wogma rating: Don't bother (?)
In which Akshay Kumar competes with himself to yell his lines louder than he did in the previous scene. Yes, that's the only takeaway.
Click here for full review"Do I really want to spend more time writing about this one? Isn't it enough that I've already spent 4+ hours and hundreds of rupees on the trip to the theatre?" These are questions I find asking myself often. And it's hardly a surprise that they came to me for Bhooth Bangla. But I have managed to resist giving into the "No." so far. And I will try again today. Meanwhile, you can skip spending time on reading this one because "Yes, it's that insufferable."
We've to give into the axiom that intelligent black magicians don't follow simple logic.
Akshay Kumar is excruciatingly over-the-top—in volume, in expression, in body language. So much so that the other overbearingly shrill actors are drowned in his presence. And it's not as if anything meaningful or entertaining is being said or seen.
Slapstick is of course staple nutrition for any Priyadarshan film that claims to be a comedy. You name it and you will see it—people tripping and falling, people slapping each other such that the slapped goes around in circles, toilet humour, innuendoes—all under the guise of being a laugh riot. I fail to understand, though. Why does characters scoffing and disapproving objectification of women need you to objectify women? With the objective of making you chuckle and giggle, that too!
But then, that would require the writing team to be imaginative. And the creativity began and ended with naming a film centred around a haunted palace, "Bhooth Bangla". And just in case you were wondering, no, the larger story is no more than people disbelieving the haunted-ness of the house and coming around to drop that notion. What with all the jump scares, you see.
The nested story of why spirits have taken to this specific house is a bunch of mumbo-jumbo that needn't have been so. There was so much meat in that story and such lovely complexity. But half of it is just narrated by one character to the other instead of being shown. And the half that is shown feels like a comic strip with caricatures.
With that then, I am left with little interest to ask questions like, "Why did the "reverse" option exist?" It is one thing to accept the fantasticness of a fantasy world. But quite another to give into the axiom that intelligent black magicians don't follow simple logic.
Speaking of logic, I am grappling with the truth that the Priyadarshan-Akshay-Kumar-"comedy" genre exists and continues to do so. Hmmm…
- meeta, a part of the audience
Thumbs up, by Amit Bhatia, abplive : ...आकाश कौशिक ने कहानी लिखी है और प्रियदर्शन ने डायरेक्ट की है, कहानी में कुछ नयापन नहीं है, ऐसी कहानियां हम देख चुके हैं, प्रियदर्शन का डायरेक्शन उसी स्टाइल का है जैसा सालों पहले था, ये स्टाइल सबको पसंद आए ये जरूरी नहीं. कुल मिलाकर अक्षय के फैन हैं तो देखिए.... full review
Thumbs up, by Subhash K Jha, Bolly Spice : ...Like all of Priyadarshan’s comedies, this one too is loquacious and over-wordy. Everyone is constantly jabbering, none more so than Akshay Kumar who still has the acting chops to make the chirpiness amusing, at least some of the time.... full review
Thumbs up, by Rishabh Suri, Hindustan Times : ...Overall, Bhooth Bangla may not be Priyadarshan at his peak, but it’s still very much in his playground. A film that has its fair share of boos and chuckles, it leans on nostalgia. Powered by Akshay Kumar’s reliable comic timing and a world that’s as chaotic as it is colourful, this one doesn’t quite become a classic, but it keeps the fun going while it lasts.... full review
Thumbs up, Movie Talkies : ...Overall, Bhooth Bangla is entertaining, scary, dramatic, and surprising enough to leave you impressed after its 2-hour-45-minute runtime. With its mix of humor, horror, and mystery, it turns out to be a complete paisa vasool entertainer—perfect for a theatrical experience with popcorn in hand.... full review
