Fresh from the success of his Diwali release Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat, director Milap Zaveri goes back to comedy territory with Mastii 4. The fourth instalment in the Masti franchise, the series of sex comedy films starring Vivek Oberoi, Aftab Shivdasani and Riteish Deshmukh, releases in theatres on November 21 and comes nine years after Great Grand Masti and more than two decades after the first film, Masti. A t2 chat with Milap.
The trailer of Mastii 4 has left little to the imagination, milking the sex comedy template that made its first three films popular. Basis the response to the trailer, what is the audience expecting this season?
Well, the trailer has been loved by audiences who loved Masti (2004), Grand Masti (2013) and Great Grand Masti (2016). They have found the humour amazing, and laughed a lot at all the jokes. I think people are looking forward to this latest film in the franchise very strongly. They expect the same madness, naughtiness, entertainment and laughter from Ritesh (Deshmukh), Vivek (Oberoi) and Aftab (Shivdasani). And this time, there is the added masala of Tusshar (Kapoor) and Arshad (Warsi) in the film.
In what way is Mastii 4 an extension of the franchise but also adds to it?
Mastii 4 is actually a lot like Masti, the first film in the franchise. When you watch the film, you will realise that — in terms of its spirit, naughtiness, madness and humour. In this film, we have added this new idea where the wives give their husbands a ‘love visa’ where they can do masti for a certain period of time, no questions asked. So it’s almost like in cricket — after you face a no-ball, you get a free hit. So ‘love visa’ is that free hit of marriage where a man can hit a boundary, he can hit a six... but he doesn’t get out.
There has been quite a bit of criticism for the content in the trailer....
There will always be criticism from people who don’t like this genre. Those who don’t like films like Masti or American Pie, for example, will never understand or like this genre. But the majority of the audience we target is the mass audience and the youth, right? They love this genre, they enjoy it! So I am not worried about the criticism from a few sections... it was something we anyway expected.
Was the idea always to retain Vivek Oberoi, Aftab Shivdasani and Riteish Deshmukh as the principal cast?
Yes. You cannot make Masti without Ritesh, Aftab and Vivek. They are Masti. The way you cannot make the Housefull films without Akshay sir (Akshay Kumar) and Riteish or Golmaal without Ajay sir (Ajay Devgn), Arshad (Warsi), Tusshar and Shreyas (Talpade), you cannot make a Masti film without the three of them.
Congratulations on the success of your Diwali release Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat. What are the emotions like going into the release of a new film knowing that your last film has been received so well?
Well, there is joy, anticipation and gratitude. At the same time, there is excitement and nervousness. I hope that people love Mastii 4 the same way they loved Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat, and the love that the audiences and the box office gave to that film comes in for Mastii 4 as well.
You are someone who has always been open to criticism, you always embrace diverse points of view about your films, and on social media, you engage in conversation with even those who are critical of your films. Is that something that comes easy?
In the early days of my career, I used to get more affected by criticism, I would be quite fazed by it, so much so that I would even get into arguments and lash out. But as I grew older, I became calmer and mature and I realised that every individual has a right to their opinion and their point of view, and that you need to respect it even if it doesn’t match yours. The only people who are important to me is the audience who loves my films. If they don’t like something then I try and learn from my mistakes and improve the next time around.