Movie Review: Bhoot Police

BHOOT POLICE is the story of two tantriks who discover themselves when trying to ward off an evil spirit. Vibhooti (Saif Ali Khan) and Chiraunji (Arjun Kapoor) are brothers who pretend to be ghostbusters. They are the sons of the famed Ullat Baba (Saurabh Sachdeva) who died when Chiraunji was just 5 years old. Vibhooti doesn’t believe in the existence of ghosts and spirits. Till now, they have encountered several instances where there were no evil spirits. But instead of telling their clients the truth, Vibhooti and Chiraunji would pretend to eradicate the ghost from their lives and take a fat fee in return. Vibhooti, however, believes that ghosts exist and is waiting for an opportunity to teach an evil spirit a lesson. The opportunity arrives at their doorstep when they meet Maya (Yami Gautam). She runs the Silawar Tea Factory and owns a sprawling estate. She lives here with her sister Kanika (Jacqueline Fernandez). Yami tells Vibhooti and Chiraunji that she and the tea factory labourers have experienced the presence of a ghost (aka <em>kichkandi</em>) in the estate. A similar spirit was seen at their place 27 years back and it was Ullat Baba who had trapped it in a pot and kept it in a safe place in a forest. At the estate, Vibhooti, who still doesn’t feel there’s any ghost in the estate, challenges the <em>kichkandi</em>. The same night, a labourer, Lata (Jamie Lever) and her husband Vinod (Rupesh Tillu) encounter the <em>kichkandi</em>. A few days later, many other labourers claim to have witnessed the spirit but the description of the <em>kichkandi</em> varies from person to person. One night, Vibhooti and Chiraunji venture into the forest and come across the tree where the <em>kichkandi</em> was trapped in the pot and stored. Chiraunji is shocked as he realizes that the pot is intact and unbroken. This means that the spirit is still inside. Hence, he concludes that the spirit troubling the estate at present is different. To make matters worse, Vibhooti claims that their father was also a conman and that the pot has no evil spirit. To prove his point, he breaks the pot. What happens next forms the rest of the film. <img class="aligncenter wp-image-1270123 size-full" title="Movie Review Bhoot Police" src="https://ift.tt/3ldY7PJ" alt="Movie Review Bhoot Police" width="720" height="450" /> Pavan Kirpalani's story is novel. It gives a déjà vu of STREE [2018] and ROOHI [2021] as BHOOT POLICE is also a horror comedy. But unlike the other two films, BHOOT POLICE focuses on ghostbusters and that gives a unique touch. Pavan Kirpalani, Pooja Ladha Surti and Sumit Batheja's screenplay (additional screenplay by Anuvab Pal and Devashish Makhija) is entertaining. The characters are very well fleshed out and the balance between horror and comedy is well maintained. A few jump scares do remind one of Hollywood horror flicks though. On the flipside, the first half is alright and it's only from the intermission point that the film becomes intriguing. A few developments are bewildering. The track of Inspector Cheddi Singh (Jaaved Jaaferi), meanwhile, is far from funny. Pooja Ladha Surti and Sumit Batheja's dialogues are quite witty and funny but only at places. There was a lot of opportunity for many more funny dialogues in a film like this. Pavan Kirpalani's direction is stellar. He has made horror films in the past and in that regard, he deserves praise for putting up a convincing horror setup in the film. He handles the comedy well but what’s surprising is that even the dramatic and emotional moments are executed nicely. The scene where Vibhooti slaps Chiraunji and the dialogues that follow is memorable. Also, the climax has an emotional angle and it's well woven into the narrative. However, he leaves a few questions unanswered. BHOOT POLICE starts very well. There’s humour, horror and an unexpected twist in the entry scene and it sets the mood. The chase sequence at the Tantrik Fair fails to raise laughs. The scene where Lata is compelled to sing a song by her husband Vinod is scary and also funny. But apart from this scene and the beginning sequence, nothing interesting happens in the film. The interest level increases only when Vibhooti breaks the pot. Post-interval, the humour is minimal and horror gets preference. The last 30 minutes are quite gripping. The numerous twists and the emotional track works well. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>RAPID FIRE- Saif Ali Khan &amp; Arjun Kapoor’s LAUGH RIOT| SRK | Kareena Kapoor | Ranbir Kapoor</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://ift.tt/38Vtmtu" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Saif Ali Khan is the best performer in the film. He slips into the part of the wicked tantric effortlessly and adds to the madness. Arjun Kapoor is sincere. His role doesn’t allow him to contribute to the laughter quotient. But he seems apt for the part and looks quite better than his other film appearances off late. Yami Gautam is decent but goes on another level in the pre-climax. Jacqueline Fernandez is average. Jaaved Jaaferi fails to raise laughs. Saurabh Sachdeva and Girish Kulkarni (Santu the monk) are there for just a scene and deliver worthy performances. Late Amit Mistry (Hari Kumar) has a substantial role and is entertaining. Jamie Lever and Rupesh Tillu leave a mark, especially the former. Yashaswini Dayama (Guddi) is too good. Rajpal Yadav (Goggle Baba) is wasted. The kid actor playing Titli is adorable. BHOOT POLICE is a songless film. <em>'Aayi Aayi Bhoot Police'</em> is played in the end credits while <em>'Mujhe Pyaar Aaya Hai'</em> and <em>'Raat Gayi'</em> are absent in the narrative. It’s great that the actors don’t break into song and dance and that the romantic track between the leads is subtly shown. Clinton Cerejo's background score is excellent and special mention should also go to Anirban Sengupta's sound design. It enhances the spooky element of the film. Jayakrishna Gummadi's cinematography is breathaking. The locales of Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh are captured with finesse. Anita Rajgopalan and Donald Reagen Stanley's production design is rich and in sync with the film’s theme. Abhilasha Devnani and Manisha Melwani's costumes are glamorous. The ones worn by Saif and Arjun are stylish and yet go with their tantric characters. Redefine, Fractal Picture Pvt Ltd and Old Monk Studios's VFX is a bit unreal but works. Pooja Ladha Surti's editing is smooth. On the whole, BHOOT POLICE has a weak first half but the post-interval portions are quite entertaining and thrilling. The combo of horror, comedy and emotion makes for a decent watch.

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