BHOOL BHULAIYAA 2 

Cert 12A

143 mins

BBFC advice: Contains moderate horror, threat, violence

Bollywood loves a ghostly comedy doesn't it? And now it is beginning to get the bug for sequels too.

So, the logical conclusion is a follow-up to Akshay Kumar's Bhool Bhulaiyaa - 15 years after it was a box office hit.

The problem is that Anees Bazmee's film doesn't include the superstar and he leaves a considerable gap.

Instead, Kartik Aaryan is the male lead - a young chancer who tries his chat-up lines on a beautiful bride-to-be (Kiera Advani) on the way to her marriage.

It turns out that she is reluctant to be wed so she stays behind with him for a pop festival and they plan to arrive later.

However, when it is announced their scheduled bus has crashed down a ravine with all passengers deceased, she takes the chance to feign her own death.

The added spice comes from her hiding in the family home which has been left derelict for years as is haunted by the malevolent spirit of the twin of her sister-in-law (Tabu).

There are a fair few laughs in this lively romp and Aaryan takes up Kumar's baton with gusto - although it still jars a bit that Indian cinema gaga are often politically incorrect - this time, the running joke is aimed an overweight boy (Samarth Chauhan).

The issue is also that the quips are repeated and, at 143 minutes, the movie is stretched.

Nevertheless, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 is lively, colourful, has some bright tunes and its storyline has a surprisingly riveting finale.