Reza Noorani (BOMBAY TIMES; August 18, 2018)

With his 2016 film Happy Bhag Jayegi (HBJ) hitting it big, director Mudassar Aziz found a budding franchise in the offing. Now, he is ready to see his feisty Happy runaway from nuptials, once again. Not one to depend on crass humour or formulaic scripts for box-office numbers, Mudassar believes in finding humour in ordinary life situations. In a chat with Bombay Times, the filmmaker opens up on his personal life, making cross-border comedies and why he based his upcoming film, Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi (HPBJ), in China...

While HBJ had Diana Penty’s character running away from home, in your upcoming film HPBJ Sonakshi Sinha, who plays the titular character, will be seen fleeing. Why are you hell-bent on having Happy run away?
(Laughs!) Very rarely does it happen that the audience, members of the media and people within the trade love a film so much. That love translated into box office numbers, and I didn’t want to shut my eyes to the fact that HBJ enjoyed success and warranted a sequel. The kind of love the film received gave us enough reason to want to tickle the viewers’ funny bone once again. It was the greed of wanting to feel the same again, that made us make HPBJ. So yes, we are going to see Happy run away, again.

The film is a breakaway from usual comedy franchises, which often depend on crass humour to crack people up. Here you’re making a new kind of franchise that depends purely on story...
Well, the humour in the film stems from my way of thinking. I want to be able to watch my films with children and elder members of the family. I can’t comment on the kind of films that others make, because filmmaking is a difficult craft. But, my film weighs on my conscience and I want it to be a certain way. I love it when people tell me about a line or a scene they liked in HBJ. Look, humour is all around us. I feel we become lazy when we write a particular type of film, where lowbrow comedy becomes the primary aim.

What is it that makes a film franchise worthy?
After watching the ending scene of HBJ, many people asked me if I had planned a sequel. But, this film has no connection to the end of the first film. The two connect somewhere down the middle and the audience will enjoy when they find that connection. If you ask me, I don’t consider myself a director who makes franchises. I think films like Tanu Weds Manu Returns and HPBJ are not franchises, these are pure sequels. It’s not that just because the first film worked, we decided to replace Diana with Sonakshi and make another film. We wanted to put someone else in Happy’s place and needed another actress for it. We are giving a new twist to the story of these characters. So, I don’t think it is a franchise. I think that if a director makes a film, which is loved by the audience, it encourages him or her to make a sequel. And if I get the same love for HPBJ, I would love to end the whole thing as a trilogy.

Your films have largely examined the ideas of marriage. What do you feel about marriage as a concept?
I am a huge believer in the institution of marriage, but unfortunately, mine failed. I got divorced about three-and-a-half years ago. Toh, meri toh chali nahi, but I feel that those people whose marriages last, last forever. I also feel that the institution of marriage is incredible, because two people are expected to live with each other and spend their lives together, but there’s no guarantee that they will have similar likes or they’ll agree upon each other’s choices. At times, these factors are great breeding grounds for comedy and drama. Having said that, I am nobody to comment on marriage. The current generation is intelligent enough to know whether to marry or not, or when to separate.

While HBJ was set in Pakistan, HPBJ is based in China. Are you fascinated by cross-border stories?
We need to poke fun at the cross-border, cultural differences around us because that is how we’ll get a good breeding ground for cinema. We still talk on the lines of, ‘Pakistan murdabaad, Hindustan zindabaad’. Or we talk about China opening fire on the border and our army firing back. Why don’t we ever get a chance to laugh at each other? For me, it makes for a great comedy when you have an example like Shoaib Malik from Pakistan marrying Sania Mirza from India and both of them living in Dubai. Imagine both of them sitting in a room and watching an India-Pakistan cricket match! They must be going hammer and tongs at each other. I find cross-cultural differences amazing. I know that there are border situations and we have political stress with both China and Pakistan, but there are qualified people to make political comments and take political decisions. Does that mean that Indians, Pakistanis and Chinese can’t have a little fun with each other? I don’t think so. That’s why I based the first film in Pakistan and the second one in China. God knows where the third instalment will be set in...

Film stars upped the glam at Anam Mirza’s pre-wedding ceremony
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 18, 2016)


Anam Mirza, Sania Mirza’s younger sister, got engaged to Hyderabadi businessman Akbar Rasheed in September last year. On Wednesday, her sangeet was attended by a bevy of Bollywood biggies, including Salman Khan, Parineeti Chopra, Arjun Kapoor and siblings Farah Khan and Sajid Khan. But it wasn’t the Hindi film chartbusters and biryani that everyone was talking about on the day after, it was Bhai’s moves on the dance floor. The Sultan of B’wood shook a leg to “Baby Ko Bass Pasand Hai” with the 30-year-old tennis ace. He even did a take-off on Sunny Deol’s “Yaara O Yaara” step as he grooved with Pari and Sania.

“Sajid hosted an hour-long dance show from the bride’s side while Huma Qureshi led the groom’s brigade. Sania and her Pakistani cricketer husband, Shoaib Malik, performed on several romantic medleys. The other guests also matched steps to “Kala Chashma” and “Gallan Goodiyaan” amongst other hit numbers,” informs a source present at the ceremony.

Huma looked ethereal in a black Sukriti and Aakriti ensemble while Pari wowed in a gold-and-pink lehenga by Nadine Dhody. She later wove instagram stories with buddies Farah, Sania, Shoaib and Arjun. The Ishaqzaade co-stars who until recently were rehearsing for the Global Citizen event, even travelled together to Hyderabad.

Farah who reached Hyderabad on Wednesday morning was greeted by a lavish breakfast. “You know it’s Sania Mirza’s house when this is breakfast! Can’t wait for the lunch,” the choreographer-turned-director said appreciatively after the sumptuous meal.

Anam who had earlier revealed that she’s very filmi and had wanted a movie-like marriage proposal from Akbar. On August 27, they arrived at the Falaknuma Palace in a chariot. The red carpet was rolled out for her and Akbar presented her with a tiara before going down on one knee to ask, “Will you marry me?” as violins played in the background. It was the best moment of her life.

Sania tried to give her many more filmi moments, personally taking care of the guests, including her B-town buddies. “The prep for the wedding on Friday is on in full swing,” concludes the source.

Sonali Joshi Pitale (MID-DAY; February 3, 2015)

Pakistani singer-actor Ali Zafar has brought together 50 famous faces of his country in his new music video to pay tribute to the Peshawar school massacre victims. On December 16 last year, Taliban gunmen stormed a military-run school in Peshawar, leading to the loss of 141 lives, most of them children.

Titled Urainge, the song holds the promise of a secure future and the resolve to stay united during testing times. Says Ali, “I want to give out the message that the entire nation is together in this hour of crisis. Although the mood is grave right now, I believe that it is important to think positively and hope for a better future.”

The video will feature Pakistani celebs from different fields, including cricketer Shoaib Malik, actors Fawad Khan, Humaima Malick, Mahira Khan and singer Ali Azmat. Veteran guitarist Asad Ahmad has lent his six-string skills to the song.

Excerpts from the song

Urainge uss aasman mein,
Rahainge aisay jahaan mein,
Jahaan dard ka koi maara na ho,
Akaila na ho be-sahaara na ho…
(We will fly in such a sky, live in such a world, where no one quivers in pain, nor is lonely or helpless…)

Rupam Jain (BOMBAY TIMES; December 11, 2014)