The latest Manjulika haunting saga is utter Rooh-bish! – Beyond Bollywood

Kartik Aaryan’s Rooh Baba himself wishes to escape this Bhool Bhulaiyaa, a sentiment likely to be shared by most sane audiences. Though the backstory to the haunting is intriguing, writer Aakash Kaushik and director Anees Bazmee deliver a shoddy screenplay, further weakened by the average performances of the leads. Triptii Dimri, however, gives a respectable performance.

Rating: ⭐️ (1 / 5)

By Mayur Lookhar

Nothing clicked this year except for horror (Shaitaan) or horror-comedy – Munjya, Stree 2. The genre was revived by Raj and DK’s Stree (2018), perhaps the first feminist horror-comedy in Bollywood. Both Stree and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 (2022) share a common link with a Kaushik. The former was directed by rookie filmmaker Amar Kaushik, while the latter was written by Aakash Kaushik. We don’t think they are related. Raj & DK were not involved in Stree 2 (2024), but the success of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 led Aakash Kaushik to write Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 (2024).

Let’s not forget the first Bhool Bhulaiyaa (2007), helmed by Priyadarshan. The Hindi film, which boosted the careers of Akshay Kumar and Vidya Balan, was a remake of director Fazil’s original Malayalam film Manichitrathazhu (1993). Both films are psychological thrillers rather than conventional horror. With due respect to the Mohanlal and Shobana-starrer Malayalam film, we found its Hindi remake more engaging. Fifteen years later, T-Series turned Bhool Bhulaiyaa into a franchise, with director Anees Bazmee transforming it into a horror-comedy. Bazmee created his own world but retained the character name Manjulika, also spelled as Monjulika. Balan rejected Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, and Tabu seized her opportunity with both hands.

Kartik Aaryan stepped into the franchise and delivered the biggest hit of his career. Much like the previous film, Aaryan is banking on Bhool Bhulaiyaa to reverse his recent poor form. Vidya Balan returns to the franchise after 17 years, and seasoned actor Madhuri Dixit makes her horror film debut. Priyadarshan’s Bhool Bhulaiyaa (2007) and Bazmee’s Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 are set in Rajasthan, while the third film takes the story to West Bengal. Despite the different settings, all three films feature a Manjulika from West Bengal as the source of the haunting. Proud Bengalis have not been amused by this portrayal, as some feel it depicts Bengali women as witches, perpetuating a long-standing stereotype in the rest of India. Even Manichitrathazhu (1993) doesn’t escape this critique, as the Malayalam film slyly attributes the haunting to a Tamil dancer, Nagavalli, who died 150 years ago.

With Bazmee traveling to West Bengal, Bengali critics will likely be up in arms again. While Bazmee’s film avoids portraying Bengalis as occult practitioners, most of his characters inadvertently mock Bengali culture. It’s not so much Vidya Balan or Madhuri Dixit, but Vijay Raaz and Rajesh Sharma who bear the brunt of criticism with their fake Bengali-accented Hindi. The haunting traces back to 1824, when a veiled woman was burnt alive. The Rakhtghat Maharaja (Denzel Smith) ensured that only vague details of this conflict would be remembered. Two hundred years later, Ruhan, aka Rooh Baba (Kartik Aaryan), is hired by the descendants to rid the royal palace of Manjulika, whose spirit has prevented the family from selling it. Over time, the fake ghostbuster learns that he may be dealing with not one but two Manjulikas.

Why was Rooh Baba summoned here? What connection do Balan’s Mallika and Madhuri’s Mandira have with this chilling piece of history? Viewers need to decipher that themselves. The true backstory to the haunting is intriguing, but Aakash Kaushik’s poorly penned screenplay and Bazmee’s shoddy direction don’t do justice to it. Also, the suspense here might not cut much ice with the ‘straight’ lot.

Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 had its flaws too, but it was perhaps the slapstick humour that amused the masses. The humour in Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 is anything but funny. A sane viewer would be appalled at the sight of the living Maharaja (Vijay Raaz) serving kauwa (crow) biryani (to his people. These ravens died the previous evening when Manjulika was set free. Here is a royal family driven away by Manjulika from their palace, now living in the adjacent dairy. They struggle to get two meals a day, yet all the adults have smartphones. The family cow is a malnourished bovine that doesn’t give milk but is fed daily. The Gau Rakshaks will not be pleased.

