Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3

Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 (transl. Labyrinth 3) is a 2024 Indian Hindi-language comedy horror film directed by Anees Bazmee, written by Aakash Kaushik, and produced by T-Series Films and Cine1 Studios. It serves as the third installment of the eponymous franchise after Bhool Bhulaiyaa (2007) and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 (2022). It stars Kartik Aaryan, Vidya Balan, Madhuri Dixit and Triptii Dimri, and is set in Kolkata.
The film was officially announced in March 2023. Principal photography took place from March to September 2024 in Mumbai, Kolkata, Orchha, and Leh, with cinematography by Manu Anand. Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 was theatrically released on 1 November 2024, coinciding with Diwali. It received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics and grossed over ₹371–423.85 crore worldwide, emerging as the second highest-grossing Hindi film and sixth highest-grossing Indian film of 2024.
In 1824, a lady is seen doing kathak which comes under the notice of the king, who drags her out and burns her alive on a pyre. However, she returns as a vengeful spirit and kills both the king and the man who burned her.
200 years later, in 2024, Ruhaan, a charlatan, enjoys deceiving people by claiming to be a ghostbuster "Rooh Baba". Meera, the princess of Raktghat, and her uncle seek out Ruhaan. They record a video exposing him as a fraud, and threaten to post it online if he does not accompany them to Raktghat. They also promise to pay him good money for it, after which Ruhaan agrees.
In Raktghat, the royal family has descended into poverty. They live in the horse barn due to the presence of an evil spirit, Manjulika, in the palace. Ruhaan learns that he bears a striking resemblance to Debendranath, the prince from 1824. The royal priest warns everyone not to go near Manjulika's room, advising that it should only be opened on Durgashtami by a royal family member reborn to rid them of the ghost. Believing Ruhaan to be the reincarnation of Debendranath, everyone considers him their saviour and moves back to the palace.
According to local lore, 200 years ago, when Prince Debendranath was declared the heir to the throne, his sister Manjulika killed him out of rage. In retaliation, the king burned Manjulika alive, and her vengeful spirit now haunts the palace, responsible for several deaths.
In present time, Meera calls in a restoration team to work on the palace so it can be sold. Mallika, the team leader, begins showing signs of possession. Ruhaan learns about the real ghost and plans to escape but realizes he needs to erase his video before leaving. While searching for it, he discovers that Meera has secretly taken his photos, suggesting romantic feelings for him. She confirms this when confronted. Thus Ruhaan decides to stay.
Ruhaan learns that the trio of Pandit, Panditayaan, and Chhote Pandit have been already living in Manjulika's room. They reveal they have been trying to scare everyone away so they could stay there in peace. The restoration team takes over the room and accidentally breaks a wall, uncovering a hidden passage leading to a room sealed with the Bhairava Kavach. Curious, the royal priest decides to research more about the palace's history.
Desperate to sell the property, Raja Saab, the family head, decides to break the Bhairava Kavach with the help of "Rooh Baba". Just as they open the door, the royal priest arrives with a shocking news. He reveals that 200 years ago the king actually had two daughters, Manjulika and Anjulika, who despised each other.
Despite knowing the palace's haunted reputation, a woman named Mandira arrives as a prospective buyer to learn more about the estate. After she meets Mallika, strange events begin occurring. The royal priest warns everyone to be cautious until Durgashtami, the day when Manjulika is expected to take her revenge.
Ruhaan and Meera have several eerie encounters with both Mallika and Mandira, confused about which one is the real Manjulika. The royal priest returns with sacred oil to destroy Manjulika's spirit, and the night before Durgashtami, they gather at the site where her body was burned 200 years ago. Ruhaan cleverly manages to exorcise the spirit that had possessed both Mallika and Mandira, finally learning that the ghost is neither Manjulika nor Anjulika - it is the ghost of Prince Debendranath himself, who was the one burnt alive 200 years ago on his father's orders on account of his traditionally feminine hobbies such as his interest in Kathak dancing.
It is finally revealed that Anjulika and Manjulika had together conspired to have Debendranath killed to secure the throne. Once exposed to the king, the king ordered his ministers to burn him (Debendranath) alive for the disgrace. Following this, the king, knowing daughters did it to steal the throne, exiled them both from the kingdom and announced that Manjulika will be known for killing her brother brutally to the public, and Anjulika's existence in history will be erased. Sometime later, Prince Debendranath's ghost killed the king and his guards as revenge. The royal priest of that era then sealed Debendranath's spirit in the hidden room, secured by the Bhairava Kavach. He also made the same Bhairava Kavach in the door of Manjulika's room to cover up the truth about who the real ghost is. It was finally revealed that it was Debendranath's spirit that was causing all the disturbances by possessing his sisters' reincarnations, Mallika and Mandira, to trick everyone into killing them.
When Mallika and Mandira are about to destroy the captured Debendranath's spirit, they realize their guilt and apologize to Debendranath's spirit for the harm they have caused in the past, and the three of them share a heartfelt moment as Debendranath finally finds the peace he's longed for over two centuries and attains Moksh (as in, his soul is at peace).
