‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3’ is a maze of missed opportunities

The most positive aspect of “Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3” (2024) is its unpredictability. While the climactic twist is audacious and unique, the film suffers from clumsy execution, falling short of evoking the intended emotions. It’s a fine thought, albeit underwritten, and it deserved a bit more complexity than the film’s chaotic momentum allows. Nonetheless, I have to say that I did not see it coming.

The “Bhool Bhulaiyaa” franchise began with the 1993 Malayalam film “Manichitrathazhu,” which was remade in Hindi in 2007 by Priyadarshan, starring Akshay Kumar as the esteemed psychiatrist Aditya Shrivastava. Both the original and the remake delivered a skilful mix of laughs and scares but without paranormal activity. There the leading lady’s transformation into Manjulika, the unhinged royal dancer, was attributed to dissociative identity disorder. However, when Anees Bazmee took over the reins with the 2022 reboot, genuine horror elements, including black magic, spirits, jump scares, and ominous background music, were introduced, along with  Shreya Ghoshal’s beautiful rendition of “Ami Je Tomar”, and some cheerful, lowbrow humour.

In “Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3”, Bazmee retains the tropes of the first two Hindi films: a sprawling haveli with one room locked for years, believed to be haunted by a ghost; a royal family hiding secrets; a mysterious woman named Manjulika who dances to “Ami Je Tomar”; as well as atmospheric elements such as long empty corridors, creaking doors, arched doorways, darkened skies, spooky sounds, and CGI crows. Once again, Kartik Aaryan plays Ruhaan “Rooh Baba” Randhawa, a fraudulent ghostbuster who makes money by exploiting people’s fear of the supernatural.

He is summoned to a haveli somewhere in West Bengal. Oddly, the locals seem to recognise him, and thus begins a tale that includes reincarnation, a king desperate to sell his haveli, several characters speaking in terrible Bengali accents, sibling rivalry, and the oversized shadow of Manjulika—except she is no longer pining for her murdered lover. “Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3” doesn’t adhere to any internal logic. The film, written by Aakash Kaushik, is a slapdash assortment of jokes, scares, exposition, songs, and set pieces strung together in the hope of creating a coherent and compelling narrative.

Among the highlights is Vidya Balan’s return to the franchise. The 2007 movie owes much of its success to her exceptional performance as Avni, an archaeologist who, believing herself to be Manjulika, creates havoc in her otherwise blissful marriage. In that film, when Balan dances to “Ami Je Tomar” with dishevelled hair, frantic eyes, and red vermilion spread across her forehead, she is truly chilling.

In fact, Bazmee has not one but two trump cards. Madhuri Dixit joins the franchise as Mandira, a potential buyer for the haveli, but it’s clear she is hiding something. At one point, Balan and Dixit engage in a tense face-off, each ready to strangle the other. In another scene, they participate in a dance-off in the royal court. This clash between the two seasoned actors should have been riveting; however, the screenplay is so disjointed that it makes it difficult for the characters to leave a lasting impact.

Just when you think the main plot is about to kick in, you’re sidetracked by distractions that the characters seem to forget about as well. The humour often feels forced, leading you to question, “Is this supposed to be funny?” as you shake your head in disbelief.

During the dance-off, I wondered how the late Saroj Khan might have approached the choreography. While choreographer Chinni Prakash’s efforts are evident and both the actors are superb, there is little that stands out as memorable, like the dance-off between Dixit and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in “Devdas” (2002). Dixit is billed as a special appearance, which perhaps explains why her character is so underwritten, prompting me to focus on her expansive collection of sarees and the size of her jewellery. Mandira loves dressing up.

Two romantic songs are thrown into the film, perhaps to give Triptii Dimri something to do; otherwise, she is mostly tasked with looking pretty. Aaryan is front and centre, handling it all—being charming, funny, romancing, dancing, and defeating the spooks. I appreciate that the actor is willing to poke holes in the trend of hyper-masculine Bollywood heroes. Ruhaan scares easily, and when things get too daunting, he tries to run away. But the copious energy Aaryan invests in the film is undermined by the flat writing.

The jokes just aren’t funny enough, and the scares aren’t terrifying enough. Having recently rewatched Kumar’s “Bhool Bhulaiyaa”, I appreciated how it delved into the complexities of mental health and personal trauma. Transitioning to a ghost story in the reboot dilutes the intellectual rigour and thought-provoking narratives that made the 2007 film so compelling. This shift has alienated fans like me. Amid the humongous success of “Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3”, it remains to be seen whether Kumar will return for the already-announced fourth film.

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