Farhad Samji thinks there's nothing wrong about remaking a hit movie

Mona

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“Success is always under construction,” says writer-director Farhad Samji, ecstatic at the positive response that Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 is getting. The Kartik Aaryan and Kiara Advani-starrer has surely broken the pandemic-induced slumber and brought footfall back to cinemas.

Having done some 45 films as a writer, many of them South Indian remakes, Farhad doesn’t see anything wrong in taking a hit story, embellishing it a little and presenting it with a fresh perspective. “Every director has their own vision as how to present a particular story. Rohit Shetty’s treatment of Singham (remake of Tamil film Singam) and Simmba (a remake of the 2015 Telugu film Temper) is very different,” says Farhad, who has written 12 films in about 12 years with Rohit Shetty.

Starting as a lyricist, one half of the duo Sajid-Farhad, he took to writing films, and eventually directing films, which includes films like Entertainment and Housefull 3. Currently busy with Kabhi Eid Kabhi Diwali, Farhad insists whether a new story or an old hit, the challenge today is to hold the audience from scene to scene. “From five-day test match to one-day cricket to 20:20, we have seen the attention span go down in cricket. Similarly, in the world of entertainment we have seen from movie experience in cinema move to OTT with a remote in hand to 10 seconds Insta and TikTok videos. It becomes a challenge to keep the audience engaged in a two-and-half hour film.”

Happy that his new story, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, is winning hearts, he asserts that old or new, to make something click, it has to be in tune with the times. “I wrote Judwaa 2, 20 years on, and film touched Rs 200 crore-mark in little more than two weeks. Many of the audience hadn’t even seen Judwaa.”

However, in the times of OTT when the dubbed versions of South Indian films are not just available, but also seen widely by the audience across the country, does it become more challenging? “Not really. The basic idea is to take a good story, add more characters, and scenes to make it more entertaining,” says the writer-director who added the character of Sonali Kulkarni in Singham, and changed the second half of Simmba. “The scene with angry women beating the rapists was the highlight of Simbaa.”

A remake is not a simple cut and paste job, he insists. “Taking a good story, and then embellishing it further is as challenging a task as writing a fresh story. And, what’s wrong in doing that?” he asks. About 45 films to his credit, 20 of them crossing the 100 crore mark, he is happy that Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 is also inching towards the prestigious club.

Deriving inspiration from late Kader Khan, and his writing, it was the characterisation in his lyrics that made him jump to screen writing. “Listening to my songs like Munna Bhai title track that goes M Bole To Master Main Master/ B Bole To Bindaas Doctor/ B Bole To Be-Misaal Actor/ S Bole To S Bole To Shana Character, someone suggested that since I can weave a character so well within a song, I could write films,” says Farhad.

Over three decades in industry, he hasn’t stopped even briefly. “I write every single day, day after day.” Happy to work with Bollywood giants like Rajkumar Hirani to Rohit Shetty he is also working with the top makers from South India as well. “Every day is a learning experience. I write every day, I learn every day.” However, despite all the success and recognition, Farhad has stayed grounded. “I am no more talented than the rest. There is no dearth of talented folks in our industry. “Yeh to uparwale ki timing hai ki maine itni hit filmen ki. And, it’s just the beginning, looking forward to many many more,” he signs off.