In 2025, Tarun Mansukhani co-wrote and directed the Hindi-language Indian comedic thriller Housefull 5, which was produced by Sajid Nadiadwala, Warda Nadiadwala, and Firuzi Khan under the Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment label. It is the fifth installment in the Housefull series. The ensemble cast of the movie includes Akshay Kumar, Abhishek Bachchan, Riteish Deshmukh, Sanjay Dutt, Fardeen Khan, Shreyas Talpade, Nana Patekar, Jackie Shroff, Dino Morea, Jacqueline Fernandez, Nargis Fakhri, Chitrangana Singh, Sonam Bajwa, Soundarya Sharma, Chunky Pandey, Nikitin Dheer, and Johnny Lever. There are two separate copies of the movie, Housefull 5A and Housefull 5B, featuring distinct conclusion sequences have been produced.
Surprising his son Dev and his onboard crew, Ranjeet Dobriyal dies of a heart attack while celebrating his 100th birthday aboard a cruise ship. Dobriyal’s lawyer reveals his will, which states that Jolly, his son from his first marriage, would inherit his money. His death is kept a secret since it may hurt the company’s stock. When three men—Jalbushan, Julius, and Jalabuddin—arrive with their wives and claim to be Jolly, confusion follows. Dev offers a DNA test answer that could identify the genuine Jolly the following morning. Until then, everyone on Dobriyal’s list had a fantastic time on the cruise, but when they wake up the following morning, they don’t remember anything from the previous evening. Everyone assembles to wait for the doctor to reveal the truth after a few near-miss incidents. The discovery of the doctor’s gruesome murder, however, raises suspicions about all three Jollys and their wives since a DNA test would identify the phony Jolly. Until Interpol shows around, Dev and his team decide to lock up all three Jollys and their wives in the cruise jail. Baba and Bhiddu, two suspended police officers, come to the cruise ship to solve the murder case so that their suspension may be lifted, but as the days go by, additional accidents and killings occur.
I firmly think that this film was not intended for critical analysis. If you do, it disintegrates really rapidly. However, it does a decent job if all you want to do is pass the time and have some lighthearted fun. While some jokes are obvious before they are even said, others are spot on. While some of the situations are truly humorous and deserving of recognition, others are unimpressive because they depend too much on nostalgia.
It’s good, not that horrible. There are a few voice dubbing problems, particularly with Sanjay and Jackie, and there are too many jokes that objectify the females and have several meanings. Though not as wonderful as the original, it is far superior to Housefull 4. Despite the fact that they connected the Housefull narrative to this, it doesn’t really make a difference. You go right into the murder mystery portion of the film, and the number of twists and turns it takes to reveal the mystery in the end is just too much.
The picture is entertaining in the first half, but the opposite occurs in the second half. As in his previous films, such as Hera Pheri, Bhagam Bhag, and the first Housefull flicks, Aksay Kumar has attempted to play the OG Kamina, but as the film goes on, it starts to seem awkward. Since he reverted to the persona, the humor he performed in the first half is appropriate (where nostalgia plays a factor). However, it feels strained and noisy in the latter part. Ritesh has a few jokes, although they aren’t always successful. Because his comedic portion was written so sloppily, Abhishek is not happy with his humor.
The main female characters are purely for show and have no bearing on the plot. Nargis Fakri’s portrayal of a Nepali girl is particularly awkward. Johny Lever and Chunkey Pandey don’t get enough use. Akshay received the most of the quips and gags they were supposed to receive, with Ritesh receiving some as well. Fardeen Khan wasn’t very noteworthy, but he was decent. Dino Morea is simply there for no apparent reason and has nothing to do. When famous actors like Sanjay Dutt, Jakie Shroff, and Nana Patekar were treated like jokers, people’s hearts were crushed. There would be balance in the story if their characters were serious. Nikitin Dheer and Shreyas Talpade were out of place whereas Talpade was given more footage than Dheer.
In conclusion, I would like to state that it is a nonsensical, illogical, and stupid humor. Only when you watch the movie with lower expectations and leave your mind at home will you be able to appreciate it.
Note: Despite the reviews describing it as a headache and torment, it’s not that horrible. It’s worth seeing once. The issue is the purpose of the movie; if you’re looking for narrative, reason, and common sense, this movie will let you down. It will amuse you, though, if you’re merely going for fun and to kill time.
I gave it a 2.5 out of 5.
