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Phone Bhoot Movie Review : This dial-a-ghostbuster comedy is a riot

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Kuljinder 419 days ago

Rohan 71483 499 days ago.

unbearable acting. trash movie

Biranchi Narayan Acharya 78493 501 days ago

I will give a 2.5 out of 5. It's not that boring but it's not also so exciting.

Sandeep Gupta 231 507 days ago

how much money they gave you to give 3.5 rating? This movie is not even worth 1 star. Non-sense, non-mature stupid movie.

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'Phone Bhoot' movie review: This comedy is a horror

It’s all Stree’s doing. The question at the center of the 2018 film—whether the girl you are seeking is a chudail?—resonated with the masses. Its lore was captivating and the humour was a respite to the horror. But it did open the pandora's box of horror comedies, which remind us every week why we don’t reply to that relative’s WhatsApp jokes.

The latest offering in this tired genre is Phone Bhoot. On the face of it, the film seems like Saif Ali Khan and Arjun Kapoor’s Bhoot Police (2021) with better female representation. Starring Katrina Kaif, Siddhant Chaturvedi and Ishaan Khatter, the film is about, well, two self-proclaimed horror film enthusiasts who start seeing ghosts after they get electrocuted (for some reason electricity gives superpowers in cinema). Galileo Parthasarthy aka Gullu (Ishaan) and Sherdil Shergill aka Major (Siddhant) are then approached by Ragini (Katrina), a spirit who can’t sit still (because she calls herself a bhatakti aatma, geddit?). She pitches them a business idea: she will go and possess people and they can then exorcise them for money.

But they refuse, because: of Hindi cinema ethics. Instead of going to the psychiatrist after getting this sixth sense, they steal this ingenious idea and become ghostbusters. Ragini also joins their team because let bygones be bygones. Also, she has a favour to ask, which she could have asked before offering the idea and they wouldn’t have refused since both of them are in puppy love with her, but I am bothering you too much with the plot. Basically, Phone Bhoot is a logline which made the writers dance in jubilation after it was cracked and no real script-writing was done.

Like most films nowadays, Phone Bhoot raises a lot of questions. Where is this happening? Is it a mall’s haunted house? Why are Gullu and Major obsessed with ghosts? Why is Katrina dressed like a rockstar who probably refused an encore of ‘Dhunki’? This is made by the director of Mirzapur? The attempt at humour is as irritating as an uncle trying to tickle you. It is forceful, filled with wordplays, film references or just references: A possessed school girl caning ‘MC Sher’ Siddhant and saying ‘bohot hard’, Ishaan being called a ‘suitable bhai’ and Katrina giving Hindi lessons.

It feels like the actors are playing characters playing the actor’s perceived personalities. Jackie Shroff, as the villain Atmaram, even plays the Hero (1983) tune on flute. He is a tantrik (I guess?) who lives in a cave suitable for a Shaktimaan antagonist and has minions who call him Aaka. There is no drollery, the laughs come from punchline to punchline. Like you are reading a joke book.

The only respite, if any, is that the comedy isn’t below the belt, except maybe Siddhant’s Major being assaulted in the crotch on several occasions. Both he and Ishaan make funny faces to induce chuckles, as if they are cradling a baby. Katrina speaks through her raised eyebrows but merely reads the script when it comes to dialogue delivery. The delightful Sheeba Chaddha, in a scene, literally runs with turned feet. The film also teases a sequel.

It’s not just the preposterous happenings or the plot holes. In the second half, Phone Bhoot’s jokes dry out and it becomes what no film should ever be: boring. You start thinking about Hindi cinema and its run-time. The film does manage to land some jokes but we don’t know if we are laughing with it or at it. Phone Bhoot is a film worthy to bunk school for, if you want to catch on last night’s sleep.

Movie: Phone Bhoot Starring: Katrina Kaif, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Ishaan Khatter, Sheeba Chadha, Jackie Shroff Directed by: Gurmmeet Singh Rating: 1.5/5

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Phone Bhoot Review: Katrina Kaif, Ishaan Khatter And Siddhant Chaturvedi's Film Is Wacky, Wild And Weird

Phone bhoot review: the film isn't an earth-shattering, game-changing deal for the genre but it has the feel of a full-on mad hatters' party where everything goes..

A still from Phone Bhoot trailer. (courtesy: aExcel Movies )

Cast: Katrina Kaif, Ishaan Khatter, Siddhant Chaturvedi

Director: Gurmmeet Singh

Rating: 2.5 stars (out of 5)

It is wacky, wild and weird in a way that takes a lot of doing to get used to. From its opening sequence on, Phone Bhoot is a maelstrom of sorts. Whether you can relate to and enjoy the eccentric horror comedy of Phone Bhoot will hinge solely on whether you have a taste for the bizarre. If you do, the Excel Entertainment-produced film serves up a full complement of inducements. It stops at absolutely nothing in its pursuit of all that is odd and awkward in the occult.

Phone Bhoot , directed by Gurmmeet Singh (whose credits include Mirzapur and a few episodes of Inside Edge , besides films such as What the Fish and Sharafat Gayi Tel Lene ) takes a calculated shot at Bhool Bhulaiya -like whimsy. The results are uneven but not wholly pointless.

The makers of the film believe that Phone Bhoot represents an idea that can be milked beyond the limit of a single movie. A spectral sutradhar who presents a voiceover narrative in the beginning, middle and end of the film points to a sequel being in the realms of possibility. Are we excited at this point? One isn't entirely sure.

The film's flights of fancy do not land on the right tarmac all the time, but it succeeds in assembling a bunch of gags that, considered together, delivers some mirth, some madness, and a whole lot of manic moments driven by a cast that is in perfect sync with the madcap spirit of the film.

