Phone Bhoot Review: Comedy of Horrors or Horror of Parodies?

New Delhi: After much anticipation and waiting, ‘Phone Bhoot’ was released on Amazon Prime Video on 2nd January 2023, wishing everyone a “spooky” new year. Spooky or not? Is debatable. Directed by Gurmmeet Singh and produced by Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar, ‘Phone Bhoot’ is funny in parts but spooky in none of them.

An amalgamation of multiple brand integrations, ‘Phone Bhoot’ felt less like a film and more like a Youtube comedy sketch. That being both good and bad, there are certain groups in which this film can be enjoyable. A movie written more like a collection of memes does tickle your funny bone at times. But, that is not without making you cringe the other times. With a bucketload of stereotypes and offensive jokes, the film entertains a very niche bunch.

In times of very serious and impactful subjects, ‘Phone Bhoot’ is a light-hearted comedy that’ll definitely make you smile. Written like an advertisement copy, filled with catchy one-liners and mindless humour, viewers get used to the lame jokes after a while. Once one looks beyond that, you can find a film that can be appreciated more with your group of friends. If you’re looking for a comedy to take your mind off of the real world you can step into this adventurous story of Gullu and Major.

Gullu played by Ishaan Khattar and Major played by Siddhant Chaturvedi find themselves with the ability to see ghosts. They meet Ragini, a ghost played by Katrina Kaif, who helps them earn money in return for a favour that she will reveal in time. And much like Bhootnath from Bhootnath returns, Gullu and Major start helping Aatmas all across.

‘Phone Bhoot’ brings in a very unique style of writing that was done with films like Golmaal and its sequels but not since. You can often compare it to the over-the-top advertisements you might have seen for chocolates. That being said, films with mindless humour like this are often less appreciated at the time of their release but find an audience sometime after. That may or may not be the case here, but ‘Phone Bhoot’ does lift your spirit.

Ishaan Khattar and Siddhant Chaturvedi represent a brainless bromance we have missed in films. Their chemistry sells their jokes to some extent. Katrina Kaif brings forward a sass that is innate to her and is often observed in talk shows. And a special mention to Jacky Shroff that day by day has become a youth icon no one could have predicted. His candor and style are always loved and he brings it to every dialogue he utters.

A feeble attempt to make something of a ‘Ghostbusters’, ‘Phone Bhoot’ lacked any meaning to its storytelling. But nevertheless, it finds itself in a niche that is not just appreciated but rewatched multiple times by its audiences for years.