Anees Bazmee: Akshay, Ajay, Salman can gauge a film within 2 min of narration

Midday com introduces our seriesDirectors Diary where your favourite filmmakers open up about their journey like never before Join in as their recall their highs lows and everything in between This month we have Anees Bazmee the master of comedy films join usgt No one from my family is connected to films and even today they have no idea what and how I do Even after I made No Entry Welcome and Singh is Kinng when a hundred people wanted to sign me a struggling actor visited my home I was bathing so my mother served him tea and asked him lsquoHow is Aneesrsquos work going onrsquo Thatrsquos how simple my family isgt I didnrsquot even know what I wanted to do in life when I started out I was into sound recording then I became assistant editor I also worked in the art department Then I realized I donrsquot want to continue with these jobs but I still didnrsquot know what I wanted to do I joined Raj Kapoor saab for Prem Rog as an eleventh assistant I was the last assistant who used to give the clap Suddenly I felt I can do this job That is when I decided I want to be a directorgt The strange part is I always write the best scenes when Irsquom in a bad mood tense or upset For example I was in a bad mood when I wrote the climax of films like No Entry and Welcome even Nana Patekarrsquos horseriding scene This proves you donrsquot need to be in a good mood to write comedy scenes I started my journey as a director with Hulchul featuring Ajay Devgn and Kajol but it was after Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha that there was no looking back I went on to direct films like Deewangee No Entry Welcome Singh is Kinng among others and now I look forward to the release of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2gt I wrote my first directorial Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha at night and completed the entire screenplay by morning My mother knew I love drinking tea so whenever I turned around I always found hot steaming tea ready for me She was uneducated but she always felt her son is doing something big She never used to disturb me or even ask if I require tea as she thought it would disturb my flow of thoughtsgt I called Ajay and he was shooting at Filmistan studio which was close to my home So I visited him on the sets and narrated the script over lunch Ajay was so happy he immediately agreed to do the film He inquired about the heroine and I said lsquoWho other than Kajolrsquo We started shooting in the next 1014 daysgt I had worked with Ajay and Kajol in Hulchul and was sad that the film wasnrsquot as big a hit I expected it to be I felt guilty that my first film with Ajay who had trusted me didnrsquot fare well While making my second film I felt I have to do something for Ajay and thankfully he earned a lot of praise for that role Ajay was known for his action roles that time and this was his first romantic charactergt Welcome happened only because of one person mdash Akshay Kumar One fine day Akshay told me I watched your film Pyaar To Hona Hoi Tha and I loved it I would like to meet you Welcome was supposed to be a love story as I started writing the flow changed with characters like Uday Shetty Nana Patekar Majnu bhai Anil Kapoor Ghungroo Paresh Rawal and RDX late Feroz Khan Initially we were to name the film Meri Jaan but later I decided on Welcome because even people who arenrsquot educated would resonate with this titlegt While making Welcome I got an idea for Singh is Kinng I called Akshay Kumar and he was in the US However he told me I should narrate the film on the phonegt Akshay Ajay and Salman Khan are three actors who can gauge whether a film should be made or not within two minutes of script narration Akshay immediately told me he is doing the film Next day Vipul Shah producer arrived at my house saying Akshay had spoken to him about the film The film became a huge hit in Punjab London Canada and all over Even today when I go to Canada the sardar community felicitates me and says we thought the film has been made by a sardar they are surprised to know Irsquom a muslim The film was a wonderful commercial entertainergt I call Salman Khan lsquoDil Khanrsquo He is a dilwala aadmi He is a doston ka dost and will go out of his way for you if yoursquore his friend Call him at 3 am and he is there for you No Entry was a big hit and Salman had predicted the box office figures immediately after watching the film Then I made Ready with him I will soon plan another film with himgt I donrsquot believe in planning too much and make one or two films in a year thatrsquos my speed However itrsquos not that I take time to shoot A huge film like Singh is Kinng with five big songs and action sequences being shot in Australia with the local crew followed by schedules in Punjab and Mumbai was completed in fourfive months I enjoy working with producers who are organized and plan well with the director and actors about how a film can be completed in fourfive months at the preproduction stagegt My next film Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 with Kartik Aaryan Kiara Advani Tabu and other actors was planned as a fourmonth schedule We completed half the film in a month but then the pandemic hit which was beyond anyonersquos control We were shooting in Lucknow and packed up on March 13th I left for Lonavala thinking Irsquoll be back in a few days but ended up spending 13 months there Even after I returned we had a lot of restrictions we couldnrsquot shoot with actors over 60 years of age when some important characters from our film are over 60 We had 200 people in our cast and crew and were told only 50 are allowed on the film set We had to keep sanistising the set and follow all guidelines and protocols Within twothree days of resuming shoot threefour people contracted Covid19 and the shoot was stalled again Now that the film is finally complete and releasing in March I canrsquot wait to see how people react to it