'Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2' review: You just can't take this seriously
What's the story
After a long wait, Kartik Aaryan and Tabu starrer, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, hit theaters on Friday. Helmed by Anees Bazmee, it is a loosely connected sequel to Priyadarshan's Bhool Bhulaiyaa (2007) which featured actors Akshay Kumar and Vidya Balan in the lead. The prequel defined the horror-comedy genre with the lead actors giving stellar performances, but the sequel barely copes up. Here's our review.
Plot
Story begins with Ruhan, Reet's chance encounter
The film narrates how Ruhan Randhawa (Aaryan) and Reet Thakur (Kiara Advani) cross paths on a road trip. Reet reveals that she was on her way to Rajasthan for her marriage. On their journey, Randhawa insists Thakur join him at a music festival, where he saves her from an accident. However, Thakur's family believes that she didn't survive the mishap.
Turn
Incidentally, vengeful spirit Manjulika gets released
After learning that her sister is in love with her fiance, Thakur continues to play dead so the two can get married. She convinces Randhawa to help her on this mission, who pretends to have the ability to communicate with spirits and becomes Rooh Baba. Everything is fun and games until he accidentally opens a room that contains the vengeful spirit of Manjulika.
Review
No 'horror' in this horror-comedy film
To begin with, let's scratch the word "horror" out of the film's supposed horror-comedy genre. Bhool Bhuliayaa 2 has absolutely no elements of horror and it doesn't even include any typical jump scares, which probably would've helped it a little. The movie focuses more on the comedy part, but the jokes aren't even funny. If anything, Manjulika is the funniest part of the film.
Observations
Advani plays filler character, Aaryan imitates Kumar's nuances but misses
We get that it must be a tough job to try and level up to the benchmark set by the prequel, but the absence of Kumar and Balan is felt strongly. Aaryan tries to fill that void by mimicking certain nuances from Kumar's performance, but they don't cut it. Advani's role feels like a filler as her character doesn't add relevance to the storyline.
Details
Tabu's acting is only good part of the film
The only good thing going on for Bazmee's film is Tabu. She plays dual roles and completely nails the transition between the two. She brings elegance to her character and is also seen speaking in flawless Bengali in certain parts. Tabu adds some much-needed seriousness to the film when needed. Watching Rajpal Yadav reprise his role as Chhote Pandit is a delightful save.
Verdict
'Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2' offers nothing new, all-in-all major disappointment
The plot twist at the end was highly predictable and the film would have better if the horror bit was taken seriously. Cons aside, actors Rajesh Sharma, Amar Upadhyay, Sanjay Mishra, and Milind Gunaji, among others, gave a decent performance and made it a little entertaining. Overall, it doesn't have anything new in store and runs like a clichéd comedy flick. Verdict: 0.5/5 stars.