Priyadarshan on Audience Expectations for Bhoot Bangla with Akshay Kumar: 'I'm Trying My Best...'

Filmmaker Priyadarshan is excited to reunite with Akshay Kumar, the star of his hit comedies like Hera Pheri, Bhool Bhulaiyaa, Bhagam Bhag, Priyadarshan Garam Masala and De Dana Dan for the highly anticipated horror comedy Bhoot Bangla after a 14-year break. Their last collaboration was the 2010 political satire Khatta Meetha.

Opening up on the expectations of the audiences from their next, Priyadarshan said that he will try his best. “Every film I’ve made with him has been a superhit. People say that you are the reason Akshay (does comedy), but I don’t believe in all those things. What I did was exploit his sense of humour (on screen). We are working after 14 years and I hope things will work. It’s a challenge. We can’t match the expectations (of the audience) but I’m trying my best,” the filmmaker told PTI during IIFA Awards.

“He is a disciplined actor. After Amit ji (Amitabh Bachchan), he is a man who is a dedicated actor and who comes on time. He listens to the director,” he said. In Bhoot Bangla, Akshay will reportedly play a magician alongside three female co-stars. “Yeah, that’s what I said. I hope it will work the same way,” Priyadarshan said when asked for updates on the film. The project, based on themes of black magic, is set to begin shooting soon and is expected to release in 2025.

Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 is directed by Anees Bazmee, who also directed the 2022 sequel. This second film is a spiritual follow-up to Priyadarshan’s 2007 movie of the same name, which starred Akshay Kumar and Vidya Balan. Opening up on it, Priyadarshan said, “Anees Bazmee did a good job with the second part of Bhool Bhulaiyaa. I think he will do the third part also well,”

Priyadarshan also mentioned that he is “not interested” in directing sequels to his own films. However, he has been approached to create second installments for some of his hits, including Hungama, Malamaal Weekly, Garam Masala and De Dana Dhan. He said, “I believe a movie can be (only) made once and when the film really works well, people enjoy it. Expectations (are there), maybe you will get the initial (audiences), but there’s always this thing that ‘it didn’t come up to the expectations of the first one’.