“Andaz Apna Apna is our father’s legacy” – Priti Sinha on the cult comedy’s re-release and sequel plans; says, “IP rights belong entirely and exclusively to Vinay Pictures”

By Subhash K. Jha -

April 30, 2025 - 10:05 AM IST

Your beloved comedy — your father's dream project — has audiences giggling and chuckling all over again. Does that make you and your siblings happy?
The re-release of Andaz Apna Apna is a tribute from Namrata, Amod, and me to our late father, producer Shri Vinay Kumar Sinha. We are very excited to see both the 1990s fans and today’s younger audience going to theatres with family and friends, enjoying the film, laughing, and even dancing. It’s gratifying in so many ways. We initially released the film in 600 screens nationwide, and since audiences are showing such love for the film, we will now steadily increase the number of screens.

“Andaz Apna Apna is our father’s legacy” – Priti Sinha on the cult comedy’s re-release and sequel plans; says, “IP rights belong entirely and exclusively to Vinay Pictures”

How many times have you seen Andaz Apna Apna, and what, according to you, is the secret of its longevity?
I honestly don’t even know how many times I’ve seen Andaz Apna Apna — and that’s the truth! Yet every time I watch it, it feels fresh, and I’m ready to see it again. The secret of its success is that it’s a timeless comedy. Also, it’s probably Aamirbhai’s and Salman’s best work to date — and their only film together.

How tough was it for your father to manage the impossibly large star cast? Were they all cooperative?
The entire star cast, and crew were very cooperative during the making of the film. The biggest challenge was managing combination dates for all the actors and the extended shooting schedule — the film took four years to complete. These were massive hurdles, but my father faced them head-on. Many believed the film wouldn’t be completed or released due to the long delay, but my father proved them all wrong. He released the film, and the rest is history. For Namrata, Amod, and me, he is the true hero of the film. Salman and Aamirbhai stepped forward and helped him resolve the scheduling issues. Salim Khan Uncle and Salman were a great support to my father throughout the process. Many of our actors — including Mehmood Sir, Deven Verma Sir, and Jagdeep Sir — did the film out of love for my father. Our entire crew — Lyricist Majrooh Sultanpuri Sir, Music Director Tushar Bhatia, DOP Ishwar Bidri Sir, Sound Recordist Rakesh Ranjan Sir, Editor V.N. Mayekar Sir, Choreographer Saroj Khan Ji, Dialogue Writer Dilip Shukla Sir, and Writer-Director Rajkumar Santoshi Ji — all worked with my father to make the greatest comedy film of all time. He was immensely proud of this film.

I believe the actors did not show up for the premiere when it was first released — and now again, they were missing from the re-release screening?
Yes, it's true — no lead actors or even the director attended the 1994 premiere. Aamirbhai and Salman were out of town for shoots. But the rest of the cast and crew were present. For the re-release, we didn’t host a formal premiere. We kept it simple — just a screening for our cast, crew, and their families and friends. Aamirbhai had specifically asked us for a screening of the restored film, and we informed Director Rajkumar Santoshi Ji as well, who had confirmed his attendance. However, Aamirbhai informed me that same evening that he couldn’t make it, followed by Rajji’s message that he couldn’t attend either. The rest of the lead cast had already informed us they were unavailable — Salman and Karisma were out of town. Still, the screening went very well. The cast and crew with their families came, saw the film, and blessed us and the project.

There are reports of multiple claimants to the rights of a sequel. What are your family's plans?
There are absolutely no claimants to the sequel rights. The IP rights of Andaz Apna Apna belong entirely and exclusively to Vinay Pictures. This film is our father’s legacy. For the last 30 years, there have been discussions about a sequel. My father and we had several meetings with Director Rajkumar Santoshi Ji to helm the sequel for us. However, nothing materialized over the years. Currently, work on the sequel is actively underway by our production house, Vinay Pictures, and we will make an official announcement very soon.

Also Read: Salman Khan drops shirtless pool pics, sparks nostalgic for Andaz Apna Apna: “Eelo ji Sanam hum aa gaye”