Bhoot Bangla review: Akshay Kumar fights bats, ghosts and black magic; his jokes fail to land in this horror comedy

Akshay Kumar's Bhoot Bangla has hit the big screen on Friday, April 17, and paid previews were held on Thursday. The Priyadarshan-directed fantasy horror comedy opened to a mixed audience response on Friday.

Akshay Kumar and Priyadarshan's collaboration marks their reunion after over 15 years.

The horror comedy stars Tabu, Paresh Rawal, Rajpal Yadav, Wamiqa Gabbi, Mithila Palkar, Jisshu Sengupta, and Asrani.

The trailer and songs were received well by fans, but looking at the trailer, moviegoers had already called it a flop. And now, after the film's release, fans have slammed Priyadarshan's horror-comedy. Bhoot Bangla combines old myths and new superstitions, with Akshay's adventure-seeking ghostbuster trying his best to make audiences laugh with witty punchlines that fail to land.

The story

The film begins in London, where Arjun (Akshay Kumar) is busy planning his sister Meera's (Mithila Palkar) wedding to Rahul (Perin Malde). Their lives take a sudden turn when they learn about their grandfather's death, which leaves them in shock as well as joyous that they are heirs of the grand palace in Mangalpur.

Arjun decides to host the wedding at the ancestral palace; however, caretaker Shantaram (Asrani)warns that there hasn't been any wedding in Mangalpur ever, as it's haunted, and a lot of black magic activities are still prevalent in the village. The locals claimed that Vadhusur (ghost)  appears to claim the newly-married bride. On the other hand, the parallel track follows a young woman (Wamiqa Gabbi) searching for her missing sister, who was allegedly taken under similar circumstances. 

The movie shows how Akshay Kumar battles modern ideologies with ancient faith and superstition. 

Verdict

Akshay Kumar, Rajpal Yadav, Asrani, and Paresh Rawal's camaraderie does make the audience laugh, but the humour soon becomes repetitive. The screenplay looks copy-pasted and taken from other horror-comedies, making it predictable.

Akshay Kumar does manage to hold the span of the narrative. His comic timing, laughter, and expressions are on point for the role.  However, Tabu and Mithila Palkar have less screen time and are underutilised.

The script and storyline are weak, and one can easily skip it, save money, and watch it on OTT.

Let's take a look at what moviegoers have to say

A user wrote, "Final verdict of Bhoot Bangla – First 40% pure comedy , next 10% shifts into suspense mode, 50%–95% feels like full serious mode, last 5% back to comedy. Overall, a good watch, but the casting felt off. Wamiqa Gabbi didn't quite fit for me; this could've been a great chance to introduce a fresh face."

Another user remarked, "I wish Bhoot Bangla came out 10 years ago. Unpopular opinion — watching Priyadarshan sir's style again feels nostalgic, but also a bit sad... that our childhood entertainer now feels stretched. Still, his humour? Bang on. #BhootBangla is horror + comedy. Story milegi, but don't go in expecting Bhool Bhulaiyaa level magic."

While many called it boring and nothing new in terms of humour or comedy, fans are praising how Akshay Kumar shoulders the film alone.

A third comment read, "#AkshayKumar single-handedly saves this one. Director tries hard to create a good entertainer but weak script, uneven screenplay and bad VFX spoil the fun. #WamiqaGabbi is completely wasted, feels like she was included only for off-screen PR. #Tabu doesn't have much to do either. Supporting comic characters are just ok. First half is fairly entertaining, but film completely derails in the 2nd half. Overall, #BhoothBangla is AN AVERAGE OFFERING but still better than BB2, BB3."

BB expert review 

According to film trade analyst Taran Adarsh, Bhooth Bangla is an entertainer that "doesn't disappoint". He gave 3.5 star rating to the movie and suggested that the first half is filled with humour, while the post-interval portions delve into a darker past.

Elaborating on the engaging narrative, he wrote, "The humour works, although a few sequences may come across as slightly naughty... It's the eerie atmosphere that forms the backbone, while the attention-grabbing VFX enhances the film's visual appeal." Suggesting it to be worth a watch for its funny moments and eerie chills, he said, "It's #PareshRawal and #RajpalYadav who deliver several laugh-out-loud moments – both excel... The late #Asrani leaves a mark."

He further commended Akshay Kumar's comic timing, expressions and effortless acting skills. Its backstory in the second half evokes memories of Bhool Bhulaiyaa, the film business analyst said.

A post by X user @NaranGadhvi24 read, "Just finished watching bhoothbangla and it's an absolute Family Entertainer with lots of Funny Sequences in first half and intense 2nd half.VFX is big Surprise, a bit stretched in 2nd half but then Twists and Turns covered it up nicely. Must watch with full family."

Featuring 7 IMDb rating out of 10, the description of the plot states, "A man inherits a palace in rural Mangalpur and plans his sister's wedding there, but strange supernatural events and panicked locals force him to investigate the property's mysterious past." The filmmakers secured UA 16+ certification on 2 April 2026 from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) with an approved runtime of 164 minutes or 2 hours and 44 minutes.

Bhoot Bangla box-office collection

According to trade tracker Sacnilk, Akshay Kumar-starrer Bhooth Bangla has earned around Rs 10.12 crore as of 9 pm on Friday. The Priyadarshan directorial is currently running across 11,881 shows in India.