'The Bhootnii' review: Sanjay Dutt can't save deeply unfunny film
What's the story
The horror-comedy film The Bhootnii, directed by Sidhaant Sachdev, is headlined by Palak Tiwari, Sunny Singh, Mouni Roy, and Sanjay Dutt (also the producer).
Deeply and painfully unfunny, it's a series of bland jokes one after the other, and leaves you massively disappointed, especially because the genre is so ripe with possibilities.
With an insipid screenplay, The Bhootnii truly tests your patience.
Story
Focuses on a man in love with a ghost
The story revolves around a college student named Shantanu (Singh), who falls in love with an enigmatic woman named Mohabbat (Roy).
However, he soon realizes that Mohabbat is actually a ghost, and he and his friends, especially Ananya (Tiwari), are in trouble.
Dutt essays Baba, a ghostbuster who helps Shantanu.
Will he be able to defeat Mohabbat?
#1
Where is the humor in this horror-comedy?
There is neither horror nor comedy in this "horror-comedy," and the film does a great deal of disservice to both genres.
WhatsApp jokes and memes are recycled and repackaged, and the film's idea of humor is making fun of disabilities.
Some sequences (mostly featuring Aasif Khan and Nick) are so mind-numbing and grating that they are an outrageous insult to the viewer.
#2
A terribly unfunny affair through and through
The film tries its hand at meta references several times, but like everything else, these references lack a punch.
Roy's Naagin is referenced, as are Dutt's Munna Bhai MBBS and the Stree franchise, but none of these allusions generate any laughter.
Moreover, the film is also bogged down by the inclusion of songs in the most unnecessary places.
#3
You do not care about any character at all
The film also greatly suffers from half-baked characters, and the writing is the weakest link of this project.
Singh, Tiwari, Khan, and Nick essay college students, but we never see them discuss academics, future plans, or anything else remotely related to college education.
Plus, it doesn't help that nobody apart from Tiwari can pass off as a college student.
#4
How many clichés are too many clichés?
The Bhootnii was perhaps on a mission to incorporate all stereotypes and clichés from the cinematic world.
Khan plays Nasir, and since he is a Muslim, he constantly calls everyone "Miyan," is interested in poetry, and refers to himself as "hum."
The character is extremely dull and tiresome, and there is nothing the actor can do to make things better.
Verdict
No reason for you to watch it; 1.5/5 stars
With repetitive gags, a laughably predictable storyline, and zero humor, The Bhootnii doesn't really have any redeeming aspects.
Roy's performance doesn't disappoint, and Dutt tries his best to hold everything together, but they cannot salvage this film meant for destruction from the get-go.
The movie could have been a fun, mindless entertainer, but the terrible writing means it's tiring and instantly forgettable.
1.5/5 stars.