One of the most awaited movies of the year, Bhool Bhulaiyaa, has been released with immense hype and expectations. It is the third remake of regional film Manichitrathazhu and it seems history repeats itself with every remake; Apthamitra (Kannada), Chandramukhi (Tamil & Telugu) & now Bhool Bhulaiyaa. So, does Bhool Bhulaiyaa score or not? Definitely! Those expecting a comedy will be disappointed though. The movie does have a comic element but the second half gets serious and thrilling.
Priyadarshan, the king of comedy is back with another winner, Bhool Bhulaiyaa. In the past he has done a few different films like Virasaat taking a different route after being slotted in comedy. People also had doubts about Priyadarshan’s ability to remake Manichitrathazhu but he has finally put silence to all these doubts. With this film he takes a huge leap in terms of direction and proves that he can do more than just comedy. One wishes to see more of this aspect of Priyadarshan.
The movie revolves around a haunted mansion where the ancestors of the Chaturdevi family have quite a history. Siddharth (Shiney Ahuja) is back from racy America to his hometown in the interiors of India. The family welcomes him with open arm. But Badri (Manoj Joshi) and his adopted daughter Radha (Amisha Patel) are shocked when Avni (Vidya Balan) comes in as Siddharth’s wife. Radha is heart-broken and leaves in silence with her eyes filled with tears. Badri tells Siddharth about the history of the mansion, in particular a door that should never be unlocked because it holds the spirit of a woman that used to live there. Siddharth and Avni laugh it off and claim that they don’t believe in such stuff. Avni decides to enter the locked room with the help of Nandini (Tareena Patel), Siddharth’s sister. Supernatural events take place and Siddharth blames Radha for all this and tries to convince Badri that the spirit has entered her. He convinces him that a psychiatrist is needed to cure Radha. He calls Dr. Aditya Shrivastav (Akshay Kumar), a friend from America, for help. Aditya discovers there is another mystery in the mansion and gets deep into the story of the mistress who died on the third floor. The mysterious and horrific events start to get worse and now Aditya has to take drastic measures. He focuses on everyone in the mansion to discover whom the spirit has haunted.
The suspense of the film is great and the background music is magnificent. Priyadarshan captures the suspense so well that it increases your excitement greatly. The comic timing is fantastic as well.
Although the movie is quite good, it has some negative aspects such as a few slow areas. For example, it gets boring when Akshay explains Vidya’s psychological problem. It would’ve been better if they showed it all as a flashback or made him explain it more concisely. There are few unnecessary scenes and songs as well like ‘Allah Hafiz’. Also, Amisha’s role characterization could’ve been etched with more detail and depth.
The songs that stand out most are ‘Lets Rock Now Soniye’ and of course ‘Hare Krishna Hare Ram’ in the end credits. ‘Mere Dholna’ stands out boasts of wonderful choreography. The cinematography is terrific and dialogues are good.
Performances are topnotch. Akshay Kumar is outstanding! The movie only gets better with his entrance. Vidya Balan is excellent and this is one of her finest performances. She is wonderful in every single scene, especially the climax. Surprisingly, she dances really well in her solo number, ‘Mere Dholna’. Definitely an award-worthy performance! Shiney Ahuja is good although he gets sidelined after Akshay’s entrance. Amisha Patel is impressive with the small role she has. She gets a chance to display histrionics and doesn’t let the opportunity pass by. Manoj Joshi is great. Paresh Rawal and Rasika Joshi are first-rate. Asrani and Rajpal Yadav are good in their short roles. Tareena Patel and Vineeth are alright. Vikram Gokhale is fine although his role seems out of place.
Overall, Bhool Bhulaiyaa is one of the finest works by Priyadarshan. The climax is the best scene of the film. The movie lives up to people’s expectations and will surprise people who are expecting a mindless comedy. Definitely recommended!
