Franchise films often get criticised for not matching the original, but Housefull 5 carries forward the legacy well. If you watch it without overthinking, you will enjoy it more.

June 7, 2025 - The box office has been missing pure comedy films for a long time. The fifth film of the Housefull series, Housefull 5, fills that gap. Akshay Kumar’s Housefull 5 was released in theaters after being talked about for several days. The film is directed by Tarun Mansukhani, produced by Sajid Nadiadwala, Warda Nadiadwala and Firozi Khan under Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment.

This comedy-drama film features a star cast including Akshay, Riteish Deshmukh, Abhishek Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt, Fardeen Khan, Shreyas Talpade, Nana Patekar, Jackie Shroff, Dino Morea, Jacqueline Fernandez, Nargis Fakhri, Chitrangada Singh, Sonam Bajwa, Soundarya Sharma, Chunky Pandey, Nikitin Dheer and Johnny Lever.

The Story

The film starts on a cruise where Ranjit Dobriyal, one of Britain’s richest people, is about to celebrate his 100th birthday. But on the same day, Ranjit dies of a heart attack. According to his will, his first wife’s son, Jolly, will inherit all his property. But if Jolly does not come on his birthday, the property will be shared between his second wife’s son Dev (Fardeen Khan) and other important members of his company.

They are looking for one Jolly, but three show up - Julius aka Jolly (Akshay Kumar), Jalabuddin aka Jolly (Riteish Deshmukh) and Jalbhushan aka Jolly (Abhishek Bachchan). To find the real Jolly, a doctor is asked to do a DNA test, but that doctor is murdered. Bhidu (Sanjay Dutt) and Baba (Jackie Shroff) come from the London police to find the murderer.

Nadiadwala’s Bold Move

This film is different from the other Housefull movies because it mixes murder mystery with comedy. Producer Sajid, who also wrote the story and screenplay, deserves praise for giving the audience variety. He even wrote two different endings for the film and released them as Housefull A and Housefull B.

The audience can choose which version to watch, where the murderers are different. This is a risky move during tough times at the box office, but Sajid wanted to try something new. The story made the director’s job easier, and he handled the large cast well. He did not focus only on the main actors.

Farhad Samji’s dialogues add fresh humour while Julius Packiam’s background music makes some slow scenes more interesting.

Comedy and Performances

Some comedy scenes repeat, but the experienced actors manage them well. The first half introduces the characters. The real fun starts after the interval with confusion, comedy and a funny climax.

Scenes like the murder investigation in the dark and police questioning the three Jollys are fresh and entertaining. The climax reminds you of classic films like Hungama and Andaz Apna Apna, where all actors come together for comedy.

Franchise films often get criticised for not matching the original, but Housefull 5 carries forward the legacy well. If you watch it without overthinking, you will enjoy it more.

Performances

Akshay Kumar is unbeatable in slapstick comedy and proves this is his strength. Riteish is a seasoned comic who makes people laugh without trying hard. Abhishek Bachchan is less impressive compared to them. Johnny Lever is in his usual style. Fardeen Khan looks good in his role.

Shreyas Talpade has less screen time, but his presence is noticeable. Chunky Pandey’s character Aakhri Pasta, important in the Housefull series, has limited space here. Nargis Fakhri, Sonam Bajwa and Jacqueline Fernandez add little glamour. Chitrangada Singh shines more in Housefull 5B.

The song "Laal Pari" is already a hit and stays in your mind after leaving the theatre, which is rare nowadays.