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Housefull 5 releases on Prime Video in July
The film offers two versions with alternate endings
Akshay Kumar leads a star-studded ensemble
The Housefull franchise has returned to screens with its fifth installment, Housefull 5, which released theatrically on June 6, 2025. Known for its chaotic slapstick comedy and ensemble cast format, the franchise takes a detour into mystery territory this time.
This time, the cast is aboard a cruise ship as a full-blown murder mystery devolves into comedy. Directed by Tarun Mansukhani, Housefull 5 blends farce and suspense in a setting where three imposters all claim to be the rightful heir to a massive inheritance.
The film follows the murder of a superrich tycoon who leaves behind a cryptic will: Everything is willed away to a certain 'Jolly'. Three men come in to claim this identity: Julius (played by Akshay Kumar), Jalbhushan (played by Abhishek Bachchan), and Jalabuddin (played by Riteish Deshmukh). Yet just as the matter is going to be settled, the good doctor finds himself murdered, with the comedy of errors turning suddenly into a ‘whodunit’.
The tone drifts between slapstick comedy to Agatha Christie-style detective tale. Romance, deception, and competition jump into the mixture as an army of supporting characters joins the fray.
Housefull 5 assembles one of the largest ensemble casts in recent Bollywood history. Joining Kumar, Bachchan, and Deshmukh are:
Sanjay Dutt, Jackie Shroff, Nana Patekar, Fardeen Khan, Shreyas Talpade, Chunky Pandey, Johnny Lever, Dino Morea, and Nikitin Dheer.
The female cast features Jacqueline Fernandez, Nargis Fakhri, Sonam Bajwa, Chitrangada Singh, and Soundarya Sharma.
While some characters are designed to deliver punchlines, others move the murder plot forward, a balancing act that critics have called both ambitious and chaotic.
For Indian cinema, this was the first-ever occasion of releasing two different versions of Housefull 5, 5A, and 5B, with competing clamor in the climax.
In Housefull 5A, Dev, played by Fardeen Khan, is the soul of murder for money in complicity with one of the Jollys.
In Housefull 5B, the killer is Chitrangada Singh’s Maya, the company’s CFO.
The plot is the same for the first two hours in both versions, differing only in the last act. Theatres allegedly played both versions in equal proportions, with promotions asking fans to see both endings.
The film got off to a strong start at the box office, with ₹24.35 crore on Day 1 and a 25% jump on Day 2, collecting ₹56.7 crore in the first two days. By the end of its opening weekend, the film approached the ₹90 crore mark.
Despite the numbers, reviews have been mixed. Critics praised Akshay Kumar as the film’s ‘comic anchor,’ with Abhishek Bachchan and Riteish Deshmukh earning praise for their timing. However, others called the film ‘exhausting,’ criticizing its length and the ‘gimmicky’ nature of the dual endings.
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Amazon Prime Video possesses the digital rights for Housefull 5, and the OTT premiere will possibly occur in early July 2025, between July 1 and 7. The release is likely to have both versions so that audiences can enjoy streaming the dual endings one after another.
Insiders suggest the early OTT window is a strategic pivot, intended to sustain buzz after an experimental theatrical run.
Housefull 5 delivers what fans of the franchise expect: large doses of absurdity and star power, but layers it with a surprising narrative shift into mystery territory. Now, the dual-ending formula is a novel concept, but it is divisive.
The box office woes signal initial interest, whereas the early OTT release on Prime Video will determine whether this lucrative experiment pays off with the larger audience. Regardless of whether they celebrate the chaos or complain about its confusion, Housefull 5 has indeed made people talk.
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