Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 Review: Kartik Aaryan's Film Is A Popcorn Entertainer With A Door Leading To Madcap Fun

Story

Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 begins with an elaborate scene of a baba doing some mumbo-jumbo to lock a powerful spirit Manjulika in a room. Post the ritual where Anjulika (Tabu) is attacked by the ghost, the inhabitants of the haveli abandon the mansion and shift elsewhere.

Eighteen years later, Anjulika's niece Reet (Kiara Advani) runs into a stranger Ruhaan (Kartik Aaryan) when she is on her way back home to Rajasthan. Some casual flirting and a random dance number in the midst of the snow-clad land follows.

After the duo narrowly miss an unfortunate episode, Reet accidentally discovers a secret related to her cousin sister. The charming Ruhaan soon finds himself accompanying Reet to the haunted haveli where Manjulika's ghost was bottled up by her family. What follows next is a labyrinth of lies, deception, silly laughs and some chills.

Direction

Anees Bazmee's Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 is a horror-comedy unlike its predecessor which belonged to psychological thriller genre. After a string of missteps at the box office, the filmmaker belts out a film that caters to the family audience. It's best enjoyed with the suspension of disbelief.

The film celebrates silly fun throughout, and that might work in its favour considering the audience is right now craving for some light watch. Barring a few lines which borderline offensive, Bazmee gets his 'ha-ha' quotient right.

Having said that, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 has its share of flaws too. There are places where the film relies on clichés which dilutes the impact of the narrative. While the first half of the film keeps you completely engaged, things falter a bit post-interval. The punches start losing their sheen and a couple of scenes simply add minutes to the runtime. The chills too, ain't 'thanda' enough to send shivers down the spine.

Post the big reveal which is reminiscent of another horror film from the past, the film packs up an 'underwhelming' note. Ah, how I missed Vidya Balan's 'Manjulika' finale act here! Thankfully, Kartik Aaryan pops up again on the screen with the redux version of 'Hare Krishna Hare Ram' to charge you up as the end credits roll.

Performances

If Akshay Kumar's goofy comic-timing made the 2007 film Bhool Bhulaiyaa a fun-filled ride, Kartik Aaryan lends his own brand of humour to this second instalment in the franchise. The lad lets himself loose and is at his wacky best when it comes to delivering Farhad Samji and Akash Kaushik's pun-laden dialogues. Even when the screenplay falters in a few places, Kartik makes sure that his spell on the audience isn't broken.

Kiara Advani is easy on the eyes and even gets the scope to perform in a scene or two. Sadly, she's soon reduced to a shadow when the chills take the centre-stage.

Tabu proves her versatility once again as she gets to perform an array of emotions. She exudes a certain dignity even at places where things might come across as outlandish. The National Award-winning actress along with Karthik makes sure that you get your dose of entertainment.

The supporting cast comprising of Rajpal Yadav, Sanjay Mishra, Rajesh Sharma and Ashwini Kaslekar lend their distinct flavour of slapstick comedy to the narrative. Amar Upadhyay and Milind Gunaji get limited scope to perform. Child artiste Siddhant Ghegadmal as Potlu shares an enjoyable camaraderie with Kartik Aaryan.

Technical Aspects

Manu Anand's cinematography lends a certain tonality to the film which helps in building up the atmospheric horror. Bunty Nagi's editing could have been a little more taut. Also, Manjulika's makeup is an eye-sore and looks like one of those white face-packs which have been left a little too longer on the face. A little focus on it would have added more to the thrills.

Music

Barring the title track of the film and Arijit Singh's version of 'Aami je tomar,' Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 doesn't impress in the music department. Moreover, these songs come across as forceful insertions that break the narrative flow.

Verdict

Kartik Aaryan and Tabu make sure that you have some cuckoo fun while finding your way out of this maze. If you are looking out for some escapism then enter this door.