All set for Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3: Here’s what we know so far

The spectacular success of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 has gone beyond all expectations. In fact, the second part is a much bigger success than the first part which came in 2007. The film has catapulted Kartik Aaryan far ahead not only of his contemporaries but also the earlier league of superstars who were ruling the roost.Suman Sinha, a leading exhibitor in Bihar sees Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 as a game-changer. “It confirms what we already suspected. That Kartik Aaryan is the new No.1. The careers of the Khan superstars and Akshay Kumar have reached their expiry dates. Don’t take my word for it. Please check the box office collections of their recent films. On the other hand, Kartik’s Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 has out-performed all recent releases. Ranveer Singh’s Jayeshbhai Jordaar didn’t even get an opening. The producers of Bhool Bhulaiyaa should go ahead with Part 3 without wasting time.”The news on Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 is very positive. The producers T Series and Murad Khetani have already agreed to co-produce the third part of the horror-comedy franchise which will again be directed by Anees Bazmee and will, of course, star Kartik Aaryan. However, the rest of the cast, including the leading lady, will see changes.Although Kartik Aaryan and Anees Bazmee have not asked for it, their payment will be upscaled by  150 percent for an encore.“It (a fee hike) is not something Kartik and Anees will ask for. It is a given. The producers would be very naïve to not upgrade their remuneration,” a leading trade analyst tells me.Anees Bazmee who is understandably happy about the super-success says, “Just the idea of taking the franchise forward was intimidating. Priyadarshanji had done such a fantastic job in the first part. It was tough to take the idea forward. But we hit on the right plot. Full credit to my writers.”As for Kartik Aaryan’s contribution, Bazmee feels the audience has given its verdict. “From the old to the very young kids, they all love him. He worked hard to give the character his own flavour.”So what do we know about the next film in the franchise? For one, it will happen sooner rather than later. While the first Bhool Bhulaiyaa came 15 years before the second, the third part of the Franchise will happen sooner rather than later. The announcement for Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 will happen as soon as Bazmee and his team crack an idea. They are on it.However, a cautionary note needs to be circulated for all me-too production houses which are now busy writing horror comedies because “that’s what works right now”. Remember what happened to Sukhdev Ahluwalia’s Do Sholay after Sholay? Does anyone even know of the imitation’s existence?Subhash K Jha is a Patna-based film critic who has been writing about Bollywood for long enough to know the industry inside out. He tweets at @SubhashK_Jha.Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.