2007 · Film
Bhool Bhulaiyaa
Priyadarshan's horror comedy in which a psychiatrist investigates strange events in a Varanasi palace said to be haunted by the spirit of a dancer, Manjulika.
Reviewed by Movie Mandala, Sun, 18 Oct, 2026
Where to watch
IndiaAs of 18 October 2026, Bhool Bhulaiyaa is streaming in India on Netflix with a subscription.
The story
Siddharth, heir to a former royal family of Varanasi, returns from the United States with his new wife Avni and moves into the ancestral palace, ignoring warnings that it is haunted by Manjulika, a Bengali dancer wronged by an ancestor long ago. Curious about the legend, Avni opens a locked room on the third floor. Soon there are strange sounds, apparitions and accidents, and suspicion falls on members of the household. Siddharth calls in his friend Aditya, an unconventional psychiatrist, to find out what is going on.
Spoiler-free: only the set-up.
Who it suits
A good pick for a family evening with older children: the scares are mild, the comedy comes from Akshay Kumar, Paresh Rawal and Rajpal Yadav, and it is rated U/A. Note the 154-minute runtime and a few intense scenes in the final act.
Curation to help you choose, not a review.
Background
Bhool Bhulaiyaa is a Hindi remake of the 1993 Malayalam film Manichitrathazhu, written by Madhu Muttam and directed by Fazil. Neeraj Vora wrote the screenplay and T-Series produced it. It was shot under the working title Chandramukhi in Jaipur, mainly at Chomu Palace and the City Palace, and Pritam composed the songs.
The film opened on 12 October 2007. Box Office India declared it a hit, and Wikipedia puts its worldwide gross at about ₹82–84 crore against a ₹32 crore budget, among the top-grossing Hindi films of 2007. Vidya Balan, who plays Avni, won the Anandalok Award for Best Actress and was nominated for the Filmfare Best Actress award. Two standalone follow-ups by Anees Bazmee, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 (2022) and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 (2024), star Kartik Aaryan. The third film brings Vidya Balan back in a different version of Manjulika.
The facts
- Language
- Hindi
- Hindi
- Hindi original
- Genre
- Psychological horror comedy
- Runtime
- 154 min
- Certificate
- U/A
- Director
- Priyadarshan
- Cast
- Akshay Kumar, Vidya Balan, Shiney Ahuja, Ameesha Patel, Paresh Rawal
Questions people ask
- Where can I watch Bhool Bhulaiyaa in India?
- As of 18 October 2026, Bhool Bhulaiyaa is streaming in India on Netflix with a subscription.
- Is Bhool Bhulaiyaa in Hindi?
- Yes. Bhool Bhulaiyaa is a Hindi-language film.
- Is Bhool Bhulaiyaa suitable for children?
- Bhool Bhulaiyaa has a CBFC U/A certificate, which means children under 12 should watch with a parent or guardian.
- How long is Bhool Bhulaiyaa?
- Bhool Bhulaiyaa runs for 2 hours 34 minutes (154 minutes).