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Anees Bazmee recalls not a ‘single person laughing’ during Welcome’s test screenings; says he was sent to hospital for ‘stress’: ‘When 100 people don’t like your film…’
Anees Bazmee recalls how he was stressed and hospitalised when no one laughed at the screening of his comedy film Welcome. Read on to know more.
Anees Bazmee had put out his heart, efforts, time, and nearly every other resource when he made Welcome which starred Akshay Kumar, Katrina Kaif, Nana Patekar, and Anil Kapoor. But in a new interview, the Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 director recalled that he was stressed and shattered when no one laughed over the jokes or comedy scenes of the film during its screening. Consequently, he had to be hospitalized due to the stress. Still, things were sorted out later when the film became a major success.
The filmmaker recently gave an interview to the Hindustan Times and recalled the incident in detail. He described that many of his films had a difficult start because they were called 'terrible films' during their test screenings.
He particularly cited the example of his successful film, Welcome. He made a comedy film and gave his best to the same but before the release, when he invited people to its screenings, they told him the film wasn't a comedy film. This was a setback to Anees Bazmee.
He said, "I told them this is what I have made, and I can't now go and tickle people in the theatre. This is the only kind of comedy I know how to make. I can't put buffoonery, double entendre, and all. They are shortcuts, and I don't believe in them. I believe in writing comedy."
However, no one laughed in the theater even during the gradual screenings. It was opposite to the reaction that the No Entry director had expected for his film. Recalling the same, he said, "Full trial runs of Welcome did not have a single person laughing in the theatre."
The Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 director went on to explain that he was in the hospital after the screening as people didn't like his film, and since he had worked on one project at a time, it came as a major shocker to him. Also, since he was still new in the industry, the film's failure could have been a big blow to his career.
He revealed, "There were so many people linked to the film, including the financiers. So I was very stressed. On the hospital bed, I reviewed my script, scene-by-scene. At the end of two days, I came to the conclusion that this works. My conviction said this is something very nice."
The situation turned upside down when the film became successful upon its release, and audiences called it a cult film. Bazmee mentioned that despite more than 16 years of its release, the jokes and script of the film continue to resonate with the audiences. Moreover, memes are even made on the film's scenes on social media.
Welcome was a sleeper hit and earned more than Rs.122 crore worldwide with good reviews. It starred Akshay Kumar, Anil Kapoor, Nana Patekar, Katrina Kaif, Paresh Rawal, Feroz Khan, Mallika Sherawat and more. Anees Bazmee's next, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, starring Kartik Aaryan, Vidya Balan, Madhuri Dixit, and Triptii Dimri, will be released on November 1, 2024. Its trailer is already out and has created a lot of online buzz.
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