Ahead of the release, the cast and the director, spoke exclusively to Firstpost about turning a show into a movie and what the audiences can expect
Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain! is a show that began in 2015. It quickly became popular for its humor and characters. Just like the iconic show Khichdi which then became a movie in 2010 and 2023, this show is also taking the shape of a full-length feature film which releases in cinemas this Friday.
And ahead of the release, the cast and the director, spoke exclusively to Firstpost about turning a show into a movie and what the audiences can expect, especially after loving the characters on the small screen.
Edited excerpts from the interview
How did the idea of turning a popular show into a film come about?
Shashank Bali (Director): The idea arrived only because it is such a popular show. People love all the characters that they have seen. And I’m sure people are also going to enjoy the film.
Mukesh Tiwari, you have done such a variety of films and roles in your career. What can we expect from your character here?
I want people not to have any expectations, but be prepared to be surprised. More than the story, they should have expectations from the product. As far as my character is concerned or
Ravi Kishan’s character is concerned, even if we are able to contribute to the flow of the story, I would feel we have contributed honestly.
Aasif, Rohit: How was the prep for the two of you because you’re playing the characters that have been immensely successful on television?
Rohit: There was no prep because after all, this is the director’s medium. Our characters are already made but on the big screen, we tone our acting down. We should just be in the situation that has been given to us by the writer and the director.
Aasif: These are the characters that we have been living with for the last 10 years. There was nothing new in them but the situation was new. Our reaction was new. We have not tried to do anything different because that would have been incorrect. This time, we are little more alert. Our director kept telling us not to try too hard.
Mukesh Tiwari, how much do you feel comedy and humor in films has evolved in the last many years?
We got lost somewhere in between but we are evolving again. As far as our humour is concerned, we should also look at our lifestyle and the current state of cinema. Is your sense of humour limited to reels? Or you would like to watch it on television and in films? We need to understand the psyche of the society for that. We can work within that context. Only then we can understand what is happening. Buffoonery and slapstick comedy has ended. Audiences now like to watch situational comedies.
Aasif, you have also done a variety of comedies both in films and on television. Is there any difference that you see in the two mediums as far as writing is concerned?
I don’t think I do anything different in films as compared to what I do on television. I treat everything equally. The only difference is how you adapt a situation, what your point of view is. A lot of actors came on our show to promote their films and told us we were Marlon Brando in front of them. They were over the top in films, and we were subdued. Our director never allowed us to go overboard. Comedy should be situational because forced comedy won’t work. We were always on the same page. And with comedy, we have to keep growing. You have to be aware of global cinema and what’s streaming on OTT, because you have to cater to them as well.
Also, when you are a part of a show that’s been going on for more than a decade, you go on an autopilot mode. We all go through that. You have to keep on raising the bar. If you cannot make people laugh, it’s pointless.
Rohit, are there any qualities of your character that you wish you had?
(Laughs): I did a show called Laapataganj before this. It was a very serious comedic character who fights for a cause. So when this one came, I had no idea what I had to do. Manoj asked me not to try and think too much. There were no difficulties playing this role because even I’m just as flamboyant as my character.
Mukesh, were you expecting your character of Vasooli to become so iconic in the landscape of comedy?
We are often disillusioned that we did it. It’s the audience that makes a character iconic. The most difficult aspect of comedy that you learn in your journey is that an actor should leave his ego behind, only then you can create something. You should react to what your costar is saying and not the other way round. Sehej ho jaayo. You have to leave your self obsession behind. We had no idea that the character of Vasooli that
Rohit Shetty is creating will become iconic. We can try honesty and then the audience makes it iconic.
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