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'Bhool Bhulaiyaa' -An interesting but exhausting maze

By Aparajita Ghosh
Film critic, ApunKaChoice.Com

It is not what you would expect. And if you haven’t watched the Malayalam movie ‘Manichitrathazhu’, of which ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa’ is a Hindi remake, you will like the suspense as well.

Priyadarshan slithers out of his usual style and comes up with an interesting but exhausting movie. ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa’ is not a typical Priyan comedy. It is a suspense thriller with doses of a horror film. The humour is understated, but sufficient enough to tickle the spine already chilled by spooky turns.

The

combination of horror and comedy is a bizarre one. But it works well for ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa’.

From the USA, Siddharth ( Shiney Ahuja ) returns to his hometown in India with his wife Avni ( Vidya Balan ). The couple get a resounding welcome from Siddharth’s extended family that includes his uncles Batukshankar Upadhyay ( Paresh Rawal ) and Badrinarayan Chaturvedi (Manoj Joshi). Also part of the household is Radha ( Amisha Patel ), the adopted daughter of the family who once harboured a secret love for Siddharth.

Tension builds up when Siddharth insists on staying in the family’s ancestral home, which is believed to be haunted. The family opposes Siddharth’s decision, but he has a rational mind. No matter what his uncles or other members of the family believe, he is adamant on staying in the ancestral mansion.

Thereafter begin a series of inexplicable incidents as they move into the mansion. Strange noises, mysterious sounds and eerie happenings convince Siddharth that something is amiss. He calls upon his friend Dr. Aditya ( Akshay Kumar ), a psychiatrist who takes the challenge of unraveling the mystery.

In all fairness, Akshay is the backbone of ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa’. From the moment he steps into the frame, the movie gathers momentum. Before that, the first half drags. The actor’s comedy is simply impeccable. And his introduction, just before the first half, makes the wait worthwhile.

After Akshay it is Vidya Balan who impresses with her incredible performance. Vidya is in her elements again. And the last half hour of the movie solely belongs to her.

Shiney Ahuja is plain average. Amisha Patel manages not to ham. Paresh Rawal and Manoj Joshi are their usual impressive selves. Rajpal Yadav chips in a few slapstick moments with his portrayal of a pandit.

Priyadarshan gets many things right in ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa’, but he stretches the story needlessly. The first half could surely have been chopped by a good 15 minutes. The second half holds your interest because of the shifting needle of suspicion.

The movie’s music is catchy and ear pleasing. The cinematography is fine.

All in all, ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa’ is an interesting maze with unexpected bends. The unraveling of the movie’s suspense is its high point.

Watch it for Akshay (even though he is hardly there in the first half).

Rating: ***

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