Shashank Khaitan: 'Badrinath Ki Dulhaniya' is not a sequel

Following the success of Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania (2014), director Shashank Khaitan could feel the pressure of expectations. "When I first wrote the story of Badrinath Ki Dulhania, I just had a story without a title. It was a pure heartland love story. Immediately after I narrated the script to Karan (Johar, producer), he told me there was nothing in common between this one and Humpty. The stories are connected by themes of love and wedding, but it's not a sequel," he explains.

Shashank Khaitan, director

KJo loved the name of the film's hero - Badrinath Bansal and suggested weaving a title around it, says Khaitan, adding, "That's how the franchise was born."

Khaitan admits that post the overwhelming response to Humpty..., he grew overconfident and wanted to ape KJo's style. "I wrote a full blown NRI love story, succumbing to the pressure of making a bigger film. Karan was baffled and aghast when he read it. He said, to write an NRI film, one needs to meet them and spend a lot of time abroad. ‘Just write the best you can, don't write my world', he said."

Quiz him about Kangana Ranaut's infamous nepotism remark on Karan's chat show and he says, "It's too much talk about nothing. He is casting David Dhawan's son [Varun Dhawan] because people want to see him. We all use our sources to get a better deal. David sir came from nowhere and made a mark. Why shouldn't he refer his son for a job? In film school, I was told Dharma [KJo's banner] would never produce my film because I'm not from the industry. [But] I just walked in and he liked my story. Karan didn't ask what my father does. He just cares about his boys making a good film."