In the mid-credit scene, it is revealed that Mandira is not the real buyer. She reveals herself to Ruhaan that she is actually ACP Rathore IPS, an undercover cop, who has come to arrest Ruhaan for his frauds as the fake ghostbuster Rooh Baba. Ruhaan, upon knowing this, faints out of shock while everyone laughs.
Kartik Aaryan was cast as an alternate version of his role from Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2. On 12 February 2024, it was announced that Vidya Balan, who played Manjulika in the original Bhool Bhulaiyaa (2007), would play an alternate version of her character, by sharing a video of Instagram. On 21 February 2024, it was announced that Madhuri Dixit and Triptii Dimri would be joining the project. Rajpal Yadav, known for his role as Chhota Pandit in the previous films, will also return to reprise his role. The cast also features Vijay Raaz, Rajesh Sharma, Manish Wadhwa, Sanjay Mishra, and Ashwini Kalsekar.
On 9 March 2024, in Mumbai, the cast and crew of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 gathered for an inaugural muhurat puja ceremony to mark the beginning of principal photography. Producer Bhushan Kumar clapped the muhurat shot for Kartik Aaryan. Vidya Balan, Triptii Dimri, Rajesh Sharma, and co-producer Shiv Chanana were also present at the ceremony. A glimpse video of this ceremony was shared by T-Series on 11 March 2024, titled "Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 Begins", The video also featured Aaryan shooting the first shot of the movie, which was a train sequence, filmed by DOP Manu Anand.
During shooting, director Anees Bazmee faced significant challenges as he fractured his leg on the last day of the film recce. Against doctor's suggestions to get a steel plate and rest for 3 months, he opted for minor surgery that allowed him to honor his commitment to the film. He came to the film set in a wheelchair and continued with his work. The film's production involved extensive planning and coordination, with key members Bhushan Kumar, Bazmee, and Aaryan actively engaged in discussions and preparations.
Filming began in Mumbai, with the first schedule wrapping up on 27 March 2024. During this schedule, the entry sequence of Aaryan was also shot. A massive set was erected in Film City, Mumbai, specifically for the song, which involved over a thousand background dancers with choreography done by Ganesh Acharya. After a short break, Bazmee, still recovering from his injury, scouted for locations in Kolkata for the next schedule. The cast and crew landed in Kolkata on 8 April 2024, to commence the second schedule. In this schedule, Aaryan rode a bullet on Howrah Bridge, with Prantika Das and with Arun Kushwah at Victoria Memorial. The shooting then progressed to Mallick Ghat flower market, where a small set with skeletons was put up. Following this, Bazmee filmed scenes at the Park Street Graveyard and Nonapukur Tram Depot, and finally concluded the shoot at Laha Bari in Central Kolkata. Prior to this, key shots were filmed at an elaborate Bengali village set setup by the production team in Mumbai. The song 'Mere Dholna' has been filmed as jugalbandi between Madhuri and Vidya and has been choreographed by Chinni Prakash.
After completing the Kolkata schedule, the team resumed filming on the same Bengali set in Mumbai, with a segment involving Kartik Aaryan, Sanjay Mishra, Vijay Raaz, Rajpal Yadav, and Ashwini Kalsekar, wrapping up the week-long schedule on 13 May 2024. A significant dance sequence featuring lead actors was also filmed on 21 May 2024. On 29 May 2024; Balan, Dixit, Manish Wadhwa, Sharma, Raaz, Rose Sardana and others shot a sequence on the film's set in Mumbai, with Balan and Dixit twinning in black sarees.
Bazmee had shot Aaryan's scenes in advance, in May 2024, and continued filming without him for some days in early June. In early June 2024, the team took a break from shooting, allowing Aaryan to focus on promotional commitments for his film Chandu Champion, which was released on 14 June 2024. The next schedule was kicked off on 1 July 2024, in Orchha, Madhya Pradesh with Kartik Aaryan, Vidya Balan, Madhuri Dixit, Triptii Dimri, Rajpal Yadav, and others. Key scenes were shot at various historic landmarks such as Orchha Fort, Ram Raja Mandir, where some dramatic scenes were filmed, and Jahangir Mahal, where Aaryan filmed a romantic song and some romantic scenes with Dimri. The schedule included filming intense sequences at Kanchana Ghat on the Betwa River.
A part of the climax sequence with all the principal actors together, was also shot there, with Aaryan and other leads performing some action sequences. After shooting a portion of the climax in Orchha, the team returned to Mumbai to shoot the remaining scenes of the climax sequence with the entire cast. Principal photography was seemingly wrapped with final scenes being shot on 31 July and 1 August 2024. Additionally in September 2024, a romantic track featuring Aaryan and Dimri was shot in Leh, Ladakh. It was revealed that 2 different climax scene were filmed to keep the suspense around the ending of the film.
The background score of the film is composed by Sandeep Shirodkar, whereas the soundtrack is composed by Tanishk Bagchi, Amaal Mallik, Sachet–Parampara, Lijo George–DJ Chetas and Aditya Rikhari. The lyrics are written by Sameer Anjaan, Rashmi Virag, Aditya Rikhari, Dhrruv Yogi, Som and Pitbull. The "Title Track" and "Ami Je Tomar" song originally composed by Pritam were recreated once again after Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2.
