Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 writer Aakash Kaushik is basking high with the grand opening of his horror-comedy featuring Kartik Aaryan and Triptii Dimri in lead roles.
In an exclusive interview with Hindustan Times, Aakash speaks about Bhool Bhulaiyaa Universe, the supernatural genre, Anees Bazmee and more. Excerpts from the interview. ( Stree 2, Munjya writer Niren Bhatt says not genre but storytelling works: See box office record of other horror comedies)
Aakash Kaushik on originality in Bhool Bhulaiyaa franchise
Aakash, who had also contributed to the screenplay of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, when asked about retaining the originality in storytelling in the sequel, states, “The entire magic lies in the one-liner that you crack, which is the film’s basic plot. When I was asked to write the third instalment, I spent the maximum time cracking the plot and one-liner because that is the basic seed from which the entire story grows. If you get that right, everything falls in place because you have a direction to go. So, the main effort was to get that one-liner, which I brainstormed, and then I finally cracked something.”
He further says, “I had worked on a couple of ideas, and this is one idea I believed in. I shared it with Anees Bazmee Sir and Bhushan (Kumar) Sir and eventually the cast, who all loved it. If your base is strong, then the building will also turn out to be strong. Since it is a franchise, you have to keep the essence of Bhool Bhulaiyaa in it. I was vary of that. That is how I went about writing the third part.”
Aakash Kuashik on Bhool Bhulaiyaa universe
The Bhool Bhulaiyaa franchise has always had Manjuliaka as the antagonist, but this time, there are two Manjulikas. When questioned about the challenges as a writer in crafting an engaging story in a supernatural universe which does not appear repetitive while maintaining its progression, Aakash says, “After part 2, it was obvious that part 3 had to be bigger regarding the story, scale, and cast. So, since day 1, we have been keeping that in mind. After that, there is a very thin line between keeping the essence of Bhool Bhulaiyaa and coming up with something new. So we kept Manjulika, but this time there are two of them. So, you have to balance what people enjoy and what you will do differently. Ami Je Tomar has been in all the parts, but we introduced a dance-off this time. How to recreate the same thing with much grandeur by making it a part of the story was the main thing in my mind. We constantly kept this in mind throughout the writing process and even while making the film.”
Aakash Kaushik on new trends in horror-comedy
Hindi cinema witnessed a different take on the supernatural genre in 2024 with films like Munjya and Stree 2. When asked if it is important for storytellers to upgrade themselves regarding the changing trends in any genre, the Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 writer points out, “This genre has indeed been the flavour of the year. You will not find the amount of folklore and stories you see in India anywhere else. So, somewhere, we Indians have always been quite intrigued and interested in such stories. It was high time until it started with Bhool Bhulaiyaa, then Stree 2 and the entire Maddock Horror Universe, that people are finally telling such stories on the big screen. The Indian audiences were interested in such stories from the very beginning. But we have not done much about it for a very long time. We still have many more stories to tell now that it’s happening. There are many interesting creatures in Indian mythology and folklore and I am very happy that now it is happening.”
When questioned if he feels any kind of pressure as a creative person regarding the changing trends, Aakash says, “As far as the pressure is concerned, if you are confident about your product, then the fear takes a backseat. We only take it in a positive sense to make it bigger. Taking the pressure on the negative side would only hamper the product. So, I was quite conscious of the fact that the pressure should not bow me down.”
