Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 Movie Review: Horror Legend Manjulika Is Back With A New Twist

The horror-comedy genre was cracked by James Whale years ago with the classic The Old Dark House (1932). There have been many horror-comedies; they continued until the 90s with adult humour, but none matched Whale's cult fish. And I firmly believe that no film will ever surpass that. For Bollywood, the most well-known work is Bhool Bhulaiyaa (2007), which is one of the finest comedy thrillers of its decade. I'm not calling it a horror thriller or a horror comedy because the horror elements in the film were psychological. There was no ghost. That film came quite late for Bollywood, even as a simple copy-paste, because Manichitrayhazhu (1993), often known as the pride of Malayalam cinema, was simply groundbreaking for its time. The latest horror-comedy that left the audience wowed was Amar Kaushik's Stree (2018), and then came the underwhelming Roohi (2021). It's only after the success of Stree that many filmmakers are considering horror comedy as a popular genre and are diving into this intricate genre. Director Anees Bazmee, who has given us fantastic comedies like No Entry (2005) and Welcome, is a new addition to the list. Bazmee has used the brand Bhool Bhulaiyaa to tell a new horror tale with lots of comedy, and he has done a fairly decent job, to be frank. Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 is not as good as the first film, and it shouldn't be compared because it is not related to that film, but it's a watchable affair, owing a big thank you to the new twists.

Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 has Kartik Aaryan in the lead role as a maverick wanderer named Roohan. He meets Reet (Kiara Advani), finds her attractive, and the usual flirting begins. Roohan and Reet travel to Rajasthan to unravel the horror mysteries that have been haunting Reet's family for years. Anjulika (Tabu) is taking care of the family and is married to Uday Pathak (Amar Upadhyay). The film offers some thrilling twists later in the second half that convey the existence of Manjulika to you, and believe me, those twists are unexpected for the masses who aren't used to high-end thrillers. However, the screenplay is very engaging. At least it doesn't bore you. The comedy keeps you grinning throughout the first half, and then the second half is dragged a little, but is recovered by those mysterious revelations. Aakash Kaushik has written an interesting script, but it's not fully proofed. There are a few loopes here and there, and those are forgivable, but the big one, about Manjulika's real identity, is definitely goofed up. Her entire existence and theories go in vain because of that, especially her being trapped in the room for 18 years.

Talking about performances, Kartik Aaryan as Roohan is strictly okay, but he's hilarious as Rooh Baba. No wait, it's not a double role (this is one spoiler that I can give here), but the same person going through a funny transformation. All I can say is, "Rooh baba ki jay," but Roohan could have been better. Kiara Advani looks cute and has some really cute scenes with Kartik, but that's the problem. I mean, why only a few? There should have been more of it. The best performer in Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 is Tabu, by far. There is a big twist in her character, and I am not gonna spoil anything here. But yes, she is going to shock you, in a good way. In the supporting roles, Rajpal Yadav and Sanjay Mishra will make you laugh, while Ashwini Kalsekar and Rajendra Sharma are somewhat entertaining.

Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 has got good music, but it doesn't score any chartbuster numbers like the first film. The title song is okay because the nostalgia still works fine, whereas De Taali and Hum Nashe Mein pass on without any great impact. There are many crispy dialogues in the first half that are inspired by Facebook and WhatsApp jokes and PJs but still give you enough gags. As we know, it's a horror film, the technical aspects play an important role here, and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 is fairly good with them. The background score is scary on occasions. What may irritate you a little is the camera work, especially in those ghostly scenes. It takes you through a long route by crossing doors, windows, locks, premises, and what not – only to reach the expected destination. There's no quivering. Just flat. And who's gonna take those sliding close-ups for liking?

Director Anees Bazmee has been a little out of form with the last few films. The Bazmee, who gave us No Entry, Welcome and Singh Is Kinng, has been missing for 14 years. Let's just accept that. He regains his comedy form in Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, but not the rest. You will enjoy the comedy here; you will also enjoy the entire idea of horror-comedy; but somewhere you'll notice that something is missing – the concrete concept. Or is it because Kaushik's Stree has set the bar high? He didn't make fun of the ghost there because the evil soul is never supposed to be funny. Instead, you make other characters funny so that you balance the horror elements by keeping them real. In Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, that balance is missing. Some scenes are supposed to be frightening but lose the scare due to unnecessary comedy, while some scenes that are supposed to be funny are made dramatic. Nevertheless, it doesn't go too far down to become a headache. The horror legend Majulika will have you on the edge of your seats for 130 minutes, with some instant turnarounds. Overall, an enjoyable ride, with moderate expectations.