Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Awarapan 3 does not have a story yet, writer Bilal Siddiqui has said, even as Awarapan 2 continues to find favour with audiences. Speaking about the future of Shivam’s journey, Siddiqui said the ending of the second film leaves room for the story to go forward. However, he added that no work has begun on a third part.
In an exclusive conversation with India Today, Siddiqui spoke about the response to Awarapan 2, the decision to bring back Shivam, the nostalgic moments that have clicked with viewers, and the film’s unexpected connect with Gen Z audiences. The Emraan Hashmi-led sequel has revived memories of the 2007 cult film while also working, in his view, as a standalone story.
advertisement
Talking about how the film has been received, Siddiqui said, “It feels very good, and we all were expecting a decent response to it box office-wise. I knew people who have been waiting so long for the sequel; I hoped they would be rewarded with a good story, and I think that’s landed. So that makes me very happy. Also, I have been in touch with Vishesh, Emraan (Hashmi), Nitin sir, and Disha; everyone’s quite happy with the response. It feels nice to have worked together as a team and brought together a film that people have accepted.”
Asked if Shivam’s story could continue in Awarapan 3, Siddiqui said, “I think Vishesh (producer) set up part two in the ending in a way that he can take it forward if he wishes to. So, I think we’re waiting to hear from him and what his plans are. And I’m sure the fans love the character of Shivam so much that they will want to see him in another part. That’s kind of the overall thoughts I had in mind about where part three, or what part three, can be. But there’s no story as such just yet. No one has started work on that just yet.”
Why Shivam was brought back
Siddiqui said he never believed Awarapan should be left untouched and approached the sequel from the point of view of a fan. “No, I didn’t think of it that way. I’m actually on the side of the fans who wanted Shivam to be revived and see his journey continue. Of course, it was a big responsibility and a big challenge — how do we take the story ahead?” he said.
He said the writing process was not rushed. “When I was sitting with Vishesh and Nitin, we had a lot of sessions. I don’t even know how many months, but almost a year of just talking and discussing options, settling in on the story before I went out and wrote the screenplay,” he recalled.
Siddiqui also said producer Vishesh had a clear idea of what the sequel should be. “It was Vishesh who led that ship as a producer and, creatively, had a certain vision of what Awarapan should be like before I wrote it and Nitin directed it. We completely rested in his vision,” he said.
He added that his connection with the franchise predated his work on the sequel. “At least personally, I was a big fan of part one and knew I wanted to see a part two, even if it wasn’t me working on it,” he said.
What fans wanted to see
Siddiqui said fan expectations played a major role in shaping Awarapan 2, even though it was conceived as a new story. One of the elements he knew had to return was Tera Mera Rishta Purana.
“Fans definitely had a big part to play in what went into the story. Because I, being a fan myself, knew that I wanted some moments that had to be there for sure, which is Tera Mera Rishta Purana, that song, the way it plays out, the connection of Shivam and God. For me, those are things that made Awarapan 1 stand out, and those are things that had to be brought back. The challenge was to bring them back organically, and also take forward a character, but not necessarily take forward the story of part one,” he said.
He said the idea was to place Shivam in a new world while maintaining his growth from the first film. “It was just about bringing that character into a new world and seeing what journey he has to take on. And, in that sense, it also works as a standalone film. It’s just that the character is what the two films share. It’s his very organic journey and growth from part one into what we’ve taken into part two. So, in part one, it’s a guy who fought for love. But I’m hoping that he has been created as a man of God who is going to take on bigger missions in the future. That’s something that Vishesh was very clear about — how he wanted to graph him out. So, I had to write a story accordingly.”
The scene that made audiences sing along
One audience reaction that stood out for Siddiqui was linked to the film’s nostalgia-led moments.
“I’ve been watching reels on Instagram and seeing tweets about how everyone collectively started singing and applauding when the monks appeared in Tera Mera Rishta. And I think that was one scene when, in fact, the whole segment, without giving away spoilers, right before the song starts, there’s a cameo. And then from there, the way the song takes over, where it culminates and ends — I think that section, while I knew it was something I would have cheered for in the audience, it’s nice to see that it landed with the audiences as well,” he said.
He added that he still stops to watch those reactions online. “I’m seeing those reels, and every time one of them comes up on my feed, I’m watching the entire thing. It’s not like I skip past it,” he shared.
The film’s Gen Z connect
Siddiqui said the team did not write Awarapan 2 with any specific age group in mind, even though the film has found a younger audience. “I didn’t look at it that way, actually. When we were making the film or writing it, and when Nitin was directing it, we were just certain that we wanted to tell an engaging story,” he stated.
He said the approach was to tell a fresh crime drama with pace and urgency. “We knew the genre. It’s a crime drama; it’s got a character who’s still not moved on from a lover in his past. We knew that there are some elements that we would take from part one, but we wanted to tell a contemporary and fresh story. We wanted it to be like a breathtaking page-turner, so to speak, which is why the screenplay was written in a very fast-paced way. In part one, obviously, there were more moments of respite. But in this, it moves at breakneck speed,” Bilal said.
He added, “I think that’s something that probably pulled in an audience to watch a thriller moving at this speed and urgency. And that was the endeavour right from the writing point to how Nitin has directed it. It was supposed to be this pacey thriller, so to speak.”
Siddiqui said it was gratifying to see younger viewers respond to the film without the makers setting out to target them. “It’s nice that Gen Z, as we put it, have liked the film, even if they may not have seen part one. Because I think it’s done its job as a standalone film in that regard. There was no particular… We didn’t sit down to write thinking we were writing it for any particular audience. Sure, there were moments for the pre-existing fans, but even then, we wanted to tell an engaging story.”
Awarapan 2, directed by Nitin Kakkar, was released on August 14.
– Ends
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
