EXCLUSIVE: Raaj Shaandilyaa talks about Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video; SLAMS the industry for barely making comedies: “Isme mehnat lagti hai aur mehnat koi karna nahin chahta. Instead, our filmmakers make remakes. Aur fir woh hit films ko bhi flop kar dete hai”

They don’t make comedy writer-directors like Raaj Shaandilyaa anymore. He’s one of the few filmmakers in Bollywood who’s keeping the comedy genre alive and making mass-appealing funny films. On September 12, the trailer of his new release, Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video, starring Rajkummar Rao and Triptii Dimri, was launched and it has been well-received due to the subject and hilarious one-liners. A day after the trailer was out, Raaj Shaandilyaa spoke exclusively with Bollywood Hungama about the film, his journey and a lot more. Listening to him about his craft is nothing short of a masterclass.Your earlier 2 films, Dream Girl (2019) and Dream Girl 2 (2023), were also comic capers but they had a message in the end. I guess Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video would be no exception. The interesting thing is that you manage to talk about something serious without getting preachy...Agar main 2 1⁄2 ghante ki film mein 3 minute ke liye koi baat bata du, toh kahan se preachy ho gaya? Things get preachy when you don’t make the audience laugh and then try to force a message down their throats. My idea is that I’ll bring the house down with humour. And when the audience is tired of laughing, I’ll raise a point. This is something we do even in our life. When we have a party at home, we play music, dance and make merry. Then, during dinner, we talk about important stuff.A lot of people have felt that the trailer has shown a lot but I am sure there will be a lot that hasn’t come out. Even in Dream Girl, we thought the same but then we were amused and surprised with the second half...There are so many things that we haven’t given out. There are twists and turns and thrills. It’s not a comedy like Dream Girl. Here, the couple belongs to a small town. The video of their first night after marriage gets stolen. And we Indians feel embarrassed to even show our Aadhaar cards when asked at hotels as our pictures often are quite bad on them. And in this case, first night ka video kisi ke haath lag gaya aur woh bhi uss shehar mein, jahan sab ek dusre ko jaante hai. With a subject like this, it is important to add some seriousness as well. Very few people know that in today’s times, 1.5 to 2 lakh people die every year by suicide because of blackmailing. Those who have money pay off the blackmailer and are saved. But those who don’t have money often contemplate ending their lives. Before taking that step, they didn’t think how their family members would manage. Now to tell such a serious topic with humour is a difficult task.It is often said that the last Friday of an actor impacts his next release. In that case, you are lucky. Both Rajkummar Rao and Triptii Dimri are having a great run. Rajkummar’s Stree 2 arrived just last month and is already a blockbuster...I always want actors who suit their respective characters. This is how I signed Ayushmann for Dream Girl as well. And yes, we’ll get an advantage due to their past releases. But apart from Vicky and Vidya, there are other characters as well. Yeh film unki bhi utni hi hai.Were Rajkummar Rao and Triptii Dimri the original choices?Yes, they were, since day one.How did Mallika Sherawat come on board?I had written Welcome Back (2015) and Mallika was in its prequel, Welcome (2007). I felt she had a great comic timing. We had cast Vijay Raaz aur inki takkar ka koi chahiye tha (opposite him). I kept her in mind while writing the character. She was happy to know I wrote the part for her and she was on board.The excitement for Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video is manifold also because Bollywood now rarely churns out such mass-appealing comedy films. What do you think has gone wrong?Anees Bazmee and David Dhawan are still making comedy films. Amar Kaushik of Stree is also there. Other than these three, I don’t think anyone else is making comedy films. Out of 400-500 Hindi films in a year, only 5 are comedy films. Usmein se sirf 3 films mein hasee aati hai. Very few people are making comedies as it’s very tough to make one. That’s because you can’t use body double. In action, you can do that. Lekin comedy mein toh khud dialogue bolna padega na? You can’t cheat with the expressions, timing etc.Even writing comedy is no cakewalk. You need to come up with one-liners that you haven’t heard before. Comedy dialogues are like use and throw; ek baar crack kiya toh khatam ho gaya. Isme mehnat lagti hai aur mehnat koi karna nahin chahta. Instead, our filmmakers pick up remake rights of international films. Aur fir woh hit films ko bhi flop kar dete hai!I always give this example that a child is crying when he or she is born into this world. Hence, you need to work very hard for almost a year to crack the writing. Then, you need to find an apt actor.What did you think of the recently released comedy, Stree 2?It’s a fun film. Amar Kaushik has been making some great films. As a creator, I felt that the story was weak but as a layman, I felt that the film was paisa vasool. And that’s what the audience wants. After watching the film, I called Amar and told him, ‘Ab jaa ke tu amar hua hai’ (laughs)!Both Dream Girl and Dream Girl 2 crossed the Rs. 100 crore mark. Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video might follow suit. If that happens, you’ll be the only director who has only given Rs. 100 crore grossers. Have you thought about it?(Smiles) No. I believe that if people like the film, then automatically it’ll get numbers. I don’t want that the film is not liked and yet it’s doing numbers. Of course, I want my film to collect Rs. 100 crores; in fact, it should do Rs. 200 crores or even Rs. 500 crores. However, I’ll never make a film for box office collections. My only aim is that log haste hua bahar aaye theatre se.What are your views on Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video clashing with Alia Bhatt’s Jigra?That’s an emotional film while ours is a comedy. I want both films to work. Both films have a different set of audiences. I am sure that those who see Jigra would also be interested in watching Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video and vice versa. I am a huge fan of Alia; I have said in interviews that I want to work with her. Vasan Bala is also a great director.For the first time, October 2 will not see the release of a Hindi film. Is it possible for Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video to be preponed to Gandhi Jayanti?The plan was always to bring the film in the Dussehra week. We can’t bring it on October 2 as the post-production work is pending. We completed the shoot of the film recently.You have been retweeting tweets critical of the recently released web series, IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack. Have you seen the show and what do you think about it?I know the story and the characters. I retweeted not with the thought that such a show should not be made. My point is – jo genuine hai, woh dikha do. They did add the disclaimer eventually. And Anubhav Sinha sir mere khaas hai. I keep talking to him regularly. My point is that whatever we convey through cinema, it should be done with transparency. It’s not about politics or religion. Jo hua hai, woh dikhao.Is there any update on Dream Girl 3?Yes, we’ll definitely make it but after I direct 2 or 3 films. We are sure that we want the concept to be brilliant. Only then it make sense to make part 3.Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video is set in 1997 while Dream Girl is set in present-day. Yet, can we expect a crossover between the two? After all, none of the actors have been repeated from Dream Girl. Only Vijay Raaz is there in both films and incidentally, even here, he’s playing a cop. Is he the father of the cop character he played in Dream Girl?(Laughs) Not at all. There’s no crossover. But one of my upcoming films will have a crossover angle. Two characters from two films will merge. I promise you that it’ll be big!At the trailer launch of Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video, Bhushan Kumar hinted at a sequel...It’s on track and the first part ends with the promise of a sequel. 100% 2nd part banega iska.I guess the story will move a few years later and deal with the MMS clip era...Yes. You are a smart guy (laughs)!Also Read: Raaj Shaandilyaa and Vimal Lahoti unveil Kathavachak Films at Lalbaug Cha Raja ahead of release of first project Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video