A wandering soul, Ragini (Katrina Kaif), as seductive as hell, surfaces out of the blue and sells a business idea to two bumbling self-styled bhoot -busters, Sherdil Shergill 'Major' (Siddhant Chaturvedi) and Galileo Parthasarathy 'Gullu' (Ishaan Khattar). The two lads, one from Punjab, the other from Tamil Nadu, have grown up obsessed with ghosts and ghouls and have inevitably found each other.

The two are at odds with real people, especially Major's papa and Gullu's appa. The former wants his son to join the army, the latter hopes his son will become a scientist one day. However, in the single scene that the two dads (Manu Rishi Chadda and Kedar Shankar) appear, they make no bones about the fact that they have all but given up on the boys.

Turns out that the itinerant soul who has made her way into their life has a plan much larger than what the drifter duo can comprehend to begin with. When they figure out what they are being led into, they baulk at first and then opt to continue to play along no matter what the cost is. They have nothing to lose except their self-loathing and the disheartening taunts of the world.

They find themselves willy-nilly on a collision course with an evil 'soul-catcher' Atmaram (Jackie Shroff), whose power springs from a staff that is both a weapon and a trap for the dead who seek salvation. His fortunes suffer a sharp dip as the two bumbling boys unknowingly offer him stiff competition in the business of liberating souls that are wandering in the world of mortals.

One such soul is Chikni Chudail, played by Sheeba Chaddha, who dons a guise that is a far cry from the screen persona that she usually slips into with elan in slice-of-life family dramas. Farce that fast turns into unbridled camp isn't her forte. Yet, when she has lines to deliver, not only does she not flub them, she actually owns them with abandon and adds to the film's quickly rising strangeness quotient.

Parts of Phone Bhoot dial the right numbers, others simply do not connect. Notwithstanding the hit-and-miss affair that it ends up being, the film careens along unabashedly up a path of delirious absurdity as the honest ghostbusters come up against pernicious forces that are out to tame them and put them out of business.

Phone Bhoot incorporates many a nod to Hindi popular cinema of the 1980s and later, the most notable being one that alludes to the start of Jackie Shroff's career. The voluble character that the Bollywood veteran plays turns to his young adversaries and mocks them: " Asli hero idhar khada hai , since 1983." He proceeds to play a tune from the actor's debut film, Subhash Ghai's Hero , on a flute.

Nothing is more instantly reminiscent of Bollywood's past as the villain's den in which the climax plays out, no holds barred. Shroff delights in the excesses that he is allowed to freely indulge in. His co-actors are in lockstep with him as Atmaram tries to stop the lassi-and-black-coffee combination of Major and Gullu from finding a way to turn the tables on him.

Ravishing Ragini isn't the only phantom in Major and Gullu's side of the battlelines. They have their very own guardian ghost, Raka (Surendra Thakur), who occupies a central place in their home dominated by posters of movies titled Cheekhti Deewar and Bandh Darwaza . Just the setting that a bhatakti aatma would need no invitation to float into.

Katrina Kaif literally floats in and out of the film until her back-story, recounted blow-by-blow by Ragini herself in the second half, turns her into the central figure, a dead woman with a real mission. Siddhant Chaturvedi, essaying the brash and quick-on-the-draw Major, fits the bill. But the actor who walks away with the film, and quite effortlessly at that, is Ishaan Khattar. As the nerdy Gullu, he brings both charm and spunk to bear upon his performance.

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Phone Booth isn't an earth-shattering, game-changing deal for the genre but it has the feel of a full-on mad hatters' party where everything goes. It isn't the least bit apologetic about it. That is the film's principal strength. Pulling it off is anything but easy, as the many missteps in the film's zany arc show, but the caper does not run itself ragged. That, by all reckoning, should be counted as a success.

Recommended but with a minor health warning: Phone Bhoot isn't for all palates.

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• Cast & crew
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Phone Bhoot

A ghost reaches out to two bumbling ghostbusters for a business idea. However, their plans go downhill as the eerie ghost reveals her plan. A ghost reaches out to two bumbling ghostbusters for a business idea. However, their plans go downhill as the eerie ghost reveals her plan. A ghost reaches out to two bumbling ghostbusters for a business idea. However, their plans go downhill as the eerie ghost reveals her plan.

• Gurmmeet Singh
• Jasvinder Bath
• Ravi Shankaran
• Katrina Kaif
• Ishaan Khattar
• Siddhant Chaturvedi
• 208 User reviews
• 16 Critic reviews
• 4 nominations

• Gullu aka Galileo Parthasarthy
• (as Ishaan)

• Major aka Sherdil Shergill

• Aatmaram Shastrashakti

• (as Arrmaan Ralhan)

• Chikni Chudail

• Lady Daayana

• Major's Father
• Gullu's Father
• Dolly Kulkarni

• (as Anushka Suguna Pushaparaj)

• Mr. Kulkarni
• Mrs. Kulkarni
• Aslam Autowala
• Pappu Pizzawala
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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Did you know

• Trivia The house walls of Siddhant Chaturvedi and Ishaan Khattar are covered with horror film posters of Ram Say Brother and also Raj Kumar Kohli's Jaani Dushman 1979.
• Connections References Jaani Dushman (1979)

User reviews 208

• cifarshayar
• Nov 13, 2022
• How long is Phone Bhoot? Powered by Alexa
• November 4, 2022 (India)
• newsrozanaonline
• Excel Entertainment
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

• Runtime 2 hours 16 minutes

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Phone Bhoot movie review: Sputtering horror comedy, survives on its charismatic cast

Katrina Kaif plays a ghost who starts a ghost-busting firm with Ishaan Khatter and Siddhant Chaturvedi’s characters in Phone Bhoot. Their chemistry keeps the film afloat when the screenplay chokes.

