Housefull 5: Do Over-Sexualisation, Corny Humour Have Place In Today's Cinema?

After viewing Housefull 5, you are the one who wants to jump off the ship and get away from the storyline - yes, all while it is happening on a cruise ship. While it may go against our refined movie tastes, we still watch comedies to let loose and have a break from our stressful lives. But what was the purpose of this particular theatrical release? Fun, huh? 

You will dawn on the realisation that "Housefull 5" is such a horrendous brain rot, that it is impossible to comprehend it. Women are only there for their glossy bodies and to make the guys in the franchise appear smarter than they are, as this is a universe where it's likely that no women were engaged in the writing. Self-deprecating humour is restricted to name-swapping and men acting in complete control of the situation, while sexually explicit references pass for funny.

The Plot

The narrative begins and ends on Ranjit's luxurious cruise ship. He died from his heart attack on the day of his 100th birthday, and upon his death, he left his son Jolly 69 billion pounds in inheritance. Except no one knows who Jolly is or what he looks like. As Akshay, Ritesh and Abhishek claim to be the true sons of the deceased, the search for the guardianship of the true Jolly and the murderer begins. Ranjit's lawyer, the captain of the ship, and the board of directors are all present and ready to take on an unsuspecting murder on the cruise. It must be worked out quickly because the murderer is among them.

Analysing Overt Sexualisation - The Necessity of the Female Gaze in Contemporary Narratives

'Housefull 5' is very fortunate that it comes out as a great entertainment package on a commercial level. Although it's not to everyone's taste. There isn't much heartwarming humour in the cringeworthy comedy, as spooky men are making jokes about torturing animals and monkeys and lusting for women's bodies.

At one point, it also seems forced, as if the audience is being made to laugh. Housefull 5, with its '6 and 9' jokes and a long segment that has only the shimmering bodies of three of the lead women—Jacqueline Fernandez, Sonam Bajwa and Nargis Fakhri—isn't even a family movie. They are portrayed as nothing more than cardboard cutouts for the male gaze.

From the look of the characters, the makers must have fallen asleep while they were creating it, which essentially rendered their stories non-existent. You will need to put your critical mind in the closet before you enter the theatre, since the film is so ridiculous.

Creepy humour guised as a blockbuster comedy- loopholes in storyline

With the availability of access to countless masterpieces globally, we have learned that the best humour frequently originates from ordinary occurrences—from something grounded in reality rather than encased in glitz. Don't be surprised by Riteish Deshmukh eating a parrot as obnoxious as the one in "Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon," or Akshay Kumar smacking CGI animals.

You chuckle at lines like "Thokte raho....... Taaliya" and "mera popat kabhi nahi uthega", but you brush off the discomfort because this is the brand's singular essence. What amazes you is the magnitude of the script's lack of humour. Even if we can say it, inappropriate humour, and the blatant squandering of a billion actors who are known for their comedic timing, is the only blockbuster comedy phenomenon you experience.

Once the glitz and glamour of a murder-mystery-comedy become distracting, it loses its impact. Even if Akshay makes a great effort at appearing as a slapstick comedian, you still miss the sensibilities of Akshay that you enjoyed in "Welcome" or "Singh is Kinng."  Riteish Deshmukh and Abhishek Bachchan both contribute nicely to the chaos, but the absence of decent humour is the true antagonist in this case, the real destroyer of the happiness that a full-length comedy show on the large screen should provide. 

Housefull 5 has no genuine humour. Everything is simply a rehash of characters or a situation we have already seen in previous "Housefull" films. Johny Lever, the noteworthy comedian, barely gets any work. The talented actor, who has dominated the comic scene in Bollywood since the 1990s, is merely used as a frame filler.

Over two hours and forty-five minutes, the insipid first half is made worse by childish insults, unnecessary discussions, weird music, and ruckus—everything but laughter. You miss the comedic blows. Even the casting of Jackie Shroff and Sanjay Dutt as Baba and Bhidu seems incongruous. You feel terrible for these actors as they become parodies of their former greatness.

The movie has two climaxes, 5 A and 5 B. The killers in both are different; otherwise, everything else is the same. It does not matter which you choose, but if you have to go with one, 5 A. You genuinely come to believe in the dearth of female gaze in popular cinema after watching Housefull 5.

 Let's return to the days when children couldn't even watch TV, let alone movies in theatres, if this is what they want the children to watch. And maybe, just maybe, we are the real joke if this is what Bollywood calls a blockbuster comedy.

Views expressed are author's own.