Film:
Housefull 5
Bubble Rating:
Director: Tarun Mansukhani
Writer: Sajid Nadiadwala, Tarun Mansukhani & Farhad Samji (also dialogues)
Cast: Akshay Kumar, Riteish Deshmukh, Abhishek A Bachchan, Nargis Fakhri, Jacqueline Fernandez, Sonam Bajwa, Soundarya Sharma, Jackie Shroff, Sanjay Dutt, Nana Patekar, Johny Lever, Chunky Panday, Nikitin Dheer, Chitrangda Singh, Dino Morea, Shreyas Talpade, Fardeen Khan, Ranjeet Bedi
Platform: In Theatres
Run Time: 163 minutes (2 hours, 43 minutes)
Housefull 5 Review
The fifth installment in Sajid Nadiawala’s Housefull franchise is here and is not like what we imagined. Directed by Tarun Mansukhani, Housefull 5 is set an out-and-out comedy starring some of the biggest names in Bollywood such as Akshay Kumar, Riteish Deshmukh, Abhishek A Bachchan, Jacqueline Fernandez, Jackie Shroff, Sanjay Dutt, Nana Patekar, and more.
The film begins with a mysterious murder at the hands of a masked murdered during the 100th birthday celebration party of Ranjeet Dobriyal’s (Ranjeet) aboard his yacht. While an investigation is on to unmask the killer, a separate quest to find the true heir to Ranjeet’s 69 billion pound fortune also begins. The fortune is willed to his long-lost son Jolly, but none of his board members know who he is. Is it Jalabuddin (Riteish Deshmukh) or is it Jalbhushan (Abhishek Bachchan) or is it Julius (Akshay Kumar)? The search for the real Jolly unveils more secrets that a crime thriller.
Who is the real Jolly and will a murdered on the loose will he stay alive to inherit the 69 billion pounds left by his father? Who is the killer or killers and will they be caught before they kill another? What is the story about the ‘meri biwi iski girlfriend, iski biwi uski girlfriend’ angle? To know the answers one will need to watch Housefull 5, and here’s our review of it.
What Works
The suspense part of this comedy will keep you glued to your seat even if you want to take a loo break. Akshay Kumar and Nana Patekar’s comic timing is unmated and the two shine the brightest with their much-needed, over the top performances. The music – both songs and BGM, are on point and the biggest plus of the film.
What Doesn’t Work
The comedy at times seems forced and hits below the belt. PS: Do not take kids to watch the film, certain jokes aren’t meant for them (and should be shield from them as long ass possible).
Technical Analysis
Story & Dialogues
Sajid Nadiawala’s story is something unexpected. It will blow your mind away – and that’s not always in a positive manner. The franchise which began with a loser going abroad and finding love while crashing in with his friend and his wife, is now all about impersonating someone else in order to get their inheritance and live a set life. The cast has gotten bigger but the story is still stuck in the past and is something that could be found on a the group chat of teenage boys.
However, the narrative – written by Sajid Nadiadwala, Tarun Mansukhani and Farhad Samji, will keep you hooked and leave you wondering till the very end who the murderer is or murderers are. The dialogues – penned by Farhad. will make you nostalgic as they pay homage to the franchise’s earlier films and even snowballs into the meta verse by incorporating dialogues from the stars’ real life.
Direction
Tarun Mansukhani’s direction is nothing out of the ordinary but doesn’t disappoint either. He’s successfully completed his part as the captain of the Housefull 5 ship and that’s evident in the final product wee see on the big screen. The comedy of errors, the confusions, the drama – he captures them all with a talent we expect from someone who’s been part of the industry from years.
Editing
Editor Rameshwar S Bhagat will take you back to the early 2000s during a beautifully executed confrontational scene with the ‘dhadad-dhadad’ close-ups and black-white screens. He’s done an okay job in making sure the film is not boring despite the half-baked script.
Music
The music is one of the film’s biggest highlight – especially the very mashup of several of the franchise’s songs. Julius Packiam deserves a round of applause for providing engaging background scores that match with both of the film’s themes – comedy and thrill.
Housefull 5 Acting
The film features several stars and they all manage to leave an impact – some maybe in not the manner the makers imagined. The three Jollys – Akshay Kumar, Riteish Deshmukh and Abhishek A Bachchan make you laugh from the very moment they appear on screen. However, they flatline when their over acting takes prominence.
The women of the film – Nargis Fakhri, Jacqueline Fernandez, Sonam Bajwa, Soundarya Sharma, and Chitrangda Singh have just one job – and unfortunately, it’s regressive. They show off more skin than their acting chops.
Jackie Shroff, Sanjay Dutt, Nana Patekar, Johny Lever and Chunky Panday make sure to keep you laughing with their antics while Nikitin Dheer, , Dino Morea, Shreyas Talpade, Fardeen Khan and Ranjeet Bedi bring a layer of depth to the narrative.
Conclusion
While Housefull 5 makes you laugh as well as nostalgic with its scenes and dialogues, it lacks the magic we witnessed inn the franchise earlier. If you love the franchise and want to watch Akshay and co go all out crazy, head to cinemas and watch the film this weekend. Else, wait till it premiers on OTT. Do not watch it pirated, you will miss the magic.
Watch the trailer of Housefull 5 here:
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