Riding high on the success of Munjya, director Aditya Sarpotdar returns with yet another horror comedy rooted in Indian folklore — Kakuda, streaming on ZEE5. Starring Riteish Deshmukh, Sonakshi Sinha and Saqib Saleem, Kakuda clocked over 100 million streaming minutes in the first weekend itself.

A ghost that targets only men

Like Amar Kaushik’s 2018 blockbuster Stree — which opened the floodgates for horror comedy movies in Bollywood — the ghost in Kakuda also targets only men. In a small village somewhere in north India, every house has a short entrance right next to the main door. A ghost named Kakuda visits the village homes every Tuesday at 7.15pm. If he finds a door shut, he kicks a man from the household, marking him with a hunchback and just 13 days to live.

Enter Indira (Sonakshi Sinha) and Sunny (Saqib Saleem), a young couple who want to get married and are fighting several social barriers for it. Indira’s father, a stickler for tradition, wants an English-speaking son-in-law. When Sunny fails the language test, he and Indira decide to run away. But fate has other plans. The wedding is scheduled on a Tuesday and Sunny gets delayed in reaching home following the rituals, thus inviting Kakuda’s wrath.

Indira vows to save her husband. Enter Victor (Riteish Deshmukh), a charming, modern-day ghost hunter. With his unique ability to decipher the unfulfilled desires of the departed through charcoal sketches, Victor helps souls find peace. Along with Indira, he is on a mission to get to the bottom of the Kakuda mystery.

Joining them is their friend Kilvish (Aasif Khan), who, despite being terrified of ghosts, stands by his friends. Through a series of hilarious misadventures and failed encounters with the spirit, the team finally cracks the case.

A supernatural comedy with a social message

Director Aditya Sarpotdar shows a good understanding of the horror comedy genre and effectively uses folktales to create an engaging narrative. But the film focuses more on the comedic aspects at the cost of the horror elements. There aren’t many genuine scares, and the film feels more like a laugh-out-loud comedy with a supernatural twist.

The point that Sarpotdar gets full marks for is slipping a poignant social message in the humour. The film highlights the social prejudice against those with disabilities, how myths and superstitions are created by those in power to serve their interests, and how violence is their weapon when things don't go according to plan.

Riteish and Sonakshi hold the show

Riteish Deshmukh turns in a scene-stealing performance as the flamboyant and witty Victor. He makes the most of his unerring comic timing even in the dull moments, while Sonakshi Sinha infuses Indira with an easy-to-like quality that works well. Saqib Saleem and Aasif Khan also deliver though their characters are not properly fleshed out.