Housefull 4: What makes Akshay Kumar-led Housefull franchise a hit every single time

Housefull 4, the fourth instalment of the hit comedy franchise, is all set to arrive this Diwali with the original star cast of Akshay Kumar, Riteish Deshmukh, Boman Irani, Chunky Panday as well as some new entrants. Housefull is one of the few Bollywood comedy franchises that have nailed it every single time, others being Rohit Shetty’s Golmaal and Indra Kumar’s Dhamaal series.

Coming with an ensemble cast of Kriti Sanon, Bobby Deol, Kriti Kharbanda, Pooja Hegde and many others, Housefull 4 looks promising and is expected to hit bull’s-eye the fourth time. The film is set in two timelines and has Akshay leading the cast in this reincarnation comedy. With many more factors adding to the hype around the film, here’s why the Housefull series continues to remain a hit even after a decade of its inception:

Akshay Kumar

Akshay is a permanent member of the Housefull franchise. The actor, who has cemented his position in the industry with his patriotic and socially relevant cinema, has managed to pepper his career with consecutive Housefull iterations. In this film, he will be seen as a bald king with a strain of eccentricity. His quirky dance number Bala Shaitaan Ka Saala is a hit already with many Bollywood celebrities taking the Bala challenge.

A perfect combination of the old and the new

Besides Akshay, Riteish, Boman and Chunky are also permanent members of the hit Housefull franchise. Produced by Sajid Nadiadwala, each of the Housefull instalments boasts of new additions to the star cast including many big names like Deepika Padukone, John Abraham and Jacqueline Fernandez. While Deepika, Jiah Khan, Lara Dutta and Arjun Rampal starred in the original, the second instalment starred John and Asin. Housefull 2 also had an additional starcast of a few senior members such as Rishi Kapoor, Randhir Kapoor and Mithun Chakraborty. The third instalment had Jacqueline, Abhishek Bachchan, Lisa Haydon and Nargis Fakhri joining the permanent team.

Concept of confusion

The central theme of all the Housefull instalments has been about mistaken identities and comedy of errors. Akshay’s character in the original was seen calling all the leading female actors his wife in the original. Housefull 2 was a curious case of Jolly – the real, the fake and the liar. Housefull 3, too, revolved around the theme of lead actors faking different identities to marry the girl of their choice. For the latest instalment, the makers have chosen to enter another timeline and have based the story around the theme of reincarnation. All the characters have two distinct looks in the film -- one from the empire of Sitamgarh and the other in present-day London.

Timing of its release

Housefull 4 is the big Diwali release of the year and is expected to gain despite its clash with two more Bollywood films, Made In China and Saand Ki Aankh. However, it comes three years after the last instalment and has star power to back it up.

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Songs and drama

A few songs from Housefull 4 have piqued the interest of the audience with their quirky lyrics. While Ek Chumma shows Akshay, Riteish and Bobby in kilts, the song Shaitan Ka Saala has inspired many to attempt Akshay’s hook-step. The Bhoot Song featuring Nawazuddin Siddiqui as a funny tantrik is also a laugh riot. The makers have just released another dance number – Chammo.

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