The countdown has begun for the next instalment of the Anees Bazmee-directed horror comedy, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, starring Kartik Aaryan, Vidya Balan, Triptii Dimri, and Madhuri Dixit. While the makers recently launched the teaser of this Diwali 2024 release, they are all set to escalate their campaign with theatrical trailer and music through the month of October. That’s not all, we have exclusively learnt that Bhushan Kumar has locked a big non-theatrical deal for Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, the biggest till date for the franchise as also Kartik Aaryan.

According to sources close to the development, the digital, satellite, and music rights of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 have been sold to leading players for a sum of Rs 135 crore. “While the digital rights have fetched a hefty sum by Netflix following the success of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, the satellite rights are with Sony Network. Music on the other hand is valued internally by T Series themselves, and the team is bullish to fetch big profits from the music, as the album has 4 super-hit songs,” revealed a source close to the development.

The source further added that the team of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 have covered a large chunk of their budget with the pre-sale of non-theatrical rights. “Anees Bazmee and Bhushan Kumar have left no stone unturned to mount the horror comedy at a big scale. Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 has been made on a budget of Rs 150 crore, excluding print and publicity, and a lion’s share has already been recovered with back-end deals,” the source added.

The source shares that horror comedy is the flavour of the season, and the success of the last instalment has given all the non-theatrical partners to invest more in Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3. “It is an awaited film, and comedies tend to do better on digital and satellite too due to the repeat value of the genre. Kartik Aaryan too has a fan-base in the youth, which is often a point of contention by digital players to pay premium prices, as the world of OTT is largely dominated by youth” the source concluded.

Meanwhile, the theatrical trailer of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 drops digitally on October 6, 2024. The makers plan to launch it at a grand event in Mumbai in the presence of the entire star-cast. Stay tuned to Pinkvilla for more updates.

Plot: 

Joker: Folie à Deux is set after Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) shoots Murray Franklin (Robert De Niro) dead on his live talk show. Arthur Fleck is institutionalised at Arkham Asylum as he awaits the trial for his crimes as Joker. Arthur is charged for a total of 5 murders. While Arthur’s defense attorney tries to prove that it was not Arthur but his split personality, Joker, that was responsible for the killings and that now he is completely sane, the prosecution representing The State tries to prove that Arthur was totally in control of himself when he murdered civilians and that he has been playing it all along, since. It incidentally becomes the first court case that is televised. 

Arthur meets Harley Quinn (Lady Gaga) at the asylum and they fall in love. Quinn matches his freak and that’s what helps them get along.

Does Arthur really have a split personality or he is totally aware of all his actions? Can Arthur distinguish fiction from reality or he struggles with it? Has Harley been pretending all along or she is indeed in love with Arthur? What’s the verdict of the court case?
Watch Joker: Folie à Deux to find out.

What Works for Joker: Folie à Deux

Joker: Folie à Deux is stunning visually and the performances are great. The background score is hauntingly brilliant. The musical bits of the movie are interestingly not even a problem. They are infact joyful. The film, at instances, puts you in a trance like state you’d not have a problem being in. Joker 2 is a bold film to make as a sequel to a movie as acclaimed as Joker. It sheds off a lot that the audience of the first part enjoyed and replaces it with something very different. The result is that it partly works and it partly doesn’t.

What Doesn’t Work for Joker: Folie à Deux

Joker: Folie à Deux, after showing initial promise, turns out to be aimless and unconvincing. Due to the lack of intent at telling something greater and deeper, the movie starts to feel sluggish and boring. The stretched courtroom procedural takes away all the excitement. Creative liberties are taken and scenes are stitched hap-hazardly. Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn doesn’t get much to work with. Her relation with Arthur is not developed well and thus you fail to connect with their bond on a deeper level. Zooming the lens out, one realises that Joker isn’t the Joker of the comic books anymore. It is a variant of Joker created by Todd Phillips that is nothing like its character. This makes Joker: Folie à Deux a movie that may not connect with everyone. Personally, I like this version but the slow screenplay and the aimlessness of the plot just doesn’t help.

Watch the Joker: Folie à Deux Trailer: