Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3

What’s it about?

In bustling Kolkata, Ruhaan (Kartik Aryan) a fraudster posing as an exorcist, is approached by Princess Meera for his help to rid her castle of a menacing spirit called Manjulika. Ruhaan seizes the chance for easy money, but things get complicated as he digs into the castle's creepy past.

If you plan on watching Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 with your whānau this Diwali, be mindful that films with M ratings are generally better suited for audiences aged 16 and up. If you will be taking younger children to see it, have a conversation with them about the kinds of content they’ll be viewing first, and while you’re watching, make sure someone is there to accompany them the whole time. See our further reading section for resources to help you navigate early horror experiences.

The facts 

• Directed by Anees Bazmee
• Stars Kartik Aaryan (Chandu Champion), Vidya Balan, Madhuri Dixit, Triptii Dimri
• Hindi language with English subtitles
• Runtime: 160 minutes 
• Released during Diwali 2024
• Netflix has acquired digital streaming rights for the film

Why did it get this rating? 

This film was classified by Te Mana Whakaatu, Classification Office. You can find out more about the classification process and ratings here.

Violence

Some scenes contain violence that might be overwhelming for younger viewers. Much of it is presented humorously, and the film's overall light-hearted tone lessens its intensity. At the beginning of the film, you see a character tied to a pole and set on fire. While there are no details of their injuries, they are heard screaming and it’s clear that they die, as they soon reappear as a spirit. This moment is revisited several times throughout the movie, the final time being the most intense as you see their face burn. There is also another scene where a character is trapped inside a bedroom that has been deliberately set on fire.

Other violent moments include a ghost grabbing a character by the leg and throwing them repeatedly into the ground, characters grabbing each other by the throat, and characters hitting or slapping each other. 

There are also some violent phrases said such as “I’ll slit their throat and drink their blood” and “all of you will burn alive.”

Horror and content that may disturb

This film has some scary and unsettling bits that could upset younger children. You see and hear about paranormal beings such as ghosts, spirits and witches. In the haunted castle, there’s a door with an angry spirit trapped behind it. Scenes involving the door can be frightening, especially when it’s opened, and darkness is unleashed. 

There’s a smiling masked character that’s quite creepy – they appear on screen a few times have some “jump scare” moments.

There are a few other characters who have disturbing appearances at times – one woman appears with black veins down her face, and a ghost has a mangled, burnt face with chipped teeth. 

After learning of someone’s death, a character begins laughing maniacally, which is quite unsettling.

In a dream sequence, a character sees a woman fall from a building and land on her face. She gets up and starts moving towards the character, however they wake up before anything happens.

Coarse language

There’s some mild coarse language in the film, including “heck”, “pervert”, “shut up” and “brainless twit.” These words and phrases are mostly used jokingly between characters.

Further reading:

• Navigating Early Horror Experiences: Don’t Let Nostalgia Get in the Way of Good Choices! - Blog 
• My parenting fail: Watching Netflix’s Wednesday with my kids - Blog