Manjulika’s melody back to haunt you

Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3

Where there is Bhool Bhulaiyaa, there has to be Manjulika. And where there is Manjulika, there has to be her trademark song, Ami je tomar. After a quick stint in Kolkata earlier this month, Vidya Balan, Kartik Aaryan, Madhuri Dixit-Nene, and Triptii Dimri have begun shooting the third schedule of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 at Film City in Mumbai. While director Anees Bazmee has lined up some horror and action scenes for the 15-day leg, at the moment, all eyes are on the actors as they shoot the iconic song.

In the climax of the 2007 original, Balan's character was seen assuming the identity of Manjulika and dancing to Ami je tomar. Since then, the song has become a recurring motif in the horror comedy franchise, with Tabu's dual characters Anjulika and Manjulika as well as Aaryan's Rooh Baba shaking a leg to it in Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 (2022). This time around, we hear composer Amaal Mallik has given his own interpretation to the track.

A source tells us, "In Film City, art director Rajat Poddarr and his team have built a massive set of a vintage mansion as found in West Bengal. Choreographer Chinni Prakash has set the song against this backdrop, visualising it as a classical dance number featuring Kartik, Vidya, Madhuri and Triptii. Like in the last two instalments, the track will come at a critical juncture in the narrative." After the Mumbai leg is wrapped up by May 10, Bazmee will call for a short break, following which the team will head to Europe for a 10-day schedule to shoot a romantic track with Aaryan and Dimri.