Mudassar Aziz: A Filmmaker’s Vision of Harmony and Peace through Cinema

Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi, the sequel that came out on August 24, 2018, replaced Diana Penty with Sonakshi Sinha and delivered a message that the people of China are very similar to those of India. In an earlier interview, Mudassar Aziz spoke about his creative journey. He said he was pleased that Happy Bhag Jayegi aimed for peace with Pakistan and he has made another comedy, that avoids negatively portraying neighbors. He thinks that more work is needed to establish harmony in the world. The film’s focus on China was influenced by it being a relatively unexplored cinematic territory for India. The film was partially shot in China, with the rest filmed in Kuala Lumpur which was used as a stand-in. For Aziz, cinema is a weapon for peace. He notes the ongoing trend of films focusing on terror and terrorism, often blaming Pakistan. He believes there’s more to Pakistan and China than just war. He hopes that the audience appreciated the depiction of China in Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi, similar to how they responded to the portrayal of Pakistan in the earlier film. He urges for a shift towards narratives that explore peace instead of war.