'Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2' review: Kartik Aaryan, Tabu's latest is a mistake of giant proportion
Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2
When filmmaker Priyadarshan made 'Bhool Bhulaiyaa' in 2007 many felt he was taking a big risk. After all, he was making a remake of a classic like 'Manichitrathazhu' which had won awards and was praised by critics and masses alike. The Hindi film though managed to pass with flying colours primarily because of its performances, its story and credible music. More than a decade later, its sequel 'Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2' is truly a terrible mistake that director Anees Bazmee should not have committed.
Priyadarshan was the assistant director on 'Manichitrathazhu'which helped him in creating a similar premise in 'Bhool Bhulaiyaa' making it an engaging watch for even those who had seen the original before.
Bazmee's film's plot is convoluted from the word go and one keeps thinking that surely the characters cannot be written this obtusely and wait for a plot twist, but the film dumbs down through its 2 and a half-hour run time.
What's the story you ask? Reet, a medical student, meets a rich brat Ruhaan in Manali. Reet is on her way back to her hometown in Rajasthan and Ruhaan, well, is 'professionally' a wanderlust- roaming states to taste the local specialities (yeah, he has much time and money in hand unlike most of the Indian population). The two board the same bus from Manali which is on its way to Chandigarh. During a pit stop, Ruhaan convinces Reet to attend a local music festival with him before she heads home to get married. They get off the bus which eventually meets with an accident and has no survivors.
Reet calls up home to inform their family that she is fine but due to a bad network, no one can hear her voice. Instead, she overhears that it is actually her cousin who is in love with her fiance and so Reet devises a plan, to pretend to play dead till everyone gets over the shock of her death and gets her cousin married. If you thought the plot is bizarre, there is more.
I have to mention here how the makers fan a long misconstrued notion about Bengali women and their penchant for black magic. In recent years, especially after Sushant Singh Rajput's death, a lot has been said about Bengali women and their supposed love for black magic- which is absolute rubbish. It is, therefore utterly baffling to see a Bollywood filmmaker like Anees Bazmee- known for creating blockbusters- take that false narrative and create a film based on it. Surely it is shortsightedness on his part to not have known that a mass entertainer like 'Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2' will just cement this notion about a community unnecessarily.
'Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2' is exasperating, to say the least. The film lacks the thrills that horror films are supposed to have, its comedy is sporadic, and it wastes credible actors in a poorly written show.
Maybe it's time to lock that door and let Majulika rest in peace once and for all.
