Bhooth Bangla Review: Priyadarshan & Akshay Kumar's Horror-Comedy Misses

Anupama Chopra reviews Bhooth Bangla, Priyadarshan's long-awaited horror-comedy reunion with Akshay Kumar — their first collaboration in 17 years — now playing in theatres. The film brings back beloved faces including Paresh Rawal, Rajpal Yadav, Manoj Joshi, and the late Asrani ji in a nostalgia-heavy ride that strains to recreate the magic of Hera Pheri (2000) and the original Bhool Bhulaiyaa (2007), but ultimately falls short. Running at nearly three hours, the plot piles on an apex demon named Vasudhar, bats, a half-bat man, an adopted son, a cursed haveli, a village where no one marries, a chanting machine, and multiple Akshay Kumars — yet leaves the viewer puzzled by the end. The script — story by Aakash Kaushik, screenplay by Priyadarshan, Rohan Shankar, and Abhilash Nair, with dialogues by Rohan Shankar — leans heavily into superstition and black magic while recycling familiar tropes, even returning to Chomu Palace in Jaipur where Bhool Bhulaiyaa was shot. Chopra also flags awkward casting choices: Jisshu Sengupta plays Akshay's father despite being younger, while Wamiqa Gabbi is his love interest. Tabu and Mithila Palkar drift in and out. A few first-half moments lift spirits, but the post-interval ghost-busting becomes a slog. Exhausting and dispiriting — that's the THR India bottomline. #BhoothBangla #AkshayKumar #Priyadarshan #BollywoodReview #HorrorComedy #Lykstage #LykstageVideo #LykstageCreator #LykstageCommunity