A rollicking horror comedy
The evasive horror-comedy genre is a very difficult one to nail and can misfire if not handled properly. But the third season of Arré original series, Official Bhootiyagiri packs scares with subtle comedy in correct proportions that make it a great spooky entertainer.
Story
Dilawar Rana (Sumeet Vyas) who was arrested in the last season is bailed out of prison to help run his family hotel where he grew up. The property is almost bankrupt and his fierce business acumen is the only thing that can save it. The problem is that the building is supposedly haunted and these scary stories and experiences are the reason Dilawar has crippling social anxiety.
Being in denial of the supernatural, he sets to improve the hotel experience for his guests with his friends Mallika (Eisha Chopra) Kash (Pranay Manchanda) and Prem Singh (Navin Prabhakar).
He uses the hotel’s reputation in its favour and markets it as a horror themed holiday destination. His best friends are smoke machines, hidden noise triggers and people dressing up as ghosts to frighten the guests.
In the process, he encounters Mahavir (Ajay Kumar Singh), a writer who considers the hotel his permanent residence, and his bizarre nature makes Dilawar suspicious. As a result, he takes the tough decision of evicting Mahavir from the hotel which proves out to be a blunder.
Dilawar soon realizes his mistake as he faces a seemingly real supernatural threat that challenges his beliefs and triggers his childhood fears.
Performances
Undoubtedly, this is a one-man show by Sumeet Vyas who is getting stronger and better with every role of his. His expressions and body language are a plus point in this entertaining comedy flick and he is a delight to watch.
He is well supported by Chopra, Manchanda and Prabhakar who also play their roles to perfection
Positives
The writing and execution are the strength of Official Bhootiyagiri. The series is very straightforward and always stays true to the plot without unnecessary lags or diversions. The seamless blend of horror and comedy is not something you see very often.
Writers Tarun Dodeja and Parijat Joshi along with director Vishwajoy Mukherjee have done a tremendous job in weaving a strong narrative thread.
Negatives
Official Bhootiyagiri is an absolutely amazing web series. If anything, there should have been more episodes as five just aren’t enough.
Worth it?
Official Bhootiyagiri makes you feel relaxed and relieved with a great story, some good one-liners, and amazing performances so there is no reason whatsoever to miss such a well-made show.