Thumbs up, by Gayatri Nirmal, Pinkvilla : ...Final Word: Stay prepared for jump scares; don't tell us that we didn't warn you!... full review
So-So, by Sahelee Rakshit, Bollywood Life : ...The first half of Bhooth Bangla maintains a cheerful atmosphere, which produces humorous moments that successfully capture the audience's interest. The second half has several slow sections which create an extended viewing experience that some audience members might find tedious. The film succeeds in restoring laughter to its audience through its most deficient parts.... full review
So-So, by Devesh Sharma, Filmfare : ...All in all, the film offers fleeting glimpses of Priyadarshan’s once-formidable craft. At his peak, he delivered Malayalam classics like Boeing Boeing (1985) and Chithram (1988), while his Hindi films like Hera Pheri (2000) and Bhool Bhulaiyaa (2007) have achieved cult status. The hallmark of those works was their tightly constructed screenplays. Sadly, that crucial element is missing here…... full review
So-So, by Lachmi Deb Roy, FirstPost : ...The mystery of the film is rooted in folklore and Jisshu Sengupta who plays Akshay Kumar’s father has a backstory too. The movie has a brilliant cast and everybody has done justice to their roles, except for Akshay, whose performance is underwhelming. I thought Bhooth Bangla would recreate the magic of Bollywood’s golden comic era and it tried doing that with a modern twist, but didn’t match up to the expectations that I had from a Priyadarshan’s directorial film.... full review
So-So, by Murtuza Iqbal, Free Press Journal : ...Bhooth Bangla has some decent songs, but a chartbuster like Mere Dholna is surely missing. Also, the background score could have been better.... full review
So-So, by Sana Farzeen, india today : ...The music, aside from Ram Ji Aake Bhala Karenge, is largely forgettable. Attempts to recreate iconic moments, such as the Ami Je Tomar sequence with Akshay and Tabu, fall flat, leaving only a sense of deja vu.... full review
So-So, by Jaya Dwivedie, India TV : ...Bhooth Bangla is a film best enjoyed without comparing it to Priyadarshan and Akshay Kumar's classics. It works as a decent one-time watch for fans of the duo. While it offers moments of laughter and strong performances from Akshay Kumar and the ensemble cast, it does not reach the level of Bhool Bhulaiyaa. If you are looking for a perfect horror-comedy that both scares and entertains, you may be disappointed. However, if you are in the mood for light entertainment over the weekend and can overlook logic, Bhooth Bangla can still be worth a visit. The house may not be fully haunted, but a few rooms of entertainment remain intact.... full review
So-So, by TITAS CHOWDHURY, News18.com : ...Bhooth Bangla doesn’t reinvent the horror-comedy wheel and often feels too noisy and garish for its own good. It has all the tropes a horror flick can boast of – strange shadows, creeping footsteps, terrifying howls, rustling leaves, creaking doors, you name it. And then there’s a palace which is a ghost’s favourite place to live.... full review
Thumbs down, by Aakash Kumar, Filmi Beat : ...Performance-wise, Akshay Kumar brings his signature energy and manages to hold attention in parts. Also, there's a pleasant surprise for the superstar's fans in the film. Veteran actors like Asrani and Rajpal Yadav shine in their limited scenes, adding some charm. Paresh Rawal, Jisshu Sengupta, and Rajesh Sharma played their parts well.... full review
Thumbs down, by Nitin Jain, Glamsham.com : ...n the end, Bhooth Bangla feels like a stretched-out, three-hour attempt to recreate the charm of past successes. Instead of reinventing the genre or even its own legacy, it comes across as a forced, meme-like extension of films we have already seen, without offering anything new in return.... full review
