Apr 06, 2026 3:50pm IST
‘Bhooth Bangla’ Trailer Review: Familiar Chaos Returns With Akshay Kumar and Priyadarshan; But Is It Enough?
There is enough in the trailer of “Bhooth Bangla” to understand why it is already drawing attention. It brings Akshay Kumar and Priyadarshan back together, leans fully into the haunted-house setup and clearly wants to sell itself as a throwback comedy-horror entertainer. On paper, that is already enough to get people interested. But the trailer also makes one thing very clear: the film is relying heavily on familiarity, and whether that works in its favor will depend entirely on what more it has to offer beyond nostalgia.
“Bhooth Bangla” does not look confused about what it wants to be. It is going for broad comedy, spooky atmospherics, exaggerated reactions and a very old-school “group trapped in a strange place” energy.
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Akshay Kumar looks comfortable in this zone. He has spent the last few years jumping across genres and tones, often without much consistency, but this space feels more natural to him. The trailer suggests he is not trying to force swagger or scale here. Instead, he seems to be going in for confusion, timing and physical comedy, which is where he has usually worked best. That said, the promo does not yet show him doing anything wildly fresh either. It is effective, yes, but also very dependent on our memory of what this pairing used to deliver.
And that is really where the trailer becomes slightly tricky. Because while “Bhooth Bangla” has the right ingredients, it also feels a little too aware of the legacy it is trying to tap into. Some of the gags land, some visuals have personality and the haunted setting has decent texture, but the trailer does not fully convince you that the film has its own comic identity yet.
Wamiqa Gabbi looks like she is being positioned as a key part of the chaos, and even in the brief glimpses, she brings a spark that fits the film’s slightly unhinged energy. Tabu, meanwhile, instantly adds intrigue and gravitas to the setup; she does not need much screen time in the trailer to make her presence felt.
A few beats feel familiar in a way that borders on repetitive rather than comforting. Instead of building unpredictability, parts of the promo seem to coast on a template audiences already know too well.
The horror-comedy genre itself is also in a very different place now. Viewers have seen enough of this space over the past few years to expect more than just jump scares, funny screaming and eccentric supporting characters. They now want sharper writing, better tonal control and at least one hook that makes the film feel distinct. “Bhooth Bangla” is not quite there yet.
Visually, too, the trailer is a bit uneven. Some frames have atmosphere and scale, while others look flatter than they should for a film that is trying to sell a spooky world. The background score does some heavy lifting, but the promo could have used a more memorable final stretch to deliver a stronger punch.
Still, it would be unfair to dismiss it. There is enough here to suggest “Bhooth Bangla” could become a fun theatrical watch if the writing holds and the ensemble clicks.
Paid previews of “Bhooth Bangla” will begin from 9:00 P.M. on April 16, 2026.
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