Cast: Katrina Kaif, Ishaan Khatter, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Jackie Shroff, Sheeba Chadha

Director: Gurmmeet Singh

Language: Hindi

If there’s a human being out there who can convince Hindi filmdom that there is more to Tamil Nadu than the Rajinikanth craze, please, I beg you, step up.

In the recent Doctor G starring Ayushmann Khurrana, a Tamilian doctor made such a forced reference to Rajini, that the actor playing the part looked almost embarrassed while delivering her line. We’ve had less than a month to recover from that awkward moment, when along comes this week’s Phone Bhoot , in which a Tamilian ghost is distracted by the sight of a photo of the megastar being waved before her.

Who needs sleeping pills when jokes can be repeated ad nauseam instead?

This is not the only soporific element in director Gurmmeet Singh’s Phone Bhoot , written by Ravi Shankaran and Jasvinder Singh Bath. What starts out as a frothy horror comedy gradually peters out, ultimately surviving almost entirely on the strength of its lead cast’s charisma.

Ishaan Khatter and Siddhant Chaturvedi play close pals Gullu and Major who are fascinated by the paranormal and have the power to see spirits. Gullu is actually Galileo Parthasarthy, while Major is Sherdil Shergil. Their goal is to rest their careers on their knowledge of the supernatural. Both men are huge disappointments to their fathers. Enter: the gorgeous spectre Ragini (Katrina Kaif), with a business proposal, hidden motivations and a sad past.

An entrepreneurial spook and a Tamilian named Galileo from a state known for its Lenins, Stalins and Kennedys – there’s a good starting point for a laughathon. The writers and director are fortunate to have available to them two rising stars who are clearly born to do comedy and Katrina looking more comfortable with the genre than you might expect from her filmography. Watch Ishaan’s Gullu critiquing an Urdu-spouting, poetic, romantic apparition, and sounding hilarious while doing so, not just once, but a second time too after a considerable lapse of time, and you will know why I say he is naturally gifted. So is Siddhant. Despite having so much to build on, however, Messrs Gurmmeet ( Inside Edge ,  Mirzapur) , Ravi and Jasvinder keep slackening their hold on the reins, frittering away their early gains with a lagging pace, dated humour, clichés and a surfeit of self-referential passages.

Seriously, what will it take to get Hindi film writers to realise that rhyming words are not funny per se? Lines about a “dude” who drinks “ doodh ” (milk) and others of that ilk are as old as the hills and as passé as Akshay Kumar and Salman Khan’s slapstick comedies. Getting Katrina to resurrect her seductive act in an advertisement for a mango drink makes for a just-about-tolerable gag, and the bow to Fukrey passes muster only because it flows with the narrative. But the long-drawn-out tribute to one of Jackie Shroff’s biggest hits, Hero , is embarrassing because it shows that the writers of Phone Bhoot are completely out of touch with the harsh truth that some of Hindi cinema’s most humongous blockbusters from the 1980s were of remarkably ordinary quality and the mere fact that they were hits back then does not at all mean that they are now remembered as classics (or remembered at all).

For the record, Jackie plays Phone Bhoot ’s villainous baba. Yes he does, and he is stiff as heck in the part.

Sheeba Chadha, who is initially entertaining playing a ghost that Gullu and Major mistake for a real person, can only do so much with her role when the writing runs out of imagination and steam.

The song and dance numbers in Phone Bhoot slow it down further and seem to have been inserted into the film purely for the opportunity to glam up Katrina, which is such a mindless approach to mining her presence since she has grown into a skilled dancer over the years and her two male co-stars too have some pretty good moves going for them. In fact, even as Phone Bhoot rises and falls, picks itself up, launches an effective wisecrack here and there before spluttering and choking again, the only thing that keeps it going is the chemistry between Katrina, Ishaan and Siddhant as they go about their jobs as ghost-busters.

A ghost who doubles up as a ghost-buster… Ha. Like this summary of Katrina’s character though, Phone Bhoot as a whole is more interesting as an idea than it is in its execution. The trio of leads, the production design, make-up and VFX teams appear to have poured their heart and soul into the film, but all the acting enthusiasm, atmospherics and prosthetics in the world cannot save it from the chaotic screenplay, over-crowded with pop culture mentions and formulae that are trying too hard to be amusing.

We know from Amar Kaushik’s utterly lovely, thoughtful, rip-roaring Stree (2018) – written by Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK – that horror and comedy are not mutually exclusive. But Phone Bhoot does not have Stree ’s zip or its intelligence. If it weren’t for the zeal and charm of its cast, this film would have been a non-starter.

Phone Bhoot is in theatres

  Anna M.M. Vetticad is an award-winning journalist and author of The Adventures of an Intrepid Film Critic. She specialises in the intersection of cinema with feminist and other socio-political concerns. Twitter: @annavetticad, Instagram: @annammvetticad, Facebook: AnnaMMVetticadOfficial

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Phone Bhoot Reviews

Every argument made in Bollywood’s defence this year can potentially be shattered at the mere mention of Phone Bhoot, the latest in a new wave of horror comedies that is being slipped into the box office’s bloodstream.

Full Review | Jan 6, 2023

Phone Bhoot is an intentionally silly Ghostbusters ripoff that isn't nearly as funny as it thinks it is. This mindless movie needlessly drags out to 130 minutes, which is excruciatingly too long for its flimsy plot.

Full Review | Nov 20, 2022

It is a bit absurd, juvenile and honestly baffling how, sitting in 2022, the film not just got made but is headlined by three capable actors and bankrolled by Excel Entertainment.

Full Review | Nov 11, 2022

Terrifyingly bad...

Full Review | Nov 10, 2022

Phone Bhoot does not have Stree’s zip or its intelligence. If it weren’t for the zeal and charm of its cast, this film would have been a non-starter.

