| An American based couple, Siddharth (Shiney) and Avni (Vidya), are on a holiday to India. But they receive a cold reception upon their arrival from Siddharth's uncles, Batuk (Paresh) and Badri (Manoj). Family tension soon mounts when a rational Siddharth insists on staying in the ancestral palace, believed to be haunted. And so begins a sequence of unexplained incidents convincing Siddharth that something is not quite right. All fingers of suspicion points towards Radha (Amisha), the adopted daughter. So, an unconvinced Siddharth calls upon his friend / psychiatrist, Dr Aditya (Akshay) to solve the mystery. For once, director Priyadarshan deviates from trying to make his usual laughter riots by attempting a film interspersed with comedy, suspense and mild horror. This idea has never been tackled before in Bollywood but it certainly works here with never a dull moment. Comic genius Paresh Rawal brings in the laughs during the first half as the apprehensive and superstitious Batuk. But the narrative gathers momentum only when Akshay appears onto the scene as the sensible and analytically minded Dr Aditya. His impeccable comic timing in between the eerie moments and investigations will certainly bring the house down, showcasing yet again the acting
calibre of this actor. Shiney gives a noteworthy performance but is somewhat overshadowed by Akshay's on-screen presence. However, it is Vidya Balan who takes you by surprise with a stupendous performance keeping you engrossed, especially during the last half hour of the film. On the whole, Bhool Bhulaiyaa can be described as a fast-paced suspense drama with creepy moments to every twist and turn. Already in the UK top ten charts at No. 7, this Bollywood film has grossed an amazing £391,165 during its opening week. A must see! Reviewed by Manish Gajjar
BBC Bollywood Correspondent  | 
