Hungama 2 has decided to take the digital route for its release

Sheetal

After eight years, director Priyadarshan is all set to entertain the audience with a Bollywood movie, Hungama 2, which is the sequel of his 2003 hit film, Hungama. While Paresh Rawal, Rajpal Yadav and Tiku Talsania will be reprising their roles, the new faces of the cast include Shilpa Shetty and Pranitha Subhash and Meezaan. Akshaye Khanna will also be seen in a cameo.

Half of the film was shot during the pandemic, which was sure packed with hungama for the cast. The first film to be shot beyond the Rohtang tunnel, Pranitha says, “I think we just missed the inauguration of the tunnel by the Prime Minister. It was a fun schedule and we enjoyed the winter as well as our little vacation during the pandemic, which we wouldn’t have got otherwise.”

It’s double the happiness for Pranitha. She got married a month ago and Hungama 2 is her debut movie in Bollywood. Says this South-Indian star, “The icing on the cake would have been a theatrical release. But now because of the pandemic, we have to settle with digital release only.”

Seen in the trailers with a baby, she says, “Shooting with the kid was fun and not a hassle at all. I was worried about my Hindi and practised a lot, which helped me do a convincing job. Sadly, again I am out of touch with the language.”

She has also worked in Ajay Devgn-starrer period drama, Bhuj: The Pride of India which was supposed to release last year in theatres but it too will get an OTT release.

If it was Bollywood that drew Prantha to the project, for Meezaan, it was the opportunity to work with Priyadarshan which made him say yes to the project. He says, “It was never ‘I want to do a comedy film’ for me but rather, ‘I want to a comedy film with Priyan sir’. So, I consider myself lucky to have got an opportunity to work with him so early in my career.”

Meezaan started off by assisting the best, Sanjay Leela Bhansali in Bajirao Mastani, and became the body-double for Ranveer Singh in Padmaavat, but he always wanted to be an actor. But “to become one, one has to learn everything.” He says, “You don’t learn something in a day. From learning how to stand and in which light, to know how to take a director’s instruction and references, all these things are learnt on the sets. I have seen Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor act before me and Sanjay sir directing them, which helped me evolve.” Like Pranitha, Meezaan too enjoyed shooting in Manali for it was his first outdoor shoot experience.

Meezaan, who debuted with Malaal, is a little nervous as how his father Javed Jafferry would react after watching Hungama 2. “Acting and comedy run in family, but the dancing genes just got better,” says the actor. And he is dancing with none other than Shilpa Shetty in the song, Chura Ke Dil Mera 2.0, which has become audience’s favourite these days.