters in these films who are remembered to this day. Even now people call me Lakhan from Ram Lakhan or Kishen from No Entry.”

Arjun Kapoor who is also receiving praises for his portrayal of Karan and Charanjit in the film, says, “Every film finds its audience and Mubarakan has been defying the odds and sustaining because of the love of the audience nationwide.”

Hiren Kotwani (BOMBAY TIMES; July 28, 2017)

Subhash K Jha (DNA; July 28, 2017)

Anees Bazmee first got to know Anil Kapoor when the former served as an assistant on Raj Kapoor’s Prem Rog. Recalls Anees fondly, “Anil was as enthusiastic, exuberant and endearing back then as he is now. He was a regular visitor on Raj saab’s sets — they were rishtedaars — and I think, we hit it off since then. Subsequently, I got to work with Anil in nine to 10 films, first as a writer and then as a director. I wrote Anil-starrers like Laadla and Deewana Mastana.”

The first brush
The first time that Anees got to direct Anil is another story. He remembers, “It was a film (Mr Azaad) where the director was unable to shoot for some time. I was asked to help out, and I gladly did. This was the first time I got to work as a director with Anil. I think he enjoyed the experience. He made me promise we’d work together whenever I turned a full-fledged director.”

Creative camaraderie
The moment came with No Entry in 2005. Says Anees, “Since we already knew each other well, working in No Entry was a party. Anil helped me a lot in getting familiar with all the actors in the film, who were all his friends. We decided we’d work together as frequently as possible. And we worked together in Welcome, No Problem, Welcome Back and now Mubarakan. In fact, it was Anil, who got me into Mubarakan. When he heard the idea for the plot, he said only Anees can direct something so zany.”

Playing the spirited sardar
Anees confesses Mubarakan was optimum fun to make. He tells an interesting story on how Anil’s character became a turban-wearing sardar in the movie. “We knew Anil was going to play a guy from Chandigarh, who is settled in London. So my writers and I decided, why not make Anil a sardar? And it was the right decision. Anil makes for an amazing sardar. He is innocent and charming, dil ka bahot saaf hai, just like Akshay Kumar’s sardar character in Singh Is Kiing.”

Boney Kapoor shares PERSONAL memories from his 33-year association with his wife, Sridevi
Upala KBR (DNA; March 16, 2017)

When Mom, starring Sridevi releases on July 14 this year, it will mark over three decades of the actress and her husband, producer Boney Kapoor’s professional association and 22 years as a couple. Not much is known about their love story, except that he was a married man when they fell in love. In an exclusive, Boney shares some cherished memories of his 30-year association with the enigma called Sridevi.

“I met her for the first time in 1984. I was besotted with her, right from my first meeting with her. She was shooting for another film when I went to meet her to sign her for Mr India. Before that, I had sent somebody to Chennai to connect with her, after watching one of her Tamil films, but she was in Singapore at the time. Her first Hindi film Sadma and after that, Himmatwala (1980) had released. When I met her, I remember I did all the talking, while she kept saying, ‘Talk to my mom...’”

He continues, “I can speak volumes on my memories with her... This can go on for the full day... All I can say is, that the minute I saw her, I said to myself, ‘She has to anyhow be in my life and I have to make sure she remains with me all my life.’ I have learned a lot from her in terms of being sincere, professional and giving her best, but what I admire and respect about her is her approach to life and how she presents herself. Have you come across anything wrong about her? Sridevi has always been absolutely correct in life and is dignity personified, in the way she carries herself. Nor has she ever said a wrong word against anybody.”

“When I heard the story line and subject of Mom, I could only think of Sridevi in the title role. She has a mind of her own, so I was hoping she would like the story and sign my film. After English Vinglish, she had various offers and while some of them seemed very attractive to me, she wasn’t keen. But she loved the story of Mom and gave the nod. If she hadn’t, the film wouldn’t have happened.”

“It’s been more than 30 years of our professional association and we have given hits most of the time we worked together — Mr India, Judaai, English Vinglish. I remember Balki and I were discussing the possibility of doing a film with Sridevi, Rajinikanth and Amitji (Amitabh Bachchan). We met Balki at his residence in Chennai for lunch when we got to know Rajnikanth wasn’t keeping well. Balki mentioned that Gauri (Shinde), his wife was working on the script (English Vinglish) and Sri and I both instantly loved the story idea.”

“It’s been a fabulous journey personally and professionally with Sri and I hope it continues forever as long as we both live. We are in sync all the time and the choices we made in films have worked out well. Hopefully, Mom will too. After Judaai she took a sabbatical to look after our two daughters as her family has always been her priority. It was only the story of English Vinglish that compelled, propelled and excited her to come back into films again.”

“During Judaai we had already become very close and when I was on a recce in early 1996 to USA, Sridevi and I travelled all over the country by road and took flights... We both recced for it together. I pray to God that all goes well for Mom too. She’s my strength and support system. She’s been through my lows and highs and been a great support to me. During the release of No Entry she walked barefoot to Siddhivinayak for me for nine weeks, as the film was having hiccups. I am lucky and blessed to have her in my life.’