Bhooth Bangla

About the film

Bhooth Bangla (transl. Haunted Mansion) is a 2026 Indian Hindi-language comedy horror film directed by Priyadarshan and produced by Akshay Kumar, Ekta Kapoor and Shobha Kapoor under Balaji Motion Pictures and Cape of Good Films. The film stars Akshay Kumar, Paresh Rawal, Jisshu Sengupta, Mithila Palkar, Rajpal Yadav, Tabu, Wamiqa Gabbi, and Asrani.

It marked Priyadarshan's second Hindi-language horror comedy film following Bhool Bhulaiyaa (2007), both of which star Kumar, Rawal, Yadav, Asrani, and Manoj Joshi. Bhooth Bangla was theatrically released on 17 April 2026. It received mixed reviews from critics, grossing ₹247.28 crore worldwide to become the sixth highest-grossing Indian film of 2026 and the third highest-grossing Hindi film of 2026.

Plot

During a storm in Mangalpur, stranded travelers gather at a deserted railway platform and ask an old mystic about the town's curse. He recounts the legend of Vadhusur, a demonic being said to abduct brides before their wedding night. Years earlier, a wedding party is forced through Mangalpur after storms block their route. Despite warnings from their driver, they continue, only for their bus to break down in the forest. That night, an unseen creature attacks the group and abducts the bride.

Soon after, Dushyant Acharya, the reclusive owner of the abandoned Acharya Palace, dies under mysterious circumstances. In London, his grandchildren Arjun and Meera learn that they have inherited the palace. With Meera's wedding venue cancelled, Arjun decides to restore the estate and host her wedding there. On his journey to Mangalpur, he meets Priya, a writer who claims to be investigating the disappearance of her sister, the missing bride from the earlier attack, and later saves her during an accident.

Upon arriving, Arjun is warned by the caretaker Shantaram that the palace is cursed and that Dushyant himself never stayed there overnight. Arjun dismisses the warnings and spends a night inside unharmed, convincing him that the stories are superstition. However, he discovers a sealed prayer room inside the palace whose key has vanished. When Arjun hires workers and the wedding planner Jagdish to begin preparations, increasingly strange incidents occur around the palace. After Sunder mishandles an electrical wire, Arjun is electrocuted and briefly dies before Priya revives him through CPR. Sunder eventually becomes possessed and leads Arjun and Jagdish to Vadhusur's temple. Curious because of her investigation, Priya convinces Arjun to take her there as well. At the temple, they witness a massive swarm of bats even in daylight and hide in the light as a figure resembling Vadhusur briefly emerges.

Production

Bhooth Bangla was officially announced in September 2024 with a motion poster revealed by lead actor Akshay Kumar on his 57th birthday, marking his seventh collaboration with director Priyadarshan, 14 years after Khatta Meetha (2010). The film is produced by Shobha Kapoor and Ekta Kapoor under Balaji Motion Pictures in association with Akshay Kumar's production company, Cape of Good Films. The film's screenplay was written by Rohan Shankar, Abilash Nair and Priyadarshan. Rohan Shankar also wrote the dialogues, while the story was developed by Aakash Kaushik.

Bhooth Bangla is a horror-comedy based on Indian mythology and black magic, with inspiration drawn from ancient texts such as the Vedas and the Mahabharata.

Following the film's announcement in September 2024, Paresh Rawal, Rajpal Yadav, and Asrani—longtime collaborators of director Priyadarshan were confirmed as part of the cast. In October 2024, Wamiqa Gabbi was confirmed as the female lead. In January 2025, Tabu and Mithila Palkar were added to the cast, with reports stating that Palkar would portray the sister of Akshay Kumar's character, which was later confirmed by Kumar in his television game show Wheel of Fortune. Palkar later revealed that Kalyani Priyadarshan had recommended her to director Priyadarshan, which helped her secure the role. In March 2025, Jisshu Sengupta was confirmed to have joined the cast, with the announcement made by the makers on his birthday.

Soundtrack

The film's soundtrack album was composed by Pritam, with lyrics written by Kumaar. The music rights were acquired by Zee Music Company. The first single titled "Ram Ji Aake Bhala Karenge", was released on 26 February 2026. The song's music video was choreographed by Ganesh Acharya. Its lyrics drew comparisons to those of the song "Bhooter Raja Dilo Bor" from Satyajit Ray's 1969 film Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne. The second single titled "Tu Hi Disda", was released on 24 March 2026. According to reports, singer Arijit Singh, who had earlier announced his exit from playback singing, approached the makers to perform the track, saying that he felt a strong connection with the composition and believed he could bring the required emotional depth to the song. The third single titled "O Sundari", was released on 14 April 2026.

Marketing

As a part of the film's promotional campaign, several visual assets and motion posters were released ahead of its theatrical release. The first motion poster was unveiled in September 2024 to officially announce the film. In February 2026, the makers shared an additional motion poster featuring lead actor Akshay Kumar seated on a throne. Later that month, Kumar and Wamiqa Gabbi commenced the publicity tour in Nashik, Maharashtra, beginning with a college campus event that included an aerial entry and interaction with students. The makers held a fan screening of the teaser on 11 March 2026, one day before its official unveiling on 12 March. Ahead of the trailer launch, large cutouts of Kumar holding lanterns were installed in cities such as Delhi and Jaipur. The official trailer was released on 6 April 2026.

Key details