Housefull 5A and Housefull 5B. These aren't two seat numbers of the same row in a cinema hall for the movie Housefull 5. They refer to the two alternate endings of the fifth installment in the popular but oft-ridiculed comedy franchise.
This edition, directed by Tarun Mansukhani and produced by Sajid Nadiadwala of Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment, won't just be a Housefull-style slapstick comedy. There's also an element of murder mystery to it.
When a billionaire (Ranjeet) is murdered on a cruise ship, three men -- played by Akshay Kumar, Abhishek Bachchan, and Riteish Deshmukh -- come forward claiming to be his rightful heir, Jolly. Chaos and comedy ensue when the search for the billionaire's killer and the real heir begins.
As Housefull 5 releases in theatres today, the comedy thriller will have two climaxes with different murderers.
At the trailer launch of the film, Nadiadwala proudly declared a film with two different endings was something that hadn't "happened anywhere else in the world", adding that he was toying with the idea for the last 30 years.
"I've written a story [Housefull] where every theatre will have a different killer. So, if you watch it at Gaiety, it'll have one killer. If you watch it at Galaxy, there'll be another. In PVR screen number 4, you'll see a different killer, and in PVR screen number 5, yet another one. It's like every time you watch the film, you'll get a different ending," the producer had said.
But Is That So?
While two alternate endings with different murderers is a first for the Housefull franchise, which started 15 years ago, it's not a novel concept.
In 2018, streamer Netflix came out with Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, an interactive film set in the dystopian sci-fi thriller world of Black Mirror anthology series franchise. It was directed by David Slade and penned by Black Mirror creator Charlie Brooker.
Set in 1984, the movie followed a young programmer named Stefan Butler, played by Fionn Whitehead, who is adapting a fantasy gamebook into a video game.
And, Black Mirror: Bandersnatch had not two, but many, many endings. How so? Its interactive medium film gave the viewer the agency to make decisions for the protagonist. They chose what happened to Stefan - whether he accepts or rejects help from the game company in developing the game, or whether he jumps off the balcony or not.
However, Bandersnatch wasn't the first of its kind either. In the past, Malayalam film Harikrishnans (1998) and Hollywood movie Clue (1985) released in theatres with different endings. Bandersnatch, however, gave the viewer the power to decide the end.
This Netflix film received mixed reviews with much debate over the extent to which the viewer's decision influenced the story's narrative and subsequent outcome.
But when have reviews ever been a concern for the Housefull folk.
Its budget, crassness of jokes, and also box office collections have only increased over the years. The last film, Housefull 4 was mounted on a budget of Rs 150 crore and it managed to collect over Rs 280 crore at the ticket windows.
As for Housefull 5, you can choose your poison - Housefull 5A, Housefull 5B, or, maybe both?
Screengrab of Housefull shows of two alternate endings. Photo Credit: BookMyShow
Also Read | Will Housefull 5 Go Houseful At The Box Office?