An Entertaining Blend Of Laughs And Chills

For many years, Bollywood did not give the horror-comedy genre a shot. But it seems to have caught the fancy of filmmakers in recent times. Director Hardik Mehta tries to blend the two genres in Roohi and succeeds to a large degree. The three actors at the centre of the plot — Rajkummar, Varun and Janhvi — are in great form and complement each other’s performances. Rajkummar, yet again, pulls off another part that has him playing the small-town guy. Though his character may have similarities to his role in Stree, he ensures that this one stands apart with different mannerisms and body language. But one does wonder if this is a role he is taking on far too many times. Varun shines with his great comic timing. Once again, the actor flaunts his flair for comedy. Whether as Roohi or Afza, Janhvi doesn’t miss a beat. She delivers the chills with as much ease while playing Afza as she does as the timid Roohi.

CINEMA OF THE WEEK

Roohi (Horror-Comedy) ***1/2

Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Janhvi Kapoor, Varun Sharma

Direction: Hardik Mehta

Duration: 2 hours 14 minutes

Language: Hindi (U/A)