'Bhool Bhulaiyaa Has Given Me So Much I Was Scared'

'I want to just haso, hasao and khush raho.'

Mayur Sanap was watched Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 at the end of its first week run.

He found himself drawn to Director Anees Bazmee's unbridled enthusiasm for this world and the inherently amusing quality of his material that pretty much shapes and defines the potboiler identity of BB3.

The audiences were reacting to the jokes with consistent giggles and occasional applause.

The biggest cheers come for Vidya Balan who makes her appearance in a gloriously shot entry sequence. The camera zooms past the flames and stays on her fiery face as she gives off some overzealous expressions.

You quickly realise this Vidya is far different from the subdued yet quietly confident forest ranger in Sherni, or the morally ambiguous journalist from Jalsa or the bored wife seeking passion outside her marriage in Do Aur Do Pyaar.

Her latest role is surely drawn into bouts of excess, but Vidya, for the incredible talent she is, plays this over-the-top character with solemnity and commits to a performance Mayur couldn't take his eyes off.

"I think my choices have always reflected my current state of mind. Now I'm looking at happy, fun, entertainers because that's been my mind space for the past couple of years. Which is why finally I said yes to Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3," Vidya tells Mayur Sanap/Rediff.com when they met.

What would remain your fondest memory of working in Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3?

Just the fact that I did Bhool Bhulaiyaa 17 years ago and ever since it's only been giving. It's brought me so much love.

There was a great deal of excitement to be joining BB3, not only to reprise, but also to create something new. Because it's a new script, new director, new team. Everything about it has been memorable.

But if you ask me for that one thing, I'd say working with Aneesbhai (Bazmee, director). That has been very, very, special.

I enjoyed your entry scene in the film. It's kind of a scene that instantly draws you to this character with all the mystery and fury about her. Were you excited when you first read this scene or maybe heard it during the narration?

Actually, Aneesbhai is a great narrator, but he did not narrate this film to me.

The writer Aakash Kaushik narrated it and he is also fantastic. I remember when I was doing some of the scenes in the film, I would remember the way Aakash had narrated it to me.

The moment I heard it, I knew I wanted to do it. I did take a little time because I wanted to read the script again just to be a thousand per cent sure.

Like I've said before, Bhool Bhulaiyaa has given me so much that I wanted to be absolutely sure that this is not going to take away anything even if it doesn't add. Thankfully, it has actually only added now.

Vidya recalls her first day with Madhuri Dixit on the sets of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3

There are such dramatic scenes you share with Madhuri Dixit in the film. Be it choking each other or singing that lullaby Naani Ne Maara Chaata. I can imagine you two bursting out into laughter after each take. What was the vibe like during the shoot?

We did laugh a lot during that crazy sequence. It was just one of those things, we were cooped up in a small room and then Kartik would also enter and we had to be spooky.

We laughed a lot! It was really fun.

By that time, we were also nearing the end of the film, so we were at ease.

Actually, we've been at ease throughout, but yes, it was just fun. And it was also such a mad scene.

At the song launch event, Producer Bhushan Kumar revealed that you turned down his offer for BB2. Why were you unsure about that film? What convinced you for BB3?

I think Bhool Bhulaiyaa has given me so much that I was scared that I will lose that.

I didn't know this franchise game at all.

I was like, what is this? This has never happened in India.

But then, when I watched BB2 I realised that oh, it can happen like this. You are taking the franchise forward without it having to be a sequel or whatever.

I said, okay, this is interesting.

When BB3 came to me, I loved the script and by then, had understood the franchise.

With Aneesbhai as director, I knew it would only get better from there.

When I saw the trailer of BB2, Bhushan told me you have to do BB3 now and I said yeah, yeah, yeah. (Smiles)

You recently said that you are in a happy mind space right now and you want to do light-hearted films. What's on your checklist before signing a film?

I think my choices have always reflected my current state of mind.

Now I'm looking at happy, fun, entertainers because that's been my mind space for the past couple of years. Which is why finally I said yes to Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, because it was the most fun, entertaining film at the script level itself.

That's what I am wanting to do at the moment. I want to just haso, hasao and khush raho.

• Part 2: 'I Am A Girl At The End Of The Day'