When the announcement and promotions for the latest Priyadarshan-Akshay Kumar movie, Bhooth Bangla, were released, everyone was excited to see the ensemble cast, which included names that had once created hilarious movies that are celebrated as memes in the present day. From late Asrani to Paresh Rawal and Rajpal Yadav, people who have played iconic characters in Priyadarshan movies are part of this new horror comedy. However, the part of the movie that involves the characters played by these actors has little to do with the central plot. With almost the entire second half stuck in an ultra-generic backstory, the comeback of the hit combo has a script that is simply an amalgamation of all the elements Priyadarshan has already taken to Bollywood and forgot to take from the Malayalam industry.
So the story is set in the pre-smartphone era, where even the NRI hero is using a Nokia 1100. So our hero Arjun Acharya has come to India when he realizes that his late grandfather has left a fortune for him and his sister, including a palace at a place called Mangalpur. Since his sister Meera was already searching for a palace for her destination wedding, Arjun decides to go to Mangalpur to check on things. What all happens after he reaches there is what we see in Bhooth Bangla.
I am a Malayali who grew up seeing classic comedies from Priyadarshan and several other great filmmakers, which were eventually remade in Hindi at a later stage, and most of them were directed by Mr. Priyadarshan himself. I am saying this because, while I was watching Bhooth Bangla, the audience was laughing and being interested in the movie only when there was a comedic gag happening on the screen. The Hindi-speaking audience who may not have seen films like Oppam, Thenmavin Kombathu, Pulival Kalyanam, Minnaram, etc., might find these jokes funny. However, as someone who has seen these Malayalam movies, which placed humor in a very organic fashion into the narrative, seeing Priyadarshan use these jokes that add nothing to the plot was a disappointing sight.
It almost felt like Priyadarshan got a generic horror story from Aakash Kaushik, who, by the way, was one of the writers of Bhool Bhulaiyya 2. And Akshay Kumar may have said that since this marks their comeback, they should try the style of comedy they are known for. And thus to add comedy in horror comedy, Priyadarshan included all those comedy scenes from his own films and others’ films in a generic revenge story featuring a ghost. We get to see a different version of the Chemban Vinod – Mamukkoya joke from Oppam. The Pulival Kalyanam comedy, where Jayasurya and Cochin Haneefa misunderstand Jagathy seeing him wash his chappals, is getting repeated here. The Dubai comedy from Kilichundan Mambazham, the famous bedbug-mosquito joke, is all being lifted from various films and skits, and is placed without really bothering about the need for it.
It is a known fact that Priyadarshan copied classic Hollywood movies back in the day. But what made him a master was the fact that he was able to set those stories against the backdrops of our culture seamlessly. If you look at Thalavattam and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, it’s like Priyadarshan took the idea and made it something of his own by even changing the treatment of the movie. But that inventiveness is clearly missing in this one. It is almost like him and Akshay are angry that the Bhool Bhulaiyya franchise is no longer with them, and they are trying to take revenge by making something that feels like a spiritual spinoff of those tacky sequels made by Anees Bazmee. Once the movie enters the horror movie mode, everything is underwhelming. Even the technical aspects, like production design, makeup, visual effects, etc., look pretty hasty.
When Samrat Prithviraj tanked at the box office, there was much criticism about the way Akshay Kumar approached the project. His lack of investment in being the character was criticized, and even in this film, one can see that he is just skimming through portions that need effort. There is a backstory in the movie where Akshay has to look a certain way, and he even needs to dance. The hair and makeup were borderline funny, and the dance almost looked like a stunt. Paresh Rawal, as the wedding planner, is a pointlessly added character just for the sake of humor. Even though Rajpal Yadav’s character is also a pointless addition, he was able to make us laugh with his humor. Wamiqa Gabbi’s character in the movie actually gives you an idea about the outdatedness of the writing. What they are trying to achieve with that character is evident from an early stage, and when the hero finally realizes it, we won’t feel any shock. Tabu has hardly anything to do here. The role played by the late Asrani is not there after a point, and it basically shows you how inconsequential that character was. Jisshu Sengutha plays the role of Akshay Kumar’s father. Zakir Hussain’s character in this movie reminded me of the role played by Thilakan in Manichitrathazhu. Mithila Palkar plays the role of Akshay Kumar’s sister in the movie.
Bhool Bhulaiyya was a psychological drama that had many naturally funny moments. And T Series went on to make sequels to that movie in the horror comedy genre. If you are someone who feels that those Kartik Aaryan-led sequels are funny, then Bhooth Bangla will be a perfect film for you. In this ego war featuring T-Series, Priyadarshan, and Akshay Kumar to create the most profitable mediocre horror comedy with the same mould, the audience is the only loser.
