Anees Bazmee discusses Akshay Kumar’s absence from Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3: ‘I am dying to work with him’

Filmmaker Anees Bazmee addressed Akshay Kumar's absence from Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3. The film stars Kartik Aaryan and Vidya Balan in the lead roles.

Akshay Kumar played the lead role in the first film of the Bhool Bhulaiyaa franchise.

While Kartik Aaryan’s fans rejoiced when the actor took the lead role in Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, comparisons with Akshay Kumar, who starred in the original film, inevitably surfaced. Despite the weight of such comparisons, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 became a huge success at the box office. Now, Kartik is gearing up for Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, which sees the return of Vidya Balan, who featured in the original film in the iconic character of Manjulika. However, Akshay is notably absent from the third installment of the franchise.

In a recent interview with Zoom, the film’s director Anees Bazmee addressed Akshay’s absence from the Bhool Bhulaiyaa sequels. Bazmee explained, “No, Akshay is not a part of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3. I am dying to work with him, but unfortunately, I have not been able to script a film where we could work together. In future, certainly yes.”

Bazmee also discussed Vidya Balan’s involvement in the project, recalling her gracious gesture during the filming of his previous movie. He said, “Look, Vidya had agreed to do a 3-day role in my film Thank You. I remember calling her, and she taking no time to give her nod. I don’t know why, but I can never forget that gracious gesture. It all started from there, and here I am today, ready to go on the set.”

Also read | Kartik Aaryan and ‘OG Manjulika’ Vidya Balan join forces for Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, excited fans say ‘Bring Akshay Kumar too’

On Monday, Kartik Aaryan announced Vidya Balan’s participation in Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 with a video montage featuring clips of Vidya from the first installment and snippets of himself from the second. The video was accompanied by the iconic song “Ami Je Tomar”. He wrote in the caption, “And its happening. Og Manjulika is coming back to the world of BhoolBhulaiyaa. Super thrilled to welcome @vidya_balan. This Diwali is going to be crackling #BhoolBhulaiyaa3.”

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