Housefull 5

Housefull 5 is a 2023 Indian Hindi-language action comedy film directed by Farhad Samji and produced by Bhushan Kumar, Omung Kumar, and KR Berg. The film brings together the core cast of the Housefull franchise, with Akshay Kumar reprising his role as the 'reformed', socially conscious Aarush Pandey. The story revolves around a will left behind by a wealthy father, who has declared that he wants to leave his entire fortune to a person named Jolly. As the story progresses, we are introduced to a series of claimants all of whom claim to be the one and only 'real Jolly'. The first contender is Aarush Pandey himself, who has undergone a transformation and now calls himself 'Jolly Kumar' - but only on certain special occasions when he needs to present himself as the ideal candidate for inheritances or jobs. One such opportunity arises when he learns about his great-uncle's (Randhir Pandey) birthday cruise celebrations, where the will is set to be revealed. The birthday boy, wanting to create a memorable experience, invites all the members of his family, as well as Aarush (now Jolly), aboard the luxurious cruise. Little does Aarush realize that there are many more would-be 'Jollys' besides him who are also a part of the cruise. Among these claimants is a charming and cunning fellow named 'Jolly', who is played by Kriti Sanon's on-screen beau, Rohit, coincidentally also Rohit. As the journey commences, several key 'Jollys' posing as the 'original Jolly Pandey' try and outsmart one another and manipulate every situation on the cruise for their own benefit. Aarush continues to play along as 'Jolly Pandey' to make profits but gets entangled into situations he had never imagined before. Things take an unexpected turn as the ship sets sail. Among the passengers, it is discovered that a homicide has taken place. Following a brutal fight on deck, a fellow named Rohit, who Aarush presumed as the main Jolly, was discovered dead in a bathroom. With no clear suspects, all the passengers, as well as the crew, must be thoroughly grilled to uncover the truth behind this mysterious crime. As the situation spirals out of control, family members, friends, and would-be relatives use all conceivable tricks and lies to position themselves in the spotlight and win the prize. The key question in the play is, who is this real 'Jolly Pandey', to which the mystery unravels gradually amidst mind-blowing twists and dramatic plot bends. It is eventually discovered that the main culprit behind Rohit's murder is none other than a member of Aarush's own family. He had indeed revealed that Babbal Rai, playing one of the many duplicitous characters is the 'real Jolly Pandey" - but we swiftly discover he was just using this identity to make his claim more convincing on the same cruise where main plot revolves around the identity of the real 'Jolly'. As the climax unfolds and 'real Jolly' is revealed, the film concludes on a satisfactory note with a fitting finale that solidifies Aarush's ideals, finally settles with the Pandey family and even delivers a subtle reminder of the impact a 'self transformation' can have within one's life.