On the flipside, while Priyadarshan handles the humour in the first half like a pro, he falters in the post-interval portions when the horror takes centerstage. The backstory fails to entice and gives a déjà vu of BHOOL BHULAIYAA [2007]. The climax is quite lengthy and despite the best effort, it doesn't grip viewers. A few characters shockingly disappear in the second half. Even the ones that enter the narrative post-interval don't get justified screen time.Read at source
Unfavourable Film · 2026 · Hindi · Comedy
Bhooth Bangla
Bhooth Bangla
During a storm in Mangalpur, stranded travelers gather at a deserted railway platform and ask an old mystic about the town's curse. He recounts the legend of Vadhusur, a demonic being said to abduct brides before their wedding night. Years earlier, a wedding party is forced through Mangalpur after storms block their route. Despite warnings from their driver, they continue, only for their bus to break down in the forest. That night, an unseen creature attacks the group and abducts the bride. Soon after, Dushyant Acharya, the reclusive owner of the abandoned Acharya Palace, dies under mysterious circumstances. In London, his grandchildren Arjun and Meera learn that they have inherited the palace. With Meera's wedding venue cancelled, Arjun decides to restore the estate and host her wedding there. On his journey to Mangalpur, he meets Priya, a writer who claims to be investigating the disappearance of her sister, the missing bride from the earlier attack, and later saves her during an accident. Upon arriving, Arjun is warned by the caretaker Shantaram that the palace is cursed and that Dushyant himself never stayed there overnight. Arjun dismisses the warnings and spends a night inside unharmed, convincing him that the stories are superstition. However, he discovers a sealed prayer room inside the palace whose key has vanished. When Arjun hires workers and the wedding planner Jagdish to begin preparations for Meera's wedding, Shantaram gets prompted to explain Vadhusur's origin.
- Director
- Priyadarshan
- Release
- 17 Apr 2026
- Run time
- 164 min
- Language
- Hindi
Cast & crew
Reviews
Indian-media reviews, grouped by reception.
Unfavourable
Across 4 available source-linked Indian-media reviews for Bhooth Bangla, reception is unfavourable. The scored review is 30/100.
IMDb is a reference rating and is not counted as an Indian-media review.Best forViewers looking for comedy and horror in Hindi cinema.
All 4 reviews shown
The disappointment kicks in early... and stays.Read at source
For an overwhelming “comedy-director” reputation, atleast in Hindi cinema, Priyadarshan builds up the dread better. Some scenes with Vadhusur jump-scaring as soon as the lights go out are done with the deftness of a competent horror filmmaker but they soon become repetitive and thus lose inventiveness. The laughs, however, are laboured with too much reliance on physical comedy than situational humour. Akshay slaps, kicks and loses his shit in a desperate attempt to evoke some giggles. The writing thins out soon and the film becomes a garbled mess borrowing ideas from everywhere be it Lights Out (2016) or Stree 2 (2024).Read at source
Media & trailers
Source-linked video records attached to this title.
Details
Soundtrack
Technical specs
- Release date
- 17 Apr 2026
- Run time
- 164 min
- Language
- Hindi
- Country
- IN
- Director
- Priyadarshan
- Budget
- ₹120 crore
- Distributor
- Pen Marudhar
Trivia
- Bhooth Bangla grossed ₹247.28 crore worldwide, making it the sixth highest-grossing Indian film of 2026 and the third highest-grossing Hindi film of 2026.
- The film marks Akshay Kumar's seventh collaboration with director Priyadarshan, following their previous work together on Khatta Meetha in 2010.
- Mithila Palkar secured her role in the film after Kalyani Priyadarshan recommended her to director Priyadarshan.
- Principal photography began in December 2024 in Mumbai and later moved to Jaipur, Rajasthan, in January 2025.
- Portions of the film were shot at Chomu Palace, a location previously used by Priyadarshan for his 2007 film Bhool Bhulaiyaa.
- The climax portions of the film were shot in Hyderabad in April 2025, featuring a large palace set created at Ramoji Film City.
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