Apr 11, 2014 12:21 PM
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There are ghost films, which are scary and terrifying (sometimes unintentionally funny too) and there are ghost films, which are light-hearted, cute and entertaining. Bhoothnath Returns falls in the latter category, which anyways boasts of few films as compared to the former category. Hence, Bhoothnath Returns definitely has an edge. Moreover, it’s the sequel to an acclaimed film (Bhoothnath). And most importantly, it has a very interesting premise: an invisible ghost contesting for elections and giving a hard time to his competitor! But sadly, while the plot is very novel and interesting, the film is way too long and the climax is underwhelming. Both these factors dilute the impact. At best, this is a one-time watch!
The story of the movie: Kailash Nath aka Bhoothnath (Amitabh Bachchan) finally makes it to ‘Bhoot World’. But there he is ridiculed by fellow ghosts for getting bullied by a kid on Earth. To bring back the lost respect, Bhoothnath asks for permission to go back to Earth and scare few kids. His permission is accepted and Bhoothnath lands up in Asia’s largest slum– Dharavi in Mumbai. But yet again, Bhoothnath comes across another kid, Akhrot (Parth Bhalerao), who is the only person who can see him. Both decide to help each other and while doing so, they encounter larger issues that plague the society and how it has affected people from all strata and communities. They realize that it’s time to fight for what is right. Hence, Bhoothnath decides to contest for elections from Dharavi, where his rival is the powerful and conniving politician, Bhau (Boman Irani).
Bhoothnath Returns has a brilliant beginning. Despite the ‘Harry Potter-ish’ sets at ‘Bhoot World’, one won’t feel like complaining as the scene is damn interesting. The fun continues as Bhoothnath returns to Earth, befriends Akhrot and comes across Bhau. The best point in the film is undoubtedly when Bhoothnath decides to fight the elections and the resulting humour is sure to bring the house down! Things continue well in the beginning of the second half. But very soon, the humour and interest level being to slightly dip. Also, things being to look stretched and don’t seem as interesting as in the first half. Tension levels do go high in the pre-climax. But the climax lacks a punch and is emotional, which doesn't match with the otherwise light-hearted and funny mood in the film. Even Bhoothnath suffered from the same problem, in my opinion. Moreover, the writers have tried their best to show things in the most realistic manner possible, especially the entire election process. But in the climax, all this realism goes out of the window which again dents the impact.
As always, Amitabh Bachchan is wonderful and delivers a fine performance. It is evident that the veteran superstar enjoys playing Bhoothnath and hence, one cheers and hoots for Bhoothnath as he tries to fight the baddies and win the hearts of aam junta. The actor has been seen in very few films in the past couple of years(he only featured, in leading roles, in Bbuddah Hoga Terra Baap, Department and Satagraha in the last 3 years). Thankfully, starting with Bhoothnath Returns, he'll been seen in several flicks(along with a fictional TV show) which would surely be a treat for his fans and even for moviegoers, in general.
Parth Bhalerao is terrific to say the least! He is no doubt talented but to hold a strong position in front of a legend like Big B is nothing short of a huge achievement. Hats off! Boman Irani too puts his best foot forward, like every time, and comes out with flying colours. His character does remind one of his act in Lage Raho Munnabhai in few places but no complaints here. Sanjay Mishra (lawyer) is adorable and highly funny! In fact, one begins to laugh the moment he enters the narrative! Usha Jadhav(Akhrot’s mother) leaves a mark and so does Brijendra Kala as Lallan, Bhau’s right hand man. The actors playing the ghosts in the under construction buildings do a fine job. Same goes for D Santosh and Gajrao Rao(as ‘sarkari’ officers in Bhoot World). Shah Rukh Khan is lovely in the cameo. Ranbir Kapoor too is fine but the makers shouldn't have shown his scene in the dialogue promo as one already knows what he plays in the film. And lastly, the best cameo is by Anurag Kashyap. He gets a bit over the top but his sequence is hilarious!
There are just 4 songs that are neatly incorporated in the film, except Sahib which seems a bit out of place. Party To Banti Hai, Dharavi Rap and Har Har Gange however are energetic. Hitesh Sonik’s background score is effective and enhances impact in several scenes. Sets are very impressive and it’s difficult to say that few of the scenes are not shot in the real Dharavi. Dialogues (Nitesh Tiwari, Piyush Gupta) are undoubtedly very smart and hilarious and one of the big reasons for enhancing laughs. Story is very novel and also relatable(especially now, since the election season is going on). Script (Nitesh Tiwari, Piyush Gupta, Shreyas Jain, Nikhil Malhotra) is fine till the middle of the film and then goes downhill. Same goes for Nitish Tiwari’s direction. Also, he should have done something about the length of the film. On the plus side, several scenes are hilarious and make an impact. If only the flaws were taken care of, Bhoothnath Returns would have been one of the greatest films of recent times!
Some of the best scenes:
Bhoothnath at ‘Bhoot World.'
Akhrot ‘scares away’ Bhoothnath.
Akhrot starts making money thanks to Bhoothnath.
Bhoothnath at the half-finished mall.
Bhoothnath meets the lawyer.
The intermission point.
Cameo of SRK, Ranbir and Anurag.
Bhoothnath gives speech.
The chase sequence in the pre-climax.
On the whole, Bhoothnath Returns tackles some relevant issues and also hits theatres at the right time, when election fever is at its peak. Performances are fine while the dialogues are witty and quite funny. Unfortunately, the film is too long (155 minutes). The second half fails to make the same impact as the first and the climax lacks punch. Most importantly, it’s not an ideal kid's flick, as the social issues tackled in the film and the manner in which it’s executed might not be enjoyed by the children. Nevertheless, it’s a clean entertainer and definitely a one-time-watch!
