In the age of sequels and remakes of Bollywood, the Housefull franchise has stood the test of time in more ways than one.
Traversing a journey from being an outright comedy with mindless humour to now blending a murder mystery with laughs in its fifth installment, the Housefull franchise has grown over these last 10 years.
The plot of Housefull 5 revolves around multiple imposters who board a cruise ship and claim to be the son of a billionaire who has died recently. The story then unravels to show how they each bring forth their stories to prove their identities as they compete for his fortune.
Besides a murder at the centre of the story, Housefull 5, directed by Tarun Mansukhani, came with two climaxes with two different killers in the form of Housefull 5A and Housefull 5B.
But how effective has been this two alternate endings approach?
In conversation with NDTV, trade analyst Taran Adarsh sheds light on Housefull 5's double-climax theory. Is it a boon or a bane?
"No Harm Was Done In The Case of Housefull 5, But..."
The multi-starrer Housefull 5 smoothly entered the Rs 100 crore club within four days of its release. Backed by Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment, the film was released in theatres on June 6.
The ensemble cast of the film features Akshay Kumar, Abhishek Bachchan, Riteish Deshmukh, Sanjay Dutt, Fardeen Khan, Shreyas Talpade, Nana Patekar, Jackie Shroff, Dino Morea, Jacqueliene Fernandez, Nargis Fakhri, Chitrangda Singh, Sonam Bajwa, Soundarya Sharma, Chunky Pandey, Nikitin Dheer and Johnny Lever.
According to Taran Adarsh, the film collected Rs 126.08 crore as of Wednesday (June 11).
The two-endings strategy may have generated a lot of buzz around the film ahead of its release, but the trade expert believes the success of Housefull 5 can't be attributed to it.
Taran Adarsh says, "I don't think the dual ending formula has worked because people tend to get confused at times. Producers actually should stick to one ending... Once the secret is out in one climax, then they will go towards the other (version). And, then the second ending would take a backseat. So, sticking to one (ending) very important. In this case, no harm was done. It didn't harm the film, but that confusion could have been a little bothersome."
The trade analyst also reiterates why he does not see the double-climax trend to be something that directors would be looking to implement in future.
He shares, "You can shoot an alternate ending if you feel like it. It has happened in the past... But what happens is that once the film has been accepted, then even if you try to change it (the ending), there won't be much difference in the result."
Producer Sajid Nadiadwala of Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment had addressed the whole prospect of confusing the audience with two endings.
He had told The Hollywood Reporter, "I believe the very essence of the film is to create a sense of confusion for the audience in the theatre, and choosing between Climax A or B simply added to that. Had the film not worked, this could have completely backfired. But because it succeeded, the concept now adds to the appeal. People are going back to watch it again - this time opting for a different version than what they have watched. So yes, it turned out to be a great concept, and a film like Housefull 5 provided the perfect platform to experiment with it."
Housefull 5A Vs Housefull 5B
The dual-ending was a marketing gimmick, but that invariably led to a major part of the audience going for Housefull 5A, maybe for the initial curiosity that sparked within them to see both endings, in order.
"Don't even get me started, Housefull 5A is doing better by a vast margin," Taran Adarsh adds.
Taran Adarsh didn't elaborate on the break up.
Taran Adarsh On Housefull 5 Recovering Its Massive Budget Of Reportedly Rs 300 Crore
Housefull 5 has recorded a solid opening weekend and is closing in on Week 1 tomorrow.
What may also work in its favour is that there are no big releases in theatres this week. Hence, the scope of the multi-starrer churning in more numbers and recovering a substantial amount of its budget might be on the cards.
Will Housefull 5 be able to recover its reported budget of Rs 300 crore, Taran Adarsh says, "It's a bit too early (to comment) right now. It has an open field. Next week, let's see what happens."
Aamir Khan's much-awaited Sitaare Zameen Par hits the screens next week on June 20, 2025. Could that be a curtain call for the steady incoming numbers for the film?
Adarsh adds, "Yes and no. Aamir's film is mainly targeted at major metro centres, not the smaller ones."
All in all, Taran Adarsh is happy that Housefull 5 has managed to bring the audience back to the theatres despite social media bashing.
He adds, "People have come back to the theatres. That's a very good sign. You know, forget the actors or producers, people must come to the theatres. Because that is what drives the business forward. More than anything, it is a great feat for the Indian film industry."
Also Read | Long Before Housefull 5's Multiple Climaxes, There Was A Netflix Film That Did It