“It’s SURREAL,” says Kartik Aaryan on Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 releasing on the same day as Pyaar Ka Punchnama; also comments on the clash with Dhaakad and North films vs South films debate

Kartik Aaryan had a fabulous debut with Luv Ranjan’s Pyaar Ka Punchnama. It was released on May 20, 2011, and was a sleeper hit despite starring newcomers. Kartik rocked the most and his cute looks and monologue were loved by one and all.

The actor is now all set to be seen in the horror comedy, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2. Interestingly, this film will also be out on May 20! When this writer pointed out this coincidence to the actor during a recent media interaction, he excitedly said, “It's surreal! When the makers were figuring out when to release Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, May 20 was one of the options. I told them ‘Yehi date pe picture laao theatre mein. Bahut acchi date hai yeh’ (laughs)!”

Kartik further said, “I recently went to YouTube to watch Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2’s title track and to see the comments. All of a sudden, I was reminded of the song ‘Ban Gaya Kutta’ from Pyaar Ka Punchnama, and started watching it. It was great to see where I was then and where I have reached now, and how different I looked now.”

In between our interaction, Luv Ranjan, who happened to be at the same venue, came and greeted Kartik warmly. Hence, this writer couldn’t help but ask if both would collaborate again on a project. Luv Ranjan and Kartik worked together on several films like Pyaar Ka Punchnama, Akaash Vani (2013), Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2 (2015) and the Rs. 100 crore grosser, Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety (2018). To which Kartik just smiled and replied, “I hope so.”

Coming back to Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, Kartik Aaryan revealed what made him sign the film. He said, “The character has a naughtiness, which I associate with also. So I could relate to him. His name is Ruhaan and he’s known as Rooh Baba. It’s a character you’d find amongst your friend circle. And there’s another factor, which I can’t talk about (smiles).”

Did he meet real-life babas to prep for the role of Rooh Baba? Kartik Aaryan laughed and replied, “No, I didn’t. When you’d see the film, you’d realize the reason. It’s situational and driven by the storyline, which again, I can’t say much about! So I’d say ki itna ‘baba training’ nahi karni padi (laughs).”

The conversation then steered towards the recent North films vs South films debate. The perception nowadays is that only South films are doing well. Kartik disagreed, “I think, acchi filmein chal rahi hai. Even Gangubai Kathiawadi worked, right? So, it’s about how good a film is.”

Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 clashes with Kangana Ranaut’s actioner, Dhaakad. When asked whether he fears that the audience would get divided as a result on May 20, Kartik Aaryan opined, “That won’t happen as the target audience is not the same. The genre of both the movies is different. It's visible in the trailers. And the scenario today is such that agar kisi film ka business hota hai, toh bahut bada business hota hai. This shows that audiences are going to the cinemas. On May 20, the moviegoers would have the option to watch 2 films. I hope both (Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 and Dhaakad) work at the box office.”

Also Read: “Kartik Aaryan bada tension mein rehta tha. When he told me, ‘Sir, Corona’, I told him, ‘Daro na’! I used to laugh at his paranoia about Covid” – Anees Bazmee