Awarapan 3 in the works? Writer Bilal Siddiqui reveals plans of Emraan Hashmi's Shivam Pandit returning | Exclusive
Here's the latest update from the Bollywood world:
Awarapan 2 has emerged as the highest-grossing movie of Emraan Hashmi ’s career, becoming the first led by the star to enter the 100-crore rupees club. Globally, the movie has crossed ₹ 150 crore rupees, repairing the legacy of part 1, which was a box-office bomb. With this success and the movie’s open-ended climax, followers are speculating if a part three is on the cards. In conversation with HT, writer Bilal Siddiqui stops just short of revealing the plans, but does say something is afoot.
Adding to this, Emraan Hashmi on the promotional poster of Awarapan 2. How Awarapan 2 sets up a part 3 Awarapan 2 ends with Shivam (Emraan Hashmi) successfully rescuing the children meant for trafficking from Zorawar’s (Puran Gabbi) clutches. It is then opened up that Zorawar’s rival, Nafisa (Shabana Azmi) helped Shivam in his cause, but only in exchange for his services. The last scene of the movie shows Shivam enlisted in Nafisa’s gang, implying that his journey is far from over.
Meanwhile, Bilal Siddiqui talks about Shabana’s track in the movie and says, “She has that solid presence where, even if you don't see her on screen throughout the movie, she is manipulating the character's journey without him even realising. I think it was a very crucial role, and she's hopefully set up for greater things.”
Notably, The set-up for greater things implies the story continues. So, is Awarapan 3 in the works? Bilal responds, “As for part three, Vishesh (Bhatt, the movie’s producer) and I have not had time to speak beyond just a few messages after the movie came out. I am yet to hear from him what his plans are. I hope he thinks of it soon, of taking it forward soon, and then we'll see what it is. I'm very excited.”
As per the latest buzz, For now, Bilal says he is just happy for Awarapan 2’s success. “I'm so happy that Vishesh has managed to realise his vision with this movie because he was very passionate about bringing Awarapan back, and now that it's come back, it's also done well.”
In further updates, The writer says he is soaking up the success without letting it get to his head. “It feels good for sure. But, I'm still resuming my week as always. It's not changing anything. But it feels good. I've only worked on books and shows before this. This is my first movie. So it's the first time I've had to look at or had the anxiety of seeing the (ticket-window) numbers. I know it shouldn't be something that dictates you, but you can't help but look at it, too. It just feels like a nice zone to be in,” says Bilal.
On top of that, Awarapan 2 also stars Disha Patani, Suvinder Vicky, Vijayant Kohli, and Atul Kumar in key roles. Directed by Nitin Kakkar, the movie opened to mixed-to-positive reviews but was lapped up by audiences. In six days, it has collected ₹ 107 crore rupees net domestically, and over ₹ 150 crore rupees worldwide. The first part, which starred Emraan alongside Ashutosh Rana, Shriya Saran, and Mrinalini Sharma, is a cult classic now, but was a box-office failure in 2007, earning only ₹ 12 crore rupees worldwide.
Abhimanyu Mathur is Deputy Editor, Entertainment at Hindustan Times. With almost 15 years of experience in writing about everything from films and TV shows to cricket matches and elections, he inhales and exhales pop culture and news. Currently, he watches movies and TV shows and talks to celebrities for a living, while occasionally writing about them as well. A journalism graduate of Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, Delhi University, Abhimanyu began his career with Hindustan Times at the age of 20, swapping classrooms for newsrooms at an early age. He began his journey in the early days of digital journalism, later switching to the madness of print journalism. Work has led him to far off places like Japan and Jordan, as well as to the interiors of Haryana and the Indo-Pak border. He dabbled in city reporting in places like Meerut, Gurgaon, and Delhi, covered the Olympics and Cricket World Cups, before finding his calling in entertainment and lifestyle during the pandemic. A Rotten Tomatoes Certified Movie Critic, he is equally at home covering stories on ground as he is interviewing celebrities and studios, and sometimes prefers to shepherd teams in delivering traffic through the day. Even as his role has evolved from reporter to supervisor over the years, his first love remains writing (and of late, talking on camera). With a good understanding of cinema and its trends, and a keen eye for detail, he continues to spark conversations around showbiz for readers around the world. Read More
Source: Hindustan Times