Bhool Bhulaiyaa
| Bhool Bhulaiyaa | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Priyadarshan |
| Screenplay by | Neeraj Vora |
| Dialogues by |
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| Story by | Madhu Muttam |
| Based on | Manichitrathazhu by Fazil |
| Produced by | Bhushan Kumar Krishan Kumar |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Tirru |
| Edited by | N. Gopalakrishnan Arun Kumar Aravind |
| Music by | Songs: Pritam Score: Ranjit Barot |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Balaji Motion Pictures Eros International |
Release date |
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Running time | 154 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Hindi |
| Budget | ₹32 crore |
| Box office | ₹82.35 crore |
Bhool Bhulaiyaa (transl. Labyrinth) is a 2007 Indian Hindi-language psychological horror comedy film directed by Priyadarshan from a screenplay by Neeraj Vora and produced by T Series. It is a remake of the 1993 Malayalam-language film Manichitrathazhu written by Madhu Muttam and directed by Fazil, which is based on a 19th-century tragedy that happened at Madhu's Alummoottil tharavad (an old traditional mansion) in Muttom (near Haripad) in central Travancore. The film stars Akshay Kumar, Vidya Balan, Shiney Ahuja, and Ameesha Patel, alongside Paresh Rawal, Rajpal Yadav, Manoj Joshi, Asrani, and Vikram Gokhale. The film score and soundtrack were composed by Ranjit Barot and Pritam respectively, with lyrics written by Sameer and Sayeed Quadri.
The film was shot under the working title of Chandramukhi in Jaipur, mainly at the Chomu Palace (a haveli) and also the City Palace, while the song "Allah Hafiz" was shot at Hampi. Madhu, the writer of the Malayalam film, has been credited as the sole writer for the remakes after he filed a copyright suit against Fazil when the latter started being listed as the writer of the original script in the remakes.
Produced on a budget of ₹32 crore, Bhool Bhulaiyaa earned ₹82.84 crore, thus becoming the eighth-highest grossing Hindi film of 2007. It received mixed reviews from critics but has attained cult status, with praise towards Kumar's psychiatrist character, Balan's portrayal of Avni and Manjulika, and the film's music. The film spawned a standalone sequel titled Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 (2022) with a new principal cast and only Yadav returning in a reboot of his role. The third film in the series, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, with Vidya playing an alternate version of her character and Yadav again rebooting his character, released on Diwali 2024.