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.
A poster of the film 'Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3'. (X)
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.
The storyline of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 focuses on a con baba called Ruhaan Randhawa/Rooh Baba. In the 2022 Bhook 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’. (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.
‘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.
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.
(Views expressed here are personal.)
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