Rating : Average (3.0/5)
Genre : Comedy / Drama
Year : 2007
Running time : 2 hours 35 minutes
Director : Priyadarshan
Cast : Shiney Ahuja, Akshay Kumar, Vidya Balan, Amisha Patel, Rajpal Yadav, Paresh Rawal
BHOOL BHULAIYA : SUPERSTITION’S THE NAME OF THE GAME !
Do you like mumbo-jumbo ? Or films which deal with mumbo-jumbo ? Can you survive the occasional trip into the surreal, complete with tantrik, jhadoos and ghost-evicting ceremony without rolling your eyes too much ? I’m sort of sitting on the fence on this one, because it’s not a bad-bad film, although in parts it does make me want to roll my eyes, and lay down from lack of air, because I’m laughing so hard AT the film. (That’s almost poetry, you know ?)
Well, anyway, this film takes me back to the Himmatwala era. That, or the Southie films which deal with feudal lords in small villages. You know the kinds of villages which make technology and the WWW seem like a dream. Where people live cocooned in small, sheltered worlds, of hakims, and priests, and jadoo-tona, and religious rites and superstition. They have heard of America all right. In fact they even have a freshly America returned Raja of sorts (Ahuja) who comes with newly-wed wifey Avni (Vidya Balan). He comes to make his home here, in his haveli, which is rumored to be awash in spirits. And not the drinking kinds either.
His uncle, family etc. try to dissuade him, but modern-minded as he is, and pooh-poohing superstition, Raja Saheb plus clan move in. Apparently the ghostly residents don’t like this too much, because accidents start happening. And Rajaji has no recourse other than to summon trusted friend and Doctor (of spirituality ?) (Akshay) to solve problems. Can he ?
OK, now must say, that although this film has the “ghostly” theme, it being directed by Priyadarshan, can not avoid overt attempts at slap-stick. Thus Rajpal Yadav, in knee-high dhoti, red face and scampering gait, presents himself as object of ridicule. Also Akshay Kumar, and Paresh Rawal jar the comic nerve, adequately. However, the comic and the surreal do not mix very well (yes, desi comedy is surreal but that’s not what I meant), leaving one to sort of take the film not too seriously.
In the second half the film gets into the thick of it, mumbo-jumbo wise, ghungroos, dancing nymphettes and all. Lots of red herrings are thrown about, and what with the silly slapstick-ing, and the double entendres, and the dhoti-jokes, I wasn’t expecting the film to go all serious on us. But it does. Serious somber note, and tears etc. From Shiney. While Vidya and Amisha shriek it out. Patchy screenplay this one. And lots of logical holes. Acting wise, Balan stands out. Ms.Patel is allright. Rajpal, poor guy, is talent wasted.
Technically and direction-wise the film is decent enough, and that gets it an average rating. However trying to make every film a rollicking old comedy, ruins a film with potential. Thus, while the audience might want Akshay mouthing (absurdly) comic lines, masquerading as a crazy doctor, and singing item numbers (with what appear to be African women in short shorts, quite a far cry from Rajaji’s feudal fiefdom), the director should provide it only if the script warrants it. Which it does not in this case. I imagine if this were an out and out bhootiya film, with scary effects to the max, it might have been a better watch.
I used to think of Priyadarshan films as quality. However, with his descent into comedy, the standard seems to be dropping. “Hera pheri” was OK, BB is several sub-terrains lower.
