Akshay Kumar says son Aarav was ‘terrified’ of Vidya Balan for six years after watching Bhool Bhulaiyaa: He got scarred
Actor Vidya Balan's portrayal of Manjulika in Bhool Bhulaiyaa continues to haunt viewers, including Akshay Kumar's son, who was scared to meet her for years.
Actor Vidya Balan, as Manjulika in Bhool Bhulaiyaa (2007), had spooked viewers upon it's release. A massive success because of the horror-comedy combo, it continues to spook those who watch even today. It seems, even Akshay Kumar's son Aarav, 23, was not spared!

In a chat with Sonal Kalra, Chief Managing Editor, Entertainment and Lifestyle, at HT City Stars In The City, Akshay made the revelation. He said, “I was talking to my son recently, he told me that when he saw Bhool Bhulaiyaa for the first time, he couldn't speak to Vidya Balan for six years! Voh Vidya se darta tha. Voh ghar par aayi thi, usse ek baar milne ko taiyaar hi nahi tha, uski aankhon mein dekhne ko bhi taiyaar nahi tha. I had to nurture and tell him for six years ‘Yeh Vidya Balan hai beta, yeh bahot achhi hai’ He said ‘no dad, I don’t want to meet her' He had got scarred!”
Bhool Bhulaiyaa, a psychological thriller, had Vidya playing the role of Avni, who seemingly gets possessed by a ghost haunting a haveli. However, she is ultimately revealed to be suffering from dissociative identity disorder. Her portrayal of such a complicated character fetched her praise. Akshay and Vidya are reuniting for filmmaker Anees Bazmee's next.
Bhooth Bangla, releasing in theatres on April 16 with paid previews, stars Akshay with Tabu, Paresh Rawal, Wamiqa Gabbi, Rajpal Yadav and late Asrani.
ABOUT THE AUTHORRishabh SuriRishabh Suri is an Assistant Editor, film critic, and professional overthinker of plot points. He writes for HT City, keeping pace with an industry where news cycles expire long before the popcorn gets cold. He completed his graduation in English Honours from Kirori Mal College, followed by a Master’s degree in English Literature-effectively training his brain to over-analyse classic texts before applying those exact same skills to 3-hour Bollywood blockbusters. He got into the profession when he had barely graduated from college and has been at HT ever since. At HT, Rishabh reviews films with a simple rule: skip the dense academic jargon and get straight to the point. Beyond reviews, as Assistant Editor, he helps navigate the broader circus of showbiz, tracking everything from OTT shifts to sudden box office panics. In a beat driven by loud PR machinery and carefully scripted answers, Rishabh prefers cutting through the noise to focus on how stories get made and why trends shift. When he isn’t writing against a deadline, he is usually sitting in a dark theater, compulsively memorising dialogues. For Rishabh, analysing movies isn't just a day job- it’s a habit he couldn't turn off even if he tried.Read More

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