The trailer of Housefull 5 is out and during the launch, producer Sajid Nadiadwala confirmed that 2 versions of the comic caper will be released. He said, “So, if you see at Gaiety, you'll see a character playing a killer but in Galaxy, the culprit will be somebody else. In PVR Audi 4, you'll have one killer but in PVR Audi 5, you'll see a version with a different killer. Even in the same audi, different show timings will have different actors playing the killer. This is happening in the world for the first time.” We asked the trade experts if this move could be a game-changer or will it backfire?
Trade veteran Taran Adarsh said, “It remains to be seen how people react to it. I don’t think it has happened before. People have shot two endings, like what happened with Sholay (1975). But with Housefull 5, there are two versions and they’ll also be available to the audience. That would be very interesting.”
He added, “I’d love to watch it twice as I would want to know what the second ending would be. However, it all boils down to the content. Otherwise, people might watch it only once. The film needs to have repeat value. After all, the identity of the killer comes only towards the end. Hence, for the remainder of the film, you need to have a very gripping screenplay.”
Vishek Chauhan, owner of Roopbani Cinema in Purnia, Bihar, said, “It’s a novelty. It’s not something that happens every week. The idea behind it is to create conversation to get people talking about the film. The worst thing about a film is being royally ignored. If people don’t talk about a film in a positive or negative manner, then you have a problem in hand.”
Trade analyst Atul Mohan explained, “This has never happened in the history of cinema. It is novel but there are also doubts. Today, people hesitate to watch a film in cinema even once and here, there are 2 endings, with the hope that the audience would catch two versions.”
He also appealed that there should be complete clarity on the two versions to avoid confusion. He noted, “There’s an apprehension that one might go watch the second version, to see who the alternate killer is and that person might end up watching the same version for the second time!”
With such a unique storytelling experiment, Housefull 5 is certainly stirring conversation. While the risk of confusion exists, the sheer novelty, coupled with the franchise's mass appeal, Akshay Kumar’s formidable star power, and foot-tapping music, has generated considerable buzz. If executed well, this bold move is likely to reap rich dividends at the box office, offering audiences not just one but two reasons to return to theatres.
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