Tabu on back-to-back hits Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, Drishyam 2: Everybody deserves share of success

Bollywood star Tabu, who has had a great 2022 with the box office triumph of films like "Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2" and "Drishyam 2", on Tuesday said the success of a movie belongs to every member of the cast and crew.

Both "Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2", a horror comedy by Anees Bazmee, and "Drishyam 2", a mystery thriller led by Ajay Devgn, have emerged as two of the most profitable Hindi titles amassing over Rs 200 crore each in an otherwise dull year for Bollywood.

Speaking at the trailer launch of her next film "Kuttey", set to be released on January 13, Tabu said the success of a movie can't be attributed to an individual.

"First of all, it's the entire film's success, rather than one person's success. I've been an important part of both films. But the success and joy are shared with everybody who has supported the films.

"There's tremendous happiness for the films and what they've achieved because everybody works hard. Everybody deserves a share of the success. I feel a huge responsibility that I've fulfilled if a film has done well because somewhere I've been a part of that," the 51-year-old actor told reporters here.

Billed as a dark comedy, "Kuttey" marks the directorial debut of Aasmaan Bhardwaj, the son of Tabu's filmmaker friend Vishal Bhardwaj, who worked with her on "Maqbool" (2004) and "Haider" (2014).

While their directing styles are different, the father-son duo allow their actors a lot of creative freedom, she said, adding there is "no comparison" between the two.

"The creative exchange I have with him (Vishal Bhardwaj) is different from when I'm working with others. I have a lot of creative freedom when I'm working with him, also with Aasmaan.

"This (film) is very different from Vishal ji's films. There's no comparison. Of course, the aesthetics and many other things match with Vishal, but his cinema is different," added Tabu, who previously worked with Vishal Bhardwaj in "Maqbool" (2004) and "Haider" (2014).

The two-time National Award winner, who plays a cop in "Kuttey", revealed the part was originally written for a male actor.

"This character was written for a male actor. It was then changed for me. So, it was very challenging and fun for me. It's very different from my recent work," she added.

Previously, Vishal Bhardwaj had said he flipped the gender of his lead character in their upcoming spy film "Khufiya" for Tabu.

First-time filmmaker Aasmaan Bhardwaj said he is looking forward to the release of his film.

"I'm just really grateful and thankful to have got this opportunity. I'm just very happy to have fulfilled my dream... I just want to do good work," he added.

Vishal Bhardwaj wears multiple hats as a producer, music composer and co-writer with his son on "Kuttey". His frequent collaborator Gulzar has penned the lyrics.

"It was both a tough and easy job for me. Sometimes, Aasmaan took advantage of me, and at times, I did the same to him. But, he gave me the toughest time as a dialogue writer," he said.

The acclaimed filmmaker said he had pledged "to not visit the set" to ensure that nobody would feel he had contributed to the project as a director.

"When I saw Aasmaan's work as the rushes came in, I felt very happy. I'm thankful to all my friends standing here. They trusted Aasmaan. As a first-time filmmaker achieving this kind of work and working with these kinds of people, it's a huge thing in itself," Vishal Bhardwaj added.

"Kuttey" also stars Arjun Kapoor, Naseeruddin Shah, Konkona Sen Sharma, Radhika Madan, Kumud Mishra and Shardul Bhardwaj.

(PTI)