‘With Awarapan 2, I wanted to reclaim the box office failure of the first film’: Vishesh Bhatt

Vishesh Bhatt, the producer behind the sequel Awarapan 2, was determined to reclaim the box office failure of the original film released in 2007. While Emraan Hashmi reprises his role as Shivam Pandit, Bilal Siddiqi took on the scriptwriting duties, replacing Shagufta Rafique, and Nitin Kakkar replaced Mohit Suri as the director. In an interview with SCREEN, Vishesh discussed the decision to make a sequel, Mohit Suri's absence, and his relationship with his uncle and mentor, Mahesh Bhatt.

The spiritual and emotional connection to the character of Shivam Pandit was the primary reason for continuing the story. Vishesh felt that there was a voice within him urging him to explore the spiritual aspect of the character. Emraan Hashmi and Vishesh agreed to take on the project to prove that Awarapan was a good film and story, and to reclaim its market and business value.

Emraan Hashmi found it easier to embody Shivam Pandit in Awarapan 2 due to the character's reliance on silence. He explained that while the character remained layered with silences, the nuances of those silences became more apparent in a cinema hall setting. The film's crew, many of whom had watched Awarapan as children, felt a sense of familiarity and excitement upon seeing the sequel.

Vishesh chose not to offer the direction of Awarapan 2 to Mohit Suri because his brother's creative focus had shifted towards other projects like Saiyaara and Aashiqui 3. Mohit Suri had already poured his heart into these works, and Vishesh felt that his energies were better suited to new ventures. Furthermore, Vishesh believed that Mohit's heart was broken by the failure of Awarapan, which made it the right decision to bring in fresh perspectives.

The character of Nafisa, portrayed by Shabana Azmi, required a distinguished and powerful presence. Vishesh explained that he had to ensure the character was worthy of Shabana Azmi's caliber. She was open to working with Vishesh due to their long-standing relationship, but her approach was humble, often telling Vishesh that he was the only person he could see in the character.

Vishesh and his team worked closely with Shabana Azmi, discussing the character's layers and depth to create a fitting role for the legendary actress.