Movie Review : Bhoothnath Returns

Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Parth Balerao, Boman Irani, Usha Jadhav,Sanjay Mishra, Brijendra Kala; Director: Nitish Tiwari; Rating: ***

We have been trained to believe ghosts are scary and hence we are always frightened by them. But thanks to Nitish Tiwari's Bhoothnath Returns, we would want to believe in something like that. The Ghost in the film is adorable and a pal you wish you always had. Bhoothnath Returns is the sequel to 2008 Blockbuster Bhoothnath. We instantly fell in love with bhoothnath back then and so do we now also. Though the entire political angle does make it unrealistic, but you definitely are thoroughly entertained, because Big B can't possibly go wrong in doing that.

Bhoothnath Returns is the return of the 60-year old ghost on earth who is discomforted in the dead world for his inability to scare a little kid six years back. Therefore, he is up for a task, which is even more disgusting for Bhoothnath. He needs to scare about a dozen of kids on earth but in turn he turns into a comic character. He fails to succeed in his task but wins over a lively kid Akhrot (Parth Bhalerao) who neither fears him nor any locale there. Soon they come across a local politician Jamez Partho (Boman Irani) who asks them to bring the haunted building in the same position as it was earlier or else face consequences. Bhoothnath is in no mood to step back but he decides to trouble Jamez by fighting him in local elections. Now how this dead man stands against him in this political battle and beats him over, is how the story deals further.

The story by Nitish Tiwari and Piyush Gupta though quite unrealistic is very much entertaining. The thought of what the "bhoothworld" looks like is also unique. Though it seems like a take on Harry Potter's Hogwarts school, without the moving staircase of course. But the working of the bhoothworld is shown as any other government office. For example, there is a token system for re-birth and equivalently slow as our government system; and there is a lucky draw to be born as a celebrity dog. The movie is full of punch lines from various characters which only add to the comic element of the film.

To talk about performances, we have a bunch full of talent, a bunch of extra ordinary acting skills in the ensemble cast. Amitabh Bachchan who essays the lead character of Bhoothnath, puts up an entertaining show and yet proves he is a legend. The intricacies of the emotional scenes are impeccably portrayed by him. You can feel his frustration in the bhoot world,  as well as his agony in the real world.  He proves it yet again that he is truly the Big B of Bollywood.

The child artist Parth Bhalerao who plys Akhrot in the film is a little slum boy who earns a living for his mother and him by showing foreign tourist the slum dog side of India. Parth is simply adorable and his dialogue delivery with the typical tapori accent is very cute and flawless. He does a great job and doesn't miss out on screen space even though he shares most of the frames with the legendary Amitabh Bachchan. The sheer fearless attitude that he carries makes him a very interesting character on screen. Next to mention is Jamez Partho (Bhau) played by Boman Irani is a corrupt local politician cum goon. Boman yet again plays a villain with a funny bone like he did in Lage Raho Munna Bhai and Pyare Mohan. He is a gifted actor and does simply justice to his role because he eventually tend to start hating his character in the film. Other characters like Sanjay Mishra and Brijendra Kala have small roles but yet do a great job and add to the comic timing with their perfect punch lines. Special appearances by Anurag Kashyap, Shah Rukh Khan, Ranbir Kapoor are totally wasted and of no use at all.Meet Bros Anjjan do a fantastic job with 'Party toh Banti Hai' after their last hit track 'Baby Doll' in Ragini MMS 2. The 'Dharavi Rap' is another interesting track from the album. Other compositions go with the flow of the film and don't seem jerky.

The movie has its low points too. Like the second half goes deep into politics and thus doesn't cater to children like Bhoothnath did The movie seems to be a little lengthy too, possibly because of some unwanted special appearances and extra shots. Nonetheless, it is a decent watch as it is entertaining and fun filled. Looking for entertainment? Bhoothnath Returns should be a part of your weekend plan, because 'party toh banti hai'.