Param Lal and Padam Lal are two bumbling but good-hearted Gujarati cops in Melbourne who lose their jobs after one blunder too many, just as Param faces a custody hearing for his daughter. Their former commissioner offers them a way back in: survive a single night inside a mansion rumoured to be haunted so it can be cleared for sale. The mansion turns out to be genuinely cursed, and the duo must outwit a vengeful spirit while everything they care about hangs in the balance.
Faati Ne? is the kind of crowd film Gujarati cinema has learned to make with real polish. Faisal Hashmi takes a simple premise, two hapless cops locked in a haunted Melbourne mansion for one night, and stretches it into a mix of comedy, scares, and family emotion that kept audiences in theatres for a remarkably long run. The Melbourne setting gives it a scale most Dhollywood comedies never attempt, and the film leans into that with confident visual effects and a loud, immersive sound mix.
Hitu Kanodia and Smit Pandya carry the whole thing on the strength of their timing. Kishan Prajapati at Gujarati Jagran rated it four out of five, calling it a thoroughly entertaining blend of horror and comedy and singling out Kanodia, Pandya, and Akash Zala. Kanksha Vasavada at the Times of India landed at three and a half, praising the direction, the CGI, and the music while noting that the second half runs longer than it needs to. VTV Gujarati enjoyed the dialogue and the cultural humour but flagged some rough technical patches.
What holds it together is tone. The jokes are broad and built for a full house, the jump scares arrive on schedule, and the sentiment around Param and his daughter gives the noise somewhere to land. It is not trying to reinvent the horror comedy, and the runtime tests your patience once the novelty settles. Still, the craft, the Melbourne backdrop, and the lead pairing make it an easy, satisfying watch for anyone who wants laughs with a few chills.
Verdict
A polished, big-hearted Gujarati horror comedy that rides Hitu Kanodia and Smit Pandya to an easy crowd-pleasing win.
What works
- Hitu Kanodia and Smit Pandya's comic timing
- Ambitious Melbourne setting and scale
- Strong visual effects and Dolby Atmos sound
- Warm family emotion under the comedy
What holds it back
- Second half runs too long
- A few visible technical flaws
- Leans on familiar horror-comedy beats
- Humour is broad rather than sharp
Cast & crew
Writers: Faisal Hashmi, Fenil Dave
Music: Soham Naik, Deepak Venugopalan
Cast: Hitu Kanodia (Param Lal), Smit Pandya (Padam Lal), Hemin Trivedi (Baba Bhootmaarina), Akash Zala (Jhand), Chetan Daiya (Vikramjeet), Kaushambi Bhatt (Leelavati)
Watch the trailer
Play the official trailer on YouTubeMore from Faisal Hashmi
More Comedy Gujarati films
Frequently asked
Is Faati Ne? worth watching?
A polished, big-hearted Gujarati horror comedy that rides Hitu Kanodia and Smit Pandya to an easy crowd-pleasing win. Kevu Che rates it 3.5 out of 5.
What is Faati Ne? about?
Param Lal and Padam Lal are two bumbling but good-hearted Gujarati cops in Melbourne who lose their jobs after one blunder too many, just as Param faces a custody hearing for his daughter. Their former commissioner offers them a way back in: survive a single night inside a mansion rumoured to be haunted so it can be cleared for sale. The mansion turns out to be genuinely cursed, and the duo must outwit a vengeful spirit while everything they care about hangs in the balance.
What is the IMDb rating of Faati Ne??
Faati Ne? (2025) holds an IMDb rating of 8.0 out of 10.