A shot of Benares-cut to-some paintings of a king and a dancer played to a haunting tune along with the opening credits-cut to -Benares-cut to a haveli in Jaipur.A man walks into a palacial haveli.By the looks of it the haveli is undergoing renovation work.He calls for some one, goes up to the first floor to look for him, only to realise that he isnt there..and comes back to a rocking chair(whilst going up he had sub-consciously kept a hand on the chair, but we do not notice as we are focusing on his dialogues)Scared to death he runs away!
This is how the psychological thriler Bhool Bhulaiyya opens, trying to establish a spooky premise.Only problem is the effect is conspicuous by its absence . The next 15-20 mins are plain pathetic, boring as Priyan tries to show us the superstitions amidst the tom-foolery of all the characters involved in the story..(the only thing from this part I remember is cricket being called something that rhymes with dhan-dhana-dhan-dhan..its actually called golpind lambdand dharpakar pratiyogita)
The problem with this film is the fact that Priyadarshan’s efforts are half-hearted or lazy at most times.The first 30 mins should have really been shorter by atleast 20 mins(doesnt that say it all?)The next bhool is casting Shiney Ahuja opposite Vidya Balan…the two share zero on-screen chemistry and’ shiney looks funny when he tries to lip-sync.
All said and done the pace does pick up and Akshay Kumar’s arrival is perfectly timed.Only when Nandini’s head gets busted and Akshay’s luggage is burnt you get the hang of the seriousness of it all..only thing is the first half has already passed..priyadarshan’s attempts at creating fear(a rocking chair, a mouse running on a piano and an overturned basket with a cat in it) are poor to say the least.
The second half is intertwined with The trademark Priyadarshan slapstick humour and some scary moments(not outright scary but might send a shiver or two down your spine if you were bored in the first half)
Its quite entertaining until you reach the pre-climax , largely thanks to the background score, where the screenplay refuses to move ahead and reduces the impact of what is to ensue thereafter by a margin..Priyadarshan here clearly fails to upgrade the 1993 flick to what we need today both in texture and pace.
The 15-20 mins from then on till the last five minutes of the movie are when it reaches a high point with the Manjulika namak bhootni taking centerstage and sending a chill down you spine.
What ensues thereafter is ludicrous and plain stupid.The hypnotism, Akshay proposing to Amisha could/should have been ’done away with and replaced with something else.
The cuplable parties here are the dialogue writer, the screenplay writer and the director.The one liners are simply not funny enough and the shuddh hindi looks out of place.The screenplay takes forever to stand up on its feet and this is where the impact of the movie is halved.Priyadarshan clearly acts lazy by robbing Vidya Balan of what should have been an author backed role and instead devoting time and space to Akshay Kumar’s buffoonery.Clearly he shows his incompetency here by refusing to take up the challenge of risking some money for a greater impact which Vidya’s character would have left.
The performances in the film are mixed…Shiney ahuja when he is not hamming it all up, is actually quite pleasant
Akshay Kumar’s flair for the lighter stuff seems to have reached an all time high.He is the life, breath and soul of this film.
Amisha Patel should quit acting with immediate effect.
For all those who who fell in love with Vidya Balan in parineeta, were left gasping for breath when her charm was put on full blast in lage raho munnabhai or could not help yourselves from gaping in her eyes in salaam-e-ishq you are in for the shock of your lives.
She is the typical hindi film heroine up until the last half an hour where she hits top form and looks every bit the possessed part she plays though she does not really get to dance like a maniac, that honour goes to Vineeth(again Priyadarshan shows his incompetency here)
Despite all that the last 30 mins belong solely to her .This is no career defining performance for sure though she will win a fair-share of plaudits for it.
Everyone else sleepwalks through their parts
The cinematography and art-direction are quite good.
So folks ensnare yourselves in this bhool bhulaiyya only for Vidya Balan or if you are in love with Akshay Kumar’s comic flair
Those looking for quality cinema go watch Loins of Punjab or Johnny Gaddar instead