Housefull 5 Hits Theatres with Star Power, But Struggles to Impress Amid Lukewarm Opening

Akshay Kumar makes a comeback in the comedy-drama Housefull 5, which recently premiered in theatres. While the film boasts a stellar ensemble cast, it has yet to win over audiences completely.

Initial Box Office Performance and Comparisons

According to Sacnilk, the movie began its theatrical run with a 13.62% morning occupancy across both its versions—Housefull 5A and Housefull 5B.

Though the start is respectable, it lagged behind other major 2025 Bollywood releases like Chhaava, Raid 2, Sikandar, and Badass Ravi Kumar.

Chhaava, starring Vicky Kaushal, led the year with a 30.5% occupancy on its debut, followed by Raid 2 at 21.23%, Badass Ravi Kumar at 13.9%, and Sikandar at 13.76%.

Housefull 5 ranked fifth in the top 10 Bollywood openings list, managing to surpass titles such as Kesari Chapter 2 (12.67%), Fateh (10.6%), Sky Force (10.26%), Game Changer (9.10%), and Emergency (5.98%).

With increased footfall expected over the first weekend, trade analysts anticipate a notable rise in collections.

Cast and Plot Overview

The film features an extensive cast including Jacqueline Fernandez, Nana Patekar, Johnny Lever, Abhishek Bachchan, Riteish Deshmukh, Sanjay Dutt, Fardeen Khan, Shreyas Talpade, Jackie Shroff, Nargis Fakhri, Chitrangada Singh, and Sonam Bajwa, among others.

Set aboard a luxurious cruise, the murder mystery comedy revolves around several imposters claiming to be the heir of a deceased billionaire, competing for his vast inheritance.

Box Office Collections and Weekend Growth

Industry estimates from Sacnilk show that Housefull 5 crossed the ₹50 crore mark within two days of release.

It earned approximately ₹30 crore on its second day across India in all languages, following an opening day collection of ₹24 crore. With this, the total stood at ₹54 crore at the end of Day 2.

The film recorded a 37.97% occupancy on June 7. This opening stands as Akshay Kumar’s fourth-highest after Mission Mangal (₹29.16 crore), Sooryavanshi (₹26.29 crore), and Gold (₹25.25 crore).

Expectations and Distribution

Given Akshay Kumar’s past box office trajectory, expectations were high. Kesari Chapter 2 opened at ₹7.75 crore and wrapped up at ₹92 crore, while Khel Khel Mein, which released alongside Vedaa and Stree 2, opened with ₹5 crore. Based on initial trends, Housefull 5 is expected to outpace both films.

The film released across 5,000 screens worldwide, with multiplexes scheduling up to 21 shows a day. Despite the dual-version release of Housefull 5A and 5B, possibly due to edits or format changes, the film retained strong screen presence.

The estimated budget stands at ₹225 crore, requiring a ₹450 crore global collection to break even.

Director and Producers

Directed by Tarun Mansukhani, known for Dostana (2008), Housefull 5 marks his return after over a decade. The film is produced by Sajid Nadiadwala, Warda Nadiadwala, and Firuzi Khan under Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment.

Overall Weekend Performance

The movie collected ₹35.10 crore on its third day, pushing its weekend total to ₹91.83 crore. Friday brought in ₹24.35 crore and Saturday ₹32.28 crore, as reported by the producers.

By Saturday, the gross domestic collection had reached ₹65 crore. Internationally, the film earned ₹22 crore in two days.

In comparison to Akshay Kumar’s recent films, Housefull 5 performed significantly better. It surpassed the weekend numbers of Housefull 4 (₹53.22 crore), Good Newzz (₹64.99 crore), Mission Mangal (₹70.02 crore), and Sooryavanshi (₹77 crore).

Trade Analyst Reaction

Taran Adarsh shared on X, “SUPER WEEKEND… Housefull 5 scores a big, fat total in its opening weekend… Emerges as #AkshayKumar’s BIGGEST OPENING WEEKEND in the post-pandemic era – even BIGGER than #Sooryavanshi.”

He added that both national and single-screen theatres saw wide acceptance, indicating strong performance in both urban and mass circuits.

Occupancy and Regional Response

Housefull 5 achieved an overall occupancy of 39.52% on Sunday with 4,797 shows. Chennai led with 62.50% occupancy across 42 shows, followed by Lucknow (46% with 210 shows), Mumbai (45.25% with 811 shows), and Delhi NCR (38.50% with 1,195 shows).

Housefull 5, despite initial critical skepticism, witnessed a solid start and garnered impressive earnings within its opening weekend.

With a large star cast, significant screen count, and audience interest in lighthearted ensemble films, the movie could prove to be a pivotal hit in Akshay Kumar’s post-pandemic filmography.