‘The Bhootnii’ announcement: Sanjay Dutt, Mouni Roy to headline horror-comedy -OxBig News Network

Sanjay Dutt, Mouni Roy in ‘The Bhootnii’ 

Jumping on the Hindi horror-comedy bandwagon, banners Soham Rockstar Entertainment and Three Dimension Motion Picture have announced The Bhootnii, a new action horror-comedy starring Sanjay Dutt and Mouni Roy. They are joined in the cast by Palak Tiwari, Sunny Singh, Beyounick and Aasif Khan.

The announcement video of The Bhootnii was shared on occasion of Mahashivratri. The film is directed by debutant Sidhaant Sachdev. First touted in 2022, it was earlier titled The Virgin Tree.

The teaser opens with Dutt reciting a verse from the Bhagwat Gita, taking about the indestructibility of the soul. The film, high on VFX and religious imagery, centres on a haunted tree, and a love story that blossoms under its boughs. Later in the promo, Dutt and Roy make their appearance, sparking intrigue about their characters. Dutt, wielding Deadpool-style dual ninja blades, appears to play a ghosthunter.

Horror-comedies have witnessed a resurgence after the success of Stree (2018) and its uneven, over-egged sequel, Stree 2 (2024). Additionally, films like Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 also cleaned up at the box-office.

Dutt, 65, is perhaps the sportiest actor around, appearing in films across genres and languages, playing cigar-smoking baddies as well as ensemble parts. In 2024, he had two releases: Ghudchadi and Double iSmart. Mouni Roy’s last prominent film outing was Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva.

The Bhootnii will release in cinemas on April 18, 2025. Sanjay Dutt’s wife, Maanayata Dutt, is credited as producer on the project.