Review of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 Trailer: A Disappointment To The Classic Horror Comedy
Review of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 Trailer: A Disappointment To The Classic Horror Comedy
Introduction
Following the hugely successful marketing of the second installment of Bhool Bhulaiyaa, it was only natural that a third installment would follow. The trailer of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 dropped on October 9th, 2024, looks more disappointing than the second installment, with unfunny jokes that lead nowhere, pop culture callouts that appear without any reason, and some classic characters forcefully shoved to the audience’s eyes, just to connect the film with the classic Bhool Bhulaiyaa (released 2007), which is till date one of the greatest horror comedy made by India but also a great psychological thriller movie that still manages to grip the audience’s seats, even after a rewatch. The review of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 discusses a few of the factors that will make a forgettable movie even if it does well at the box office.
Forgettable Sequel
Since the announcement of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 back in 2021, the film has faced some backlash due to the uninvolvement of Akshay Kumar, who played the main lead on the first film. Audiences were divided into two groups: those who were adamant about not seeing the sequel without the former lead, and those who were eager to see Kartik Aaryan, the actor announced as the franchise’s new leading face, and how he demonstrated his ability to elevate the film. But as the film got realised on 20 May 2022, both the critics and audiences agreed about the poor quality of the film. The film devoid any horror or thriller elements; even the leads of the film failed to raise any bars. But with a budget of Rs. 70 crores, the film manages to collect over Rs. 175 crore worldwide, making it a hit. It has been 2 years since the release of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, but no one remembers it. Not a single character from the film is memorable; where else the former predecessor was highly based on the characters and how beautifully they interacted with each other, making it a classic Priyadarshan movie.
Kartik Aaryan The Knock Off Of Akshay Kumar, Or Is He !
Since the release of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, one thing everyone agreed upon was that Kartik Aaryan tried hard to impersonate Akshay Kumar’s acting style. Instead of showing his own charm to the film, he acted like someone who takes all the eyeballs for the wrong reasons in a slumber party. His acting is consistently poor and does not appear natural. Even his character, Ruhan Randhawa, is badly developed, since he is just depicted as a wealthy, foolish man who pursued a woman (Kiara Advani) to her hometown, whom he subsequently introduces with some spooky lore. Where else Akshay Kumar’s character, Dr. Aditya Shrivastav, has been established as a professional psychiatrist who arrives to assist his buddy, played by Shiney Ahuja, in deciphering strange happenings at his ancestral home. Ruhan Randhawa and Kartik Aaryan are a disgrace to their predecessors, both in terms of writing and performance, and the work is quickly forgotten.
Unnecessary References
The new trailer shows a glimpse of the famous art work of Donkey riding on a horse, which was fictionally painted by Sagar ‘Majnu‘ Pandey (Anil Kapoor) in Welcome (2007) and was directed by Anees Bazmee, who happens to be the director of both Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 and 3, respectively. The fictional painting gained huge popularity on social media due to its funny style and the recollected memory of the plot in the film. However, in this film, the painting appears forcefully, making it feel that the director is intentionally placing his old prop just to seek some cheap attention from the audience. Hollywood film makers usually do this kind of thing as an “Easter Egg,” placing objects from their previous successful movies in hidden places so that the Eagle-eyed viewers can spot them. But in this film the picture appears in the forefront and the lead addresses it before it disappears, making the scene feel like a total cheap way to cash grab the audience’s money. There is also a joke on Netflix, which makes no sense. May be it’s just a way to please the OTT partners of the franchise!
Overacting On Steroids
The trailer of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 establishes some great actors like Vidya Balan, Madhuri Dixit, Rajpal Naurang Yadav, and Sanjay Mishra, but all of them felt very off. The actors are either acting too much or they are just there for their pay checks. Vidya Balan, who is reprising her role (Avni Chaturvedi) from the first installment, felt like she had taken some psychedelic substances before delivering her performance. On the other hand, her prior performance as Manjulika still gives shivers to the spine.
Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 Review: Wasted Supporting Cast
The core reason behind the success of Priyadarshan’s Bhulaiyaa was the character development and how they blended with the surroundings. Each and every character in the film manages to shine in their own way, making both the film and the characters unforgettable. On the other hand, all the characters in this film feel poorly written. Even actors like Vijay Raaz and Sanjay Mishra couldn’t pull it off.
Wasted Female Leads
The character of Avni Chaturvedi can be regarded as one of the best female-orientated characters ever written by Bollywood. The woman has an independent spirit, revolts against odd norms and superstitions, and also has rotes to her traditions. It’s her childhood trauma that led to the pivotal point of the first film (Bhool Bhulaiyaa, 2007), making her the main plot device. The character was never portrayed as a damsel in distress; it was just an unknown weakness with a sprinkle of folklore that created the havoc in Siddharth Chaturvedi’s ancestral home. On the other hand, the sequel to the film introduces Reet Rathore, played by Kiara Advani, who is just the polar opposite of Avni Chaturvedi. The latest trailer of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 showcases Triptii Dimri as Kriti Singh, and by the glimpse of it, anyone can say she is there as an eye candy. There is an era of Triptii Dimri that is going right now around Hindi cinema; it feels like every other actress has gone for vacation and given her all the responsibilities to shoot their dues. Well, kudos to her success, but since her role in Animal (2023), her filmography has become more in terms of quantity than quality. Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 is just an add-on to her portfolio, and for the makers, casting her is just a cash grab and utilising her sudden rise to fame.
Conclusion
The trailer of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 looks as forgettable as its predecessor, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2. The plot goes nowhere and tries to forcefully retcon the legacy of Priyadarshan’s Bhool Bhulaiyaa, making it a way to grab some quick money from the audiences, showcasing some old, used individual properties such as Manjulika. The creators could have incorporated new folklore into the soft reboot of the franchise, which would have been a more effective strategy in terms of pursuing the new storyline. But they intentionally chose the name to play with the audience’s emotions, leading the franchise to a worse position, both from the perspective of a critic and common audiences.