The first single titled "Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 (Title Track)" was released on 16 October 2024. The second single titled "Jaana Samjho Na" was released on 22 October 2024, a reprised version of singer Aditya Rikhari's 2022 single "Samjho Na". The album was released on 23 October 2024 across all music streaming platforms.
Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 was theatrically released on 1 November 2024, on the occasion of Diwali. The worldwide theatrical distribution rights were acquired by AA Films. Distributor Anil Thadani had secured rights of single screens for the film. The release clashed with the film Singham Again.
The film has been banned in Saudi Arabia due to mentions of homosexuality which is banned in the country.
The digital streaming rights of the film were acquired by Netflix. The film began streaming on the platform from 27 December 2024.
Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 earned ₹36.60 crore on opening day and a weekend total nett of ₹110.20 crore in India. As of 1 December 2024, the film has grossed ₹334.67 crore in India and ₹89.18 crore internationally. It concluded its run with worldwide gross estimated to be ₹371–423.85 crore worldwide.
Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 43% of 14 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.1/10.
Bollywood Hungama rated the film 4.5 stars out of 5 and wrote, "Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 is a well-made horror comedy which works due to its performances, taut script, creative execution and above all, an unpredictable climax." Sukanya Verma of Rediff.com rated the film 3/5 stars and opined "A gleefully hammy Madhuri and Vidya's volley of death stares and evil laughs engage in a ruthless glamorous tug of war in Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3". Renuka Vyavahare of The Times of India rated 3.5/5 stars and wrote "The movie is unabashedly entertaining, cheesy, and wild, with moments that will have you laughing out loud."
Vinamra Mathur of Firstpost rated the film 3/5 stars and wrote "Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 could be savored taste; for those wanting to see romance have Aaryan and Dimri, for those waiting to see the OG Manjulika have Balan at their service, for anyone enamored by Dixit, she brings back the memories of Devdas with her thunderous aura and nimble moves. And for those stepping in with zero expectations, may not be exactly doing a Bhool!". Anuj Kumar of The Hindu says Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 is a drab horror comedy where talented actors like Madhuri Dixit and Vidya Balan have been underutilized. He further says "Kartik Aaryan is the lifeline who keeps the film alive with his situational humour but director Anees Bazmee has faltered between sticking to stereotypes and taking a progressive step." He continues that stereotyping of Bengalis and their culture has been done for easy laughs but the film is ultimately a hypocritical charade.
Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express rated the film 1.5/5 stars and wrote "Kartik Aaryan's Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 suffers from the same things that Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 did: stereotypes instead of characters, forced humour which refuses to land, and tasteless lines bordering on the risible." Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV rated the film 2.5 out of 5 stars and said "Kartik Aaryan's star turn is a repeat act that promises a box-office outcome that could be on par with what Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 yielded." Udita Jhunjhunwala of Mint opined "The dynamic between Madhuri Dixit and Vidya Balan is an opportunity wasted in the long film, which is high on concept but low on mood". Abhimanyu Mathur of Hindustan Times writes "A brave climax attempts to elevate this otherwise middling horror comedy. The film simply tries to sell a brand through nostalgia, using a new(er) rendition of Ami Je Tomar and Vidya Balan."
Neha Sen of Deccan Herald rated the film 3 stars out of 5 and highlighted "The film retains some traditional horror elements while still trying to be comedic. It ends up delivering neither with much grace nor gusto. A few jumpscares scattered around and a handful of laughs are not enough to salvage the broken Bangla and thoroughly under-researched presentation of the Bengali culture and festivities." Nishad Thaivalappil of News18 rated 2/5 stars and opined "The film features unexplained flashbacks and the mediocre jokes and predictable jump scares make it a rather dull watch." Tanmayi Savadi of Times Now rated the film 4 out of 5 stars and wrote "The film resorts to cliché jokes and dramatics. The scares are effective but never bone-chilling. It is enigmatic, mysterious and deceptive."
Ritika Handoo of Zee News rated the film 3 out of 5 stars and highlighted "What deserves a special mention here is the twist-filled climax. The writers have done their homework well to keep the crescendo high for the end." Nandini Ramnath of Scroll.in writes "Imagination is largely in short supply in the threequel. Except for a twist about Manjulika's identity that works well, the film has little that we haven't seen before in the previous movie." Amit Bhatia of ABP Live rated the film 3/5 stars and said "Vidya Balan and Madhuri Dixit breathe energy into the narrative, and while the comedy isn't as punchy as hoped, the story's twists and moral message manage to engage. With a blend of humour, nostalgia, and spooky twists, it's an entertaining ride that ultimately delivers a memorable experience."
Aakriti Agarwala of The Statesman rated the film 2.5 stars and wrote, "Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 is a through-and-through climax-driven film that didn't know what to do with the first two hours. Dominated by dull comic punches and references, unnecessary and forced song sequences, and complete mutilation of the Bengali language and dialect, the film fails to keep the audiences at the edge of their seats. It was only in the last 30 minutes that the stars had the chance to shine."