‘Phone Bhoot’ Review: Katrina Kaif Starrer Perfectly Marries Comedy With Pop Culture References But It’ll Make You Question Your Sense Of Humour!
Ever since we watched Bhool Bhulaiyaa and Stree, horror-comedy has become our ultimate favourite genre. It’s the perfect genre to unplug and relax. And this weekend has the perfect content for all of us millennials. Yes, I’m talking about the Gurmeet Singh directorial Phone Bhoot, starring Katrina Kaif, Ishaan Khatter and Siddhant Chaturvedi. Produced by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani under the banner of Excel Entertainment. This horror-comedy film hits the theatres on November 4, and let me tell you this, it’s the perfect film for all of us millennials thanks to all the pop culture references. Phone Bhoot also stars Jackie Shroff and Sheeba Chaddha in supporting roles. And since everyone these days is sceptical about which film to watch and which one to skip, I took the effort of watching it and sharing my review of this film. So, let’s just dive in!
The Story Of Phone Bhoot
The story of Phone Bhoot follows the story of two best friends, Gullu (played by Ishaan Khatter) and Sherdil Shergill aka Major (played by Siddhant Chaturvedi). Gullu and Major are good-for-nothing and are looking for ways to earn money and try their hand at different careers when a bhatakti aatma, Ragini (played by Katrina Kaif) approaches them with a business proposal. She urges them to become ghostbusters and help all the ghosts find moksha. Soon the bhoot-busting trio encounter an evil tantrik with vardaan, Aatmaram Dhyani (played by Jackie Shroff) and it is revealed that he has trapped Ragini’s lover’s spirit in a bottle. FYI, this tantrik runs a business of murder for hire involving ghosts. What happens next is a series of hilarious and chaotic events as the trio go on a journey to rescue Ragini’s lover!
Cast And Characters
Katrina Kaif as Ragini: While Katrina Kaif is too good for a bhootni, she not only manages to fit right in but she also delivers an amazing performance. She brings her usual charm and confidence as she delivers her near-perfect punchlines. Kat’s Ragini will have you cracking up in no time. She’s delightful to watch throughout the film as she manages to fit her character without taking away the essence of the story which focuses a lot on Gullu and Major’s friendship.
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Ishaan Khatter as Gullu: Ishaan Khatter’s Gullu is a South Indian boy who loves his filter coffee and while it Ishaan seems very out of place in his character, he manages to ace the role and makes it funny in a rather questionable manner. His one-liners are lame AF but he’ll have your sides in splits. His comic timing is perfect even though he does not fit perfectly in the role.
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Siddhant Chaturvedi as Major: Siddhant’s Major is an airhead who will make you cringe. TBH, neither his comic timing nor his punchlines are noteworthy but he still manages to anchor the film along with Katrina and Ishaan. His bromance with Ishaan is lovely to watch and comes out naturally. I believe we can blame the writing for the lack of quality punchlines and dialogues. But Siddhant brings confidence and skilful acting to the film and manages to make his presence known in the film.
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Jackie Shroff as Aatmaram: Jackie starts off as the mysterious villain and goes on to make you laugh till your stomach hurts with his ‘bhidu’ vibe. Jackie Shroff really plays the most hilarious version of himself in Phone Bhoot while making fun of the cliché villain of every Bollywood film ever in a subtle manner. His dialogues and pop culture references are kaafi zayada unforgettable.
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Sheeba Chaddha as Chikni Chudail: I just have one thing to say about Sheeba’s Chikni Chudail. She’s there in all of 4 scenes but her presence is as unmissable and as unforgettable as her trip to Lahore in the film. She will have you rolling over with laughter as she innocently delivers her comical performance. It’s safe to say that Chikni Chudail is my favourite character from the film. I think I left my heart in Lahore with Chikni Chudail!
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Also Read: ‘Double XL’ Review: Sonakshi Sinha Creates Unnecessary Chaos But Huma Qureshi’s Performance Makes It Palatable.
Verdict: Outrageously Funny But Questionable Humour!
Okay, I’ll be honest. This verdict is going to be a rant on how I lowkey love this film but find my taste in comedy questionable but my love for Bollywood and pop culture makes me appreciate Phone Bhoot. To begin in a sorted manner, allow me to point out that the cinematography is decent and nothing to complain about. There is not a single scary moment throughout the film. More than horror-comedy, it seems like a spoof film that makes fun of just about everything in Bollywood from the cliché South Indian boy to the North Indian airhead munda to the using Rajnikant aka Thalaiva to win over a spirit, this film will make you laugh as it pokes fun at anything and everything.
Ishaan Khatter and Siddhant Chaturvedi’s bromance is fun to watch as they vibe together. It’s interesting how Katrina Kaif’s Ragini inserts herself into their bromance without being overbearing. She fits in well. In the technical department, the film has managed to create a decent balance in all of their screen time while presenting the story well. The VFX is average and it could’ve been better but it seems like it was kept average on purpose. The prosthetics and makeup, however, are pretty damn amazing. In terms of the pace, it starts off slow in an unfunny manner making you wonder if it’s worth watching at all but 30 minutes into the film, you’ll be cracking up but it falters again in the last 20 minutes with a messy climax and unfunny jokes. The music is ornamental and with badly timed background scores and dance sequences. I truly wish I could just skip it but oh, well.
Also Read: ‘Mili’ Review: A Chilling Thriller Anchored By Impactful Performances But Janhvi Kapoor Is Reduced To A Damsel In Distress With Some Fight In Her
Speaking of the plot and the comedy, let me tell you this – it’s a through-and-through comedy film with the most chaotic plot with no direction. If you’re here for the plot, you’re going to be disappointed. It is nothing noteworthy but we’re here for the punchlines and the pop culture references. In terms of comedy, Phone Bhoot that the most cringey jokes and it’s a painfully funny film that will make you question your taste as you laugh through it. It seems like the makers made the film bad on purpose and it’s so bad and so lame that you cannot help but laugh. It will practically force you to laugh, there’s no escaping it. It has the most outrageous punchlines brilliantly married to pop culture references to make every funny bone in your body tickle. NGL but the pop culture references and jokes are every millennial’s paradise. They’re perfectly executed to make you laugh while paying homage to nearly every iconic film. And let me tell you this, the intermission message is the highlight of the film. In conclusion, I’d say it’s a must-watch if you want to destress from a long, stressful week!
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