'Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2' Review: Kartik Aaryan starrer is a predictable comic caper but totally worth it

Director: Anees Bazmee

Cast: Kartik Aaryan, Tabu, Kiara Advani, Sanjay Mishra, Rajpal Yadav and others

Where: At theatres near you

Rating: 3 stars

Fighting to win your love over anything is a universal phenomenon, and 'Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2' is one such tale set in Bhawanigarh, a fictional town situated in Rajasthan. Director Anees Bazmee arrives yet again with his comedy but this time with a twist of horror in it for the first time in his directorial career. It is the second instalment of the 'Bhool Bhulaiyaa' franchise, which is funny enough to get entertained.

Roohan, aka Rooh Baba (Kartik Aaryan), accidentally meets Reet (Kiara Advani) in Manali and their love blooms. Rooh has to drop her at her house in Rajasthan, where he confronts a bad spirit Manjulika. Anju (Tabu), Reet’s sister-in-law, alerts Roohan to be careful, but he ignores and experiences the worst. Will he be able to get rid of Manjulika, or will she be the reason for his destruction? This forms the rest of the crux of 'Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2'.

Although the film was touted to be a potboiler, it is certainly true to its genre. Horror-comedy is a tricky genre, but Anees dabbles with funny one-liners and jump scares together quite well. The dialogues are a surprise by Farhad Samji and Aakash Kaushik. They won’t let you get bored of a moderate screenplay.

However, the film is bound to get compared with the first one considering the similarity in the title, and even the two most popular songs, 'Aami Je Tomar' and 'Hare Ram', have been incorporated, but still, 'Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2' has its standalone identity in some or other way. The other two songs, 'De Taali' and 'Hum Nashe Main Toh Nahin', are shot well in the snow-clad mountains and white sand desert, respectively.

Kartik Aaryan, whose career graph changed after 'Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety' in 2018, has been consciously choosing his films. Seems like his films have an agenda to get families to the theatres, be it 'Luka Chuppi' or 'Pati Patni Aur Woh' and with 'Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2' now, he has surely secured his place as a household name. His comic timing and dance skills have improved, and he proves to be a complete package for a masala entertainer.

Kiara Advani is a performer with a pretty face and continues to be a girl next door girl. The camaraderie between Rajpal Yadav as Chota Pandit and Sanjay Mishra as Bada Pandit is hilarious. Amar Upadhyay and Milind Gunaji are passable. The one who steals the show is Tabu. She is the soul of 'Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2'. She shines out in this ensemble. Watch out for her solid performance throughout.

The film dips here and there, but Anees somehow manages to get you hooked each time. Even the climax, which was melodramatic and stretched to the core with the predictable twists, turns out to be convincing.

'Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2' is a no-brainer but passes with grace marks. It is expected to bring family audiences back to the big screens, thus anticipating a decent opener at the box office.