Bhooth Bangla (2026)

TLDR: Bhooth Bangla is a 2026 Hindi horror comedy film directed by Priyadarshan, starring Akshay Kumar, Paresh Rawal, Tabu, Rajpal Yadav, and Wamiqa Gabbi. It released in cinemas on April 17, 2026. The first half is genuinely fun and packed with laughs, but the second half loses its grip and drags. If you are an Akshay Kumar fan or love the old Priyadarshan comedy chaos, you will enjoy it. If you are expecting something as sharp as Bhool Bhulaiyaa, you might walk away a little disappointed.

When I heard that Akshay Kumar and Priyadarshan were making a horror comedy together again, I literally sat up in my chair.

Bhool Bhulaiyaa (2007) is one of those films that never gets old. So when Bhooth Bangla was announced in September 2024 — on Akshay Kumar’s birthday, no less — the excitement was instant. Same director. Same lead. Even many of the same supporting cast members.

Could lightning strike twice?

I went in hoping for the best. Here is what I found.

Bhooth Bangla — Movie Details at a Glance

What Is Bhooth Bangla About?

The story is rooted in Indian mythology and black magic — Priyadarshan himself described it as being inspired by ancient texts like the Vedas and the Mahabharata. That alone sounded incredibly promising.

Akshay Kumar plays a dual role. He is both Arjun Acharya, the son of Madhav and Yashodha, and Madhav Acharya himself, Arjun’s biological father. That kind of layered storytelling is exactly what you need to keep a horror comedy interesting.

The setup involves a haunted palace, a web of family secrets, and a mystery that unfolds across generations. Paresh Rawal plays Jagdish Kewalramani, a wedding planner from Karol Bagh, Delhi — and yes, he is as entertaining as that description sounds. Rajpal Yadav plays Sunder “Balli” Bajwa, an electrician, who is essentially comic gold every time he appears on screen.

As the group ends up entangled in the world of the haunted mansion, the film tries to blend laughs, scares, and a family backstory into one big package. It partly succeeds.

Full Cast Breakdown

It is a massive ensemble. And seeing Akshay, Paresh Rawal, Rajpal Yadav, Asrani, and Manoj Joshi together again — just like in Bhool Bhulaiyaa — genuinely made me smile before the film even properly started.

The Bhool Bhulaiyaa Connection

Let me address this directly because everyone is thinking it.

Bhooth Bangla is not a sequel to Bhool Bhulaiyaa. It’s a completely separate story. But Priyadarshan and the makers clearly leaned into the nostalgia.

They even filmed portions at Chomu Palace in Jaipur — the exact same location used for Bhool Bhulaiyaa back in 2007. When Akshay Kumar confirmed this during promotions, the internet went a little crazy, and honestly I understand why.

The rest of the film was shot across Mumbai, Jaipur, London, Kochi, Chennai, and Hyderabad, where a massive palace set was built at Ramoji Film City for the climax. The scale is clearly there.

What Priyadarshan Brought to the Table

Priyadarshan is a master at orchestrating chaos. At his best, he takes a group of mismatched characters, throws them into a spooky situation, and lets the comedy and the horror play off each other perfectly.

The first half of Bhooth Bangla shows exactly that skill. The setup is crisp. The jokes land. The comic timing between Akshay, Paresh Rawal, and Rajpal Yadav is effortless because these people have worked together before and it shows on screen.

The cinematography by Divakar Mani gives the haunted mansion sequences a genuinely eerie quality. And the background score by Ronnie Raphael keeps the tension alive when needed.

But somewhere around the interval, things start to slip.

My Honest Take on the Film

I will be straight with you.

The first hour or so is a proper blast. I was laughing, I was having a good time, and I was impressed by how well Priyadarshan still commands this genre.

Then the second half arrives.

The backstory that the film builds toward feels underwhelming once it is fully revealed. The climax is too long and too gimmicky — some of the creatures and visual effects feel more silly than scary. A film that runs 164 minutes needs to earn every minute, and in the second half, Bhooth Bangla does not always do that.

Tabu, who could have been an absolute scene-stealer, is mostly confined to flashback sequences. Given that she is one of the finest actors working in Hindi cinema today, that feels like a real missed opportunity. Janki Bodiwala’s role also feels limited in scope. Wamiqa Gabbi is charming but her romantic track with Akshay comes across as forced.

The Times of India gave it 3 out of 5 stars and called out exactly this — the first half is thoroughly entertaining, but the screenplay turns messy and the second half loses its sharpness. That matches my experience almost exactly.

What saves the film, without question, is Akshay Kumar himself. He is clearly having fun. He is loose, funny, and physically committed to the role. There is a version of this film where the script is tighter and the second half is 20 minutes shorter, and that version would have been genuinely excellent.

The Music

Pritam composed the songs and the soundtrack has some decent entries.

The first song, “Ram Ji Aake Bhala Karenge,” is the kind of loud, fun, ghost-themed track built for crowd moments — and it works in that setting. The second track, “Tu Hi Disda,” is the romantic song, sung by Arijit Singh who apparently approached the makers personally because he felt a strong connection with the composition. The third track, “O Sundari,” features Akshay and Wamiqa Gabbi.

None of the songs will rank among Pritam’s best work, but they serve the film’s purpose.

Box Office Performance

Bhooth Bangla was made on a budget of ₹120 crore. It has earned ₹188.49 crore at the worldwide box office, making it the sixth highest-grossing Indian film of 2026 and the third highest-grossing Hindi film of 2026.

That is a genuinely solid commercial result. The film clearly found its audience, especially with families and fans of Akshay Kumar’s old work.

The release itself had a complicated journey. It was initially scheduled for April 2, then pushed to May 15, then pulled back to April 10, and finally landed on April 17, 2026 — moved to avoid a clash with Dhurandhar: The Revenge. Preview night shows were held on April 16.

What Works and What Doesn’t

Works: The first half is funny and fast-moving. The ensemble cast has natural chemistry. Akshay Kumar is fully committed. The palace locations look gorgeous. The background score builds atmosphere well.

Doesn’t work: The second half drags. The climax is overlong. Tabu is wasted. The horror elements in the final act feel more silly than scary. At 164 minutes, the film could have used a sharper edit.

Should You Watch Bhooth Bangla?

If you grew up loving Bhool Bhulaiyaa and want to see that team have another go at the genre — yes, absolutely watch it.

If you are an Akshay Kumar fan who enjoys his comedy mode, you will have a great time for at least the first half and probably enough fun overall to make it worth it.

If you are going in expecting a well-crafted, tight horror comedy with genuine scares — temper those expectations. Bhooth Bangla is more of a fun, slightly uneven entertainer than a genuinely great film.

My rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars. A film that is better than its critics are giving it credit for, but not as good as the nostalgia made you hope it would be.

You can check the full cast and technical details for Bhooth Bangla on its IMDB page.

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