'Fukrey 3' cast hopes to entertain fans with 'crazier, whackier' sequel

Bollywood actor Richa Chadha has a folder in her laptop titled 'Puraane Paap,' which translates to 'old sins'. In it are all the ‘expletive’ films the actor has done, and she makes sure she deletes every memory she has about them that has scarred her.

In a chat with City Times ahead of the release of her upcoming film Fukrey 3, the actor said the scars really made her who she is today. Richa, who was in Dubai as part of the film’s promotions was joined by her co-stars Pulkit Samrat, Varun Sharma, and Manjot Singh for an interview.

"I produce now because I learned what not to do from doing really stupid films," Richa said of her Bollywood journey. "And I am really happy this (Fukrey 3) is not a stupid film; instead, it is a really goofy, silly, and fun film. I think all artists just get better if they try to become better human beings over and over again. It cleanses their souls."

Speaking of her past experiences, Richa said the Gangs of Wasseypur set was "difficult”, full of people much older (and experienced) than her. "I used to get really bored on that testosterone-heavy set," she said. "I didn't know how to conduct myself. When I look back now, I think I was just a stupid little girl and now I feel like a complete grown-up woman."

"After Fukrey 3, you will have a folder in your laptop titled Ache Karam (Good Deeds)," Varun quipped, with Manjot adding, "Best karam (deeds) ever," and all burst out with laughter, testifying their strong friendship that evolved from their on-screen bonding.

The third film in the Fukrey franchise releases on September 29 in the UAE, and “the reaction to the trailer has been great”, said Pulkit. "The trailer is just 10 per cent of the fun in the film. Our bond definitely adds to it on screen. And not just us, our director (Mrigdeep Singh Lamba) as well, who is the biggest 'fukra' among us. He is the glue that actually binds us together; all the characters come out from him. He makes sure that every single frame has something funny, every single beat has a joke in it, and every character is memorable."

For the unversed, the Excel Entertainment film follows the story of a group of backbenchers, played by Pulkit, Varun, Manjot and Ali Fazal, who want to make it big in life but almost always end up in trouble with the local gangster Bholi Punjaban (Richa). Pankaj Tripathi also plays a vital role in the film.

The third instalment, releasing a decade after the first film (2013), picks up right where the events of the second film (2017) left off. Richa's character Bholi now wants even bigger things in life, and so "she wants to be in politics," said Richa.

While not wanting to reveal too much of the film, she added that there are bigger threats in the film, and Varun's character (Choocha) gets another “gift from God”, and this time it is "priceless, explosive, and flammable."

Varun certainly hopes to be funnier this time around because they have given four years to this film. "I hope it translates," he said. "But in Fukrey 3, the heart and soul are in the same place. It has just become crazier, whackier, and is a whole lot of fun. We can't wait for people to watch it and give their feedback because obviously it comes with a lot of expectations. The audience loved the first two films, and we just hope that we live up to that and give them more of what they expect."

Fukrey 3 couldn't have released at a better time. People are back in cinemas, enjoying the best of both worlds -- Hollywood and Bollywood -- with record-breaking releases like Pathaan, Gadar, Jawan, Barbie, Oppenheimer and several others.

Manjot is happy that people are finally over the Covid phase and are back to their primary source of entertainment. "I am really happy and excited that Fukrey 3 is releasing at such a time," he said. "We were supposed to shoot for the film before Covid began, but thankfully we didn't. I have always believed that Fukrey's kismet has always been good, touchwood, and I am thankful that this banger of a film is coming out at such a good time."

Watch the entire conversation below:

Shooting for a comedy film is "very serious business," said Richa, more so when the film is part of a successful franchise. Fukrey put these actors in the limelight, and everybody got busy with their own schedules. So getting a date for shooting that suited everyone was a nightmare. "We found it in that one window when India was experiencing an extreme heatwave last year," Richa said. "These guys went out and shot, they felt they were standing in front of a heater the whole time. We had fun making the film.

"The fun part comes from us just being together, eating a meal, sharing a laugh, breaking bread, and we lift each other's spirits up."

Returning to Dubai for Fukrey 3 promotions was special for the entire cast, mainly because they were here right before the first film's release in 2013. Pulkit recalled the time when the group went to a restaurant and imagined the film becoming a hit with an audience, so much that he hoped the next time they visited the same spot, it would be difficult to grab a bite with the fans recognising the stars.

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"That's exactly what is happening ten years down the line," he said. "We were so happy to oblige people with pictures and reciprocate the love because this is what we had hoped for, and the love is unmatchable for all of us."

In a way, the cast manifested their success, and as Pulkit rightly said, their fans helped them with that.

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