Mumbai, March 23 Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar says "Dhurandhar" is a great film that appeals to adults, while his upcoming film "Bhoot Bangla" is for both children and families.
"Dhurandhar: The Revenge", the second part of Aditya Dhar's spy drama, starring Ranveer Singh, has become a box office sensation since its release four days ago. It has already earned Rs 761 crore at the box office and is expected to soon surpass the figure of Rs 1,000 crore.
"Bhoot Bangla", a horror-comedy, will be released in cinemas on April 10, and both Akshay and Priyadarshan have high hopes for the film.
When asked whether it was a conscious decision to release a light-hearted movie at a time when action and violent movies are dominating the box office, Akshay said their decision was not dictated by any trend.
“There are different kinds of films (being made). ‘Dhurandhar’ is a great film, I’ve seen it. This (‘Bhooth Bangla’) is a different film. ‘Dhurandhar’ is an adult film, this (‘Bhooth Bangla’) is for kids and families.
“When we made this film, we didn't look at what the current trend is, we rather looked at whether the story was good or not and accordingly we made this film. We never thought about the trend,” Kumar told
Priyadarshan, who has worked with Akshay on "Hera Pheri", "Garam Masala" and "Bhool Bhulaiyya", said that audiences flocking to watch “Border 2” and “Dhurandhar” need a break.
“Films like ‘Dhurandhar’, ‘Border 2’ are doing extremely well and suddenly, when you take a break and do something different (it's great). People who watch films like ‘Dhurandhar’ can also enjoy it,” he said.
Priyadarshan said the "scope of the story" is larger in such movies than in action films because it appeals to a universal audience.
“…I think our scope is bigger and people like to see different things. That is our biggest advantage with ‘Bhooth Bangla’. Moreover, this is a pure entertainment, fun film; it's not as intense as ‘Border’ or ‘Dhurandhar’. People enjoy every kind of film. I believe as long as the film holds the attention and interest of people, every film will work.”
“Any parent can proudly bring their children and watch my film because I never use double meanings or (show) vulgarity (in my films). I never embarrass the parents. This is something I have been maintaining from the day I started my career,” the director said.
The director said he and Akshay loved the story and decided to work together again.
“We finished this film (‘Bhooth Bangla’) and even our next film (‘Haiwaan’). We used to work like this, like doing one film after another in the past also, and whatever films we did, they all have worked well (at the box office),” Kumar said.
The 58-year-old star and Priyadarshan are also working on two more projects — “Haiwaan”, which will also star Saif Ali Khan, and the third part of “Hera Pheri” franchise.
Besides Kumar, “Bhooth Bangla” will also feature Wamiqa Gabbi, Paresh Rawal, Tabu and Rajpal Yadav.
Presented by Balaji Motion Pictures, a division of Balaji Telefilms Ltd, in association with Cape of Good Films, the film is produced by Akshay Kumar, Shobha Kapoor and Ektaa R Kapoor.
