Hum, Tum Shabana is an ace up my sleeves: Director Sagar Ballary

While his last outing, Bheja Fry 2proved to be a dampener at the box office, director Sagar Ballary is looking forward to his Hum Tum Shabana next month. And yes, this promises to be a first-of-its-kind from his stable — a complete masala entertainer, with songs and dances and a lot of masti.

“This year’s been special for me,” says Sagar, adding, “I will have three releases — Bheja Fry 2, Kaccha Limboo and Hum Tum Shabana,and of course, my son was born three months back — life is good.”

The comedy has been in the news for some time because of its music, foot tapping numbers, witty one-liners and of course, the spat between Sagar and lead actor Minissha Lamba. “Whatever noise is made before the release, ultimately, it’s the content of the film that will pull the audience to the theatre. In fact, I must say that unlike my earlier films, the music is definitely a strong point for Hum Tum Shabana,” says the film-maker, adding, “Of course, there’s also been some crazy performances by Shreyas Talpade, Tusshar Kapoor, Pia Trivedi and Minissha.” So, will Minissha be a part of the promotions, considering a lot of water has passed below the bridge? “Of course, she will. Minissha is very important to the film and she’s an integral part of the team.”

What’s more, director Madhur Bhandarkar will also be playing a special cameo in the film that is not his direction! He will be seen acting as well as walking the ramp as part of the grand finale of a beauty pageant in Hum Tum Shabana. “Tusshar and Shreyas are rival event managers and organisers of the Glamarama beauty pageant. Madhur, who plays a celebrated film director, is the chief guest for the grand finale and is made to walk to ramp with Minissha and Pia. Considering he directed the award-winning film Fashion, it made complete and obvious sense to have him on board,” informs Sagar.

While he’s looking forward to the release, Sagar is already planning out his next. “But right now, my focus is Hum Tum Shabana. It’s not slapstick humour that we are looking at — laughing intelligently is tough,” he signs off.