Bhooth Bangla Review: Akshay Kumar and Priyadarshan Reunite in a Dated, Ungainly Horror-Comedy

Bhooth Bangla Review: A Nostalgic Reunion That Fails to Deliver

Nearly two decades after Bhool Bhulaiyaa became a Bollywood classic, director Priyadarshan and star Akshay Kumar reunite. Their 2026 collaboration, Bhooth Bangla, promised a return to that beloved magic. However, critics suggest the film fails to recapture the original’s infectious energy. Most reviewers describe it as a sluggish and tonally confused effort.

The original 2007 film blended mythology, comedy, and genuine scares brilliantly. Vidya Balan’s terrifying Monjulika became iconic. Akshay Kumar’s comedic ghostbuster persona charmed audiences nationwide. That combination worked because its chaotic energies fused into something joyful and memorable.

Bhooth Bangla carries many of the same building blocks. It reunites familiar faces like Rajpal Yadav, Paresh Rawal, and the late Asrani. The haunted-mansion premise returns, set in the cursed town of Mangalpur. Yet critics agree the execution feels tired and strained throughout.

The Plot: Inheritance, Curses, and a Cursed Wedding

London-based Arjun Acharya, played by Akshay Kumar, lives with his younger sister Meera, played by Mithila Palkar. Their father, Vasudev Acharya, portrayed by Jisshu Sengupta, travels globally delivering spiritual talks. When news arrives of a grandfather’s death, Arjun and Meera inherit billions. They also inherit an old haveli, or mansion, in the small North Indian town of Mangalpur.

Mangalpur carries a dark legend. Brides reportedly disappear on their wedding day, connected to a demon and a nymph. Arjun dismisses these stories as superstition and vested-interest gossip. He decides to host Meera’s upcoming wedding inside the inherited haveli.

The family priest insists the wedding ceremony must happen at a specific post-sunset time. Arjun employs wedding planner Jagdish, played by Paresh Rawal, to organise the celebration. Jagdish hires his nephew Balli, played by Rajpal Yadav, as the venue’s electrician. Workers fill the dilapidated haveli, but mysterious events soon begin.

Arjun also rescues a young woman named Priya, played by Wamiqa Gabbi, from a train accident. She claims to research ancient temples for a book. Her actual purpose, however, remains hidden. Tabu also features in the cast, adding further intrigue to the story.

What Works: Scattered Laughs and Familiar Faces

The film does produce scattered moments of genuine amusement. Rajpal Yadav consistently delivers laughs whenever he appears on screen. His earthy, irreverent comedic timing connects with audiences in a way that feels current. The late Asrani also injects warmth and fun into his scenes as caretaker Shantaram.

The Mangalpur setting carries real dramatic potential. A legend of disappearing brides provides a genuinely eerie backdrop. The haunted haveli creates an atmosphere of creeping dread at certain moments. These elements hint at the stronger film hiding somewhere inside this bloated runtime.

Early audience reactions after screenings proved more enthusiastic. Some viewers praised Akshay Kumar’s performance warmly. Online comments described the climax as stunning and surprising. A portion of the internet audience declared Kumar at his absolute best in this film.

What Fails: Excessive Length and Lazy Writing

Critics point firmly to the film’s 173-minute runtime as a significant problem. The editing does not justify such excessive length at any point. The first half drags badly, leaving audiences restless and disengaged. Things only begin improving well into the second half, but that recovery arrives far too late.

The humour also draws criticism for feeling outdated and lazy. Scenes featuring women in revealing outfits and sexually obvious jokes populate the screenplay. These elements feel embarrassingly dated in a 2026 production. Critics question why filmmakers continue relying on such tired comedic shorthand.

The writers introduce characters randomly and often very late in the screenplay. Several key figures appear so unexpectedly that their purpose confuses rather than enhances the story. The film also never establishes what its central characters actually do for work. Characters simply shout loud dialogue and hope audiences laugh.

The Cast: Strong Names, Uneven Results

Paresh Rawal plays Jagdish, a cunning and money-hungry wedding planner. His character spends much of the film skimming cash from the proceedings. The role does not give Rawal enough material to showcase his considerable talent. His presence feels wasted within the cluttered, underdeveloped script.

Wamiqa Gabbi brings energy to her role as the mysterious Priya. Her character’s hidden agenda adds intrigue to the second half. Jisshu Sengupta’s Vasudev appears sporadically and adds little to the drama. Mithila Palkar performs adequately as the bride-in-waiting at the story’s centre.

Akshay Kumar works hard throughout the film’s generous runtime. His comedic persona still carries flashes of the charm that made the 2007 original so enjoyable. However, the script does not provide Kumar with enough strong material. He cannot single-handedly rescue a film weighed down by structural and tonal confusion.

The Verdict: Too Little, Too Late

Priyadarshan’s films have always operated in a harum-scarum style. Characters and situations arrive seemingly without prior planning or logic. In 2007, that chaotic energy produced something genuinely entertaining and beloved. In 2026, it produces something exhausting and unsatisfying.

Bhooth Bangla sits uncomfortably between horror and comedy without mastering either genre. The horror sequences outweigh the comic ones, disrupting the tonal balance audiences expect. The film delivers more scares than laughs, inverting the formula that made the original so beloved. Fans of the 2007 film will likely feel the absence of Monjulika most sharply.

The core issue is simple. Some comedic combinations carry a natural expiry date. Revisiting them twenty years later demands reinvention, not mere repetition. Bhooth Bangla chooses repetition and suffers the predictable consequences of that choice.

For die-hard Akshay Kumar fans, the film still offers enough moments of fun to justify a theatre visit. For everyone else, the 173-minute runtime and uneven execution make it a difficult recommendation. The haunted haveli of Mangalpur deserved a far sharper, leaner, and bolder film than this.