Expectedly, director Shashank Bali and producers Sanjay and Binaiferr Kohli push the envelope on the big screen, but its double entendre humour isn’t the problem with this adult comedy. Ravi Kishan and Mukesh Tiwari, though, leave their mark.
Rating: 
(2 / 5)
By Mayur Lookhar
Adapting a successful TV show to the big screen has seldom yielded rewards in the Indian entertainment space. Hats Off Productions’ Khichdi is a prime example. One possible reason is that loyal audiences are so attuned to the TV show’s popular characters that they prefer to consume such content there. Why pay for a movie ticket when these characters are available daily at an affordable monthly price?
Looking to break the trend are producer couple Sanjay and Binaifer Kohli and director Shashank Bali with Fun on the Run (2026) – a maiden film adaptation of their popular TV show Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain! that’s been running successfully for nearly 11 years. The show is conceived around loving thy neighbour rather the neighbour’s wife theme. No moral boundaries are crossed, but it isn’t surprising that such a show has been a hit in India. Created by the late writer Manoj Santoshi, Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain! rides on its double entendre brand of humour. Mind you, things aren’t explicitly stated, but the fun lies in how the viewer interprets it.
A film allows the makers to push the envelope a bit, and expectedly, Shashank Bali and writer Raghuvir Shekhawat take that liberty. It’s evident in the opening scene where Vibhuti Narayan Mishra (Aasif Sheikh) cheekily asks Manmohan Tiwari (Rohitashv Gour) if Angoori Bhabhi can give him milk. Never one to lie down, Tiwarji shoots back, “We’ve run out of sugar, toh socha bhabhiji ki mithas chakle.” We’re then taken to the two gorgeous ladies, the camera panning to Angoori’s (Shubhangi Atre) cleavage, while the other catches Tiwari ji seeing Anu Bhabhi (Vidisha Srivastava) doing yoga. Oh boy, let’s hope there aren’t more such cheap shots. Thereafter, the cameraman behaves well, but what conflict do we have here?
Story
Angoori Bhabhi expresses a desire to visit a famous temple in the neighbouring state of Uttarakhand and pray that the Lord helps give her meek husband immense strength. One wouldn’t disclose such a thing to one’s husband, but who will take Angoori Bhabhi to Uttarakhand? No prizes for guessing, Vibhuti wouldn’t let go of this opportunity. While breaking bread at an Uttarakhand café, Vibhuti spars with a flirtatious stranger, unaware that the man is a gun-toting Bahubali Shanti Sharma (Ravi Kishan). Vibhuti takes a bullet in his bum and somehow conjures an escape. Shanti, who falls in love with Angoori Bhabhi at first sight, is hell-bent on finding the woman and finishing off Vibhuti. Worried after learning that Vibhu is shot, Anita aka Anu Bhabhi (Vidisha Srivastava) takes Tiwari ji along with her to trace her husband and Angoori. Before they can find them, Anita bumps into or rather falls into the arms of Shanti’s brother Kranti (Mukesh Tiwari). Now, Kranti’s smitten by Anita and, just like his stubborn big brother, desires to marry her.
Screenplay and direction
A bit silly and fraught with danger, the Fun on the Run saga has a Ramayanesque taste to it. However, Vibhuti and Tiwari are anything but Ram. As it turns out, the poor men are frying samosas and decorating the venue for their respective wives’ second marriages. Maybe the absent-minded cop Happu Singh (Yogesh Tripathi) will be the Hanuman-like saviour.
Rated U/A 16+, there are moments where Bhabhiji Ghar Par Hain! Fun on the Run borders on the ‘A’ side. Maybe an A rating befits an adult comedy. Let’s not forget, though, this franchise has built a loyal TV audience. A film allows Bali and Shekhavat to up the edgy humour. With such content, you’re either in or straight out. However, even the sternest critics are likely to break into a few laughs while watching Fun on the Run. And let’s face it, the target audience is more likely to be males. The first half breezes through and you’re constantly left giggling. Regrettably, though, Bali loses the plot thereafter, with a rather bizarre anti-climax and a forced horror element.
Performances
The plot, with its edgy and occasional toilet humour, will polarise viewers, but Ravi Kishan and Mukesh Tiwari command respect. As one with a receding hairline, this reviewer instantly connects with Shanti Sharma’s story. Long mocked for his baldness, he finally gets a successful hair transplant, an emotional moment for him and his brother, who believes bade Bhaiyya can now settle down. It doesn’t take long for Angoori to arrive, and lovestruck Shanti doesn’t care she’s married. The early scuffle with Vibhuti leaves a lump charcoal scorching his newly transplanted hair, creating a hole and reigniting fears of baldness. Be it his hair-raising sob story or thirst for revenge, Kishan is a modicum of intensity.
The Tiwari-Kishan bromance lights up the screen. Efforts by Angoori and Anu to divide Shanti and Kranti bear no fruit. Largely cast in intense, often villainous roles, Mukesh Tiwari has over the years shown his comedy prowess too. The Golmaal franchise and now Bhabhiji Ghar Par Hain! prove it.
The general tone of Bhabhiji Ghar Par Hain! is rooted in Kanpur, where the eloquent, sometimes English-speaking Vibhuti Mishra connects even with urban audiences. Now 61, Sheikh still brings youthful energy and infectious smile that makes you overlook his flirtatious character. While Sheikh holds his ground, poor Rohitashv Gour ends up delivering a farcical, gassy show.
With the original Angoori, Shilpa Shinde, returning in a limited Bhabhiji Ghar Par Hain! series, it’s perhaps put pressure on Shubhangi Atre not to slip in the TV show. Let’s face it: TV viewership is built on years of loyalty, so audiences continue watching despite popular actors being replaced. Fans would have yearned to see Shinde and Saumya Tandon, the original Anu Bhabhi in the film too, but Atre doesn’t disappoint in Fun on the Run. Vidisha Srivastava, too, holds her own in the film.
Bhojpuri icon Dinesh Lal Yadav (better known as Nirahua) is a big disappointment in Fun on the Run. The character, particularly his relationship with the old family yellow Ambassador car called Bua (aunt), is intriguing, but after the initial introduction, Nirahua’s Baccho Yadav cuts a sorry figure. Similarly, Saanand Verma’s much-loved Saxena ji (aka Paglait) is funny to begin with but then fails to amuse with his theatrics in the climax. However, his self-created four-seater moped-which runs on banana peels, has you rolling on the floor peeling with laughter. Meanwhile, the goofy cop Happu Singh, is a forever-delightful watch.
Music and technical aspects
There’s little to say about the music, with Bali using Madhuri Dixit’s Mere Piya Ghar Aaya for comic effect. And let’s not forget the hilarious sight of the chubby Soma Rathod dancing to the Uyi Amma song. No disrespect to young Rasha Thadani, but we enjoyed watching Soma Rathod more.
Uttarakhand’s natural beauty is unmissable, but Shashank Bali opts to entertain viewers more with drama and edgy humour.
Final word
Bhabhiji Ghar Par Hain! Fun on the Run is likely to resonate more with its target, largely male audience, particularly in the hinterland. Sitting in Mumbai, it’s convenient to dismiss Fun on the Run as cheap desi comedy, but the same urbanites laugh out loud at Hot Shots! The Hangover, and Deadpool.
Born from a “love thy neighbour” theme, Fun on the Run surprises with its selective moral awakening. Though it offers a lesson for Vibhuti and Tiwari ji to respect their wives more, the duo is in no mood to let go of their nosy business. We end this review Bhabhiji style: “Buri nazar wale, tera…” (run your imagination wild).
Video review below.
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