Full Review | Nov 9, 2022

Phone Bhoot is a promising film. It is a smartly written but not quite so well-executed effort that has its pros and several cons as well. It is a decent addition to the growing horror comedy genre...

There's no room for script, seriousness and, God forbid, sense in its sprawling scheme of puerile scares, kick-in-the-groin humour and raging innuendoes.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | Nov 5, 2022

The film's flights of fancy do not land on the right tarmac all the time, but it succeeds in assembling a bunch of gags that, delivers some mirth, some madness, and a whole lot of manic moments.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | Nov 4, 2022

Somewhere struggling underneath this mess starring Katrina Kaif, Ishaan Khatter and Siddhant Chaturvedi must have been a movie. But the one we get is a wrong number.

Full Review | Original Score: 1/5 | Nov 4, 2022

It's wholly dedicated to delivering a good time and yet its also wholly forgettable.

Full Review | Nov 4, 2022

All the elements of the film don’t hang together well. Watch the film if you like silly comedies.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Nov 4, 2022

This dial-a-ghostbuster comedy is a riot.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Nov 4, 2022

Phone Bhoot Movie Review: Katrina Kaif, Ishaan & Siddhant's volatile combo adds a few quirks in this horror-comedy

• Phone Bhoot

The plot revolves around horror enthusiasts Major (Siddhant Chaturvedi) and Gullu (Ishaan Khattar) who strive to make a successful career out of all things horror. After getting a business idea from a beautiful ghost Ragini (Katrina Kaif), they decide to channel their inner Ghostbuster.

• Gurmmeet Singh
• Katrina Kaif,
• Siddhant Chaturvedi,
• Ishaan Khattar,
• Jackie Shroff,
• Sheeba Chaddha
• horror-comedy

There has been quite a hullabaloo when it came to the discussion of the execution of horror-comedy films in Bollywood. To strike a fine balance between the elements of horror and comedy and not make it look jagged is of utmost importance. It'll be wrong to say that Katrina Kaif , Ishaan Khatter , and Siddhant Chaturvedi 's Phone Bhoot don't prove itself ably when it comes to this genre. However, we wish along with those pop-culture gags and quirks, the screenplay of the film would've been managed to maintain consistency but alas! the film goes downhill in the climactic part. 

The plot revolves around horror enthusiasts Major (Siddhant Chaturvedi) and Gullu (Ishaan Khatter) who strive to make a successful career out of all things horror and macabre. Their home consists of varied elements of horror and spooky with references from the Ramsay films and the Indian version of Frankenstein, Raka. However, they fail to make a living despite possessing the passion and knowledge of the genre. An ultimatum from their respective fathers makes them host a horror-themed party which makes them stumble upon a rather beautiful ghost Ragini (Katrina Kaif).

She approaches them with a business idea of starting a helpline called Phone Bhoot wherein the two will channel their inner Ghostbusters with Ragini's help. However, Ragini has an ulterior motive with Major and Gullu which is soon revealed to the audience. It is how she uses their powers to see the spirits to avenge a personal vendetta forms the main crux of the film. 

Director Gurmmeet Singh has curated a quirky atmosphere that will definitely be a safe haven for all the horror lovers. The main USP of Phone Bhoot is its concise pace and the smooth gags especially in the first half of the film. The part where the two male protagonists are thrust into the business and face a comedy of errors while solving their cases is seamlessly entertaining. The writing by Jasvinder Bath and Ravi Shankaran has various elements of the Bollywood and showbiz pop culture. 

From Katrina Kaif's Rasna advertisement to Tiger Shroff's dialogue 'Choti Bachi Ho Kya?' to every South Indian's craze for Thalaiva Rajinikanth, Phone Bhoot manages to keep us entertained throughout the first phase of the film. The various references to Indian Matchmaking, Mirzapur, Fukrey including Karan Johar's Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham theme music, the movie manages to be a laugh riot effectively using these gags in the right intervals. Alas, the film goes completely downhill in the second half. The screenplay falters majorly and the final face-off between the three protagonists with the evil wizard Atmaram (Jackie Shroff) doesn't quite land. The execution gets chaotic and messy and the only thing that keeps the climactic sequence afloat is Ishaan Khattar and Siddhant Chaturvedi's performances. 

Needless to say, Ishaan Khattar and Siddhant Chaturvedi are the stars of Phone Bhoot. The two are effortless while expressing the gags and even the over-the-top paranormal investigation sequences. Never for once, their performances seem messy, over-acted or grubby. Katrina Kaif has a charming screen presence, not to forget a callback to her ad sequence will make fans nostalgic but the actress struggles to emote the emotionally-high octane or the comedic scenes. Jackie Shroff and Sheeba Chaddha deliver their best to do full justice to their character but due to a poor writing, its difficult to connect with them. 

Except for 'Kinna Sonna', none of the other songs make a huge impact to the soundtrack album but the background score is fun and peppy setting the tonality of Phone Bhoot. The cinematography by KU Mohanan perfectly captures the eerie but eccentric setting of the film. The art direction by Ramesh Yadav also deserves an applause for successfully transporting us to this unconventional mood. 

Phone Bhoot could've been a creative attempt to deliver a quirky horror-comedy flick if not for the writing faltering heavily in the second half. However, watch this one for magnetic screen presence of Katrina Kaif, Ishaan Khattar and Siddhant Chaturvedi. We give the film 3 out of 5 stars.

• Siddhant Chaturvedi
• Ishaan Khatter

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Entertainment

• Movie Review

‘Phone Bhoot’ Review: Katrina Kaif Starrer Perfectly Marries Comedy With Pop Culture References But It’ll Make You Question Your Sense Of Humour!

