Barring a reunion between a one-time superstar and the popular director, there is nothing much to rave about this below-par horror comedy.
Rating: 
(1.5 / 5)
By Mayur Lookhar
One is so consumed by the idea of formulaic films that we often lose sight of the fact that many a time it is desperation that sees one cling to the tried and tested. The Dhurandhars, Animals, and Pushpas are exceptions. It’s the clamour for sequels that tells the real story of how most fading stars are desperate to revive their careers. Sunny Deol is the lone exception here, having found success with Gadar 2 (2023) and Border 2 (2025).
Having experimented with biopics and true stories and failed, Akshay Kumar stayed afloat with the Housefull franchise and the Kesari franchise. But during this time, he’s also watched from the sidelines as Kartik Aaryan found a new lease of life with Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 (2022) and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 (2024). It must have been frustrating because this is a franchise that owes its legacy to a strong first film which was a turning point in Akshay Kumar’s career at the time. With T-Series owning the rights, Bhool Bhulaiyaa was history for Kumar. What does a struggling hero do then? Well, he reunites with the original Bhool Bhulaiyaa director and good friend Priyadarshan to create Bhooth Bangla (2026). Though it shares its title with a couple of desi films, most notably Mehmood’s 1965 film (considered to be India’s first horror-comedy) there is nothing else in common.
Story
Deemed a loser by his father, London-based Arjun Acharya (Akshay Kumar) is stunned when he learns that his grandfather has left him an ancestral bungalow, now worth Rs. 500 crores. Without informing his father Vasudev (Jisshu Sengupta), Arjun lands in Mangalpur, northern India. He plans to get his sister Meera (Mithila Palkar) married there, but is warned by the wise local Shantaram (Asrani) that his bungalow is cursed, where Vadhusur – an ancient dark spirit – haunts not just this mansion, but also the region. Such is his fear that no one gets married in Mangalpur. (Those who get married have to do it outside Mangalpur) Dismissing it as a legend, Arjun decides to stay in the bungalow. He survives the night, which leaves Shantaram and the other locals stunned. However, Arjun soon discovers that the legend is true, and the evil spirit must be stopped.
Screenplay & Direction
A demon casting its evil eye on a bride is a trope first explored in Rajkumar Kohli’s Jaani Dushman (1979). With Priyadarshan naming his antagonist Vadhusur (roughly bride-hunting demon), the plot comparison is unmissable. Bhooth Bangla, though, roots its haunting in fictitious ancient mythology, told beautifully via illustrated animation. This backstory connects instantly, triggering hopes for a refreshing horror experience interspersed with comedy.
During promotions, Priyadarshan revealed his desire to make a Bhool Bhulaiyaa sequel but admitted he could never develop the rough idea. Years later, T-Series turned Bhool Bhulaiyaa into a franchise with director Anees Bazmee and Kartik Aaryan – an actor whose style and comic timing are often compared to Akshay Kumar’s. Bhool Bhulaiyaa seemed like history for Priyadarshan and Akshay Kumar. Or is it?
Priyadarshan claimed that they developed a new story idea, one conceived by Aakash Kaushik, the very man who gave us Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3. Having worked with Akshay Kumar before in Housefull 4 (2019), how could Kaushik not be part of the Priyadarshan-Akshay Kumar reunion? Initially, it appeared that Bhooth Bangla has a novel plot, but the second half screenplay began suffering from a strong Bhool Bhulaiyaa hangover. Hey, you couldn’t name it Bhool Bhulaiyaa, so Bhooth Bangla was the convenient option to maintain the ‘BB’ nostalgia. Bhooth Bangla, though, ends up as a quasi-Bhool Bhulaiyaa or silly BB redux. No one is disputing the box-office success of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 and 3, but both lacked a gripping screenplay, raising questions about Kaushik’s competence as a screenplay writer.
