The 2007 horror-comedy title ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa’ is a cult classic film boasting a fanbase. Helmed by Priyadarshan, Akshay Kumar and Vidya Balan led the title. Subsequently, with the sequel, Kartik Aaryan replaced Kumar as the protagonist. While several fans of the franchise were apprehensive, Aaryan won over the hearts of most of them.
Recently in a conversation with Pinkvilla, Akshay Kumar revealed the reason behind his exit from the franchise. During the interaction, a fan told Akshay that they didn’t watch ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2’ and ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3’ because he was not a part of those films. To this, the actor replied, “Beta, mujhe nikaal diya tha (I was removed). That’s it.”
The ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa’ franchise kickstarted with the 2007 blockbuster title led by Akshay Kumar with Priyadarshan at the helm. The title took a psychological approach to unravel the hauntings in the film. It hinged on the condition of split personality disorder. It starred Vidya Balan as Manjulika, the lead antagonist of the franchise.
Subsequently in 2022, the actor-director duo of Kartik Aaryan and Anees Bazmee took over the reins of the franchise. The film starred Tabu as the antagonist in a double role with Kiara Advani playing Aaryan’s love interest. Meanwhile, the third film released on November 1, 2024. It starred Kartik Aaryan, Vidya Balan, and Madhuri Dixit. The film also featured Triptii Dimri and Vijay Raaz in key roles.
Meanwhile, in a previous conversation with the outlet, filmmaker Annes Bazmee was probed about the possibility of Akshay’s return to join Kartik. Anees revealed that he was open to the idea and that he would be able to do it if the script permitted. “There is a great bond of friendship, love, and everything. If the story fits, I’d be really happy to have him back.”
Going back to Akshay Kumar’s conversation, the actor shed light on another anticipated franchise film- ‘Hera Pheri 3.’ He said, “Even I am waiting to start Hera Pheri 3. I don’t know, but if everything goes well, it will start this year. When we started Hera Pheri, we didn’t know it would go ahead to become such a cult. Even when I saw the film, I didn’t understand. Yes, it was funny, but none of us expected the characters of Babu Bhaiya, Raju, and Shyam to become a cult.”
In related news, Akshay’s next is ‘Sky Force’ releasing on January 24.