Ever since we watched Bhool Bhulaiyaa and Stree , horror-comedy has become our ultimate favourite genre. It’s the perfect genre to unplug and relax. And this weekend has the perfect content for all of us millennials. Yes, I’m talking about the Gurmeet Singh directorial Phone Bhoot , starring Katrina Kaif, Ishaan Khatter and Siddhant Chaturvedi. Produced by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani under the banner of Excel Entertainment. This horror-comedy film hits the theatres on November 4, and let me tell you this, it’s the perfect film for all of us millennials thanks to all the pop culture references. Phone Bhoot also stars Jackie Shroff and Sheeba Chaddha in supporting roles. And since everyone these days is sceptical about which film to watch and which one to skip, I took the effort of watching it and sharing my review of this film. So, let’s just dive in!

The Story Of Phone Bhoot

The story of Phone Bhoot follows the story of two best friends, Gullu (played by Ishaan Khatter) and Sherdil Shergill aka Major (played by Siddhant Chaturvedi). Gullu and Major are good-for-nothing and are looking for ways to earn money and try their hand at different careers when a bhatakti aatma , Ragini (played by Katrina Kaif) approaches them with a business proposal. She urges them to become ghostbusters and help all the ghosts find moksha . Soon the bhoot-busting trio encounter an evil tantrik with vardaan , Aatmaram Dhyani (played by Jackie Shroff) and it is revealed that he has trapped Ragini’s lover’s spirit in a bottle. FYI, this tantrik runs a business of murder for hire involving ghosts. What happens next is a series of hilarious and chaotic events as the trio go on a journey to rescue Ragini’s lover!

Cast And Characters

Katrina Kaif as Ragini: While Katrina Kaif is too good for a bhootni , she not only manages to fit right in but she also delivers an amazing performance. She brings her usual charm and confidence as she delivers her near-perfect punchlines. Kat’s Ragini will have you cracking up in no time. She’s delightful to watch throughout the film as she manages to fit her character without taking away the essence of the story which focuses a lot on Gullu and Major’s friendship.

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Katrina Kaif (@katrinakaif)

Ishaan Khatter as Gullu: Ishaan Khatter’s Gullu is a South Indian boy who loves his filter coffee and while it Ishaan seems very out of place in his character, he manages to ace the role and makes it funny in a rather questionable manner. His one-liners are lame AF but he’ll have your sides in splits. His comic timing is perfect even though he does not fit perfectly in the role.

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Ishaan (@ishaankhatter)

Siddhant Chaturvedi as Major: Siddhant’s Major is an airhead who will make you cringe. TBH, neither his comic timing nor his punchlines are noteworthy but he still manages to anchor the film along with Katrina and Ishaan. His bromance with Ishaan is lovely to watch and comes out naturally. I believe we can blame the writing for the lack of quality punchlines and dialogues. But Siddhant brings confidence and skilful acting to the film and manages to make his presence known in the film.

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Siddhant Chaturvedi (@siddhantchaturvedi)

Jackie Shroff as Aatmaram: Jackie starts off as the mysterious villain and goes on to make you laugh till your stomach hurts with his ‘bhidu’ vibe. Jackie Shroff really plays the most hilarious version of himself in Phone Bhoot while making fun of the cliché villain of every Bollywood film ever in a subtle manner. His dialogues and pop culture references are kaafi zayada unforgettable.

Sheeba Chaddha as Chikni Chudail: I just have one thing to say about Sheeba’s Chikni Chudail. She’s there in all of 4 scenes but her presence is as unmissable and as unforgettable as her trip to Lahore in the film. She will have you rolling over with laughter as she innocently delivers her comical performance. It’s safe to say that Chikni Chudail is my favourite character from the film. I think I left my heart in Lahore with Chikni Chudail!

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Sheeba Chadha (@sheeba.chadha)

Also Read:  ‘Double XL’ Review: Sonakshi Sinha Creates Unnecessary Chaos But Huma Qureshi’s Performance Makes It Palatable.

Verdict: outrageously funny but questionable humour.

Okay, I’ll be honest. This verdict is going to be a rant on how I lowkey love this film but find my taste in comedy questionable but my love for Bollywood and pop culture makes me appreciate Phone Bhoot . To begin in a sorted manner, allow me to point out that the cinematography is decent and nothing to complain about. There is not a single scary moment throughout the film. More than horror-comedy, it seems like a spoof film that makes fun of just about everything in Bollywood from the cliché South Indian boy to the North Indian airhead munda to the using Rajnikant aka Thalaiva to win over a spirit, this film will make you laugh as it pokes fun at anything and everything.

Ishaan Khatter and Siddhant Chaturvedi’s bromance is fun to watch as they vibe together. It’s interesting how Katrina Kaif’s Ragini inserts herself into their bromance without being overbearing. She fits in well. In the technical department, the film has managed to create a decent balance in all of their screen time while presenting the story well. The VFX is average and it could’ve been better but it seems like it was kept average on purpose. The prosthetics and makeup, however, are pretty damn amazing. In terms of the pace, it starts off slow in an unfunny manner making you wonder if it’s worth watching at all but 30 minutes into the film, you’ll be cracking up but it falters again in the last 20 minutes with a messy climax and unfunny jokes. The music is ornamental and with badly timed background scores and dance sequences. I truly wish I could just skip it but oh, well.

Also Read: ‘Mili’ Review: A Chilling Thriller Anchored By Impactful Performances But Janhvi Kapoor Is Reduced To A Damsel In Distress With Some Fight In Her

Speaking of the plot and the comedy, let me tell you this – it’s a through-and-through comedy film with the most chaotic plot with no direction. If you’re here for the plot, you’re going to be disappointed. It is nothing noteworthy but we’re here for the punchlines and the pop culture references. In terms of comedy, Phone Bhoot that the most cringey jokes and it’s a painfully funny film that will make you question your taste as you laugh through it. It seems like the makers made the film bad on purpose and it’s so bad and so lame that you cannot help but laugh. It will practically force you to laugh, there’s no escaping it. It has the most outrageous punchlines brilliantly married to pop culture references to make every funny bone in your body tickle. NGL but the pop culture references and jokes are every millennial’s paradise. They’re perfectly executed to make you laugh while paying homage to nearly every iconic film. And let me tell you this, the intermission message is the highlight of the film. In conclusion, I’d say it’s a must-watch if you want to destress from a long, stressful week!

