Bhooth Bangla Movie Review: Akshay Kumar leads the laughs in this uneven spookfest

Story: Arjun Acharya (Akshay Kumar) plans a grand wedding for his sister Meera (Mithila Palkar) at their ancestral mansion in Mangalpur. However, the property is haunted and their estranged grandfather leaving it to them is not a happy coincidence. Review: Director Priyadarshan delivers the second Hindi horror comedy of his career after Bhool Bhulaiya. This time, it is an out-and-out horror tale rather than a psychological drama. The film revolves around a demonic entity, Vadhusur, who abducts and kills newlywed brides, forcing villagers to stop marrying in the village, while those who cannot travel to neighbouring Gangapur remain unmarried.Meera is planning a destination wedding, and when a couple of locations are rejected by her would-be in-laws, Arjun travels from London to Mangalpur to arrange his sister’s wedding at their ancestral palace. The mansion is haunted, abandoned, and in shambles, prompting locals, including the manager Shambhu (Govardhan Asrani), to advise against holding the wedding there or even staying on the property. But Arjun dismisses this as an old wives’ tale and a ploy to usurp the palace. He then brings in a wedding planner (Paresh Rawal) and his oddball nephew Balli (Rajpal Yadav). What follows is a string of comedic yet scary events, along with the unravelling of the mystery behind Vadhusur and whatever it is that has drawn Arjun and Meera there.The film’s narrative and treatment follow a familiar path, drawing on the nostalgia of Bhool Bhulaiya and even Bhagam Bhag. The first half is entertaining, driven by Priyadarshan’s brand of raucous comedy, and many scenes will have viewers guffawing as the quartet of Kumar, Rawal, Yadav, and Asrani embrace the physicality and exaggeration with gusto. There’s a scene where Arjun performs a pooja for his sister’s wedding, and the guruji asks him to pick up a sword, saying, “Ab isey kaato,” meaning for him to chop off a plant’s trunk, but Arjun bites the sword instead. The comic timing here, and in most of the film’s humorous moments, is noteworthy.While there are a few chilling scenes in the first half, the narrative turns fully horror after the interval. A flashback sets the context for the palace’s haunted history and the truth behind Vadhusur. However, the screenplay turns messy, and both the creatures and some of the set pieces come across as gimmicky in places, especially toward the climax. The film’s length also feels plodding, especially in the second half, which loses steam and sharpness.The horror-comedy undoubtedly belongs to Akshay Kumar, who sinks his teeth into the role of an almost bumbling and often insolent character. Late actor Asrani, Paresh Rawal, and Rajpal Yadav are in familiar territory, but they pull it off well. Tabu, in a guest appearance, delivers a strong performance, as does Jisshu Sengupta. Wamiqa Gabbi lends able support, but her character is underwritten and feels predictable.While the first half of Bhooth Bangla is thoroughly entertaining and keeps one hooked, a crisper narrative and a shorter runtime would have made this horror comedy far more effective. Still, it still delivers enough laughs for a decent one-time watch.'Bhooth Bangla' box office collection Day 1: Akshay Kumar starrer opens to Rs 23 crore worldwide debut; ends Ranveer Singh's 'Dhurandhar 2' reign