One would think returning to the movie franchise that made everyone sit up and take notice of her acting prowess was a no-brainer for the actor. Not really. She had her share of doubts, stemming from the first edition’s runaway success. “Bhool Bhulaiyaa gave me so much. So, I felt, ‘Should I do another one in the franchise?’ The worry that the sequel won’t match up to the original always plays on an actor’s mind. But I have grown up. This is a completely different film, and there is so much to enjoy in it. I wanted to work with Anees bhai. I love the script, and because I was a part of the original, this is a whole different high.”

Vidya Balan in  the 2007 original

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The actor, who joins Kartik Aaryan, Madhuri Dixit-Nene and Triptii Dimri, has already shot two schedules of the horror comedy. Did she prepare to portray Manjulika all over again, a character that she has been famous for? “A large part of any actor’s prep is to sit with the director and buy into his vision. I always understand how my character fits into the vision they have in mind. It’s important to understand the world I have to inhabit and my character’s inner world. With Manjulika, I am not trying to recreate what I had done before. It is a different time and a different me. The role may be the same, but it has changed [in its own way]. My approach is fresh.”

Working with Aaryan, whose character of Rooh Baba in the franchise has become as popular as hers, has been a joy. Balan says, “He and I are different in terms of approach, but what works is that we get along like a house on fire.”