JOIN OUR WHATSAPP CHANNEL
Bhoot Police Movie Review: Saif Ali Khan and Arjun Kapoor’s spooky adventure as ghost hunters is entertaining
Here's the Pinkvilla review of Saif Ali Khan, Arjun Kapoor, Jacqueline Fernandez and Yami Gautam's horror comedy, the Pawan Kirpalani directed Bhoot Police.
Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Arjun Kapoor, Jacqueline Fernandez, Yami Gautam
Director: Pawan Kirpalani
Platform: Disney+Hotstar
Rating: 3 stars
The follow up to every horror scenario in life is laughter. And it’s this real-life trait that has made horror comedy a popular genre. Director Pawan Kirpalani too tries to strike the balance between horror and comedy with Bhoot Police. It’s more of a coming-of-age story of two ghost hunters, Vibhooti (Saif Ali Khan) and Chiraunji (Arjun Kapoor), who transform from being just another set of thugs, looting people on the name of ghosts to realizing their inherent power to actually fight the spirits.
The film starts off with a hilarious opening gag, followed by series of instances in the screenplay which take the two ghost hunters to a remote village in Himachal Pradesh, where they meet Kanika (Jacqueline Fernandez) and Maya (Yami Gautam). Things move at a fast space till here, however, the proceedings slow down as the film nears the intermission point. The first half concentrates more on gags and humor quotient with little on the horror front as the director tries to establish the conflict of how ghosts are often used as a medium to scare by the powerful with an ulterior motive.
The horror elements kicks in the second half when the “real ghost” comes into picture. Every frame in the last hour - from the background score to the visual effects and the underlying comic elements - screams of the reasons why the film is meant to be consumed on the big screen. The finale too comes across as a pleasant surprise where the makers bring in the emotional padding to the tale. Notwithstanding the loose ends in the first half, the screenplay, though predictable, is engaging and entertaining. The camera work is fantastic for the genre, so is the sound design. Like always, producer Ramesh Taurani ensures that the production values are not compromised on.
The dialogues are the major highlight of Bhoot Police, as Sumit Batheja tries to bring in the current context even in the most routine conversations of the characters. The dialogues also have ample easter eggs with respect to the film industry. It’s the dialogues that make up for the loose ends in the screenplay. The editing is efficient however, the film could have been shorter by 10 minutes.
Speaking of performances, both Saif and Arjun share a great chemistry, which is the prime reason in making this spooky adventure a fun ride. The film wouldn’t have been half as entertaining if not for their on-screen camaraderie. While Saif brings in his unique charm to his character, mouthing those quirky one-liners with utmost conviction, Arjun get’s a more layered and subdued track. Yami Gautam is credible as always and Jacqueline for a change surprises with her comic timing as she get’s few of the best one-liners in the second half. Javed Jaffry doesn’t get ample scope to perform, however, leaves a mark with his comic timing in the climax. The director keeps the rest of the ensemble in control and manages to extract good performances from the cast.
All in all, Bhoot Police is predictable and has its share of flaws, however, the quirky one-liners, fun camaraderie between the four leads, good production values and an impactful finale makes this an entertaining spooky adventure. It’s worth a dekho.
ALSO READ: Thalaivii Movie Review: Kangana Ranaut's film an ode to Amma by Jaya
Latest Articles
