The third film in the Bhool Bhulaiyaa series stands out due to its unpredictability. However, despite an audacious twist at the climax, the staging falls flat, failing to elicit the expected empathy.
The franchise began with the 1993 Malayalam film Manichitrathazhu which was subsequently remade in Hindi in 2007. Both films skillfully blended comedy and horror elements without overt supernatural themes. The protagonist’s transformation into Manjulika, a mentally disturbed royal dancer, was attributed to dissociative identity disorder.
The trend of the series changed when director Anees Bazmee took over in 2022. The reboot featured elements of horror, such as black magic and spirits, combined with lowbrow humor. The plot follows a fraudulent ghostbuster, Ruhaan, exploiting people's fear of ghosts and spirits. In this installment, he is brought into a haunted castle, setting in motion a plot full of reincarnation, a desperate king, terrible accents, sibling rivalry, and a large looming shadow of Manjulika.
The film includes the return of Vidya Balan, whose impactful performance in the previous movie as Avni, an archaeologist who believes she is Manjulika, contributed significantly to its success. Also joining the cast is Madhuri Dixit as Mandira, a potential buyer for the haunted mansion who has secrets of her own.
Despite the promise of these two accomplished actors, the disjointed screenplay by Aakash Kaushik impedes characters from making a significant impact. The narrative lacks a stream of logic, appearing as a mix of random jokes, scares, songs, and dramatic pieces, leading to a chaotic storyline.
Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 often appears disjointed, with forced romantic songs and questionable comedic relief. Even though Kartik Aaryan, who plays the protagonist, delivers an energetic performance, the weak storyline undercuts his efforts. The jokes are not humorous enough, and the supposedly scary moments fail to provide any real fright. Perhaps it might be best to retire the vengeful ghost Manjulika and let the series lie.
