As Housefull 4 releases tomorrow, October 25, we decode what could work in this comedy's favour.
Picture Courtesy: Official Instagram Account/Kriti Sanon
In 2010, Sajid Khan, Akshay Kumar and Sajid Nadiadwala joined hands to give the audience a comedy of errors called Housefull. It was an ensemble cast that thrived on farce and frivolousness. It turned out to be Kumar's highest grosser of that time, after six consecutive failures. Two years later, in Housefull 2, the cast got bigger and the case of mistaken identities more confusing and chaotic.
And with the last Housefull, helmed by director duo Sajid-Farhad, which I personally enjoyed, it was clear Nadiadwala and Kumar want to create a franchise that can help them let their hair down and have a ball. Three years later, the team returns with Housefull 4, which has been described as India's first reincarnation comedy.
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Akin to horror and animation, this is one genre Hindi cinema hasn't justified to its potential and meat. Barring a few titles like Madhumati, Karz, Karan Arjun and more recently, Om Shanti Om, we haven't tapped into the fascinating genre as meticulously as we ought to have. Can this comedy be an exception?
Kumar is currently enjoying an inevitable run at the box-office; everything he touches turns into Gold, which also ended up being the moniker of one of his films last year. He described his career as unpredictable; there was a string of flops followed by a string of successes. This phase falls into the latter category. Housefull 4 is a sure-shot winner, at least commercially. It's a big franchise spearheaded by a huge star, it's coming on Diwali, and most crucially, we get to see an unabashed and unapologetic comedy after Total Dhamaal.
The idea of giving every actor a double role sounds ambitious, and the trailer indicates it won't backfire as scathingly as it did in Humshakals, where three actors starred in triple roles. The post-Baahubali-era has compelled filmmakers to create historicals that ride high on grand sets and effects. This would be a one-of-a-kind film where we see stunning effects coupled with farcical comedy.
Kumar and Deshmukh have worked together in as many as five films, and four of them are the Housefull films. Given their respective understanding of the genre and celluloid chemistry, the two can always be relied upon to pull off any scene with ease and effortlessness. Bobby Deol hasn't explored such slapstick comedies much, except for David Dhawan's Chor Machaye Shor, so it won't be surprising to see him pale in comparison to his two other leads.
It's rather disappointing that the actresses in the Housefull films seemed to be around only to amp up the glam quotient, however, there's a glimmer of hope this time as the ladies seem to have parts that cannot be discarded as inconsequential. They are no less when it comes to physical comedy; all they need is an opportunity. Out of the three, Kriti Sanon seems to be leading the pack, and her scenes with Kumar could be fun and frothy.
Coming to the other crucial characters, Ranjit, Jamie and Johnny Lever, Ranjit plays a promiscuous king always lusting for beauty, just the way he was in the second film, and Johnny Lever is reincarnated as a woman who falls in love with Akhri Pasta, played by Chunky Panday, the most memorable character of the franchise. We are unaware of what role Jamie plays, but it shouldn't be any less than the other characters. We want to see how much comic timing she has inherited from her father!
The trailer was funny, and the plot sounds maddening, but will Housefull 4 be a riot the way Dhamaal and Golmaal were? The reason why the two films have transformed from commercial successes to cult classics is the lack of a single dull moment. They stayed true to their unpretentiousness and were boisterous from the word go. Housefull 4 will smash records and everyone involved will brag about it on social media, but will it achieve what films are made for - posterity?
Kriti Sanon took to her Instagram account and said before she and her co-stars head to watch the film, this is a picture to end the promotions. Take a look:
The reincarnation comedy, as aforementioned, is undeniably a commercial success, but it's not easy to be labelled as an unforgettable classic, it never was, neither today nor 600 years ago.
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