Sanchita
Nah, folks – Maybe it was best to let Manjulika rest in peace. It’s a BOO for Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2.
Read Full Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 Movie Review:
Director: Anees Bazmee
Cast: Kartik Aaryan, Kiara Advani, Tabu
Rating: 2.5/5
Runtime: 2h 25m
Now, comparison to the Akshay Kumar-starrer Bhool Bhulaiyaa is inevitable. But I was still willing to give Kartik Aaryan the benefit of doubt.
Though Bhool Bhulaiyaa itself was a remake of the Malayalam film Manichitrathazhu, it still achieved a cult status of its own. Akshay Kumar was in his peak comedy era, Vidya Balan’s bone-chilling Manjulika remains the stuff nightmares are made of, and the MUSIC! Chef’s kiss! Personally, it was a childhood classic and I was wary about the sequel – given the cringe trailer.
And now it seems for a good reason. Maybe this time the ghost shouldn’t have been roused. Stale comedy, forgettable music (apart from BB 2 Title track, which is a BOP though) and a climax that’s ripped off straight from a Bipasha Basu horror film, make the sequel kinda underwhelming.
Storyline:
Reet (Kiara) a medical student, is heading back to her hometown but she’s dreading the arranged marriage waiting for her there. She meets Ruhan Randhawa (Kartik), a wanderlust-struck vela munda who convinces her to get off the bus and ‘live a little’ at a music festival before she’s tied down for life.
And just as well – because that very bus crashes with no survivors. Reet tries to call back home to ensure them she’s fine, but a bad connection ensues and she overhears on the phone that her cousin is in love with her fiance.
Reet decides ‘Oh, they think I’m dead, might as well keep up the ruse a little longer so that my cousin can marry my fiance instead and get her happy ending. And then I’ll appear and go tada.’ Yup. *sighs*
Ruhan gets roped into aiding her in this hare-brained scheme; pretending he can talk to ghosts. He convinces her family that it was Reet’s last wish to get her cousin married to Reet’s fiance.
Meanwhile, the very-much-alive Reet continues playing hide-n-seek in the haveli as her cousin’s marriage progresses. Ruhan carries on as the ‘fake-ghost medium’ and becomes the much sought-after Rooh Baba in the village.
While they’re all busy playing make-believe, the very-real ghost of Manjulika gets unleashed, after being locked up in the mansion for 18 years. Except, it’s not our dancer Manjulika from the previous part but a black-magic practising Bengali lady. (Kitna stereotype karoge bhai)
Watch Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 to see the madness unfold….
What Do We Think:
The original Bhool Bhulaiyaa was the perfect balance of thrills, chills and feels – the sequel never really enters the tense, scary zone. Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2‘s filled with cringe dialogues, fat jokes, and every single cliche horror trope and jump scare, instead of strengthening the setup.
The first half is blah and bizarre, it takes forever to get to the point and is packed with too much subpar comedy. The 2nd half is when things start happening but get stuck in some repetitive sequences.
We have got a set of credible actors; Kartik Aaryan is actually quite goofy and cute but the mediocre script lets him down. His chemistry with Kiara is also kinda blah. Tabu has a meaty role but the weak plot doesn’t do her justice.
Sanjay Mishra and Rajpal Yadav – are also great comic actors that are wasted in the sequel.
Hit Or Miss:
For nostalgia’s sake, if you want to watch this standalone sequel- then hit the theatres this weekend.
