Tag: Bhushan Kumar

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Chhorii 2: A gripping story of a dangerous cult and a mother’s fight

The horrors in Chhorii 2 much like the first part comes more from the regressive mindset. The paranormal entities here aren’t ghosts but a certain patriarchal rot and violence being justified under the name of tradition
  • Starcast: Nushrratt Bharuccha, Soha Ali Khan, Gashmeer Mahajani and others
  • Genre: Horror/thriller
  • Writer and director: Vishal Furia
  • Additional writer: Ajit Japtap
  • Producers: Bhushan Kumar, Vikram Malhotra and others
  • Production Companies: T- Series Films, Abundantia Entertainment etc
  • Cinematography: Anshul Chobey
  • Music: Adrija Gupta
  • Streaming site: Amazon Prime
  • Running time: 2 hours and 13 minutes

For those who haven’t seen Chhorii 1 the plot revolved around an eight month pregnant Sakshi played by Nushratt Bharuccha. Sakshi and her husband Hemant are a happily married couple. However due to the debts of Hemant they are forced to move somewhere else. The setting is a secluded place in a north Indian village reminiscent of Haryana. After a few days the husband makes a decision of going back to the city for arranging money. Sakshi soon stumbles upon a deadly secret related to Mita Vashist’s Bhanno Devi. Without giving away too much Chhorii effectively combined the horror elements and the important issue of female infanticide, the acting performances specifically that of Nushratt and Mita Vashist were of the highest order too. The movie is based on a Marathi film Lapachhapi.

Chhorii 1 movie image

Now you have the sequel to Chhorii after a gap of four years. The basic storyline of Chhorii 2 is about Sakshi’s return to the cursed village due to her missing daughter Ishaani (Hardik Sharma). Ishaani is in the grip of a dangerous cult who do demonic rituals. Sakshi is left no other option other than to fight back. Standing in the path of Sakshi is Soha Ali Khan’s Daasi ma (Soha Ali Khan). Soha Ali Khan is a shape shifting priestess in servitude of her master.

The genre of horror gives scope for stories that go beyond the commercial template. A good example of this is Sohum Shah’s Tumbbaad. The movie focused on ordinary human beings turning into monsters in order to satisfy their unlimited greed. It gave a strong message on these types of humans being more dangerous than a cursed supernatural entity. Another good example of horror genre being effectively used is Aamir Kaushik’s Stree 2, in this film the antagonist by the name of sarkate is used to explore the patriarchal mindset reminiscent of our sexist leaders who often blame a women’s modernity for the crimes happening on them. Vishal Furia’s Chhorii 2 is a good addition to this trend of movies.

As already mentioned the paranormal entities in Chhorii aren’t ghosts but a certain regressive mindset justified under the name of tradition. The portions of the patriarchal cult led by the character of Pradhan sends a chill down the viewers spine. Soha Ali Khan’s character of Daasi ma is both a villain and a victim. Villain because she stands in the way of Sakshi, however Daasi ma isn’t just a mouth piece for the activities of Pradhan she is also a victim of a certain kind of training. This layered characterization makes the movie very interesting.

Nushratt Bharuccha and Soha Ali Khan

The camerawork of Anshul Dobey is also of the highest order. The way he captures the underground maze and the numerous struggles of Sakshi through his lens is very praiseworthy. In fact the underground maze becomes a character in itself. The narrow tunnel becomes an allegory representing the societal structures which suffocate women generation after generation.

The main themes in Chhorii 2 are blind faith, misogyny, child marriage etc. All these come across effectively in simple yet effective moments like a young boy’s malicious behavior. An interesting plot device in Chhorii 2 is the major contrast in the stories that Sakshi and Daasi ma say to Ishaani. On one hand Sakshi tells tales of empowerment, on the other hand Daasi ma narrates manipulative stories using folklore as a device to make her submissive. This parallel storytelling adds an interesting social layer to the proceedings.

Talking about the jump scares the film could have done more with intense moments in that department. The eerie atmosphere is suitably effective but the jump scares lack a consistency factor. Also some of the secondary characters have been sketched way too loosely. They fade into oblivion leaving little to no impact. The movie also suffers from pacing issues in the final act and an abrupt ending which feels like more of a set up for the next part.

As Sakshi Nushrratt Bharuccha successfully takes off from the first movie. She does a very fine job in portraying both the motherly warmth and also the strong resolve of a warrior. Soha Ali Khan plays her complex character with the right amount of finesse, her grasp of the local dialect is impressive too. The supporting cast led by Gashmeer Mahajani as a police officer and Sakshi’s ally do a fine job too however the absence of Mita Vashist can be significantly felt.

Final word: Watch Chhorii 2 for its intense depiction of social issues and the acting performances.

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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.

https://thesouthfirst.com/entertainment/bhool-bhulaiyaa-3-movie-review/