In our otherwise monotonous lives, comedy films are supposed to bring some relief. Those couple of hours put a smile on our faces. Imagine then spending close to three hours on a film, laughing a lot in the beginning- and then it dips. The climax promises novelty, comes close to evoking some emotions- yet it all amounts to so less. Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, directed by Anees Bazmee, makes you watch a lot for the minuscule pay off.
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What’s the story
The story revolves around Ruhaan urf Rooh Baba (played by Kartik Aaryan) who is lured to Rakhtghat in Bengal. People believe him to be a reincarnation of their prince, Dibendranath, who lived 200 years ago. A palace is haunted by the ghost of Manjulika, his sister, who was burnt alive by their father. He is promised ₹1 crore if he opens the door to the room in which Manjulika is supposedly captured, and kills her. What happens next is the rest of the story.
Same as Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2
Anees Bazmee has cracked the formula of making films under the BB franchise: Rooh Baba+ Talented female actor as Manjulika+ A pretty looking female lead opposite Kartik+ Ami Je Tomar. I have just described both BB2 and BB3 to you. It’s that similar.
It doesn’t come as a surprise hence when I read the credits: Aakash Kaushik is the man behind the story for both the mentioned films. And when something has worked once at the box office, the unsaid rule within the industry is: you don’t question it.
Unfortunately, what it leads to is bigger budgets, bigger casts, but low comedy quotient.
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Comedy quotient is disappointing
The third instalment in the Bhool Bhulaiyaa franchise starts off on a promising note, with Kartik in top form. His dialogue delivery comes eerily close to that of Akshay Kumar, who had starred in the OG. But even Kartik can only lift the average material on paper so much.
Vidya is accompanied by Madhuri Dixit (who is strangely credited as only a special appearance, despite having equal screen time as Vidya) Both are known to be powerhouses, and together as on-screen sisters Manjulika and Anjulika, it should have been fireworks. But I kept waiting.
The first half is a drab after the funny beginning. The second half too is a mess, with the trio of Sanjay Mishra, Rajpal Yadav and Ashwini Kalsekar being given needless gags. A pair of bulls is named ‘Rolls’ and ‘Royce’- this will give you an idea about the humour here.
The climax is quite novel, and Kartik deserves praise for being secure enough to agree to it.
Vidya Balan, Madhuri Dixit are disappointing
Kartik is naturally funny, and plays to his strengths. Vidya and Madhuri’s roles broke my heart. They deserved much better than scenes which require them to ham it up. The screeching matches of ‘Ami Manjulika’ wear out the viewers after a point.
Triptii Dimri is decent. I wish she had been given a meaty role because her innocent face can hold secrets well when required for a character.
The music of the film is nothing to write home about. Ami Je Tomar works only because of the nostalgia.
To sum it up
Overall, the Bhool Bhulaiyaa franchise deserved a better film. It’s nice to see actors like Vidya and Madhuri in one frame, in a dance off. It’s equally great to see Kartik carry a film so well. But the ingredients needed to all come together for a great dish- the chef could have done a better job. Atleast in the spooks department if not comedy.