Film Review: Housefull 5

Banner: Nadiadwala Grandson EntertainmentGenre: Comedy / CrimeCensor: UA

Story & Screenplay

Housefull 5 follows the chaos that unfolds on a cruise ship after multi-millionaire Ranjeet Dobriyal dies before his 100th birthday. His will names a mysterious heir, “Jolly,” leading to the arrival of three contenders, each with a spouse. Amidst murder attempts, mistaken identities, and the investigation led by Interpol officers, comedy and crime intersect.

Sajid Nadiadwala has compiled the story as a series of funny anecdotes. While logic takes a backseat a staple of the Housefull franchise the screenplay by Farhad Samji, Tarun Mansukhani, and Sajid Nadiadwala, with additional inputs from Shobhit Sinha, Madhur Sharma, and Puja Pandey, delivers laughs in parts. The first half has multiple successful comic sequences; the post-interval portion feels stretched, with fewer humorous moments. Dialogues by Farhad Samji (with additions by Shobhit Sinha, Tasha Bhambra, and Sparsh Khetarpal) are witty and mass-appealing, though some are double entendres.

Performances

• Akshay Kumar is superb as Julius alias Jolly, giving his all and ensuring comic timing hits the mark.

• Abhishek Bachchan is very good as Jalbhushan alias Jolly, with humor in his dozing scenes and mis-stressed dialogue delivery.

• Ritesh Deshmukh shines as Jalabuddin alias Jolly, delivering hilarious clarifications.

• Sanjay Dutt is nice as Interpol officer Bhidu; Jackie Shroff is good as Baba.

• Nana Patekar is effective as Dhagdu but slightly underwhelms due to late entry.

• Sonam Bajwa impresses as Zara with flawless Urdu dialogue delivery; Jacqueline Fernandez is alright as Sasikala.

• Akshay Kumar dominates but is well-balanced by Ritesh Deshmukh and Abhishek Bachchan.

• Chitrangda Singh is average as Maya; Nargis Fakhri is decent as Kaanchi.

• Fardeen Khan is impressive as Dev.

• Johny Lever, Shreyas Talpade, and Chunkey Panday deliver solid comic support.

• Bobby Deol surprises pleasantly in the climax.

• Other supporting actors perform as required.

Direction & Technical Aspects

• Tarun Mansukhani’s direction is good, though the film lacks consistent laugh-riot energy.

• Music by Tanishk Bagchi, White Noise Collectives, Yo Yo Honey Singh, and Kratex is entertaining. Hits include the super-popular “Laal Paree” and “Dil-E-Nadaan.”

• Lyrics are by Kumaar, Yo Yo Honey Singh, Alfaaz, Som, and Kratex.

• Choreography by Adil Shaikh and Remo D’Souza is visually engaging.

• Julius Packiam’s background score is very effective.

• V. Manikandan’s cinematography is excellent.

• Action and stunts by Parvez Shaikh are thrilling.

• Production design by Rajat Poddar, Rajnish Hedao, Sumit Basu, and Snigdha Basu is high standard.

• Rameshwar S. Bhagat’s editing could have been sharper to maintain comic timing.

Final Verdict

Housefull 5 is an average entertainer. Its plus points include strong comedy, witty dialogues, engaging performances, and chartbuster songs like Laal Paree. Minus points are the stretched post-interval portion, high production cost (~Rs. 225–250 crore), and a weak opening.

The film has two endings, differing only in the last 20–25 minutes, adding a slight novelty for

 repeat viewers.

Box Office: Expected to do ordinary business, not matching the franchise’s full potential.