Bhoot Police
Introduction
Onto the next release of the long weekend and I have just finished watching the new Hindi Film Bhoot Police on Hotstar. Now this movie has been preponed and is out a week prior to its original release date which was next friday probably owing to the festive season. I must admit I wasn’t very thrilled with its trailer, although the film promised to be a concoction of Horror and Comedy, the supposed new genre in Bollywood post the success of Stree, I watched the trailer with pretty much a straight face. But as they say, do not judge a book by its cover. And so I have finished watching it, is it worth your time, does it tickle your funny bone and also send a shiver down your spine, stay tuned.
Story & Screenplay
Bhoot Police follows the story of two tantriks who make a living by banking on the superstitions of people. This until they come face to face with a spirit that has haunted a town. What is the mystery behind it? The premise of the story is definitely interesting and it is something that would keep you engaged in the subject. Sadly, the screenplay is a bit of a mixed bag here. It starts on a good note as you are introduced to the two protagonists and their whereabouts including the portion of the “Ghost” carnival. To be honest the buildup of the story is pretty interesting as well although the two things missing here in the comedy and horror genre is indeed comedy and horror. The jokes are unfunny and horror is a joke here(how ironic). Till the mystery is intact, you still are invested in the drama. But come the second hour, things start turning for the worse. There are random yet repetitive sequences are would make you roll your eyes as you start to lose interest in the drama. And things don’t get any better as some of the sequences are badly executed as well. The last revelation of a spirit is a good one although this should have been a major chunk of your second half and also while the emotional track was good, it just seemed too simple and predictable. The writing that goes awry in the second hour is to blame for the eventual mess that the screenplay creates. All in all a mixed bag.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are pretty well penned and some of the one-liners will make you chuckle(including the one on nepotism). The music features one song at the very end during the rolling titles and it is pretty good. The BGM is strictly ok. Director Pavan Kirpalani has done a patchy job here. Some sequences are well directed and some lack soul(no puns intended).
Performances
The performances are decent here. Jamie Lever is totally wasted as Lata although she does a good job. Javed Jaaferi as Chedi does a good job here. Jacqualine Fernandes as Kanika looks gorgeous but she needs to work on her dialogue delivery. She sometimes misses her timing by a fraction of a second which just dilutes those lines a wee bit. Yami Gautam as Maya does quite a commendable job here. Arjun Kapoor as Chiraunji is also pretty good and I can slowly see him finding his ‘Ishaqzaade’ mojo back. Saif Ali Khan as Vibhooti does a good job too although his dialogues are a tad overcompensating and borderline irritating.
Conclusion
Bhoot Police promised on Horror And Comedy yet delivered on neither although it is not a headache either. Watch it if you must. Available on Hotstar.