Thumbs down, by Shubhra Gupta, indian express : ...Finally, Tabu comes on and lights up the screen, but the joy is short-lived. On come the tantra-mantra-laden havans, and Akshay gets to fight demons so patently CGI that you yearn for the old bhoots-in-white-saris who used to roam around havelis singing songs.... full review
Thumbs down, by Manali Rastogi, Live Mint : ...कुल मिलाकर, भूत बंगला एक ऐसी फिल्म है जो हॉरर-कॉमेडी होते हुए भी कुछ नया नहीं दे पाती। यह पूरी तरह खराब नहीं है, लेकिन याद रखने लायक भी नहीं है। एडिटिंग भी कई जगह कमजोर लगती है। यह फिल्म अक्षय कुमार और प्रियदर्शन की फिल्म भूल भुलैया के आसपास भी नहीं पहुंच पाती। अच्छी कहानी और मजबूत कास्ट होने के बावजूद, यह फिल्म सिर्फ हल्का-फुल्का मनोरंजन देती है और आखिर में निराश करती है।... full review
Thumbs down, by Nandini Shah, MiD DAY : ...His Bhool Bhulaiya was novel in its idea because it rejected superstition and opted for a psychological framing; the cure wasn’t in faith but in medical science. Another horror-comedy, Stree, worked because of its subversion, allowing a woman to be a threat to all of mankind and confining men to their homes instead. So when Priyadarshan returns to the genre after almost 20 years, the last thing you expect is this outrageous attempt to cash in on the genre's popularity with a dated and hackneyed plot.... full review
Thumbs down, by Radhika Sharma, NDTV : ...Bhooth Bangla should serve as an example: if you wish to sell nostalgia, at least respect the audiences who have now grown up. Give them something to hold onto besides a dilapidated story structure that can't stand on its own, even on the foundation of nostalgia.... full review
Thumbs down, by Narinder saini, NDTV : ...अक्षय कुमार को थोड़ा एक्टिंग और चीजों को सीरियस लेने की जरूरत है. हर फिल्म के साथ दर्शकों के धैर्य की परीक्षा नहीं ली जा सकती है. एक्टिंग में अक्षय कुमार बहुत ज्यादा लाउड है. भूल भुलैया (ओह सॉरी, भूत बंगला) में वो अक्षय दिखते ही नहीं हैं जो भूल भुलैया में नजर आए थे. वामिका गब्बी के होने ना होने से फिल्म को कोई फर्क नहीं पड़ता. अक्षय कुमार के साथ उनका दिखना, बिल्कुल ही बेमजा है. राजपाल यादव और परेश रावल बढ़िया हैं. असरानी को परदे पर आखिरी बार देखना यादगार है. तब्बू भी ठीक है, और बाकी सब भुतहा है. भूत बंगला को लेकर हमारा फाइनल वर्डिक्ट तो यही है कि ना तो ये डराती है, ना ही हंसाती, सिर्फ पकाती है और सोचने पर मजबूर करती है कि अक्षय कुमार क्या ऐसे ब्लॉकबस्टर दोगे.... full review
Thumbs down, by Isha Sharma, NewsBytes : ...Re-watch Priyadarshan-Kumar's old films instead of 'Bhooth Bangla'; 2/5 stars Bhooth Bangla feels artificial and distant, and Priyadarshan is sadly off his game here. There's some momentum and a few twists in the second half, but the film is already beyond rescue by then. Sometime post-intermission, an exhausted Arjun says, "Meri samajh me nahi aa raha ye kya ho raha hai." For the most part, I felt the same.... full review
Thumbs down, by DEBANJAN DHAR, Outlook India : ...Character consistency: what's that? Bhooth Bangla lurches between disparate tones, its camera spinning in unfathomable directions, insisting you latch on for its no-concession humourless diet.... full review
Thumbs down, by Sreeju Sudhakaran, Rediff : ...I have seen him salvage weaker films through his impeccable comic timing, but here, he feels miscast, and his casting only amplifies the miscasting around him.... full review
Thumbs down, by Nandini Ramnath, Scroll.in : ...Rajpal Yadav’s Balli gets slapped and belittled a lot, making you feel for the things Yadav has to do for a living. Jagdish’s posterior is frequently set on fire – a reminder of the movie’s bottom-warming, 174-minute duration? Akshay Kumar is consistently manic, being an old hand at this sort of material. He’s given most of the better lines and the genuinely funny moments. But Bhooth Bangla is too derivative to be its own thing. Akshay Kumar can’t play hero and exorcist at the same time.... full review
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