Bhooth Bangla

Did You Know?

• The first single 'Ram Ji Aake Bhala Karenge' drew lyrical comparisons to the song 'Bhooter Raja Dilo Bor' from Satyajit Ray's 1969 film Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne.
• Singer Arijit Singh, who had earlier announced his exit from playback singing, approached the makers to perform the second single 'Tu Hi Disda' because he felt a strong connection with the composition.

Plot

In Mangalpur, a storm strands travelers at a railway platform, where an old mystic tells them the story of Vadhusur. This demon, blessed with immortality by Lord Shiva, could only be destroyed by his own hand or a descendant. A celestial apsara betrayed and killed him during their wedding, and his ghost now roams, seeking vengeance. It preys on newly married women and haunts the Acharya Palace. Years later, Dushyant Acharya, known as Guruji, pretends to die and leaves the estate to his grandchildren, Arjun and Meera. Despite warnings from caretaker Shantaram, Arjun decides to fix up the palace for Meera’s wedding. On the way, he meets Priya, a writer searching for her missing sister, and saves her from a crash. After arriving, Arjun gets electrocuted in the palace bathroom and dies briefly, but Priya brings him back with CPR. As the wedding nears, Guruji’s hidden plans come to light. He built a machine that played holy mantras to keep Vadhusur asleep, but his son Madhav, jealous over a woman named Yashodha, tampered with it, reversing the mantras. Madhav becomes partly possessed, serving as Vadhusur’s physical host. It turns out Arjun is Madhav’s biological son, meaning he carries Vadhusur’s bloodline. A visiting priest warns that darkness feeds evil and advises holding the wedding during the day, with the couple crossing the Ganges before sunset. Yet Guruji schedules Meera’s marriage at the palace, intending her as the thirteenth and final sacrifice to fully revive Vadhusur and free Madhav.

Production

Bhooth Bangla was officially announced in September 2024 with a motion poster revealed by Akshay Kumar on his 57th birthday, marking his seventh collaboration with director Priyadarshan, 14 years after Khatta Meetha (2010). The film is produced by Shobha Kapoor and Ekta Kapoor under Balaji Motion Pictures in association with Akshay Kumar's production company, Cape of Good Films. The screenplay was written by Rohan Shankar, Abilash Nair and Priyadarshan, with dialogues by Rohan Shankar and story by Aakash Kaushik. Following the announcement, Paresh Rawal, Rajpal Yadav, and Asrani were confirmed as part of the cast. In October 2024, Wamiqa Gabbi was confirmed as the female lead. In January 2025, Tabu and Mithila Palkar were added to the cast, with Palkar portraying the sister of Akshay Kumar's character; Kalyani Priyadarshan had recommended her to the director. In March 2025, Jisshu Sengupta was confirmed to have joined the cast. Principal photography began in December 2024 in Mumbai, Maharashtra, later moving to Jaipur, Rajasthan in January 2025. Portions were shot at Galtaji temple, Sisodiya Rani Bagh and Chomu Palace, a location previously used for Bhool Bhulaiyaa. Production design was handled by Sabu Cyril. In April 2025, the climax portions were shot in Hyderabad at Ramoji Film City. The film was shot extensively in London, Jaipur, Kochi, Mumbai, Chennai and Hyderabad. Principal photography was completed in May 2025 with a song sequence choreographed by Pony Verma. M. R. Rajakrishnan worked as sound designer.

Release

Bhooth Bangla hit theaters on April 17, 2026, after its release was pushed back to steer clear of a box office showdown with Dhurandhar: The Revenge. Special paid previews took place the night before, on April 16. The film’s journey to the big screen was a winding one: originally set for April 2, it was postponed to May 15, then moved up to April 10. During the certification process, the Examining Committee demanded several tweaks, including swapping out offensive language, cutting an inappropriate word from the subtitles near the end, and fixing a derogatory line about women in the first half. Disclaimers about religious and superstitious content were also required. The CBFC granted a UA 16+ certificate on April 2, 2026, for a runtime of 174 minutes. The filmmakers then made additional voluntary cuts, approved on April 11, trimming the length to about 164 minutes. The movie began streaming on Netflix on June 12, 2026.

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, 17% of 12 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 4.6/10. A critic from Bollywood Hungama rated the film 3.5/5 stars, calling it a fair entertainer that works best for its humour, performances and old-school Priyadarshan-style chaos, though noting the second half loses steam due to an underwhelming backstory and overlong climax. Dhaval Roy of The Times of India rated it 3/5 stars, writing that while the first half is thoroughly entertaining, a crisper narrative and shorter runtime would have made the film more effective, and the screenplay turns messy with gimmicky creatures and set pieces toward the climax. Sana Farzeen of India Today rated the film 2.5/5 stars, opining that it falls short of delivering the expected blend of horror and comedy, struggling with outdated humour and weak storytelling. Taher Ahmed of Deccan Herald also rated it 2.5/5 stars, stating that while the film has all the teeth, it lacks bite, with a second half that drifts from horror into comedy in a way that does not work, and underutilised characters. Nisha Srivastava of The Sunday Guardian noted that the film struggles due to repetitive humour, weak storytelling, and underdeveloped characters, lacking a strong core. Lachmi Deb Roy of Firstpost rated it 2.5/5 stars, commenting that the film is all about Akshay Kumar and wishing there was more of Tabu and Jisshu Sengupta, and suggesting it is time for Bollywood to stop obsessing over stars.