Bhoothnath Returns – Movie Review

In a scene from ‘Bhoothnath Returns’, the good-hearted friendly Bhoothnath tells a fellow ghost ‘zyada expect mat kijiyega’ describing Bhoothworld – this dialogue being repeated the second time within the first thirty minutes of the film and you wonder if the message is for the audience. Good intentions don’t necessarily lead to making a great film and sequels may be made even if not required but to just to cash in on the success of the original. Director Nitesh Tiwari’s film about the dirty business of politics and the corrupt system couldn’t have a more favourable time for release with the elections having begun. Sounds serious but not really; ‘Bhoothnath Returns’ is a children’s film which has a social message for all.

   Bhoothnath (Amitabh Bacchan) arrives at Bhoothworld, a lovely place with a ‘sarkaari’ office where ghosts wait for reincarnation. You can instantly be a mosquito, you need a week’s time to be a pig whereas you need to take part in a lucky draw if you want to be a film star’s pet. And well… there is a long long queue if you want to go back to Earth being born as a human. Much to Bhoothnath’s dismay, he turns out to be the butt of all jokes there. The reason – Bhoothnath ne prithvi pe bhooto ki naak kata di. He couldn’t even scare a kid in 2008 (that’s when ‘Bhoothnath’ released). To get things right for himself, Bhoothnath goes back to Earth to scare a bunch of kids. He meets Akhrot (Parth Bhalerao), a young street-smart kid from the slums of Dharavi who can see him. The two of them bond well and soon, they both end up facing the local goon-turned-politician (Boman Irani). Knowing about the politician’s corrupt ways, Akhrot asks Bhoothnath to stand against him. Why? Because he is a good man… err… ghost and nobody can kill him. A reluctant Bhoothnath finds himself contesting for the Lok Sabha elections as there is no condition in the law mentioning that a dead person can’t do so.

Absurd; but it is a children’s film. Well-intentioned but too long, preachy, manipulative and often melodramatic towards the second half. Had Rajkumar Hirani directed it, it might just have been much better. Yes; one can’t help but compare Bhoothnath here to Munnabhai. Tiwari seems to be inspired by the film-maker’s style but doesn’t get it too right. There was no need to manipulate the audience by throwing in a song depicting the poverty of our country. Dialogues in the second half seem preachy. The message is good – everyone should go out and vote. But the climax is too amateurish though it makes you feel positive that perhaps, someday India will awaken to a bright new morning.  However, what works for ‘Bhoothnath Returns’ are mainly the somewhat hilarious scenes in the first half. So, our do-gooder ghost meets with a lawyer (Sanjay Mishra), then visits a police station to get a clearance and takes a certificate from a psychiatrist stating he is mentally stable. Later during a tv interview, Bhoothnath gives fitting replies and a viewer exclaims – ‘chalo koi to padha likha khada ho raha hain’. There is a point being conveyed and we all agree. Music is the kind you would want to fast forward.

Amitabh Bacchan does a great job in scenes where he has a message for the audience but it is an ordinary performance from an extraordinary gentleman. Boman Irani stands tall and continues to prove what a fabulous actor he is. Parth Bhalerao’s character is as important in the movie as Bhoothnath and the young kid surprises you with a memorable performance. Sanjay Mishra provides the laughs well. The supporting cast is adequate. Shahrukh Khan and Ranbir Kapoor are in cameos.

Watch it or not: Yes; for the well-intentioned message, a few funny scenes and performances.

At the Box-Office: Watched it in a half-empty hall and was a little surprised. It is an Amitabh Bachchan release after a year. Like the original, this one should also end up being a semi-hit but will be affected by last week’s ‘Main Tera Hero’ and next Friday release ‘2 States’. Releasing it during elections doesn’t really mean it will add up to business.

• About the Author

About Abhirup Dhar

I don't watch movies... I live them! Let me introduce myself. Abhirup Dhar was born in Kolkata and is still being brought up in India. A banker by profession, he is filmy to the core and is passionate about reviewing movies and writing. He likes to live on his own… he likes to be blunt, sarcastic, famous, infamous, confident, over-confident, moody at times… he likes to be himself. He is imperfect because perfection is boring. His love for movies dates back to his childhood days when he studied in a boarding school. A three-month Winter Vacation every year… and he made sure he watched as many movies then. Parents thought it was a phase... he knew it was Passion and he knew it back then itself. The craziness to watch movies on the Big Screen began during the last two years of school when he literally bunked to town so that he could catch up with the new Hindi Movie releases. Some thought he was plain crazy. He confirmed it was Passion... yet again. The hard fact is that not always can you walk a path you are passionate about. You have expectations to fulfill and Life to be made. But Life gives you chances and you have to grab them. So... here is he... your friendly critic who will be giving you his Verdict every week so that you can decide which release is worth your moolah and which is not! See you at the Movies! Stay connected at Facebook and Twitter!