I was scared, says Vidya Balan on rejecting 'Bhool Bhulaiya 2'

MUMBAI: Actor Vidya Balan says she rejected the offer to star in "Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2" as she feared that if she didn’t perform well in the sequel, it would ruin the impact of her work in the original movie.

Balan starred alongside Akshay Kumar in Priyadarshan's 2007 hit "Bhool Bhulaiyaa", playing the role of Avni/Manjulika. Fifteen years later, its sequel, "Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2", directed by Anees Bazmee and starring Kartik Aaryan in the lead, was released and became a huge blockbuster at the box office.

"I was so scared because 'Bhool Bhulaiyaa' has given me so much. So I said, if I did something wrong, then everything will go in vain (sab par paani fir jayega). I told Anees ji that ‘I can't take this risk,’” Balan told reporters.

"But when they came back to me with the third part, I loved the script. I was dying to work on this with Anees bhai and Bhushan. And then it only kept getting better," Balan said.

The actor said she liked what the team did with the sequel, which helped her make the decision to say yes to "Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3", set to release on Diwali, November 1.

"And then the icing on the cake was working with Madhuri Dixit ma'am. So, I think it only kept getting better, and I accumulated the courage. I had a great time. He (Bazmee) is the king of entertainment. I had the opportunity to work with him,” she added.

Balan was speaking at a film event where a new version of the franchise's iconic song “Ami Jo Tomar” was unveiled. Besides her, Aaryan and Dixit were present. At the event, Balan and Dixit performed the song in perfect sync.

At one point, Balan slipped and fell but handled the situation with grace.

Dancing alongside a legend like Dixit is no easy task, said Balan.

"There is some kind of a tashan in that particular scene in the song. It was difficult for me because I was giving attitude to Madhuri. She is so generous... performing with her was not easy. Everyone supported me, but I think it was so nice of Madhuri ma’am as she realized that it was a big deal for me to be dancing with her. I told myself that it is an honour to share a stage with her, to be in the same frame with her,” she said.

Dixit, who is new to the franchise, recalled her conversation with Balan before they filmed the track.

“We are releasing the song today. I would say to Vidya, 'You don't know how much I love the song because of you.'

"When Anees ji said, 'There is a role in the movie and also you have to do a song,' I was like, 'What?' Because I always dreamt of this song and always wanted to perform it somewhere, maybe in a show. And when he said that, I was so happy and excited. I said I have to do this movie and be a part of this cast," she added.

Produced by T-Series, "Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3" also features Triptii Dimri, Rajpal Yadav, Sanjay Mishra, and Vijay Raaz.