‘Babli is still a patakha, says Rani Mukerji who revives her Babli act in Bunty and Babli 2.0

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Sheetal

Like Hera Pheri, Hungama and many other Bollywood blockbusters which got their sequels after many years, Bunty Aur Babli 2.0 is all set to welcome audiences in theatres on November 19 after 16 long years. As the fresh script adds young actors Siddhant Chaturvedi and Sharavari, and Saif Ali Khan steps in to play Rajesh ‘Bunty’ Trivedi of Bunty Aur Babli jodi of 2005. One more connection to the old and the new is our Babli Punjaban Rani Mukerji. Not to forget Pankaj Tripathi, who will be facing double the trouble in this second installment.

If you ask Rani whether reprising the role of Babli after 16 years was tough, she denies it with a firm no. “The character like Babli doesn’t need to be remembered. It’s an extension of my personality now. The original story is fresh in my mind. Not for once I had to go back in time and watch the movie to get the character of Babli. She is still a patakha. Having said that I think Bunty Aur Babli 2 is a great script and complete in itself. The only thing that remains intact is the partner-in-crime and their names, Rakesh and Nimmi aka Bunty Aur Babli, who may have grown older but haven’t forgotten their ways. They are refusing to age,” she adds.

When it comes to OTT versus theatrical release, the Mardaani actress says there was complete clarity about the film’ release. She says, “When I signed it in 2019, the sole purpose was to offer family entertainment. The pandemic put a halt to the shootings and when the lockdown was lifted, we forced ourselves to complete it with proper restrictions. I won’t say there was no pressure of releasing it digitally, but my husband, Aditya Chopra, stood his ground. So, we waited for the right time to entertain people in theatres. Things fall into place and happen as they are meant to be. Now, we just pray that it is a success.”

Rani, who can be seen in the trailer delivering back-to- back punch lines, says ‘Jab tak unhe pakd ke char chapede ni laga deti na, menu chain ni payega’ is her favourite dialogue. “As it has the essence of quintessential Nimmi ‘Babli’ Saluja, and now Trivedi (being married to Rakesh ‘Bunty’ Trivedi). This is exactly how a character like Nimmi would have turned out to be after 10 years. And the credit goes to the writer Varun V. Sharma, who is also our director, for keeping that flavour intact,” she says.

The sequel narrates the story of Rakesh and Nimmi, 10-years later when the new pair (Siddhant and Sharvari) of con artistes dupes people using their brand name- Bunty Aur Babli. Rani also recommends everyone to try riding an ATV bike once in their lifetime. The actress had done the stunt by herself and says that the particular sequence has action as well comedy scenes embedded in it.

Sharing screen with Saif Ali Khan after Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic in 2008, Rani says it is a great experience to work with the actor. She adds, “Saif has matured a lot from the times that I have worked with him. There’s a lot of comfort we share on the sets. He is one of my favourite co-stars. We have respect for each other’s craft. We, in true sense, are able to work as a team.” About a Babli con that she may have pulled off in her childhood, Rani quips “I cannot think of any but my daughter Adira pulls a lot of Babli moments every day. It’s the first film of mine that she had thoroughly enjoyed and couldn’t stop laughing. And what I took home from the sets, it has to be sheer happiness.”

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