Movie: Bhooth Bangla
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Asrani, Paresh Rawal, Rajpal Yadav, Wamiqa Gabbi, Manoj Joshi, Mithila Palkar, Rajesh Sharma, Zakir Hussain
Director: Priyadarshan
Genre: Horror-Comedy
Release Date: 17.04.2026
Rating: 2/5
Director Priyadarshan is back again with a horror-comedy Bhooth Bangla. Despite being teamed with brilliance like Akshay Kumar, Asrani, Paresh Rawal, and Rajpal Yadav, will Priyadarshan be able to repeat history this time again, unlike his masterpiece Bhool Bhulaiyya? Let’s try to explore.
The story revolves around Arjun Acharya (Akshay Kumar), who wishes to arrange a grand marriage event for his sister Meera (Mithila Palkar) in a palace. At a very later stage, fortunately, he comes to know about a palace that he got as a legacy from his grandfather. He traveled to the village to visit the palace, which had been closed for many years, and met there its caretaker, Shantaram (Asrani). During this visit, he learned that the grand palace is haunted, a claim supported by the locals. Initially he didn’t believe in people’s sayings, but when he started living there to renovate the palace, even he felt something unusual there. He gives a contract to a Delhi-based marriage planner, Jagdish (Paresh Rawal), who accompanied his relative, a funny electrician, Sundar (Rajpal Yadav). Despite many unusual incidents, Arjun firmly decides to arrange the marriage event there in that haunted bungalow. After many ifs and buts, finally that day comes, but Arjun’s family guru (Zakir Hussain) doesn’t allow this marriage because the spirit living in that bungalow may take the life of bride Meera. The climax is the real crux of the story. So, to know what happens at the end, one must watch it.
Despite Akshay Kumar’s outstanding performance, the first half loses the audience’s interest because of a weak plot. Asrani’s role as the old palace’s caretaker has been entirely justified. He has garnered prominence with his acting prowess. When it comes to comedy, actor Rajpal Yadav has always been the main draw. He has excellent comic timing. He has once again demonstrated his talent with his innate acting abilities. Paresh Rawal, on the other side, has done a good job, but his role was not that powerful, and it can be said that his talents are underutilized here. Apart from them, other artists like Wamiqa Gabbi, Tabu, Manoj Joshi, Jisshu Sengupta, Mithila Palkar, Zakir Hussain, Rajesh Sharma, etc. have also made their presence felt. Overall, every artist has done their best.
Despite having many talented actors, the film falls short of expectations due to its shoddy plot and poorly written screenplay. Many of the comedic scenes don’t amuse the audience and appear to have been forced. Although Aakash Kaushik’s story is good, the plodding screenplay and lack of twists and turns made it difficult to keep the audience’s interest.
This time even music could not give cover fire to the film. Songs are average, and some are even below average. Pritam’s songs and Ronnie Raphael’s soundtrack fell short of expectations. Bhooth Bangla does not stand out in comparison to Priyadarshan’s other films, such as Hera Pheri, Bhool Bhulaiyya, and Hungama.
Overall, Bhooth Bangla is an average, or can be said to be a below-average, film. This time Priyadarshan’s charisma could not work, unlike his many masterpieces. Still, if you are a hardcore fan of the horror-comedy genre, you can try watching it once.
