Directed by Anees Bazmee, the spiritual sequel to the 2007 mega-hit roped in Aaryan to replace Akshay Kumar. Not its story or performances, it stood out for its transparent, no-nonsense distribution of responsibilities instead. Aaryan brought in star power, Tabu—who played the double role of twin sisters Anjulika and Manjulika—did most of the real work. Kiara Advani, meanwhile, ensured the horror-comedy also scored big on glamour and could force-fit a token romantic angle.
Bolstered by the success of the Luv Ranjan films, especially Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety (2018), Aaryan had been diversifying, taking risks, dabbling with dramatic roles in outings such as Luka Chuppi (2019), Dhamaka (2021), Love Aaj Kal (2020) and Pati Patni Aur Woh (2019). But it was Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 that finally broke the glass ceiling for him, so strikingly that it earned him India’s first McLaren GT (worth over ₹3.7 crore). Made on an estimated budget of ₹70 crore, the film raked in a whopping ₹267 crore worldwide and became the fourth highest-grossing entertainer of that year. Aaryan was labeled a hitmaker, the savior of Hindi cinema.
Ahead of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3’s release, the big question, then is—will it prove to be as felicitous for Vidya Balan and Madhuri Dixit as the second installment turned out to be for Aaryan? Ever since Aaja Nachle (2007), Dixit has been appearing in films sporadically, preferring television instead. Since 2010, she has been a fixture on dance reality shows such as Jhalak Dikhla Jaa and Dance Deewane. She has also turned producer and forayed into Marathi cinema, but none of her attempts have been able to reinstate her former glory.
As for Balan, her last Hindi theatrical release that made a big splash at the box office was five years ago. It was Mission Mangal, in which she was one of the seven actors (including bigwigs such as Akshay Kumar, Taapsee Pannu, and Nithya Menen) jostling for space and attention. Whether it be on streaming or in theaters, her last few films—Shakuntala Devi (2020), Sherni (2021), Neeyat (2023), and Do Aur Do Pyaar (2024)—have failed to leave a mark.
Balan and Dixit—both formidable performers—are undeniably going through a career lull. At a low point like this, being a part of a popular, money-spinning, ensemble franchise such as Bhool Bhulaiyaa can inject fresh vigor into their withering careers.
However, if they need the thriller, one of the most anticipated releases of 2024, it needs them just as much. Looking at Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3’s trailer, Balan and Dixit are likely to shoulder what was Tabu’s role in the sequel—carefully weaving a film around a series of low-hanging jokes big on cringe humor. Their iridescent, magnetic talent is expected to add enough weight to the threequel so it doesn’t crash land every three seconds like any insufferable episode of The Great Kapil Show. After all, one can watch Aaryan’s toothy grin and magnificent actors such as Sudhir Mishra and Rajpal Yadav be reduced to comic relief only for so long.
Moreover, if one zooms out a bit, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 stands to gain immensely from Stree 2’s box-office triumph. Also a multi-starrer horror-comedy, the Amar Kaushik film has warmed up the audience, turning the genre into flavor of the season. With the ground already fertile, the job of Aryan and the other actors is already half accomplished. Audiences will throng the theaters wanting to re-create the experience of the big-screen spectacle that they had with Stree 2.
With so much going on for Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, it will be fascinating to see if it’s able to revive Balan’s and Dixit’s careers. That would be the film’s real win.