Pandit (Sanjay Mishra), Panditayan (Ashwini Kalsekar), and Chhota Pandit (Rajpal Yadav) were the goofy characters in the preceding film, and now they repeat their antics in Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3. Yadav has been a constant presence in all three films. Aakash Kaushik and Anees Bazmee have perhaps stretched the absurdity here, which may not amuse Brahmins. A poor spoof of Jawan featuring Yadav in the climax only reflects the bankruptcy of ideas from the director and his writer.

Some of Rooh Baba’s tiffs with Pandit, Panditayan, and Chhota Pandit do crack you up, but the moment that stands out is when Shataf Figar’s character, Vicky Khanna, who pays Rs 1,000 crore to the Maharaja for the haunted place, heads back to his hotel playing and humming “Kaise Mujhe Tum Mil Gayi” from Ghajini (2008) before Manjulika crashes into his car.

How do the film’s four leads fare? Rooh Baba comes naturally to Kartik Aaryan, known for his jovial characters. The writing doesn’t help, but this is another typical Kartik Aaryan performance. Given its backstory, it’s a brave move by Aaryan to accept this film, but the poorly executed climax and Aaryan’s average performance here aggravate viewer frustration. Twice in the film, Rooh Baba moans, “I want to get out of this bhool bhulaiyaa.” It’s a feeling likely to be shared by most sane viewers.

No matter how a story or its characters are written, Triptii Dimri often doesn’t let that come in the way of her performance. Along with Manish Wadhwa, Dimri is the only actor who delivers a respectable performance. Wadhwa’s Raj Purohit is the only character who truly understands the gravity of the grim situation that faces the royal family. 

The big disappointment here stems from Vidya Balan and Madhuri Dixit. Balan recently revealed that she turned down Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 out of fear that it might not match the standards of the original film. Also, stating that she is the original Manjulika is factually incorrect. In the Priyadarshan film, Balan only assumed the identity of Manjulika, who lived a few centuries ago. Poor Balan faced backlash from the moment the Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 trailer dropped. Seventeen years is a long time to return to a franchise, and her prolonged poor form works against her. Mallika is another poorly written character, and Balan fails to recreate the magic from 2007. She and Madhuri are hard to watch in the spooky scenes.

Madhuri Dixit was the eternal crush of the late 80s and 90s, known primarily for her dance. However, the formulaic films of the era didn’t offer much scope for mainstream actresses. Dixit is perhaps in the third innings of her career. Her comeback with Aaja Nachle (2007) and subsequent films didn’t make much of an impression. While she starred in the haunting thriller 100 Days (1991), Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 marks her maiden foray into the horror genre. Although Mandira is pivotal to the haunting, the end credits surprisingly credit Dixit for a special appearance in Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3. Though still popular, Dixit’s search for a quality film and performance continues. While old may be an inappropriate term for the evergreen Dixit, she is no longer in the prime of her youth. The lack of agility is reflected in her dancing, especially alongside Balan, who also faces the challenge of repeating the masterful dance performance from the original Ami Je Tomar. Let’s take a moment to pay tribute to the unsung Vineeth, Balan’s co-dancer in the original.

While horror comedies are in vogue, one is always bewildered by the sight of a child being exposed to supernatural scenes. How the young boy in the Maharaja’s family doesn’t get frightened is beyond belief. Another bizarre aspect is that despite the tragic horror story, the ghost kills a rank outsider, Vicky Khanna (Shataf Figar), yet none of the Maharaja’s living descendants are caused any serious harm.

Barring a few odd funny moments, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 is tough to watch for its 158 minutes. The title track, crooned by Diljit Dosanjh and Pitbull, along with Aaryan’s saucy dance moves, is reserved for the end credits. However, by that time, most sane viewers are left exhausted by this silly horror comedy. Horror comedies seem to be a favourite with audiences this year. While we don’t mind the steep ticket prices during Diwali, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 is not the premium content that viewers would be willing to pay extra for.

Watch the video review below.