Second helping of Bheja Fry

Bheja Fry 2 is even better than the first film, promises Vinay Pathak In 2006, when Bollywood actor Vinay Pathak signed up to play the bumbling income tax inspector in Bheja Fry, he had zero expectations. But it turned out to be the sleeper hit of 2007. Four years later, he is back with its sequel. But it's bigger and better, Pathak promised. "We did not really think that Bheja Fry would become such a big hit. When Sagar Bellary narrated the original Bheja Fry story, I thought it [would] be a great feature for television. But not only was it made for theatre viewing, the brand became very popular. And we knew one thing, if there is a sequel, it has to have a fantastic storyline backing that brand," he said. The sequel, however, has not retained its original cast. Barring Pathak, new players including Minnisha Lamba, Kay Kay Menon, Amol Gupte and Suresh Menon have replaced Rajat Kapoor, Milind Soman and Ranvir Shorey. "For the first time, [his character] Bharat Bhushan will have a love interest in the film, with the beautiful Minnisha Lamba. And we have got on board powerhouse talents like Kay Kay, Amol and Suresh. They are brilliant at what they do and they almost filled the void that Rajat and Vinay had left behind," said Pathak. The sequel will see all the action taking place at a luxurious cruise liner. For the first time, the Chalo Dilli star has also recorded a song. Article continues below "It was a requirement of the story line. Finally, Bharat Bhushan's dreams of becoming a singer will turn true in the sequel. My director and the music director tried their best to convince me and I got convinced. But I am not this excellent singer or anything. I felt very vulnerable, actually. But anything for Bheja Fry," said Pathak. The actor, who has carved his niche with unconventional films such as Khosla Ka Ghosla and Mixed Doubles, has also not ruled out the chance of a Bheja Fry 3. "If we get a good reception for Bheja Fry 2, we will definitely return — it all depends on the equity we get in the opening week." Don't miss it: Bheja Fry 2 is released in cinemas across the UAE today.