Bhooth Bangla movie review: Akshay Kumar keeps the laughs coming in this ‘spirited’ entertainer, while the writing creaks in the background.
Quick Vibes
Genre: Horror comedy
Vibes: Nostalgic and chaotic
Film Credits
Cast: Akshay Kumar, Paresh Rawal, Tabu, Wamiqa Gabbi, Rajpal Yadav, late Asrani, Mithila Palkar, Jisshu Sengupta, Rajesh Sharma
Director: Priyadarshan
Writers: Akash Kaushik (story), Abhilash Nair, Priyadarshan and Rohan Shankar (screenplay), Rohit Shankar (dialogues)
Story
Bhooth Bangla opens at a desolate railway station in Mangalpur, where an old mystic grips four boys with a chilling tale. He speaks of his cursed town, where brides vanish before their wedding night, snatched away by Vadhusur, a demon with a centuries-old grudge. Betrayed by a nymph, he now ensures no bride in Mangalpur ever makes it to her wedding night.
The story then shifts to London, where Arjun (Akshay Kumar) is immersed in planning his sister Meera’s (Mithila Palkar) wedding. When the latter inherits a sprawling ancestral palace in Mangalpur, Arjun decides it’s the perfect venue for her wedding, unaware of the town’s sinister past. On his way there by train, he crosses paths with a mysterious woman (Wamiqa Gabbi) who is in search of her missing sister.
Once inside the palace, Arjun learns of the chilling curse but scoffs at it, convinced it’s nothing more than ‘just stories’. He throws himself into wedding prep, only to be joined by a carnival of Priyadarshan’s trademark eccentrics: a chaotic wedding planner (Paresh Rawal), a jittery caretaker (Asrani), and a clueless electrician (Rajpal Yadav) who seems more likely to blow a fuse than fix one.
As the wedding bells draw closer, the shadows in the palace grow longer. Arjun finds himself juggling slapstick chaos with a lurking predator, torn between laughter and dread. In a town that devours brides, will Mangalpur claim its next victim in Meera?
What’s Yay
Akshay Kumar proves once again that comedy is his comfort zone, and delivers laughs with effortless ease. Priyadarshan’s troupe- late Asrani, Paresh Rawal, and Rajpal Yadav slip right back into their groove, and reminds us why their antics never get old. The VFX may not break new ground, but it’s polished enough to keep the haunted chaos fun.
What’s Nay
Akshay Kumar-Wamiqa Gabbi’s love track feels half-baked and barely makes sense. The music leaves no trace. Some of the humor feels stuck in another era. It misses the sharpness that Priyadarshan’s chaos usually thrives on.
Writing And Direction
You feel the absence of late Neeraj Vora when it comes to the writing department. If Priyadarshan is the architect, the late writer was the one who ensured every brick of the screenplay/dialogues fit perfectly. Without that partnership, the ‘Priyadarshan brand’ of madness feels a bit like a phantom limb. You have the energy which used to be there, but the legendary ‘click’ of the plot is missing.
The romantic subplot between Akshay Kumar and Wamiqa Gabbi plays like an afterthought- half‑baked, chemistry‑less, and struggling to find a reason to exist. Some of the jokes feel dusty. The innuendo-heavy gags involving Rajpal Yadav or the physical comedy of Paresh Rawal getting his posterior burnt lean on tropes that haven’t aged well.
While Priyadarshan still knows how to stage chaos better than most, what’s missing here is the razor‑sharp precision that once defined his classics like Bhool Bhulaiyaa, Hera Pheri, Hungama, Bhagam Bhaag, amongst others.
Performances
Akshay Kumar is back in his natural habitat. He delivers laughs with that signature ease that reminds us exactly why we missed this version of him. The superstar proves how he can find a punchline even in the darkest of plot holes with his impeccable comic timing. But, he isn’t alone.
The legendary Priyadarshan ensemble (Paresh Rawal, Rajpal Yadav and late Asrani) showcase a chemistry that defined a generation of laughter. Seeing the late Asrani on the big screen for the one last time truly pulls at the heart.
Wamiqa Gabbi looks charming on screen, but her role is so thinly written that she barely gets a chance to flex her acting chops. Mithila Palkar does what’s asked of her, though the part doesn’t demand much. Tabu, however, lights up every frame she’s in, even within the limits of her screen time. She leaves you wishing the film had given her more space to shine. Jisshu Sengupta, too, is serviceable, but his role never rises above being just ‘okay’.
Tech Check
Divakar Mani’s cinematography looks neat and professional, but it plays too safe. It rarely takes the kind of stylistic risks that could have turned the palace into a truly terrifying character. MS Aiyyappan Nair’s editing is decent and keeps the narrative moving without adding much flair. The VFX doesn’t set out to reinvent the horror genre or push the limits of Indian cinema, but it serves the story with a decent amount of atmosphere. Could it have been better? Absolutely.
Playlist Fact
Pritam’s music turns out to be a major letdown. The songs vanish from your memory the moment you leave the theater. In their bid to capture lightning in a bottle twice, the makers attempt to recreate the spell of the legendary ‘Ami Je Tomar’ with an Akshay Kumar- Tabu dance number. But the magic simply refuses to appear in this new track.
The Final Shot
Akshay Kumar-Priyadarshan’s reunion is more bittersweet than blockbuster. Come for the legends, stay for the few laughs and nostalgia, but don’t expect this ‘bangla’ to haunt you long after the credits roll. And if you are looking for another Bhool Bhulaiyaa (2007) here, that door is still locked!
