EXCLUSIVE: Milap Zaveri talks about Mastiii 4: “Riteish Deshmukh, Vivek Oberoi, Aftab Shivdasani are Amar, Akbar, Anthony of comedy!” BREAKS silence on CBFC cuts: “Film has got very few cuts; Kudos to Censor Board…” 4 : Bollywood News

Milap Zaveri has several admirers and cheerleaders, thanks to his sweet nature, comic timing and massy thought process. For all of them, it was a personal victory after his Diwali release, Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat, became a surprise super-hit. It was released on October 21 and exactly a month later, he’s now ready to bring Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat in cinemas. In an exclusive interview with Bollywood Hungama, Milap Zaveri speaks about Mastiii 4 and a lot more.

EXCLUSIVE: Milap Zaveri talks about Mastiii 4: “Riteish Deshmukh, Vivek Oberoi, Aftab Shivdasani are Amar, Akbar, Anthony of comedy!” BREAKS silence on CBFC cuts: “Film has got very few cuts; Kudos to Censor Board…”

Less than 48 hours to go for the film’s release. How do you feel right now?
(Smiles) I feel nervous, I feel excited, I feel anxious, I feel hopeful and I'm also shit scared! I think that all the emotions one can feel at such a crucial time are all present in me.

Yet, do you think you are in a slightly better position compared to last month? With Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat becoming a hit, has the pressure slightly eased?
Yes, the blockbuster success of Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat does provide a lot of cushion and comfort, but obviously, expectations also rise as people expect me to do it again. People wonder if I’ll be able to repeat the success again. If, by God’s grace, I manage to do it a second time around in a month, it’ll surely add more to my confidence and credibility.

Last month, when we spoke after the success of Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat, you revealed that Riteish Deshmukh insisted to Indra Kumar that you should direct Mastiii 4. Please tell us more about it and how this film came into being…
Around 2 years ago, Dream Girl and Fukrey 3 were released and did quite well at the box office. I reached out to Indu ji (Indra Kumar) and Ritiesh, and told them that this was the right time for Mastiii 4, as people want to watch comedy franchises and have a good time. They replied that we don’t have a plot. I told them, ‘Main deta hoon kahani’. So, then I wrote and came up with the story. Indu ji loved the idea and so did Riteish. But Indu ji was committed to directing Dhamaal 4. He couldn’t do both films. Then, the discussion arose as to who else could direct. At that time, it was Riteish who was magnanimous enough to suggest my name to Indu ji. He told him, ‘If Milap directs it, I’ll do it because he’ll do a great job’.

Riteish was also the first actor that you directed in your directorial debut Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai (2010)…
Yes, he was my first hero. He’s one of my closest friends in the industry. I call him ‘Seth ji’! He has always stood by me in tough times. I owe him a lot.

How was it directing him and also Vivek Oberoi and Aftab Shivdasani in a film like this?
It was great fun. Unki umar aur kamar nazar hi nahin aati hai when they are together! They are effortlessly hilarious. It still feels like the time when we did the first part of Masti (2004) 21 years ago, which I wrote. I have obviously directed Ritieish before in Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai and Marjaavaan (2019). But when the three of them come together, they are like dynamite. They are like the Amar Akbar Anthony of comedy! The relationship and camaraderie they have built over the years; you can see it on screen.

This time, Mastiii 4 also has Arshad Warsi and Tusshar Kapoor…
I always say that ‘Iss baar Masti mein Golmaal aur Dhamaal dono hai’! We needed someone to do that cameo, who gave the trio the idea of ‘Love Visa’. Arshad has a crazy, natural flair for comedy. Also, he has worked with Indu ji before in Dhamaal. As for Tusshar, I directed him in Mastizaade (2016). He has worked with Riteish in a huge comic franchise before – Kyaa Kool Hain Hum (2005). Hence, he, too, was a natural choice for his part. We were lucky that he agreed to do the film.

Could you take us through the writing process? After all, this is an adult comedy and you need to get the jokes right as times have changed since Masti released in 2004…
Comedy has always been like it. Dada Kondke in the 80s did this kind of naughty humour. Then there was the Carry On series and American Pie, followed by Masti and Kyaa Kool Hain Hum. Hence, this naughty humour has always appealed to the audience. We just needed to update it to today’s times. That’s where the ‘Love Visa’ idea came about. In the times of situationship, benching etc, we thought ‘What if we have an idea of this kind?’, where wives give husbands a ‘Love Visa’.

Were you relieved when the Central Board of Film Certification passed a film like Mastiii 4 without too many changes?
The film has very few cuts. I must give credit to the Censor Board for it. They understood that it’s a film in the adult genre. So, obviously, only the adults should watch it. Also, the film is in the zone of the first Masti and not Grand Masti (2013). Hence, they have been liberal and not given too many cuts.

Another relief must be that there’s no fights over screens this time, the way you faced with Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat…
I guess ours is a massier film and our programming has been done accordingly. And I don’t think they (120 Bahadur) are going for as wide a release as we are. They are trying for a limited release as per the genre of the film. Hence, I think there’s space for both films. Hopefully, they should do well and both films should score among their respective target audiences.

It's commendable that in a year’s time, you completed the shoot of as many 3 films - Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat, Mastiii 4 and Tera Yaar Hoon Main…
Last year, on November 26, 2024, we started shooting Tera Yaar Hoon Main. It's November 19 today and so it’s been a little less than a year. I have shot all 3 films. 1 has been released, 1 will be released 2 days from now. Tera Yaar Hoon Main will be released in early 2026.

You’ve known my journey. I sat at home for 3 years after Satyameva Jayate 2 (2021) didn’t work. I was lucky that Indu ji gave me the opportunity to direct Tera Yaar Hoon Main and Mastiii 4. Along the way, Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat came along, thanks to Harshvardhan Rane, Anshul Garg, Raghav Sharma and Sonam Bajwa. I have worked relentlessly and non-stop for the last one year. I have hardly seen my wife Gouri and my son Mehaan as I was travelling, shooting, editing, etc. The success of Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat, obviously, feels like a great payback. I am hoping that Mastiii 4 and Tera Yaar Hoon Main also emerge as big hits. Tera Yaar Hoon Main is very close to my heart as well. Aman Indra Kumar and Aakanksha Sharma are two of the most talented actors I’ve ever worked with in my life. I just want the world to see their talent and applaud it.

Will there be Masti 5 in the offing?
(Smiles) Hopefully, Mastiii 4 will be a super-hit. Then Masti 5 will be made too!

Any final thoughts?
I am grateful to Indu ji, Ashok Thakeria ji, Amar Jhunjhunwala and Shikha Ahluwalia for backing Mastiii 4. I am thankful to all my producers, including Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat’s producers Anghul Garg and Raghav Sharma. I just hope that I live up to everyone’s expectations. Today, Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat is the third biggest super-hit of the year after Saiyaara and Chhaava. I never thought I would have such a big hit in my career, that too, for a film like this, which was an underdog. I hope Mastiii 4 also similarly makes it to that list and Tera Yaar Hoon Main also follows suit in 2026 (smiles).

Also Read: EXCLUSIVE: CBFC censors 6 dialogues in Mastiii 4; deletes ‘top angle animal humping visuals’