Bhooth Bangla Review: Priyadarshan’s Horror-Comedy Ft Akshay Kumar Is Nostalgia Gone Wrong!
Priyadarshan's film Bhooth bangla also stars Paresh Rawal, Asrani, Rajpal Yadav, and Tabu among others. Read our review here.
1 / 5
All old tropes packaged as new may work for some, and not for others. I am the latter. Well, I am not opposed to the idea of silly comedies either, but only if done with utmost conviction and originality. The lack of originality is what makes any film boring, and Akshay Kumar’s starrer Bhooth Bangla becomes a product of that. A product that is less c funny and more frustrating. Directed by Priyadarshan’s film, backed by Ekta Kapoor, also stars Paresh Rawal, Asrani, Rajpal Yadav, Tabu, Jisshu Sengupta, Wamiqa Gabbi, and Mithila Palkar. With the running time of almost three hours, Bhooth Bangla only works in bits, and that’s just me looking at the silver lining here. To know my detailed thoughts on this much-awaited horror comedy, go on and read the piece.
Plot
Without revealing many details about the very original plot, Bhooth Bangla revolves around a haunted palace. No points for guessing, but the story also delves into the past of this palace to tell us about how and why it is cursed. Arjun (Akshay Kumar) is the protagonist whose sister (Mithila Palkar) is going to get married. Their father’s role is played by Jisshu Sengupta…Um! Moving on, when the siblings learn about their grandfather’s huge property in India, a palace, they decided to have the wedding there!
Arjun visits the place first to make sure all the arrangements are made beforehand. Paresh Rawal is seen as a wedding planner, Rajpal Yadav as an electrician, and Asrani Ji as the caretaker of the palace. Gradually, Arjun learns about the curse that haunts their town and why couples don’t get married there. He follows the hunch, which leads to more complications and ultimately a safe end.
For some, it’s nostalgia; for some, it’s lazy writing. I am the latter, again!
Story, Direction
Bhooth Bangla reminded me of several films which “inspired” the plot. These elements were evident through several scenes and dialogues. And while it did work earlier in all the OG films like Hera Pheri, Bhool Bhulaiya, Bhagam Bhaag here they just feel redundant, dated, and again lazy work. Also, for how long are we going to sell exaggerated, loud physical comedy, dumb jokes, and female objectification as comedy?
The few, very hard-to-notice originalities in the story are dragged out and simply serve as a reminder of the little effort put into the writing. The first half of the film focuses on making the audience laugh through several banter scenes, and most of it feels like too much talking, with the actors trying hard to make us laugh. Now, amid tons of dialogues, a few jokes land while others fall flat, big time! The “confusion scene”, which is a USP of Priyadarshan films, did not work for me. It’s nostalgia gone wrong!
The second half of Bhooth Bangla is all about the horror, but better to carry a microscope to find the horror elements in this film. The funny ghost and the funnier story about the ghost actually serve the comic purposes, but not in a good way! The story has old horror cliches and tricks.
Many subplots, especially of Wamiqa Gabbi’s character, are unnecessary. The film
Casting And Characters
Unlike other Priyadarshan films, the characters in Bhooth Bangla do not have individual value in the film or a substantial contribution to the story. They are simply there to create nostalgia, and it’s not funny! I am still thinking about the purpose of Wamiqa Gabbi and Mithila Palkar’s characters in the film. A brilliant actor like Tabu goes underutilised. The film attempts to bring back the OG cast but forgets to allow them to portray interesting characters. Jissu Sengupta feels awkward as Arjun’s (Akshay Kumar) father. The world of Bhooth Bangla is disjointed, and the flawed characters just add to it. Basically, the characters are not defined!
Performances
If actors have to heavily depend on the lazy jokes to make the audience laugh, the natural charm is lost, and that’s exactly what happens in this Priyadarshan film. Asrani Ji, Paresh Rawal, and Rajpal Yadav have done justice to their roles, but the characters deserved better writing. Akshay Kumar is comfortable in his role as Arjun, but his character has little to no surprise.
Other Flaws!
The film has mediocre, rather poor CGI and a lengthy action sequence that got me wondering, ” Why is this so animated? There are random jumps and cuts in the scenes, and the essence of scenes being set in real and raw locations is missed here. The dubbing is evidently atrocious in some places. The songs are forgettable, and so is the film!
Also Read: How Much Of Asha Bhosle’s Wealth Will Go To Her Son Anand Bhosle? Know Here
Verdict
Bhooth Bangla, starring Akshay Kumar and directed by Priyadarshan, does not reinvent to give us something fresh and entertaining! It’s currently running in theatres!
First Published: April 17, 2026 2:50 PM
