Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 director Anees Bazmee getting lost in the lockdown maze

Kartik Aaryan with Rajpal Yadav in the film

The shoot of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 had to be halted in the third week of March after Kartik Aaryan tested positive for COVID-19. Now that the actor is back in business after recuperating from the infection, another obstacle has reared its ugly head. Amid speculation that the state government may impose a 15-day complete lockdown to break the chain of virus transmission, director Anees Bazmee is compelled to play the wait-and-watch game, despite having his lead actors' dates.

"I am waiting because there are reports of the lockdown being extended, and rumours of a complete lockdown in Mumbai. So, we are unable to plan anything. Kartik is so kind. He has told us, ‘Whenever you decide to shoot, I am ready.' All actors involved have been cooperative," says the director of the horror-comedy, also starring Tabu and Kiara Advani.

Anees Bazmee

When the team resumed work in early March, a set was built at a Powai studio for the penultimate leg. The set-up was dismantled after the leading man came down with the infection. Explaining the dilemma facing him, Bazmee says, "Now, we'll have to rebuild it before we resume shooting. But if the lockdown [is imposed] after our set is ready, it will be a heavy loss for the producers, so we might as well wait it out." After the Mumbai schedule is wrapped up, the unit will set their sights on Lucknow, the destination of their final schedule. "We are to shoot at a haveli. We couldn't finish the Lucknow schedule [last March] because of the pandemic. So, we will have to go back for a 10-day stint."

Shooting in the new normal has not been easy - where one has to be constantly cautious, it has also been a test of patience and perseverance for artistes and filmmakers. "Despite following all the on-set guidelines, people tested positive. So, things are not in your control beyond a point. It is a pressing time for all of us as shoots are getting difficult, budgets have increased by 20-25 per cent, and the cases have surged."