Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3: An entertaining Diwali package with a solid twist

The best part of Anees Bazmee’s direction is how he keeps the audiences guessing about who the real Manjulika is. Kartik Aaryan is hugely entertaining as the fake ghost buster.
  • Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 (Hindi)
  • 31-10-2024, Comedy, Horror, 2 hours 38 minutes, U/A, Theatre
  • Main Cast:Vidya Balan, Kartik Aaryan, Madhuri Dixit, and Tripti Dimri
  • Director: Anees Bazmee
  • Producer: Bhushan Kumar and Krishan Kumar
  • Music Director: Tanishk Bagchi
  • Cinematography: Manu Anand

2024 has been the year of horror with most of the big grossers belonging to this genre. The best examples of this phenomenon are Stree 2 and Munjya of Maddock and Vikas Bahl’s comeback vehicle Shaitaan.

All these films have been very successful in scaring audiences and making huge profits for producers.

Anees Bazmee’s Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 in 2022 was a massive hit giving the Hindi Film industry a much-needed respite, it skyrocketed Kartik Aaryan’s career making him one of the most bankable Gen- z actors. And now you have Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3.

Anees Bazmee has once again delivered a perfect festive entertainer. This time apart from the laughs and scares there is also a poignant message on inclusivity and acceptance.

Synopsis

The storyline of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 focuses on a con baba called Ruhaan Randhawa/Rooh Baba. In the 2022 Bhool Bhulaiyaa Kartik Aaryan had to put up an act of being a ghost expert due to certain circumstances, in this 2024 movie he becomes a full-fledged conman accompanied by a partner in crime.

Things are going smoothly, in fact too smooth. His life takes a major turn when approached by a girl called Meera (Tripti Dimri) and her uncle played by Rajesh Sharma. Both belong to a once-upon-a-time royal family of Bengal. Except, for now, the palace descendants of this dynasty are in utter poverty.

Meera asks him to do a false exorcism in order to save them from these circumstances. Ruhaan agrees to a payment of ₹1 crore. This is the story in brief.

Vidya Balan and Madhuri Dixit in Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3
Vidya Balan and Madhuri Dixit in ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3’. (X)

The best part of Bhool Bhulaiyaa is how Anees Bazmee has integrated horror, comedy and mystery in equal measures. For a major chunk of the movie, the audiences feel that either Vidya Balan’s Malikka or Madhuri Dixit’s Mandira could be Manjulika.

A lot of suspense has been built around the identity of Manjulika, keeping the viewers constantly guessing.

The reveal however shocks the audience, like an unexpected googly which a batsman doesn’t see coming, which obviously cannot be revealed here. What also adds to this reveal is a poignant flashback connected to homosexuality.

The solution to the ghost problem is also different from what we generally come to expect in these movies. It is a brave climax, for which, both Anees Bazmee and writer Aakash Kaushik deserve a major appreciation.

Performances

Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 is a comedy horror
‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3’ is a comedy horror. (X)

Kartik’s acting in the scenes where his character expresses hurt over the betrayal of close ones is splendid.

Talking about the humour portions a special mention must be made of Vijay Raaz as the impoverished head of the royal family. He raises many chuckles with his deadpan humour.

His scenes with Kartik are a delight to watch, their dynamics raise many laughs. The track involving Sanjay Mishra, Ashwini Kaleskar and Rajpal Yadav could have been done with better dialogues but still, it delivers some laughs.

Both Vidya Balan and Madhuri Dixit lend a mysterious aura and are mighty effective in making the movie more suspenseful. Both have their dramatic moments as well, which they make complete use of.

Kartik Aaryan successfully takes off from where he left off in the second part. He brings the house down on many occasions with his comic timing.

His reaction shots to numerous jump scares are a delight to watch. In the second role too he is equally poignant.

What brings down the film somewhat is a half-baked love story between Ruhaan and Meera. In the last couple of years, Tripti has been trying to actively transition into a mainstream glamorous heroine and this has been pretty awkward to watch. Here too the actress looks out of place in the song and dance routine.

