In a recent interview, Bollywood actors Pankaj Tripathi and Richa Chadha opened up about the success and challenges of the ‘Fukrey’ film series, known for its quirky characters and absurd storyline. As they prepare to reprise their roles in ‘Fukrey 3,’ set to release on September 28, the actors shed light on what makes the franchise click with audiences.

The ‘Fukrey’ franchise, which began in 2013 with the original film, followed by a sequel in 2017 titled ‘Fukrey Returns,’ revolves around the escapades of four friends – Hunny (Pulkit Samrat), Choocha (Varun Sharma), Laali (Manjot Singh), and Zafar (Ali Fazal) – as they embark on comical money-making ventures.

Pankaj Tripathi, who portrays the character of Pandit ji, and Richa Chadha, who plays the role of Bholi Punjaban, credited director Mrighdeep Singh Lamba and writer Vipul Vig for their meticulous attention to detail in crafting unique characters, PTI reported from Mumbai.

“The audience likes the films because each character is unique. My character had so much detailing, like her Nigerian henchmen has a barcode on his neck, she wears a leopard print jacket. Pankaj ji’s character of Pandit ji worked because whenever he would speak in English, people loved him,” Chadha remarked.

Tripathi added, “The writing is very detailed, and it shows that the writers have worked so hard and have written with a lot of love with the intention to make the audience laugh. Mrighdeep has worked very hard; he focuses on every little detail. The audience liked the film because they feel the characters are fleshed out from real life.”

The actors also highlighted the “absurd” plotline as a key factor contributing to the franchise’s popularity among the youth.

“There was a certain kind of absurdity in the story… We do a lot of absurd things in real-life, so maybe that is one of the factors why people loved the film. Besides, the film entertained the audience in a big way and is hugely popular among kids,” Tripathi explained.

However, returning for the third installment of the franchise presented its own set of challenges. Richa Chadha emphasized the need to “relearn” her character due to the gap between sequels.

“It is not that easy (to do sequels). Every character has something special. My character has a certain brashness. So you have to relearn if the gap is a bit more. But we had a director, who never let us off the hook. Within two-three days (of shoot) you are in the character, before that we do readings and all. He ensures that he gets whatever he wants,” Chadha said.

On the other hand, Pankaj Tripathi found the process relatively straightforward, except for dealing with extreme weather conditions during shooting.

“It was very easy, just the weather was not favorable because we were shooting in extreme heat. So, the difficulties were related to weather and not playing the character,” he shared.

‘Fukrey 3‘ is produced by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani under the banner of Excel Entertainment, and fans are eagerly awaiting the next installment in this beloved Bollywood franchise.