Sources say Vidya returning to Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 over 17 years after original; to play Bengali character in Kartik-starrer set in West Bengal
Vidya Balan in Bhool Bhulaiyaa
Think Manjulika, and the first name that comes to mind is Vidya Balan. The actor had made a strong impact as she played a woman battling dissociative identity disorder in Bhool Bhulaiyaa (2007). Another powerhouse performer Tabu took the baton, playing the popular character in the second instalment that released in 2022. Now, we hear Balan is returning to the franchise. The big question is: will she reprise the role of Manjulika as she joins Kartik Aaryan in Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3?
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Director Anees Bazmee is keeping his cards close to his chest as he gears up to roll the horror comedy in Mumbai in the first week of March. While it is yet unknown whether the actor will step into the shoes of Manjulika, sources tell us that she will portray a pivotal character who drives the narrative. A source from the creative team elaborates, “When Anees narrated the story, Vidya loved it and agreed to join the film in principle. Now, some formalities like dates and remuneration are being locked. She is keen to work with Anees on a full-fledged film; they had briefly worked together in Thank You [2011], in which she had a cameo.”
Anees Bazmee
Interestingly, like the original, the third part of the horror comedy too will see Balan’s character being fluent in Bengali. The source adds, “The makers are deliberately building the suspense around whether she plays Manjulika or not. Her character will be seen speaking Bengali. In Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, Kartik’s character Rooh Baba too mouthed several Bengali dialogues in the climax. Here, though Kartik will reprise his role, he will be presented in a new avatar.”
The story of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 will be entirely set in West Bengal. For the first schedule in Mumbai, the team will build a set depicting the interiors of a household in Kolkata. “While the director will shoot the light-hearted scenes in this leg, the real action will begin in the second stint when the unit will head to a small town in West Bengal to shoot a chunk of the movie. Anees wants to shoot in a start-to-finish schedule, thus readying it for a Diwali release.”
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