Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 Review: Tabu stands out in Kartik-starrer despite predictable storyline

Kartik Aaryan's Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 is touted to be one of the most highly-anticipated films of the year. The film hit the big screens on 20 May 2022. Along with Kartik Aaryan, it stars Kiara Advani, Tabu, Sanjay Mishra, Rajpal Yadav, Amar Upadhyay, and others taking on specific roles. The Anees Bazmee directorial is a sequel to the first instalment of the spooky comedy film of the same name starring Akshay Kumar and Vidya Balan in the lead roles.

Ahead of its release, the film was successful in creating a massive buzz online with the power-packed trailer and Kartik's unusual avatar as Rooh Baba garnering all the attention. Kiara Advani. on the other hand, was awaited by fans as she stepped into the role of Reet. 

Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 Review

Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 is a gripping drama that catches pace from the very beginning itself and successfully manages to retain the thrills and chills from the first part of the franchise. The horror-comedy is a standalone film and its plot is quite different from the original film.

The movie begins with two strangers Ruhan Randhawa (Kartik) and Reet (Kiara) who meet each other accidentally on a road trip. Reet befriends Ruhan and reveals to him that she is going to Rajasthan for her marriage. At Ruhan's insistence, she joins him for a music fest which ultimately saves them from a big accident. The accident makes Reet's family believe that she is dead. Later, Reet overhears her sister's conversation with her Fiance where she discovers that her sister and her fiance love each other. To get them together, Reet decides to hide the secret of her being alive.

Reet asks Ruhan to help her in the mission of hiding herself from the world for a few days until her sister gets married to her lover. Destiny then leads Ruhan and Reet straight to an abandoned castle where they have some bigger challenges waiting in store for them including the spirit of a vengeful ghost 'Manjulika'.

What Works in the Kartik Aaryan-starrer?

Director Anees Bazmee in every way knows how to weave magic on screens with his hard-hitting comic punches and engaging storyline. The film gives the audience the right doses of humour and all the pun intended lines were to the point and did not seem to be forced or unnecessary.

First and foremost, talking about Tabu, who stole all the limelight in the drama, lives up to her part of playing a dual character. Her transition into the two roles that are poles apart from each other is simply flawless. Her character will take you on a roller coaster ride of fun and emotions where one will hate her and like her at the same time. She perfectly picks up the Bengali accent.

Furthermore, Kartik Aaryan and Kiara Advani's chemistry comes as a fresh breath of air for the audience and they did full justice to their parts. Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 is Kartik Aaryan's best performance so far as his comic timings and hilarious punches will make the audience laugh and cheer throughout. In other words, he has successfully lived up to the audience's expectations as his transition from a fun-loving Ruhan to a possessed and scary baba is quite smooth and proves to be a show-stealer. Kiara Advani on the other hand manages to win the hearts of the audience with her bubbly role and charming looks.

Sanjay Mishra and Samarth Chauhan as Potlu is bound to win a lot of hearts as they leave their stamp in the movie. Rajpal Yadav makes the audience feel nostalgic at many points as his look reminds them of the original film.

Dialogues written by Farhad Samji and Aakash Kaushik are crisp and are perfectly delivered by the stellar cast. The background music adds to the nostalgic value. Direction and the cinematography are also taken good care of and it elevates the genre requirements of the film.  

What doesn't work in the film?

The film does not completely do justice to the horror genre as it doesn't have many jump scare sequences and there is no such specific element that stands out. Moreover, the ghost sequences are not too long to create an impact. Although there are spooky elements in between the scenes, they are not scary and fail to leave any impact. After the ghost finally enters the frame, the second half of the film gets a bit stretched.

Talking about the film's songs, Shreya Ghoshal's Ami Je Tomar surely strikes a chord in the hearts of the audience, but other than that all other songs could have been better.

Moreover, there are scenes where a lot of Bengali language is been used which might make the audience feel disconnected. Also, there are parts where the practice of black magic is glorified which might not go well with some of the audience. For instance, Manjulika is seen drinking blood which leads to the feeling of discomfort for the audience. Like every other horror movie, there is a flashback in this one too but the flashback story is common and quite predictable.

Review: Final Thoughts

Despite having a predictable storyline, the plot of the film is presented in an interesting manner that makes the audience feel connected to the story. The twist at the end is the turning point of the film where Kartik and Tabu steal all the limelight. Overall, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 is sure to bring back all the nostalgia of the first part by keeping the essence of the ghost character Manjulika along with the famous Bengali song and a gripping drama. The film proves to be an entertainer and has a good mass appeal with all the elements to attract the movie buffs to the theatres.

Reviewer Rating: 3/5

Image: Instagram/@kartikaaryan