‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3’ (2024) Movie Review - Ghost of the Past

When writer Madhu Muttam and director Fazil collaborated with actor Mohanlal and created Manichitrathazhu in 1993, they surely were not thinking that their psychological horror film would one day - in another language - become a big franchise. Manichitrathazhu gave rise to four remakes in Kannada, Tamil, Bengali, and Hindi. Under the garb of a horror comedy, these movies talked about mental health, and for the treatment, they told us to have faith in science. Priyadarshan's Bhool Bhulaiyaa also carries the same theme, and it's still delightful because it finely walks the line between horror and comedy. Its sequel, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, tossed science out of the window and squealed, "Ghosts are real. Deal with it." Now comes Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, with the same intentions, and the same high-pitched voice. It initially says that ghosts are not real through its protagonist, Rooh Baba (Kartik Aaryan), who deceives innocent people with supernatural rubbish. But we know where this film's allegiance lies because we have already watched the opening scene, where a woman's spirit takes revenge on the executioner who had burned her alive. Anees Bazmee, this time, isn't merely interested in goofy, spooky stuff. He also dispenses a message regarding forgiveness and acceptance that is served through a not-bad twist that carries a good emotional punch. The problem, however, is that the movie, before this twist, is not consistently rewarding. It fails to match up to the poignant power of these final scenes, so the twist merely comes across as a thin, shocking twist.

I must admit I liked Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 - to some extent. There are some good jokey bits, like the manipulation of electrical switches done by Arun Kushwah's character, Rooh Baba's scary ringtone, and a toothpaste's perfect landing on a brush. The best joke in the film comes when Raja Saab (Vijay Raaz) asks for a tape to fix a check. The "Netflix" joke was spoiled by the trailer, but you enjoy watching Chhota Pandit (Rajpal Yadav), Bade Pandit (Sanjay Mishra), and Panditayeen (Ashwini Kalsekar) do "wall dancing." These three characters are so good that you feel they deserve better jokes. They were funnier in the prequel. In fact, as soon as this trio appears on the screen, the movie begins to lose its magic. Bazmee, from the beginning (Rooh Baba's introduction, that is), seems comfortable working in a lighthearted mood, so he is able to land his jokes effectively. After Chhota Pandit, Bade Pandit, and Panditayeen join the circus, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 starts moving between romance, horror, and comedy. Bazmee fails to change these emotional gears smoothly. The romance undermines the horror, and the horror undermines the comedy. The song sequences are more atrocious than Manjulika's spirit. Also, not all gags are funny. The childish humor - whipping characters and fat shaming - turns you off, and when Aaryan tries to do physical comedy, he doesn't manage to infuse his gestures with a comic intensity.

Bazmee takes fine actors like Vidya Balan and Madhuri Dixit and wastes them in roles that require them to act like scheming, cartoonish villains. They look like the sort of stereotypical evil women people think about when they compare women with witches. Bazmee attempts to subvert this notion through a kind gesture during the climax, but the execution is clumsy. Nothing in the movie hints at these compassionate feelings. The action simply comes across as another twist inserted to wrap up the story. Triptii Dimri does what she has been doing in her recent films: Be a love interest and an eye candy. Manish Wadhwa's Rajpurohit must indeed be quietly observing everything from some corner, which is why he is able to appear at just the right time - be it day or night.

The Ami Je Tomar song was one of the highlights of the first film. The sequels overuse the song to the point of exhaustion, rendering it non-melodic. Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 often borrows its images from the 2007 Priyadarshan horror comedy, so you get those "throne lifting" scenes that remind you of Bhool Bhulaiyaa's "bed lifting" scene. Even Mallika's (Balan) threats to Rooh Baba when he tells her to act like Manjulika take you back to that scene from Bhool Bhulaiyaa where Manjulika warns Aditya, who poses as King Vibhuti, that she will wreak havoc on Durgashtami. When Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 works (which is not very often), you laugh along with it. When it doesn't (and it mostly doesn't), you get the urge to fall into the arms of the original Priyadarshan horror comedy. Bazmee still knows how to tell some jokes, but the elements of romance and horror elude the grasp of his filmmaking.

Final Score- [4/10]
Reviewed by - Vikas Yadav
Follow @vikasonorous on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times