Beyond employment, and assuming everyone got paid, there probably isn’t any other reason to make this absolutely cringe-worthy horror comedy, which is perhaps embarrassing to all bhootnis as well.
Rating: ⭐️ ( 1 / 5)
By Mayur Lookhar
Indivar’s beautiful couplet, “Saanson se nahi, kadmo se nahi, mohabbat se chalti hain duniya,” sung by the legendary Kishore Kumar, was a huge hit back in 1985. At first glance, it might seem odd to bring up a romantic classic like this while reviewing a horror comedy. But the nostalgia fits surprisingly well here. After all, in this film, the ghostly witch-our bhootnii-is named Mohabbat. When confronted with it, Baba, our lead protagonist, too questions, “What kind of a name is this?
While watching the film, we’re silently crooning, “Saanson se nahi, kadmo se nahi, Mohabbat se darti hai duniya.” Not because the evil scares you, but because The Bhootnii (2025) is so bad that you just want to leave the theatre within a few minutes-and warn others to watch this cringe fest at their own risk.
Dismissing a film outright might seem harsh, but sometimes it’s the bitter truth. Where do you even start? Take the story, for instance-there’s a painfully cringe-worthy moment when Baba (Sanjay Dutt) is asked how to get rid of the ghost. He replies, “Get two lion teeth, crocodile nails, and gorilla hair, mix it, make a laddoo out of it, and eat it.” Sure, Baba is joking, but the kind of cringe-worthy story and screenplay that writer-director Sidhaant Sachdev has given us feels just as mixed-up and absurd.
Story
At St. Vincent College in Delhi, an odd Valentine’s Day tradition sees students attaching photos of their crushes to a Virgin (Banyan) tree, praying for true love. More seriously, some students also hope to ward off an evil spirit, a legend tied to the college since 2003. What exactly happened back then is something you’d have to watch the film to discover. Fast forward to the present, and we find a heartbroken and drunk Shantanu (Sunny Singh) pouring his heart out, begging the virgin tree for his true Mohabbat, his soulmate. Soon after, this plea awakens an equally lovelorn spirit in the form of the beautiful Mohabbat (Mouni Roy). Shantanu enjoys her company, but Mohabbat eventually reveals her true nature, leaving him shell-shocked and terrified. The bhootnii has set her sights on him and isn’t ready to let go. Adding to the college’s woes, a student commits suicide, the fourth in the past 20 years. This prompts the college to bring in paranormal investigator Baba (Sanjay Dutt) to unravel the mystery.
Screenplay & Direction
The Valentine’s Day ritual is as ridiculous as it gets, but what’s even more baffling is that after four mysterious deaths, the college never once thought to involve the local police. The terrible story and weak writing right from the start quickly turn you off-and are likely to put you to sleep. Honestly, there were moments when my eyes were open, but the mind was wandering elsewhere. Ten minutes in, we suddenly remembered we had a film to review-but honestly, it’s no crime if you choose to snooze through these two hours. Suspense is supposed to build and pay off at the end, but the cringe-worthy screenplay just makes you wonder how this story ever became a film in the first place. There’s another painfully awkward line where Nasir (Aasif Khan) mocks his lusty friend Sahil (Beyounick), saying, “Item song sunne walon ko aashiqui nahi samajh aayegi.” Uff, give us a break. Honestly, beyond employment, and assuming everyone got paid, there probably isn’t any other reason to make this absolutely cringe-worthy horror comedy-which is perhaps embarrassing for all bhootnis as well.
Sachdev is the man behind the horror series Gehraiyaan. While we haven’t watched it, judging by The Bhootnii, it doesn’t reflect well on him as a director.
Acting
Sanjay Dutt is a co-producer of this film, which makes it all the more surprising that a seasoned actor like him chose such a cringe-worthy movie as his first venture into the horror genre. After his battle with cancer, opportunities in Bollywood became limited, and with K.G.F: Chapter 2 ]2022], it seemed like the veteran might focus more on South Indian cinema. He openly praised the professionalism and work culture there-qualities he feels are still developing in Hindi films. However, with his subsequent South project failing to make an impact, Dutt appears to have returned to Bollywood. Actors of his stature can’t afford to stumble on their choice of scripts, and unfortunately, this time, he seems to have missed the mark.
After decades, someone finally played on the word “Baba” – Sanjay Dutt’s well-known nickname in the industry. Sanju Baba steps into the shoes of Baba, a ghostbuster. But he doesn’t look like your typical one. Instead, Baba flaunts tattoos, flashy clothes, and guns loaded with saltwater bullets. That introduction scene, where Baba is firing on all cylinders, taking down a thousand evil spirits and leaving destruction in his wake-ugh, is this a horror comedy or a G.I. Joe action show?
In an era where many ’90s stars struggle to reinvent themselves, Sanjay Dutt, who began his career in the ’80s, still feels one-dimensional. The story and screenplay of this film are pathetic, and unfortunately, Dutt’s performance offers little inspiration either.
TV star Mouni Roy is still trying to find her footing in films. She got a major break with Brahmastra: Part One (2022), but struggled to do justice to her negative role. In fact, the only time she showed real acting chops was as Rajkummar Rao’s Gujarati wife in Made in China (2019). Unfortunately, in this film, she delivers yet another over-the-top performance. Her evil look is puzzling-there seems to be a lack of proper makeup or prosthetics, and instead, the filmmakers rely on CGI that ends up looking more like a cheap light show than something truly thrilling. With every flop, critics are bound to question whether Mouni Roy’s casting has any real merit.
Like Kartik Aaryan, Sunny Singh is also a product of Luv Ranjan’s misogynistic films. While Kartik’s career has taken a different path, Singh’s attempt with Adipurush didn’t fare well. Given a rare chance to play the lead, he made a questionable choice by picking The Bhootnii. Intended as a horror-comedy, the film fails to deliver on both scares and laughs. Instead, Singh’s character clings to outdated misogynistic attitudes. Shantanu’s rant at the Virgin tree comes across as the whining of a crybaby who hasn’t moved on.
What makes Singh’s performance even harder to watch is how he never really looks like a college student. At 39, he seems more suited to play Palak Tiwari’s older cousin than her love interest. On the other hand, actors like Singh, Beyounick, and Aasif Khan do resemble college students-almost like those politically active students from JNU, Jamia Islamia who linger in their PhD programs just to enjoy cheap hostel rent and subsidized food. Aasif Khan is a genuine talent but gets lost in this mess of this film. It’s also baffling how Nasir often shows up at college in just a vest and shorts, testing the audience’s patience. Meanwhile, Palak Tiwari still has a long way to go before she’s taken seriously as an actress.
Technical Aspects / Music
Creatively bankrupt, The Bhootnii (2025) disappoints technically and musically. The forgettable soundtrack fails to add energy, and while the background score is adequate, it’s not enough to salvage the film. The cinematography is unremarkable, and the visual effects appear cheap. Overall, The Bhootnii falls short technically, leaving much to be desired.
Final Word
Clearly, the makers were lured into making this cringe-worthy film, hoping to cash in on the recent popularity of horror comedies. As they say in Hindi, The Bhootnii is classic bhed chaal-a confusing mess. Maybe only die-hard fans of Sanjay Dutt, Mouni Roy, and Sunny Singh will dare to watch it. As for the rest of us, two hours later, we’re left wondering, “Ae film kinhe banayi? Bhootnii ke?”
Watch the video review below.