He struck gold with his first film, the laugh riot Bheja Fry. Now, Sagar Ballary is serving up the sequel and his “original idiot”, Bharat Bhushan, who travels from the drawing room to a cruise ship this time. A t2 chat...

Footage falling short on release eve, the release getting postponed... and then the mention of Sourav Ganguly landing you in trouble with the censors — what’s happening with Bheja Fry 2?

The way you put it, it would seem that it’s going rough for Bheja Fry 2, but actually, it couldn’t get smoother as the film is ready to release on June 17. Yes, we did go back to Singapore to take a few shots of the island and the cruise but not because we were falling short of footage but because it was part of the plan. Yes, the release did get postponed for various reasons but they’ve worked in favour of the film. As for the Sourav Ganguly controversy, that’s just unnecessary speculation. Yes, the censors did object to his name being mentioned but it was cleared. I wonder how this reached the media. Anyway, the dialogue in the film says ‘Jai Sourav Ganguly’.

Isn’t this four-year gap between the two Bheja Fry films risking a loss in fan base?

I don’t think a delay can shrink the fan base or take the audience away. Good things take time to make. Just because Apocalypse Now got delayed, that didn’t make it a bad film or cut its fan base. A good film is a good film. Period. What it needs is correct marketing and placement.

Your last release, Kaccha Limboo, didn’t get much attention. Are you under pressure?

Yes, Kaccha Limboo came and went like a kalbaisakhi. Nobody heard of it. It suffered from bad marketing and lack of faith from the producers. Fortunately, Bheja Fry 2 has a very good producer in Mukul Deora and he is doing a lot for the film and its release. As for me, I feel as pressured as I do before every film. More than that, I am tired. I have been working for long. I want to sit back and enjoy Bheja Fry 2 with everybody.

What is the film about?

Bheja Fry 2 carries forward the story of the idiot, Bharat Bhushan. He wins a contest and gets a cruise vacation, where he meets the acid-tongued media tycoon Ajit Talwar (Kay Kay Menon), who is on the run from tax officials. Learning that Bhushan is a tax inspector, Ajit tries to get rid of him — only to get further embroiled in situations with the goofy guy, who rags him to madness.

How has the character Bharat Bhushan changed since we last saw him?

He is the same — innocent, goofy, always trying to help but ending up making a mess. The characterisation is the same — the idiot who sings…. But this time he meets a whole new set of people. In part one, Bhushan wants to go for a dinner party. In part two, he actually reaches a dinner party on the cruise.

How did you get to the perfect Bharat Bhushan in Bheja Fry 2?

It is the effort of various people — starting with me the writer and creator, Sharat Katariya’s lines, Vinay Pathak and his acting, Parixit Warrier and his cinematography, Suresh Pai and his editing of Vinay’s laughter and other scenes, Archana Rao on the costumes and finally, Sagar Desai and his soul-stirring theme music that completes the Bhushan magic. The idiot is the combination of the efforts of my core team and we have again put our best foot forward.

Only Vinay Pathak gets to reprise his role. Tell us what he brings to Bharat Bhushan.

How could you fry the same person’s mind again? Much of the fun of Bheja Fry was the constant bickering between Rajat (Kapoor) and Vinay. Part 2 could not repeat the same actors and situations. As for Ranvir (Shorey), there were date problems. And Vinay Pathak — how can anyone be a bigger idiot than him and how can anyone else play Bhushan? He is a master of his craft. I have learnt so much from Vinay as a human being.

What does Kay Kay Menon bring on board?

Kay Kay brings a gravity of experience, the maturity of restraint and the calmness of wisdom. The ease with which he slipped into Ajit Talwar’s character amazed me. I needed someone who would stand in contrast to the bungling idiot. Someone who had ‘You can’t mess with me’ written all over him. Kay Kay constructed Ajit Talwar and broke him down so well in Bheja Fry 2 that one has to see it — not have me speaking about it.

This is a much bigger film than Bheja Fry. How have you fleshed it out?

The film has been shot excellently — on Star Cruise and on the virgin islands of Bintan Resorts. But we did not shoot abroad to glamourise the film. It so happened that we had Vinay’s dates only in June last year and it was raining all over India. That is what forced us to shoot abroad. Also, the cruise and the island are integral to the narrative. Bheja Fry has always been perceived as an honest film made by a first-timer... vulnerable but sure of the content. We knew that our strength lay in our simplicity and we have done our best to maintain that. And yes, we do have songs — one of them has been performed by Vinay himself.

Bheja Fry was fun inside the drawing room... What can we expect from Bheja Fry 2?

Yes Bheja Fry was in a room. Though part two takes you on a cruise and to an island, somewhere the claustrophobia associated with Bhushan’s presence is the driving force behind the madness. You can’t escape from Bhushan on the cruise, you will have to jump into the sea! Similarly, what would you do if you’re marooned on an island with an idiot?

Why didn’t you go for A-list actors when you had the budget?

The cast of Bheja Fry 2 did not require the presence of ‘A-list’ actors. I don’t really believe in marks and the marking system. Vinay is the ‘AA-list’ actor who suits Bheja Fry. As for working with big stars…. I guess only time will tell which way the wind blows.

What are your expectations from the movie?

Now that the film is ready and everything is on the move, I am relieved and happy. The film looks good and I am amazed how well it has come together. I guess all the pressure has paid off. I have improved as a director over the last four years…. More confident, clear and raring to go. I don’t believe in ratings. I have done my best and wish to do that every time.

What’s next?

I am almost ready with my next film, Hum Tum aur Shabana, starring Tusshar Kapoor, Shreyas Talpade and Minissha Lamba along with Pia Trivedi, Satish Kaushik and Sanjay Mishra. This out-and-out comedy is set for release by the year end. I also expect to start work soon on a bank heist comedy.