What to Watch This Week Of October 31 to November 6: ‘Enola Holmes 2’, ‘Mili’, ‘Double XL’ And More

Janvi Manchanda

​​She uses her pen to slice through patriarchy. She could be Geet one day, Wednesday Addams next. Writing is the bane of her existence and the object of all her desires!

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Phone Bhoot Review: Katrina Kaif, Ishaan, Siddhant Chaturvedi offer an enjoyable horror ride filled with pop culture references

Akash Bhatnagar

• November 4, 2022
• Comments off

Phone Bhoot Review: Katrina, Ishaan, Siddhant's hilarious horror ride is full of pop culture references

• Bubble Reviews
• Phone Bhoot Review: Katrina Ka ...

Film:  Phone Bhoot

Director:  Gurmmeet Singh

Star cast: Katrina Kaif, Ishaan, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Jackie Shroff

Bollywood Bubble ratings: 3.5/5 stars

Phone Bhoot Movie Review:

I entered the theatre to watch Phone Bhoot excited because of the glimpse of the chemistry I saw between Katrina, Ishaan and Siddhant. Apart from that, I went in with more or less a clean slate. But from the word go, I started enjoying the fresh narrative style that the makers used for the film. The background commentary, which also featured in the trailer, became all the more funnier in its extended version on the big screen.

As the film began with the storytelling, I’ll be honest, the jokes didn’t land as much since they were all a little cliché and that’s the thing with cliché things, if you falter, they become cringey, but if you pull it off well, it hits the right mark. After all, they are cliché for a reason. Thankfully, Phone Bhoot fell in the latter category as the film progressed. The plot and the jokes had nothing path-breaking and instead of a horror comedy, I will term it as a comedy about ghosts, but it does make you enjoy every bit of it.

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Ishaan (@ishaankhatter)

However, what made the experience amazingly funny for me was all the pop culture references that the film delivered. To start with, being an Excel movie, the film had so many references to previous Excel projects including Fukrey, Inside Edge, Mirzapur, and more, including a SURPRSING cameo(s). From there, it was like a nostalgic tribute to Bollywood, which I, being a Bollywood buff, enjoyed thoroughly. I won’t spoil the film by revealing much but there are jokes like ‘Katrina ka number hai? Nahi, Vicky-pedia hai’, and more like that.

There is a reference to some famous ad commercials as well like Vasmol, Keo Karpin and since Kat is there, so her famous Slice ad, and also some popular meme references like the four guys dancing with the coffin and an epic Rajinikanth sequence. All of these references felt like little treats that I was enjoying having. The chemistry that the three leads promised, they delivered on that. Siddhant and Ishaan are surely as fun on screen as they are in real life. And while I was enjoying the film completely for almost its full duration, the climax kind of left me a little underwhelmed, although, that too had its moments that made me laugh out loud. I must make a special note about the interval announcement, as Phone Bhoot showed how even a trivial thing like that can be made hilarious.

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Katrina Kaif (@katrinakaif)

Phone Bhoot tells the story of two friends, Gullu and Major played by Ishaan and Siddhant, who are obsessed with ghosts and try to implement good-for-nothing wacky horror ideas as event managers. A coincidence gives them the power to see ghosts and that’s when they run into Ragini, played by Katrina. How the three of them help each other achieve their goals while fighting off the evil Atmaram played by Jackie Shroff, makes for a hilarious horror ride.

Star Performance:

Katrina Kaif is indeed the star of the film. The actress proves her electric presence on screen every time she appears on it. She has a spark that you just cannot miss. Her chemistry with both the boys is one of the biggest USPs of the film. She also gets to show her amazing dancing skills with Kinna Sona and Kaali Teri Gut. You just cannot help but be in awe of her and her aura.

It seems weird that it is actually Ishaan’s second big screen outing after his debut with Dhadak. It has been four years since and all I can say after watching him in Phone Bhoot is that this boy is meant for the big screen. His character is shown as the more innocent and a little bit naive one, and Ishaan brings that out beautifully. You do develop a soft corner for him and every time he appears on screen, you can’t help but smile.

Siddhant has kind of nailed the swaggy boy character on the big screen. From MC Sher in Gully Boy to the new Bunty in Bunty Aur Babli and now as Major in Phone Bhoot, his loud mouth persona suits his personality and he does it well. His comic timing is also quite great. And the best thing is that Siddhant gets to pay homage to an older character which I won’t reveal for spoiler reasons, and also he gets his own Shah Rukh Khan moment and it will make you laugh.

Jackie Shroff as the villain starts out steadily but once he breaks the scary demeanour, he makes you laugh out loud in moments. He gets to make two amazing references to his past and it is nostalgic and funny both at the same time for the audience. I loved both of those, but I just wish the character was a little more fleshed out as it remains a bit superficial. Although, Jackie does bring out the scare at the times it is needed, while enforcing laughter the other times.

The supporting cast has Armaan Ralhan in a special role. He has a charming presence but he doesn’t get to do much beyond that and Sheeba Chaddha’s few scenes are indeed quite funny.

Direction/Screenplay:

Gurmmeet Singh has done a good job to bring about a freshness in the horror comedy genre. Sure there isn’t any new kind of story or any path-breaking jokes, but the tribute to Bollywood that happens through the pop culture references is what makes the film enjoyable. The screenplay is good and tight, it’s just the final clash that falls a little flat as compared to the rest of the film. A little work on the climax to make it better and more engaging would have made this film a lot better considering it’s all about cliché dialogues and plot. But Gurmmeet succeeds in making it an enjoyable ride overall.

