Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3

About the film

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 ₹423.85 crore worldwide, emerging as the second highest-grossing Hindi film and sixth highest-grossing Indian film of 2024.

Plot

In 1824, a woman is shown dancing Kathak in the Raktghat palace at night, only to be caught by the king and his bodyguards. The king orders that the Kathak dancer be burnt alive, and the guards obey king orders. Sometime later, the spirit of the dancer returns to haunt the killers. The spirit killed both the man who burnt her and the king as well. The bodyguards are killed, with the king being set ablaze in his bed by the spirit.

200 years later, in 2024, Ruhaan, a conman pretending to be a ghostbuster under the pseudonym “Rooh Baba,” along with his accomplice Tillu, cheat people in Kolkata for a living. One day, they get a call from a person referring to himself as the “King” of Raktghat, who wants to oust the ghost of his niece “Meera,” said to be haunting his house. While Ruhaan attempts to exorcise Meera's spirit, he inadvertently admits that he is a fraud, which her uncle records on his phone. All of this turns out to be a hoax set up by Meera and her uncle to catch Ruhaan and bring him to their native place, Raktghat—an erstwhile princely state in West Bengal. Meera promises to pay Ruhaan a sum of ₹1 crore if he helps them reclaim their palace, which is supposedly haunted by the spirit of Manjulika. With no option left, Ruhaan follows the duo to Raktghat, where he finds a broke royal family struggling to meet their daily needs. The royal family now lives in a small house outside the haunted palace.

Meera and the royal priest reveal to Ruhaan a prophecy: 200 years ago, Princess Manjulika killed her younger stepbrother Debendranath, who was chosen by their father, the king, to ascend the throne over her due to gender bias. As punishment, the king burned Manjulika alive. She returned as a spirit to haunt the royals, killing almost everyone with king, but was eventually captured. Her spirit was locked in her room by the royal priests and was never to be opened again. Ruhaan learns that he resembles Debendranath and is seen as the prophesied saviour. Everyone believe that Ruhaan is rebirth of Prince Debendranath. His return is celebrated by the villagers—except for three fake pundits.

Production

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.

Soundtrack

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.

Key details