When filmmaker Priyadarshan made “Bhool Bhulaiyaa” in 2007, many thought he took a big risk. After all, he’s remaking a classic like “Manichitrathazhu,” which has won awards and been well-received by critics and the general public alike. This Hindi film though successfully passed, mainly because of its acting, story and believable music. More than a decade later, its sequel, “Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2,” was indeed a terrible mistake that director Anees Bazmee shouldn’t have made.
Priyadarshan was the assistant director of “Manichitrathazhu,” which helped him create a similar premise in “Bhool Bhulaiyaa,” making it a fascinating watch even for those who had seen the original before.
Bazmee’s movie plot is convoluted from the start, and people keep thinking that the characters must not be written so sluggishly and then wait for a plot twist, but the movie gets goofy with its 2 and a half hour runtime.
What story are you asking about? Medical student Rhett meets Luhan, a wealthy kid, in Manali. Reet is on her way back to her hometown of Rajasthan and Ruhaan, um, um, a “professional” wanderlust – roaming the state tasting local specialties (yes, unlike most Indians, he has plenty on hand) time and money). The two took the same bus from Manali to Chandigarh. During the pit stop, Ruhaan convinced Reet to join him at a local music festival before returning home to get married. They got off the bus and ended up in an accident with no survivors.
Reet called home to tell their family she was fine, but no one could hear her because of the bad internet. Instead, she overhears that it was actually her cousin who was in love with her fiancé, so Reet devised a plan to pretend to be dead until everyone got over the shock of her death and got her cousin married. If you thought the plot was weird, there’s more.
Now, Reet has decided to hide in the family’s ancient ancestral home, which has been locked for decades as it is believed to be haunted by a ghost named Manjulika. She apparently persuaded the aimless Ruhaan to be part of the plan. Seeing the old Havery gate open and the building light up, Rhett’s family calls, only to find that Luhan has convinced them that he can talk to the dead, and Rhett’s last wish is for her cousin to marry. Despite the presence of Reet’s spirit in the family, unexplainable things are still happening, which they believe is caused by Manjulika – his spirit is locked in a corner of the house. Can Ruhaan and Reet find a solution to the weird happenings in the house? Whether Reet’s family finally finds out that she isn’t actually dead is the rest of this bizarre story.
The plot of the movie, written by Akash Kaushik, left you scratching your head more than once. The film salvaged Farhad Sanji’s conversation topic to a certain extent, subtly placed in the script.
Known for making some of the most popular slapstick comedies of the past, Bazmee treats “Bhool Bhulaiyya 2” in the same way, placing more emphasis on obscure, illogical plot and drama, and avoiding giving a plausible ending to a Priyadarshan movie.
It would be unfair to compare Kartik Aaryan to Akshay Kumar, even though the young star is often compared to a superstar. We’ve seen Aaryan deliver great comedy — mostly because the films he’s been in are so well written. In “Bhool Bhulaiyya 2,” the burden of creating a sequel to a hit is accentuated throughout, and Aaryan can barely save a poorly written character. The charisma needed to play Ruhan was missing from the script, so Aaryan couldn’t rise above mediocrity.
Kiara Advani’s character is probably the dumbest character written in Bollywood recently. She’s supposed to be a doctor, but her bizarre plan to marry her sister to the love of her life is so illogical that one wonders what the writers think of modern Indian women.
Taboo plays a major role in the movie, and revealing too much of her character details would give away plot details (if you still want to see the movie). The actress does her part well though—in fact, her role is the only performance that holds its own in a faltering film.
Actors like Rajpal Yadav, Sanjay Mishra and Ashwini Kalsekar were wasted on roles that were supposed to provide laughter but instead provided more cringe.
I must mention here how the manufacturer has a longstanding misunderstanding of Bengali women and their penchant for black magic. In recent years, especially after the death of Sushant Singh Rajput, about Bengali women and their alleged love of black magic – this is absolute nonsense. So it’s really confusing to see a Bollywood filmmaker like Anees Bazmee, who is known for creating blockbusters, take this false narrative and create a movie based on it. Of course, he was short-sighted for not knowing that popular entertainers like “Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2” would unnecessarily reinforce this notion of community.
“Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2” is annoying to say the least. The film lacks the thrills a horror movie deserves, its comedic bits, and a waste of believable actors in a poorly written show.
Maybe it’s time to lock that door and let Majulika rest in peace forever.