With due respect to Priyadarshan, Bhool Bhulaiyaa (2007) owes its allegiance to director Fazil and writer Madhu Muttam’s Manichitrathazhu (1993), a psychological horror thriller far ahead of its time. Though fun to watch, Bhool Bhulaiyaa was pretty vocal in its condemnation of superstition, almost berating the small-town folks as an illiterate, gullible lot. How times have changed, with the same Priyadarshan now placing faith in the supernatural and ditching the psychological thriller angle altogether for Bhooth Bangla. Unfortunately, while the film scores high on atmospherics and some good VFX, it fails to instill the Bhool Bhulaiyaa-like fear. Even more disappointing is the lack of genuine humour. It’s frustrating that there’s a promising plot, but the director and his writers fail to do it justice. Bhooth Bangla will go down as another film that looked promising on paper, but proved unconvincing in execution.
Acting
Ah… Akshay Kumar! Much like the film, Akshay Kumar, too, flatters to deceive. At 58, he has to bear having Jisshu Sengupta (49) as his on-screen father. The grey hair and mustache, though, can’t hide the glow on Sengupta’s face, whereas Kumar fails in his attempt to look like his son. Well, only Ektaa Kapoor can pull off such a casting coup. A Priyadarshan film is usually a comfort zone for Kumar, a chance to charm with his uncanny sense of humour. Kumar seems to turn back the clock briefly, particularly in the war of words with Asrani, and some with Rajpal Yadav. Thereafter, though, the humour goes missing, and Kumar displays familiar frailties, lacking the intensity that a life-and-death situation warrants. Once a top action hero, Kumar no longer looks agile in combat scenes. Much like his fading career, Kumar cuts a desperate look in Bhooth Bangla.
With Kumar literally hogging every frame in this near three-hour screenplay, the others just react to his actions. The late Asrani shines in his cameo, but the rest just appear to be going through the motions. Though her character Priya has a history with Mangalpur, Wamiqa Gabbi’s arc partly rekindles Madhuri Dixit’s wasted effort in Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3. For the first time, Wamiqa looks lost in a film. It’s high time she respects her immense talent and no longer signs films out of sheer fanfare.
As serious roles have dried up, Tabu now seems satisfied with the lowest-hanging fruit. With her poor cameo, you can’t help but wonder if Bhooth Bangla became an obligation. Paresh Rawal, too, is a shadow of himself, and his character Jagdish, a wedding planner, is plain stupid. Sorry, Mr. Rawal; we’re just borrowing a word from your recent infamous tweet. Meanwhile, Bhooth Bangla simply strikes one as alms for Mithila Palkar.
Music & Technical Aspects
Tu Hi Disda features a dance performance, suggesting it wasn’t an afterthought for Arijit Singh, who recently retired from playback singing. Given its quality (or lack thereof), not many will rate this as Arijit’s finest. Ram Ji Aake Bhala Karenge is a promotional song clipped with the end credits. A couple of lyric samples have a slight echo of Satyajit Ray’s Bhooter Raja Dilo Bor from Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne (1969). The track featuring Tabu in a classical dance is a sheer eyesore. Hard to believe such compositions come from Pritam. The BGM is minimal, and the one that sticks is the limited use of Hans Zimmer’s Why So Serious from The Dark Knight (2008).
The screenplay and cast are underwhelming, but the Priyadarshan film scores high on atmospherics – courtesy of the production design and compelling cinematography, particularly in the eerie scenes in the woods. The man-versus-evil climactic action, though, is disappointing, devoid of any real chills.
Final Words
14 years later, the Akshay Kumar-Priyadarshan reunion flatters to deceive. Like its closing track, you leave the theatre hoping that Ram Ji Aake Bhala Karenge (Lord Ram will make things right). Though average, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 and 3 found their audience. Clearly, the bar has been lowered for Bollywood horror-comedies. So, don’t rule out a successful reunion for Akshay Kumar and Priyadarshan.
Video review to follow
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