Vidya Balan: With Manjulika, I’m not recreating what I did before

Though initially doubtful about returning to Bhool Bhulaiyaa universe, Vidya says ‘having grown up as an actor’ has made her bring fresh approach to role

There is something about certain roles that they remain special in an actor’s life. It’s an easy guess that Manjulika is one such part in Vidya Balan’s enviable filmography. After essaying the character to perfection in Bhool Bhulaiyaa (2007), the actor is reprising the role, almost 17 years on, in director Anees Bazmee’s upcoming Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3. “This is a film that scares me in the most exciting way possible,” she laughs.

Kartik Aaryan is currently shooting the Kolkata leg

One would think returning to the movie franchise that made everyone sit up and take notice of her acting prowess was a no-brainer for the actor. Not really. She had her share of doubts, stemming from the first edition’s runaway success. “Bhool Bhulaiyaa gave me so much. So, I felt, ‘Should I do another one in the franchise?’ The worry that the sequel won’t match up to the original always plays on an actor’s mind. But I have grown up. This is a completely different film, and there is so much to enjoy in it. I wanted to work with Anees bhai. I love the script, and because I was a part of the original, this is a whole different high.”

Vidya Balan in  the 2007 original

The actor, who joins Kartik Aaryan, Madhuri Dixit-Nene and Triptii Dimri, has already shot two schedules of the horror comedy. Did she prepare to portray Manjulika all over again, a character that she has been famous for? “A large part of any actor’s prep is to sit with the director and buy into his vision. I always understand how my character fits into the vision they have in mind. It’s important to understand the world I have to inhabit and my character’s inner world. With Manjulika, I am not trying to recreate what I had done before. It is a different time and a different me. The role may be the same, but it has changed [in its own way]. My approach is fresh.”

Working with Aaryan, whose character of Rooh Baba in the franchise has become as popular as hers, has been a joy. Balan says, “He and I are different in terms of approach, but what works is that we get along like a house on fire.”

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