Housefull 5 is the latest installment in Bollywood’s long-running slapstick-comedy franchise, this time adding a murder-mystery twist—set aboard a lavish cruise, directed by Tarun Mansukhani, and produced by Sajid Nadiadwala. It reunites franchise staples Akshay Kumar, Riteish Deshmukh and Abhishek Bachchan as three claimants to the same inheritance, all named “Jolly,” while a masked killer stalks the ship.
🎬 Plot & Premise
The crux: A billionaire’s heir, Ranjeet, dies during his centenary party—his inheritance bequeathed to “Jolly.” Hilarity ensues with three Jollys (played by Kumar, Bachchan, and Deshmukh) vying for the fortune. Soon, bodies begin to drop, triggering a who-dunnit amid the slapstick chaos navbharattimes.indiatimes.com+15newsbytesapp.com+15popcornreviewss.com+15. The film takes nearly three hours to deliver, with its first half filled with frivolous gags, repetitive banter, and glitzy visuals, before finally hitting its stride in the second half when more narrative structure seeps in nripage.com.
🎭 Performances
Akshay Kumar is described by some as the soul of the film, anchoring the madness with his veteran comic timing . Yet even he can’t fully elevate the film, with Saibal Chatterjee noting his efforts “visible but ultimately swallowed” by the lackluster writing hindustantimes.com+15newsbytesapp.com+15ndtv.com+15.
Riteish Deshmukh remains consistent, offering warmth and chemistry alongside Kumar; their rapport is one of the film’s few consistent pleasures .
Abhishek Bachchan, somewhat surprisingly, fares well, delivering deadpan humor and dry wit—a pleasant shift from his usual style .
Supporting cameos—Nana Patekar, Sanjay Dutt, Jackie Shroff, Johnny Lever—make sporadic appearances. Patekar’s entry is noted as adding energy in the latter half hindustantimes.com+7newsbytesapp.com+7cinemaexpress.com+7, Sanjay Dutt and Shroff provide comic contrast newsbytesapp.com+1popcornreviewss.com+1, though Lever is almost entirely wasted reddit.com.
The female cast—Jacqueline Fernandez, Sonam Bajwa, Nargis Fakhri, Soundarya Sharma, Chitrangda Singh—are largely reduced to eye-candy. Their characters lack depth and often serve as props for vulgar gags justformoviefreaks.in+9cinemaexpress.com+9ndtv.com+9.
🎥 Direction, Writing & Tone
Director Mansukhani juggles slapstick, spectacle, and murder mystery with mixed results. Cinematography captures the cruise’s grandeur—warm, over-saturated visuals are striking if superficial timesofindia.indiatimes.com+6etnownews.com+6timesofindia.indiatimes.com+6. The pacing sputters; the first half drags on predictable shticks, only picking up momentum once the mystery deepens timesofindia.indiatimes.com+2newsbytesapp.com+2nripage.com+2.
Farhad Samji’s script is heavily criticized: jokes are stale, dialogues cringe-worthy, and humor toeing the sexist and vulgar line indiatoday.in+13cinemaexpress.com+13nripage.com+13. The film runs more like a series of disjointed sketches than a coherent comedy, with noisy, repetitive gags and sketchy pacing timesofindia.indiatimes.com+2justformoviefreaks.in+2nripage.com+2.
🎶 Music & Technicals
The soundtrack is forgettable, though songs like “Laal Pari” and “Dil-e‑Nadaan” offer occasional relief timesofindia.indiatimes.com+9iwmbuzz.com+9hindustantimes.com+9. Cinematography is glossy and vibrant, suiting the grand cruise aesthetic cinemaexpress.com+3etnownews.com+3nripage.com+3, but editing is sloppy, with unnerving cuts and rhythm issues . The heavy-handed background score amplifies chaos but rarely supports genuine humor .
⚖️ Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths:
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Kumar–Deshmukh duo remains charming and engaging navbharattimes.indiatimes.com+15newsbytesapp.com+15indiatoday.in+15.
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Visual appeal of the grand cruise and ensemble spectacle .
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The dual ending gimmick adds novelty and repeat-viewing buzz timesofindia.indiatimes.com+2etnownews.com+2hindustantimes.com+2.
Weaknesses:
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Script lacks wit and coherence; much humor feels dated or sexist .
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Overstuffed cast leads to underuse of talent—Johnny Lever, female leads, cameo vets all sidelined nripage.com.
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Pacing is inconsistent—long, pointless first half drowning the whodunit premise .
🎯 Final Verdict
Housefull 5 is a flamboyant, high-energy comedy masquerading as a murder mystery. Its strengths—Akshay–Riteish chemistry, visual spectacle, and the novelty of two climaxes—are overshadowed by poor writing, dated humor, and chaotic execution. It’s neither family-friendly nor genuinely funny by modern standards, with only scattered moments of amusement.
For franchise fans craving loud madness and star-studded chaos, it delivers a short-lived thrill. But for viewers seeking coherent storytelling, intelligent humor, or respect for female characters, Housefull 5 is likely to disappoint.