As far as the soundtrack goes “Ami Je Tomar 3.0” is easily the best of the lot. This song appears in various junctures apart from the faceoff between Vidya and Madhuri. Shreya Ghoshal’s singing coupled with the placement makes it a hugely enjoyable number.

Final take

To sum it up Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 is a perfect festive entertainer, particularly for those not so keen on logic and of course Kartik Aryan fans as well.

Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2: A Wholesome Commercial Entertainer

Priyadarshan’s Bhool Bhulaiyaa was a remake of the Tamil film Chandramukhi which starred Rajinikanth and Jyotika. Chandramukhi itself was a remake of the Malayalam film Manichitrathazhu. Bhool Bhulaiyaa wasn’t as good as Chandramukhi but it was still highly watchable thanks to the comic timing of Akshay Kumar and also the performance of Vidya Balan in the post interval portions. It was also the time when Priyadarshan was in good form. Bhool Bhulaiyaa was a psychological thriller with ample doses of comedy.

Anees Bazmee’s Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 is an extension of that universe. This one plays out like a horror comedy, a genre which has brought good box office numbers. Karthik Aryan steps into the shoes of Akshay Kumar, Tabu on the other hand steps into the shoes of Vidya Balan. Tabu plays a double role in this one. The only cast member who is common between both the films is Rajpal Yadav. He returns back as Chota Pandit. Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 is one of those wholesome entertainers that have something for everyone.

Strangers Ruhan Randhawa (Karthik Aryan) and Reet Thakur (Kiara Advani) meet at a hill station. Just like most Bollywood love stories there is an instant connection followed by a song and dance sequence. Things take a turn when Ruhan and Reet land up in an abandoned haveli where the spirit of Manjulika is believed to held captive for 18 years. Ruhan turns into Rooh Baba in no time and convinces people that he can talk to ghosts. Things are going well for Ruhan, but he invites self trouble when he accidently unleashes the spirit that has been locked for 18 years. The rest of the story is about why the spirit of Manjulika is so angry and will Rooh baba be able to handle the situation. The back story of Manjulika and the connection of the twin sisters form an integral part of the second half.

The best thing about Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 is how the director combines the elements of horror and comedy. The scares aren’t particularly new but still they do spoke you. The scenes of Karthik Aryan as Rooh Baba are an absolute laugh riot. His interactions with the family of Kiara Advani bring the house down. The subplot of Rajpal Yadav, Sanjay Mishra and Ashwini Kaleskar also raise some chuckles, even if the nature of the humor is somewhat questionable. The dialogues by Aakash Kaushik deserve praise for the way punch lines have been written.

Karthik Aryan gets ample scope to display his comic timing and the actor doesn’t disappoint one bit. Karthik is also very impressive in pre-climax scene where you have a big reveal.

Another thing that Anees Bazmee gets right is the track of twin sisters. After Karthik Aryan, Tabu has the meatiest role among the rest. She serves as the catalyst of the plot. The parts of the twin sister are as different as chalk and cheese. Tabu effortlessly switches between Anjulika and Manjulika. She gets her big moment in the climax and as usual Tabu kills it with her performance. The big twist here is quite satisfying as you don’t really see it coming. Special mention must also be given to the makeup of Tabu in the flashback portions. Tabu looks effortlessly young. Performances wise it is Karthik Aryan and Tabu who shoulder the film on their shoulders.

There are two areas where the film falters. One is the romance between Karthik and Kiara. There is a lot of flirting and also one kiss. But the chemistry is nowhere visible. In fact the romantic portions come across as speed breakers. The songs of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 are another major sore point. The only song that makes any impression is the reworked version of Hare Ram from the original. Karthik’s dance moves in that are quite fluid.

In a nutshell, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 is a wholesome entertainer that is going to keep its target audiences engaged. It is a film which is sure to break the dry run that Bollywood has been having since the success of Gangubai and Kashmir Files.