Bhooth Bangla review: Akshay Kumar-Priyadarshan's film has few laughs, fewer scares

Bhooth Bangla movie review: The much-anticipated Bhooth Bangla, starring Akshay Kumar and directed by Priyadarshan, falls short of delivering the expected blend of horror and comedy. The film struggles with outdated humour, weak storytelling, and lacks the excitement audiences hoped for.

In Short

• Priyadarshan and Akshay Kumar's film disappoints audiences
• Story set in Mangalpur with a folklore-like curse
• Casting choices lead to unintended humour

When Priyadarshan and Akshay Kumar reunite, you don’t walk into the theatre. You arrive with expectations. After all, this is the duo behind Hera Pheri, Bhagam Bhaag, and the much-loved Bhool Bhulaiyaa. So naturally, Bhooth Bangla should have been a scream (the good kind), but what you get is a film that tries very hard to be loud, spooky, and funny and ends up being none of the above. And the worst part? The disappointment kicks in early... and stays.

The story unfolds in the fictional village of Mangalpur, beginning with a folklore-like narration about a cursed village plagued by the kidnapping of newlywed brides by a beast, reminiscent of the 1979 film, Jaani Dushman. Although initially intriguing, the storytelling quickly becomes overbearing. The narrative then shifts to London, where logic is set aside.

Jisshu Sengupta, at 49, plays father to Akshay Kumar, aged 58, a casting choice that unintentionally elicits more amusement than the script itself. Mithila Palkar plays the bride-to-be whose conveniently inherited haunted palace becomes the story’s pivot. The family willingly walks into chaos, and once in Mangalpur, the film settles into a dated comic rhythm – jokes that feel manufactured, conversations that sound like rehearsed dialogue rather than lived-in moments.

There are definitely flashes of humour, but they’re fleeting. Asrani tries hard, but Rajpal Yadav and Paresh Rawal are reduced to physical comedy props, taking hits (literally) for laughs that feel outdated. The horror, meanwhile, relies heavily on an overbearing background score that confuses noise for tension, leaning dangerously close to Balaji Telefilms-style TV shows. The presence of a dark shadow with a look heavily inspired by Akshay Kumar's 2.0 character adds intrigue but never scares.

The folklore around Vadhusur, with its dev-asur lineage, mythology, prophecy, and the classic “only his own blood can destroy him” angle, holds promise but is explained to the point of fatigue. The film doesn’t trust the audience to catch up; it insists on spelling everything out... repeatedly. And so, by the time revelations arrive, they feel less like shockers and more like 'See, I told you'.

Akshay Kumar appears to enjoy his role, showcasing his comfort with comedy, action, and punchlines. Yet, even his efforts cannot salvage a script that feels indulgent. Wamiqa Gabbi's character, though initially a promising mystery, is underdeveloped, and her performance appears disengaged. Similarly, Tabu, known for her ability to elevate roles, is underutilised in this narrative.

The music, aside from Ram Ji Aake Bhala Karenge, is largely forgettable. Attempts to recreate iconic moments, such as the Ami Je Tomar sequence with Akshay and Tabu, fall flat, leaving only a sense of deja vu.

The second half is where the film truly unravels. Instead of building pace, it gets lost in explanations, flashbacks, and prolonged reveals. What also doesn’t quite land is the film’s confused tonality. A supposedly modern, UK-raised woman unquestioningly submits to regressive rituals, while her family chooses secrecy around their cursed past over her safety. It’s less dramatic tension, more narrative convenience. And in between the chaos, Bhooth Bangla also insists on underlining putr dharma (duties of a son), adding a layer of preachiness that feels completely misplaced.

Over the years, offerings from the Bhool Bhulaiyaa franchise or even other horror-comedy films, despite not matching the brilliance of Bhool Bhulaiyaa, managed to hold together the genre. Bhooth Bangla attempts the same blend but suffers from excess. There’s too much noise, too many ideas, and very little cohesion. It has moments... a few genuine laughs, a couple of engaging bits, but they’re buried under an overlong runtime and a screenplay that desperately needed editing.

You walk in expecting a roller-coaster. You get a slow, creaky haunted house ride that stops way too often and not in a fun, jump-scare way! If only this bangla had fewer bhooths and a lot more brains.

- Ends