Conclusion:

I loved Phone Bhoot because the references are a part of my growing up years, but that’s where I feel the film might face some challenge as well as different age groups will have different experiences. For the younger audience, many of these jokes might go over the head due to unfamiliarity while for the older generation, it might seem a bit too overdone. However, I am sure that the people in their 20s and 30s would love all the pop culture references. Phone Bhoot might not be as scary but it indeed delivers on the comedy front, and it will provide you with a lot of nostalgia to cherish, making the experience exciting.

Watch the trailer of Phone Bhoot after the film’s review:

Also Read:  Vicky Kaushal says ‘full masti and pagalpan hai’ as he reviews wife Katrina Kaif starrer Phone Bhoot

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Vicky Kaushal reviews Katrina Kaif's Phone Bhoot, says ‘pagalpan hai ye film’; Ishaan Khatter, Siddhant Chaturvedi react

Vicky kaushal shared his movie review of phone bhoot after watching the katrina kaif, ishaan khatter and siddhant chaturvedi-starrer. here’s how the film’s cast responded to vicky’s phone bhoot review..

Katrina Kaif is busy promoting her film, Phone Bhoot, which also features Ishaan Khatter and Siddhant Chaturvedi. It is all set to be released on November 4. On Tuesday, Vicky Kaushal took to Instagram to review Phone Bhoot after watching the movie at a screening. Vicky had joined actor-wife Katrina at the Phone Bhoot premiere in Mumbai on Monday that was attended by Farhan Akhtar, Shibani Dandekar, Jackie Shroff and Neliima Azeem, among others. Also read: Katrina Kaif asks fans ‘How’s the josh?' as she promotes Phone Bhoot, fans find it cute

Taking to Instagram Stories, Vicky posted Phone Bhoot’s poster featuring Katrina Kaif , Ishaan and Siddhant as he shared his review of the film. He wrote, “Full front foot pe aake masti aur pagalpan hai yeh film (this film is fun and crazy all the way)! Go, laugh your heads off in theatres near you. @ishaankhatter @siddhantchaturvedi @katrinakaif @apnabhidu @gurmeetsingh @excelmovies.” He added ghost and heart emojis.

Re-sharing Vicky’s review on Instagram Stories, Ishaan Khatter joked about the actor being Wikipedia (free online encyclopedia), and wrote, “Vicky-pedia ne declare kar diya (Vicky has declared it)! Glad you enjoyed paaji (brother). Love and respect.” Siddhant, too, re-shared the movie review by Vicky, and wrote on Instagram Stories, “Thank you Vicky Kaushal bhai (brother).”

The horror-comedy directed by Gurmmeet Singh and backed by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani's Excel Entertainment is Katrina’s first film with Ishaan and Siddhant. Earlier, Katrina had shared a BTS video from her Halloween-themed photoshoot for Phone Bhoot, where she was dressed as Harley Quinn. The clip showed Vicky directing her during the shoot on set. "Jab husband director ban gaye (when husband became director)," Katrina wrote as she shared the video on Instagram.

After Phone Bhoot, Katrina will be uniting with Salman Khan in Tiger 3, directed by filmmaker Maneesh Sharma. The film is scheduled to be released around Diwali 2023. Katrina also has Sriram Raghavan's Merry Christmas with Vijay Sethupathi, and an action movie with Ali Abbas Zafar in pipeline. Actor-husband Vicky’s upcoming projects include Sam Bahadur and Govinda Naam Mera, among others.

Dedicated professionals who write about cinema and television in all their vibrancy. Expect views, reviews and news. ...view detail

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• Vicky Kaushal
• Ishaan Khatter
• Siddhant Chaturvedi

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Home » Movies » Bollywood Movie Reviews

Phone Bhoot Movie Review: The Greatest Meme Of All Memes Ft. Extremely Hilarious Siddhant Chaturvedi & Ishaan Khatter, Also Katrina Kaif!

Ravi shankaran, along with his co-writer jasvinder singh bath, started in 2009 with this subject & 13 years later it's still something that hasn't gone stale.

Star Cast: Katrina Kaif, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Ishaan Khatter, Jackie Shroff, Sheeba Chadha, Manuj Sharma

Director: Gurmmeet Singh

What’s Good: Its comedy will lift your spirits proving how you could be stupid and funny at the same time

What’s Bad: The way it ends letting you leave with a sour aftertaste

Loo Break: Ample opportunities in the second half

Watch or Not?: If you’ve forgotten movies could make you laugh as well, give this a try (but don’t abuse me for not warning you about how it ends)

Available On: Theatrical release

Runtime: 136 Minutes

Continuing the ‘good for nothing’ universe of characters, we’ve Major (Siddhant Chaturvedi) & Galileo aka Gullu (Ishaan Khatter) who can seeeeee dead people. They crack a deal with the hot bhootni Ragini (Katrina Kaif) in order to earn a boatload of money in return for a favour which she’ll tell them at the ‘correct time’.

The Desi Ghostbusters trio continue to free some ghosts by helping them achieve their last wish. But, here’s where the story lands itself on a slippery slope introducing the ‘buri aatma’ Atmaram (Jackie Shroff), who manipulates & cheats the unsalvaged spirits. Forcing Ragini’s love angle amid all this mess makes this suffer from the ‘infamous second half syndrome’.

Phone Bhoot Movie Review: Script Analysis

Ravi Shankaran, along with his co-writer Jasvinder Singh Bath, started in 2009 with this subject & 13 years later it’s still something that hasn’t gone stale. Full marks for the persistence & some out-of-the-ordinary pop-culture references, the number for which when I counted (missed a few) was 25. Be it people resembling the viral ‘Dance With Coffin’ fellas or the groom killed by Munna in Mirzapur, nothing is crammed for the sake of pretending to be funny.

