Bhooth Bangla Review: Akshay Kumar Film Falls Flat
Bhooth Bangla offers a few laughs but lacks originality. Despite Akshay Kumar and Priyadarshan’s reunion, the film feels average and underwhelming.
Akshay’s Haunted House of Recycled Jokes
Lock your doors, bolt your windows, and for the love of all things cinematic, hide your remote controls. Bhooth Bangla, the latest addition to Akshay Kumar’s never-ending conveyor belt of films, has finally landed. Billed as a "spine-chilling horror-comedy," the only thing truly frightening about this 140-minute slog is how quickly our beloved Khiladi is burning through his legendary comic goodwill. If this is the "new era" of Bollywood horror, I’d rather move into a flat with a daayan and call it a day.
The Plot (Or Lack Thereof)
The story—if we can call this loosely stitched collection of WhatsApp forwards a plot—follows Aryan (Akshay Kumar), a fast-talking, debt-ridden real estate agent who specializes in selling "distressed" properties. Naturally, he ends up in a sprawling, cobweb-laden mansion in the middle of nowhere that is supposedly cursed by the spirit of a disgruntled Bollywood extra from the 70s.
Aryan’s plan? Spend one night in the villa to prove it isn’t haunted so he can sell it to a group of NRI investors. He brings along a band of misfits, including the mandatory "scared best friend" and a heroine whose primary job is to look terrified while wearing designer lounge sets. What follows is a series of jump-scares that wouldn’t startle a toddler and "comedy" sequences that rely heavily on people falling over furniture or Akshay making weird faces while screaming at a CGI ghost.
The Same Old Schtick
Let’s talk about the elephant in the haunted room: Akshay Kumar. We love the man’s timing, or at least we used to. In Bhooth Bangla, Akshay isn’t playing a character; he’s playing "Akshay Kumar in a Horror Movie (Version 4.0)." The hyperactive babbling, the high-pitched "eh-eh-eh" laugh, and the frantic hand gestures feel like they’ve been copy-pasted directly from Bhool Bhulaiyaa and Laxmii, but with 50% less effort.
It’s a classic case of the Akshay Fatigue. When an actor releases four films a year, the audience begins to see the stitching. There are moments where you can almost see him checking his watch, wondering if he can wrap the shoot by 6:00 PM to hit the gym. Where is the spark? Where is the reinvented comic genius? It’s buried under a mountain of slapstick gags that expired back in 2005.
Screenplay: A Horror Story of Its Own
The direction and screenplay are where the film truly falls flat. The tone shifts more violently than a possessed rocking chair. One minute, we are supposed to be terrified by a blood-dripping ceiling; the next, we are subjected to a five-minute sequence about a malfunctioning toilet. You can’t build atmospheric dread when your lead actor is busy doing a synchronized dance number with a skeleton three minutes later.
The "Jokes" include:
- Mistaking a ghost for a cleaning lady (yawn).
- Accidentally drinking "holy water" that turns out to be something else (gross).
- Countless fat-shaming jokes directed at the side characters.
- A climax that is resolved so lazily it feels like the writers just gave up and wrote "And then they win" on the final page.
The Silver Linings (Small Ones)
Is it a total disaster? Almost. The saving grace is Rajpal Yadav. Whenever he is on screen, the movie briefly jolts to life. His chemistry with Akshay is nostalgic, and his ability to sell physical comedy through sheer facial contortion is a masterclass. There is also one genuinely clever set piece involving a haunted mirror that uses some decent practical effects, providing a momentary glimpse of the movie Bhooth Bangla could have been if it wasn't so obsessed with being a "product."
The music, however, is forgettable. The "horror-themed" item song at the end is a blatant attempt to go viral on Reels, but it lacks the hook to stay in your head for more than five seconds.
The Verdict
Bhooth Bangla is a loud, chaotic, and ultimately boring affair that fails to deliver on both its promises. It’s neither scary enough to keep you on the edge of your seat nor funny enough to make you fall off it. Akshay Kumar needs to stop, breathe, and realize that quantity is the real ghost haunting his career right now.
Bollybakar Rating: 2/5 Stars
Final Word: Skip this one and re-watch the original Bhool Bhulaiyaa on streaming. At least that ghost had a personality.
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