Phone Bhoot: A Horror Comedy with a Witty and Fun Story

Phone Bhoot is a horror comedy about two ghostbusters, Major (Siddhant Chaturvedi) and Guru (Ishaan Khatter), who have a lifelong interest in ghosts and spirits. They have failed at several business ventures, but they continue to try and eventually host a successful “Moksha Party,” not realizing that all the attendees are ghosts. One of the ghosts, Ragini (Katrina Kaif), reveals to Major and Guru that they have the ability to see dead people and suggests that they start a phone line for those seeking to get rid of ghosts. Reluctantly, Major and Guru accept the idea, but they are also unsure of Ragini’s motivations.

At first, their business is heavily criticized and they face struggles, but they eventually find success as they solve cases and become popular ghostbusters. However, they also get on the bad side of the evil Atmaram (Jackie Shroff), who traps spirits trying to achieve “moksha.”

Director Gurmmeet Singh handles certain scenes well, including Major and Guru’s encounters with Chikni Chudail (Sheeba Chadha) and their antics as they listen to Ragini’s story. The film includes pop culture references and comedic moments, but the second half falls flat and fails to evoke laughs. The climax is also unimaginative and the track of Ragini’s fiancé’s killers is not addressed.

Performances

Katrina Kaif delivers an entertaining performance in Phone Bhoot, while Siddhant Chaturvedi and Ishaan Khatter also put in confident acts. Jackie Shroff is okay as the villain, and Sheeba Chadha is quite funny. The supporting cast, including Nidhi Bisht and Armaan Ralhan, are fine, but Manuj Sharma and Shrikant Verma do not leave a strong impression. Pulkit Samrat, Varun Sharma, and Manjot Singh appear briefly as the “Fukrey boys.”

Music and Technical Elements

The film’s best song is “Kinna Sona,” which is well choreographed. The background score by John Stewart Eduri is satisfactory, and K U Mohanan’s cinematography is neat. Vintee Bansal’s production design is imaginative, and Poornamrita Singh’s costumes are appealing. Shipra Singh Acharya’s make-up and prosthetics are convincing, and Manohar Verma’s action is not overly gory. The VFX is mostly satisfactory, and Manan Ashwin Mehta’s editing is crisp.

Conclusion

Phone Bhoot is a horror comedy with a witty and fun story, but the shaky screenplay and lack of laughs in the second half hold it back. The performances and technical elements are mostly strong, but the film falls short in its execution.