Anees Bazmee’s writing was appreciated by all and the spark in him was noticed by producers #LalitKapoor and #ShabnamKapoor who bestowed responsibility of directing Hulchul starring #AjayDevgn and #Kajol. Though the film did not do well commercially, Anees Bazmee’s work was appreciated by many including the insiders in the film industry. Then came Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha, starring once again Ajay Devgn and Kajol which became a runaway hit and it received four Filmfare awards nomination. This was the beginning of Anees Bazmee’s long innings in the Hindi film industry. Anees Bazmee then made about a dozen films, most of them being super hits which include Deewangee, No Entry, Singh Is King, Welcome, Ready, Mubarakan etc.  He is gearing up for his latest directorial Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 which is a horror-comedy.

It’s a franchise movie and as the Bhool Bhulaiyaa, which was a remake of Malayalam movie Manichitrathazhu, dealt with psychological thriller comedy, Anees Bazmee did not want to tread the Psychological path. “I was very sure from the beginning that I will not make this sequel same as the first instalment. In fact I was very sure of what to do and importantly what not to. So psychological aspect was a no-no as Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 is an entirely new story. Though we have retained a few aspects from the original hindi version like, Manjulika, Haveli, Rajasthani flavour, song Aami Je Tomar and title track ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa’ which is picturised completely differently. The entire cast is new and it’s a new film which has only borrowed the title. I want to stress a point that it’s not a remake or a copy. The first part received huge love from the audience and I expect that it repeats with our film too,” said Anees Bazmee. About the pressure of the franchise film he said, “Of course, there is some. Because first part was a huge success. (Laughs) Sometimes I feel that the they made a successful film just to give me stress while making the second part.”

Earlier version had #AkshayKumar and #VidyaBalan in the lead and when asked why the same actors are not in the sequel. “First and foremost, it’s not a sequel. It’s a completely new story. I wish the story allowed the actors from the first version could be incorporated but there was no scope for that which I definitely regret. Akshay Kumar is a huge star and I share a great rapport with him. I have worked with him in Mujhse Shaadi Karogi, Singh Is Kingg, Welcome, Welcome Back, Thank You etc and definitely would like to work with him again. But since this was an entirely new script and maybe Akshay being busy with different projects, new set of actors became part of this.” Mr Bazmee is handling horror genre for the first time and really excited to know the viewer’s reactions once it’s released. His filmography boasts of quite a few comedy films, so he is confident of the comedy part of the movie and says that he has worked hard to spook the audience in an entertains way.

Talking about his hit film No Entry’s sequel, Anees ji said, “Yes. I am working on it. See, every film has it’s own fate. So when it’s going to happen, will happen. I am a workaholic and wants to make films. I do not believe in over-planning because sometimes it backfires. I like to go with the flow as I believe in ‘Har picture ka ek waqt hota hai’. Sometimes a mediocre film do stupendous business and a good film gets rejected. That’s why I say that each film has it’s own fate. I can put in hard work while making a film but have no control on it’s box office collections. ‘Hard work pe bharosa rakhna chahiye’. I want to forget ‘Pagalpanti’ I did in my life a few years back, but again that’s destiny. You come to know whether your film is a hit or flop by the reception you get in the film parties.”

“I love to entertain people, make them laugh, want them to forget their problems for a while. I endorse #ManmohanDesai brand of cinema as against ‘so-called’ intellectual movies. But I have always received love within the industry and from viewers and am grateful for that. As a child I used to go to theatres with my mom. She being illiterate (education-wise) used to give non-corrupt views on films. I have learnt from that too. Frankly speaking creating comedy is a difficult job. Audiences from Ludhiana to london should be pleased with the movie. I believe that through my films maximum number of people should be happy. I want to cater to the common audience as well as elite and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 will satisfy everyone,I am sure and hoping.”

Remembering Welcome Anees Bazmee said, “Every film has it’s ‘Kundali’. I have done a lot of films with Akshay Kumar. After watching Pyar To Hona Hi Tha he expressed his desire to make a film with me. We did work on a few successful films. I was making Welcome which was purely a romantic film initially with only Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif. But we kept on improving the script and Nana Patekar, Anil Kapoor and Feroze Khan came on board and it became one of the best comedy films of the decade. In fact Nana Patekar was sceptical to do ‘mad-comedy’ but I assured him that after this role/film the children who are scared of you will come and sit in your lap. Again he is a fantastic actor and did justice to the role of Uday Shetty. There are two patterns in script writing. One is set pattern and another one flexibly going with the flow. I follow the latter pattern.”

In bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 Tabu plays an important character and that too a comic one. Talking about his equation with #Tabu, Anees ji said, “Tabu is a fantastic actor most of the directors would love to work with. Her understanding of the craft is great and she understands director’s perspective too easily. In fact we know each other for a long time and used to express our desire to work together. Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 has given that opportunity and I am glad I cast Tabu in this film. She was excited the moment she heard the script and she has taken her role a few notches higher and that is because she’s a brilliant actor who is aware of ‘what not to do’. Only #RajpalYadav is repeated from the cast of first instalment of BB. He is a dear friend and his comic timing is impeccable. Though small, his role from the original is still remembered.”

Anees Bazmee wants the local governments throughout India to support film industry in shoots. He expects cooperation from the local police too. “While shooting on a London street for one of my films, I noticed that a couple of policemen were standing at a distance. I enquired whether the permission to shoot is taken and the answer was negative. The police personnel approach us and in my mind I was preparing for pack-up before the start of the shoot. But they were so sweet and despite being aware about non-permission they assured saying, ‘If you require our help, we are standing round the corner.’ That’s the difference”, expressed Anees Bazmee. When asked whether he is satisfied with the cast, he said, “Of course. #Kiara has improved a lot as a performer. I realised this immediately after a couple of shots. She used to come well prepared for the shoot and was extremely cooperative even if the dialogues were changed on the spot. #KartikAaryan is a bundle of enthusiasm and was involved in the film right from the beginning. He used to visit my office often and we used to brainstorm a few things, of course for the betterment of the project. He is a hard working lad and has an extremely bright future.”

The post Anees Bazmee : I want to entertain audiences from Ludhiana to london! first appeared on Latest News, Breaking News, National News, World News, India News, Bollywood News, Business News, Politics News, Sports News, Entertainment News - CineBuster.

“I would like to begin by saying that to say that the media treated me poorly in the 90’s would be a huge understatement. I went from being a teenager to a young adult in my early 20’s and I did things my way. Today, I would have been commended for being a rebel with a very legitimate cause,” says Somy, who now runs her NGO No More Tears in Miami, US.

She shares that at that time gossip journalism was the order of the day. “All the tabloids were huge. The journalists had a strategy. Get close to the star, be their confidante and then at the last minute when the actor or the actress least expects it, expose them with all they have told you assuming you were their friend. I am a living example of this not just by one journalist, but one who was actually my best friend and I trusted him with my life. I told him the truth about everything, and he wrote perhaps the worst article anyone could have about me. He slut shamed me and proved himself to be a male chauvinist in every sense. Ironically, he hasn’t changed and is still sucking up to an abuser. He actually had the audacity to call and tell me to stop giving interviews about this actor who was physically abusive to me and cheated on me throughout our relationship,” she adds.

At that time social media didn’t exist so celebs were mostly either unaware or not always in a position to clarify everything. One such incident being reports that claimed Salman Khan broke a bottle belonging to the cola brand Thums Up on Somy’s head in a restaurant.

“This was in fact the most ridiculous news that every magazine picked up back then. Fortunately, there were witnesses there and if I had this man break a bottle on my head, I would be bleeding profusely, and an ambulance would have been called. What really happened is that I was at dinner with another actress/friend and I will refrain from naming her out of respect, but when my ex found out there was alcohol in my drink, he poured the drink on my head. That’s literally all that happened and the actress who was with me gasped and said, ‘That’s not how to treat a lady’. That was the end of that incident. No bottle breaking, none of that happened, hence it medically doesn’t add up. But they wrote about it again and again and no one cared to find out the truth because it is far more enticing to have a bottle broken on your head than liquid poured over you,” she clarifies for the first time.

Asked whether at that time being young and raw it was not easy for her to handle the responsibilities as a celeb, Somy explains how it was like back then.

“I did things my way and always have. When I realised I was being verbally and physically abused and cheated on, I decided if he can do it then so can I. The only thing that did not occur to me is that these actors and they know who they are, were using someone that was completely lost and simply looking for someone to genuinely care for her. I never found that in any of them and that is their karma, not mine. In the end, I reiterate, the media treated me horribly knowing what I was going through and continued to slut shame me. Well, shame on them is how I feel today. If they felt that a man is okay to do what he wants and a woman can’t, it’s telling of their character and lack of intellect, not mine. I am at a point in my life where I don’t give a crap about them, but I will say it was the epitome of a sexist and male chauvinistic era,” she sounds annoyed.

Today almost everything is in the public domain and there is an invasion of privacy too. However, in those days too invasion of privacy was there but in a different way. “I wish we had social media back then so the truth could be seen. I suffered a great deal due to the gossip sessions that went around and then each person had their own version. Let’s let the abuser win because he is a star and he hides who he truly is really well. Let’s point fingers at this 20-something, she has no one to defend her. That’s the best way I can sum up how cruelly the media treated me, in addition to my ex,” she ends.

The post ‘I suffered a great deal because of gossip sessions and everyone had their own version’, says Somy Ali! first appeared on Latest News, Breaking News, National News, World News, India News, Bollywood News, Business News, Politics News, Sports News, Entertainment News - CineBuster.