The writers have integrated the ad placements (Slice, Vicks, Vasmol) into the script & they work exactly like that creative sponsor message which you don’t skip while watching a video from your favourite YouTuber. This probably has the funniest first half, and interval point of any recent comedy film, but its latter portions which are equally filled with major loopholes. It’ll feel like the writers got so exhausted after keeping everything funny in the first half, they were left with hardly any decent material in the second.

The sets are amazingly built from Sid-Ishaan’s room screaming out how big of horror fans they are having an illusion door, a statue of their favourite ghost Raka, a skeleton phone & a lot more. K. U. Mohanan’s camerawork soothes the trip the makers take you on, especially in the first hour. The way how Ishaan’s Gullu breaks the fourth final to read out what’s about to happen reminds you of the Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota school of comedy.

Phone Bhoot Movie Review: Star Performance

Siddhant Chaturvedi & Ishaan Khatter are having the time of their life mouthing some hilarious one-liners delivering them with an uber-cool swag mashed up with Delhi’s ‘laundaness’. Siddhant gets to be the louder one & he never goes even a pitch higher to make his point. Another clever decision by the writers was to keep both these characters poles apart behaviourally letting them bring the best of both their worlds. Ishaan’s Gullu scaring away a ghost with the help of Rajinikanth’s antics & Siddhant’s Major dissecting what a Punjabi bhootni is saying is just one example of how even comedy for both of them has a differentiating factor.

Katrina Kaif’s origin story, if it was smartly written, would’ve impacted her presence a lot making her an integral part of the narrative. But, Ragini’s backstory is one of the major speed-breakers in the second half not letting her create a lasting impact.

There was such a Humongous scope if you’ve Jackie Shroff speaking in ‘tapori’ but unfortunately, the writers’ quirks exhaust when it comes to Atmaram. The whole time Bhidu was on screen, the hope of “now he’ll deliver a batsh*t crazy line” is alive only to get killed by the climax without getting fulfilled. Sheeba Chadha, and Manuj Sharma have their roles fleshed out in the gloomy second half & are briefly unfunny lending not-so-great support.

Phone Bhoot Movie Review: Direction, Music

Gurmmeet Singh was this close to directing the most flawless horror-comedy Bollywood has ever seen, all he needed was a bit of emotional connection coupled with a few good jumpscares. The skilled writing boasting the careless nature of its comedy suddenly turns into a forced fun competition.

The songs were pretty average as well. Surprised to see Baba Sehgal rocking the title theme of the film which goes extremely well with the nature of its narrative.

Phone Bhoot Movie Review: The Last Word

All said and done, Phone Bhoot is howlarious with its comedy but it doesn’t have anything spooktacular to add when it comes to its secondary genre. A fun watch despite all the grievances.

Three stars!

Phone Bhoot Trailer

Phone Bhoot releases on 04 November, 2022.

Share with us your experience of watching Phone Bhoot.

For more recommendations, read our Goodbye Movie Review here.

Must Read: Mili Movie Review: Janhvi Kapoor’s Survival Drama Is Fresh Only For The Ones Who Haven’t Seen Helen

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Phone Bhoot

Release date: 04 november, 2022 -->, phone bhoot movie.

PHONE BHOOT is the story of two ghostbusters. Sherdil Shergill aka Major (Siddhant Chaturvedi) and Galileo Parthasarthy aka Guru (Ishaan Khatter; credited in the film simply as Ishaan) are best friends who have a crazy interest in ghosts and spirits ever since they were kids. They want to make money ...  out of their love for ghosts. Sadly, all their business ideas flop. Nevertheless, they continue trying and they host a 'Moksha Party'. It emerges a success as several party goers mark their presence. Unbeknownst to Major and Guru, they are all ghosts. One such ghost is Ragini (Katrina Kaif). She informs them that they are gifted with the ability to see dead people. Hence, she gives them a business idea that they should start a phone line for those who want to get rid of ghosts. Major and Guru refuse at first. But their fathers arrive at their doorstep and ask them to pay Rs. 5 crores, which is the amount spent on their sons till date. They are given a time period of three months. With no other option, Major and Guru accept the idea although they also wonder why Ragini wants to help them. At first, their initiative gets massively trolled. Later, once they start solving cases, their business idea becomes a success. It also gets them in the bad books of the evil Atmaram (Jackie Shroff), who traps spirits trying to achieve 'moksha' (salvation).

Siddhant Chaturvedi, Katrina Kaif, Ishaan Khatter

Videos (18).

Jaau Jaan Se – Chill Mix | Phone Bhoot | Katrina Kaif, Armaan Ralhan

Articles (70).

EXCLUSIVE: Ishaan Khatter opens up about working with Katrina Kaif and Siddhant Chaturvedi in Phone Bhoot

Vishal Pandey and Katrina Kaif turn Joker and Harley Quinn for Halloween 2022

Phone Bhoot Box Office: Film crashes in Week 2; collects Rs. 1.15 cr.

Armaan Ralhan romances Katrina Kaif in a romantic melody from Phone Bhoot; tune in now

Box Office – Kantara (Hindi) is in real good chance to enter 100 Crore Club, Phone Bhoot eyes a finish over 20 crores mark

EXCLUSIVE: PhoneBhoot star Katrina Kaif wants to be an invisible ghost to silently to spectate THIS Bollywood director

Box Office: Kantara (Hindi) collects the most over the weekend, Phone Bhoot follows

Box Office: PhoneBhoot gathers pace, Kantara (Hindi) is superb in its Day 30

Netizens claim PhoneBhoot trolled Brahmastra; calls it a ‘perfect revenge’

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