Bhool Bhulaiya gives us what it does not promise. The trailers pronounced the flick to be a comic caper, prompting parents of infants to throng the theaters with their little ones in tow. What the film turns out to be is some different dish altogether. It is what the fine print said all along, a psychological thriller. Just that the fine print should have been the meat and the comic reliefs the periphery. However, to judge the film in isolation from the trailered promise, it is not a bad production at all. The first half is dedicated as a build up for the second half with the director attempting to keep the audiences involved and entertained with slapstick comedy which more often than not falls flat. There is the usual bathroom humor and situational confusions which may elicit a tickle from the infants spoken about above but are given a pass by the adult members of the audience. Have no illusions about it, the film is whole and sole about the second half. The entry of Akshay Kumar brings in a new life into the sagging build up and one realises that for all his faults and shortcomings, the guy really does have screen presence. The audience practically stirs out of it's slumber the moment Dr Aditya (Akshay Kumar) starts to unload himself on the movie. Even the humor starts being, well, humorous. The suspense builds up with twists and unpredictable turns and though you may have a strong opinion on the eventual guilty party, the motive is well hidden throughout. Overall BB is a reasonably well woven tale about a stereotyped village with it's share of village belles and bumbling idiots, a family of earstwhile royals, superstitions and supernaturals, the way we know it. Recommend a watch. And yeah, do leave your kids behind lest they scream and rant at the horror scenes and spoil the show for those around.
Review of Bhool Bhulaiyaa
