'Housefull 5': Sajid Nadiadwala on Box-Office Reports, Dual Climaxes and Why It'll Reopen Doors for Comedies

Producer Sajid Nadiadwala is having the last laugh. His latest production, Housefull 5, clocked in over ₹100 crores in four days and is now hopeful to have a steady run this week before it picks up again in the second weekend. The numbers have come in at a time when the industry is battling the post-pandemic dry spell of the genre, lack of star-studded comedies hitting the big screen, and an innovative, risky "dual climax" strategy, which was announced just before the release.

"Had the film not worked, this could have completely backfired," Nadiadwala tells THR India in an exclusive conversation. "It turned out to be a great concept, and a film like Housefull 5 provided the perfect platform to experiment with it," the producer, who also wrote the film, adds.

Directed by Tarun Mansukhani, Housefull 5 was led by series regulars Akshay Kumar and Riteish Deshmukh and also starred Abhishek Bachchan, Fardeen Khan, Jacqueline Fernandez, Sonam Bajwa, and Nargis Fakhri among others.

As the film continues its box office trend, Nadiadwala talks about how the long-running franchise has successfully avoided getting saturated, the challenges of getting bigger with every new instalment, and what the numbers of Housefull 5 could mean for Hindi comedies.

Edited excerpts from a conversation:

Sajid Nadiadwala talks about 'Housefull 5'

How do you process the response so far?

Reaching the fifth instalment has been a landmark achievement for us, as Housefull 5 is one of the very few Indian franchises to do so. There’s always the possibility of hitting a saturation point with any franchise, but the fact that we are going to a 20% jump, then towards 60 to 80 crore business, clearly suggests we haven’t reached that limit yet.

Moreover, the idea of having two climaxes was a bold and edgy choice — and that being worked also helped in the film’s favour. Such outcomes encourage me to make more creatively daring decisions in the future.

The dual climaxes of the film remained a major talking point before the release, with many even fearing what if this "confuses" the audience...

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

The dual climaxes of 'Housefull 5'

It is the only Indian film franchise to have a fifth instalment. As a producer, what is the challenge to ensure that the audience keeps coming back to it?

The biggest challenge for any sequel is that it gets harder with each part — the sequel gets tough, part three gets tougher, and so on. The actors age, the humour evolves, and staying relevant after 15 years is no small feat.

If a film doesn’t do 10 to 15% better than its predecessor, then it probably shouldn’t be made. Housefull 4 did ₹210 crores, almost a 100% jump from Housefull 3, and now Housefull 5 is looking at another 30 to 40% increase over that. That tells us the franchise is still very much alive — and that audiences are still enjoying this kind of humour.

Housefull 5 is the only big, quintessential Bollywood comedy that has released post-pandemic and revived the genre at the box office. What does this tell you as a producer?

Writing comedy, I believe, is the most difficult and ironically the most serious job. So, for it to work has been extremely heartwarming. We’ve had brilliant entertainers and directors in this space, but many of them held themselves back in recent years for various reasons. I genuinely hope this success reopens the doors to many more fun and entertaining films.