No one can fill Akshay Kumar's shoes: Kartik Aaryan on Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2

The film is grossing Rs. 100 crore. How does this feel?

I feel really excited. As we speak, the film has crossed Rs. 100 crore maybe. I am really happy with the response, both in terms of box office collections and critical acclaim. It has surpassed all our expectations. I hope this run continues. It feels like the film was released just this weekend and this is the beauty of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2.

Both comedy and horror are considered difficult genres. What attracted you to Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2?

Comedy, horror and also Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2. When I read the script, I liked its twists and turns and the climax. The script had engrossed me a lot. I was also excited because I was doing the horror-comedy genre for the first time. I have been a part of comical situations or comedy films but not with horror. So the horror part with the comedy made it more thrilling. I had got opportunities to give some typical expressions. So it was a win-win for me.

The storyline of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 is different from that of the first one but you have seen Akshay Kumar playing the key role in Bhool Bhulaiyaa. What was your initial reaction to the script when it was offered to you?

I was actually excited when I got the opportunity to work in Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2. I wanted to grab the opportunity. I was really happy that the producer, director and people associated with the film had the belief in me that I could carry a film as Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2. Coming to Akshay sir, no one can fill his shoes. He is a superb actor who had performed so brilliantly in the first version. I have been his fan. I never put pressure on myself by trying to fill his shoes. Thankfully, I never experienced the pressure as well since the story and the character were different.

How challenging was learning Kathak for Tandav song and Bengali for a monologue which is there in the film?

It was very difficult. The moves and all were tough. Chinni Prakash sir and his team left no stone unturned in teaching me.  We have done ample rehearsals in pulling off the dance. I have done a lot of western dance, hip-hop but this dance was a mixture of Tandav and Kathak. So it was very difficult for me. It was a good collaborative effort. 

For Bengali, I had a tutor who taught me with the accents. It was important for me to be perfect with even the smallest accents. It was tough for me. Also I had to dub as well as during the scene. Since I was speaking in Bengali for a long duration for the first time, I was facing grammatical errors but finally we pulled it off. I was really and happy with the kind of reactions drawn from this scene.

(Images by Avishek Mitra/IBNS)